Commentary

George Hulme
 

Point. Click. Phish.

Are you ready to launch your own phishing scam, but don't know where to start? Too tired from your day job to copy write your own fraudulent e-mails? Or, are you like millions of others who just don't know how to leverage Facebook or Orkut for illicit profit? These are no longer problems for you.

Are you ready to launch your own phishing scam, but don't know where to start? Too tired from your day job to copy write your own fraudulent e-mails? Or, are you like millions of others who just don't know how to leverage Facebook or Orkut for illicit profit? These are no longer problems for you.Researchers at FaceTime Security Labs say they found a DIY phishing service last Friday. The service automatically generates text for the phishing e-mails that target various Web mail and social networks, including Facebook, Hi5, Orkut, and others.

The e-mail that is sent to the targeted victim through the social network, and if they bite on the e-mail, the victim's logon credentials are then forwarded to a Web page designed for the scammer.


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While this is more of a novelty, and reminiscent of the old-time virus construction kits from the early 1990s, it reveals how heavily social networks will be targeted going forward.

One of these days, it may be this year or next, we're going to see a very significant attack emanate from one of these social networks.

But for now, we just have to worry about e-mails and e-cards. So what do we call those who employ the DIY Phishing Kit?

What do you think of Phish Kiddies?


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