Of Money Mules and Cyber Criminals
A new article by Roel Schouwenberg, Senior Antivirus Researcher at the Kaspersky Lab, has drawn attention to the increased use of malware in cyber attacks on financial institutions.
The Russian researcher explains the methods used – from social engineering to phishing and Trojan Downloaders – which show that the trend seems to be away from universal attacks and towards malware aimed at specific banks in specific regions, the ideal target being a bank with a large customer base and lax security. "Many banks which use single-factor authentication are vulnerable to relatively simple attacks," writes Schouwenberg.
Although the number of malicious emails is declining, the preferred method of attack is via the Internet for a number of reasons. Whereas malware sent by email is easily detected, a malicious program sent via the web will infect the web server, which means it can be modified easily by the cyber criminals, making it almost impossible for antivirus researchers to analyze, "...so a drive-by download using exploits is obviously an attractive method" the researcher warns. Phishing attacks are still popular, with too many users not fully understanding how the scam works.
Accessing stolen funds is another aspect of cyber crimes examined by the researcher. This is where the money mule, often recruited via seemingly legitimate job offers, comes into play. The mule makes their bank account available for transactions and then, with services like Moneygram or E-Gold, transfers 85-90 percent of the money. Criminals will often use several mules simultaneously, keeping transactions small and thereby avoiding attention. The complete article can be read at: http://www.viruslist.com/en/analysis?pubid=204792037/
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.