FBI
Warns of Storm Worm Virus
The FBI and
its partner, the Internet Crime
Complaint Center (IC3), have
received reports of recent spam
e-mails spreading the Storm Worm
malicious software, known as
malware. These e-mails, which
contain the phrase “F.B.I.
vs. facebook,” direct e-mail
recipients to click on a link to
view an article about the FBI and
Facebook, a popular social
networking website. The Storm
Worm virus has also been spread
in the past in e-mails
advertising a holiday e-card
link. Clicking on the link
downloads malware onto the
Internet connected device,
causing it to become infected
with the virus and part of the
Storm Worm botnet.
A botnet is
a collection of compromised
computers under the remote
command and control of a criminal
“botherder.” Most
owners of the compromised
computers are unsuspecting
victims. They have
unintentionally allowed
unauthorized access and use of
their computers as a vehicle to
facilitate other crimes, such as
identity theft, denial of service
attacks, phishing, click fraud,
and the mass distribution of spam
and spyware. Because of their
widely distributed capabilities,
botnets are a growing threat to
national security, the national
information infrastructure, and
the economy.
“The
spammers spreading this virus are
preying on Internet users and
making their computers an
unwitting part of criminal botnet
activity. We urge citizens to
help prevent the spread of
botnets by becoming web-savvy.
Following some simple computer
security practices will reduce
the risk that their computers
will be compromised,” said
Special Agent Richard Kolko,
Chief, FBI National Press Office.
Everyone
should consider the following:
- Do
not respond to
unsolicited (spam)
e-mail.
- Be
skeptical of individuals
representing themselves
as officials soliciting
personal information via
e-mail.
- Do
not click on links
contained within an
unsolicited e-mail.
- Be
cautious of e-mail
claiming to contain
pictures in attached
files, as the files may
contain viruses. Only
open attachments from
known senders.
- Validate
the legitimacy of the
organization by directly
accessing the
organization's website
rather than following an
alleged link to the site.
- Do
not provide personal or
financial information to
anyone who solicits
information.
To receive
the latest information about
cyber scams, please go to the FBI website and sign
up for e-mail alerts by clicking
on one of the red envelopes. If
you have received a scam e-mail,
please notify the IC3 by filing a
complaint at www.ic3.gov. For more
information on e-scams, please
visit the FBI's New E-Scams
and Warnings webpage.
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