Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Tuesday, 05 February 2008 18:50
Opinion and Analysis
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Online transaction security software, TrustDefender, has launched a
beta version designed for Windows Vista, while launching a new ‘Kernel
Forensics Engine’ in the current XP version to help users detect,
protect and secure all online transactions – and provide exclusive
protection against the nasty ‘Silentbanker Trojan’ and MBR Virus.
The safety of online banking has been in the spotlight more than ever in recent times, as consumers and banks continue to suffer a range of attacks by hackers seeking to intercept banking transactions and ultimately steal usernames, passwords – and money.
The latest security threats revolve around the Silentbanker and Mebroot Trojans which use ultra sophisticated techniques including rootkits and installation into a hard drive’s master boot record (MBR) to hide in places that traditional ‘Internet security’ programs are, as yet, unable to detect or remove.
According to
TrustDefender’s press release, ZDnet Australia reported on January 17, 2008, that the Silentbanker Trojan, which can operate in a number of different languages “is targeting the customers of 400 banks around the world, including banks from Turkey, the US, Europe and several banks in Australia.”
Ted Egan, CEO of TrustDefender, said that: “The TrustDefender Kernel Forensics Engine which has been incorporated into both our Enterprise Server and consumer focused TrustDefender Gold Edition security solutions, has undergone extensive testing and is able to detect, secure and protect online transactions against Trojans like the Silentbanker or MBR Virus which are almost completely undetectable by many of the anti-fraud and anti-virus solutions on the market today”.
Egan continued that: “We are now seeing the cyber criminals step up the pressure on consumers and financial institutions right around the world by developing sophisticated capabilities to remain undetected whilst intercepting valid e-banking transactions that use real-time two-factor security authentication, thus potentially accessing your banking information and funds.”
Unfortunately for the banks and their customers, the Silentbanker Trojan is able to bypass two and multi-factor security solutions, with Egan saying that: “The Silentbanker Trojan, which is beginning to generate cyber attacks all around the world, aims to enable hackers to get between the computer user and their financial institutions website undetected and manage the customer’s otherwise legitimate online banking activity - even where the financial institution has deployed multi factor or two-factor security solutions - so the cyber thieves are basically enabling themselves to do whatever they want with the customer’s bank account and their money”.
Highlighting just how sophisticated the Silentbanker threat is, Egan said that: “The fact that all Silentbanker generated transactions are seen as legitimate and there may be no immediate detection by either the bank or the consumer that the Trojan is carrying out this form of criminal activity makes this a very serious and sophisticated online security threat".
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