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Submitted by: Bill Hickey
NCVA List Master

NRT-0316 Online Videos Can Infect Computers:

As Anti-Spam technology improves, hackers are finding new vehicles to deliver their malicious code, and some could be embedded in online video players, according to a report on internet threats released by the Georgia Tech Information Security Center as it holds its annual summit. The summit is gathering more than 300 scholars and security experts to discuss emerging threats for 2008 - and their countermeasures. Among their biggest foes are the ever-changing vehicles that hackers use to deliver "malware," which can silently install viruses, probe for confidential info or even hijack a computer. With computer users getting wiser to email scams, malicious hackers are looking for sneakier ways to spread the codes. Over the past few years, hackers have moved from sending their spam in text-based messages to more devious means, embedding them in images or disguised as Portable Document Format, or PDF, files. The researcher said "The next logical step seems to be the media players." There have been only a few cases of video-related hacking so far. One worm discovered in November 2006 launches a corrupt website without prompting after a user opens a media file in a player. Another program silently installs spyware when a video file is opened. Attakcers have also tried to spread fake video links via postings on YouTube. That reflects the lowered guard many computer users would have on such popular forums.

(AP 03OCT07)

Last Modified: Sunday, 28-Oct-2007 10:07:52 EDT