Hackers target Google
02/05/2008 11:58:18
Google users are being targeted by hackers making use of a new type of phishing attack.
In the attack, online customers receive an email telling them that their last payment has been unsuccessful and encouraging them to update their payment details on Google AdWords.
The website accessed in submitting the information is an infected site hosted in a number of different countries including Romania, Brazil and Canada.
IT security provider Trend Micro said that due to Google's popularity, hackers are increasingly targeting the search engine's websites.
Rik Ferguson, a spokesman for Trend Micro, said: "Google can be seen as a victim of its own success, as their market share has increased along with the variety of products and services they offer, so their value to the cybercriminal as a platform to exploit has grown alongside it."
He went on to say that e-crime is big business and makes use of much of the same infrastructure as legitimate online enterprises.
Earlier this week, IT security firm Network Box pointed out that phishing attacks now account for over two-thirds of all malware and their number have increased for the second month running.
