German speakers hit by banking details theft

German speaking individuals have been targeted by banking malware triggered in spam emails. This comes on the heels of a similar incident that occurred last year.

The Microsoft Malware Protection Center’s HeungSoo Kang said in a blog post that the internet banking details are stolen by the malware when a specified website is accessed. He added in the post that the bank websites listed, including Wells Fargo, are able to be changed by the cyber criminals whenever they decide to.

HeungSoo Kang explained that the malware, known as Emotet, can steal details from messaging and email software, including Yahoo! Messenger and Google Talk.

In the last month, close to 50 per cent of Emotet malware infections have occurred in Germany. There have also been infections in Denmark, Czech Republic, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, Switzerland and Austria.

Malwarebytes’ intelligence chief, Adam Kujawa, told SCMagazine.com by email that the attackers can employ new tactics and target banks and users located elsewhere.

He said:

“It would be a matter of modifying the malware to look out for […] US email and bank keywords and maybe even modify the practices of stealing the information since many banks in the US don’t follow the same security practices in other countries.”

Businesses in Europe need to keep up with the changing strategies employed by hackers, as banking isn’t the only sector that has been targeted of late. If filling cyber security jobs isn’t a priority for businesses that hold personal details about their customers, some just may live to regret it.