14 DAY TRIAL // At the beginning of October, cybercriminals started spreading some nasty pieces of malware via Skype by using messages such as “lol is this your new profile pic” to trick users into clicking on malicious links.
According to security firms, millions of users might have infected their computers after clicking on the suspicious links.
Although the infection rates have dropped since, security researchers say that the individuals responsible for developing and maintaining the threats known as W32.IRCBot.NG and W32.Phopifas haven’t given up on their project.
The infection routine remains unchanged, but the developers have added new hosts from which the pieces of malware can be downloaded, Symantec experts explain.
Furthermore, W32.IRCBot.NG is capable of stealing passwords for file-hosting sites, and several new languages have been added to ensure that the malware can target a wider range of internauts.
Some malicious modules have been placed on virtual server services and one of the URLs is even being listed in the Top 100 downloads section of a ranking website.
Experts advise users to be extra cautious when receiving unsolicited alerts via instant messaging platforms.