WebMoney and EGold – preferred hackers’ currency for extortion

The development of the online banking brings the rapid development of the threat environment; the cybercrime follows same steps of the development of real crime - from individual hackers to organized cybercriminal organized groups.  The attacks become complex and variable, some times we face the fact that one site can become the victim of several different types of malware that causes tremendous losses and damages. IT specialists used the encryption technology to protect their customers' personal data base. Hackers chose to fight with the same weapon but fighting on the opposite side of the battle field.

The latest type of malware to announce is Ransomware. It's a new type of cyber extortion: user once trying to log in to his bank's web site is trapped into executing malicious code that encrypts files; afterwards the code will send the user the message forcing him to send money to a particular destination  or buy a certain product (e-gold) in exchange to the key that allows to unlock the information. It is known also as DOR (denial of resources attack).

The users, especially corporate or businesses had to send the money as they were afraid that the damage and losses occurred from locked information would be bigger than the requested by code sum. In difference to other types of malware, Ransomware getting huge popularity and despite the small amounts of the requested moneys allo to build the critical mass faster and more "secure". What we mean is that following the development of the digital currency, the main characteristic is intracebility and trans-nationality, cybercriminals more often extort money in WebMoney and eGold equivalent that helps them to avoid the attention of the legal authorities and ran away as unpunished.

Natalia, reporter of Ecommerce Journal