Computer virus steals online banking information

Computer security experts warned on Wednesday of another new Internet threat circulating the Web that can steal the password and account inf...

Computer security experts warned on Wednesday of another new Internet threat circulating the Web that can steal the password and account information of users who bank online8212; the second such discovery in a week.

Users can pick up the latest bug, which doesn8217;t yet have a name, from pop-up ads that secretly download software capable of capturing their keystrokes. The pop-ups originate from websites that receive their ads from certain online ad services, which apparently had themselves been hacked to spread the malicious code. The bug targets users of Microsoft Corp8217;s Internet Explorer browser.

Experts said users can protect themselves from the bug by using a non-Microsoft Corp browser or by employing software to block pop-ups.

Internet Explorer users are immune if they download and install a patch that was released in April this year. Internet Explorer users are also being advised to set the security setting for their browser to 8216;8216;high,8217;8217; a level that makes it more difficult to interact with some websites. Software on computers that pick up the bug will record the keystrokes of users who visit any one of 50 targeted financial websites, security experts said.

The bug apparently attempts to send the stolen information to a website based in Estonia. The bug is not widespread8212;the first instance was reported Friday afternoon by the Internet Storm Center, an early warning system established by an organisation for computer security professionals called the SANS Institute.

A director for the storm center said only a few additional instances of the bug had been discovered as of Tuesday afternoon. The bug appears to be unrelated to an Internet attack on Friday in which users could pick up malicious, keylogging software merely by visiting infected websites.

That attack also targeted users of financial services sites. 8216;8216;I believe that this particular type of malware represents a huge threat to the online financial industry,8217;8217; wrote Tom Liston, a computer security expert who analysed the latest exploit. 8212;LAT-WP