M86 Security Labs Discovers Customers of Global Financial Institution Hit by Cybercrime

Orange, Calif. - August 10, 2010 - M86 Security, the global expert in real-time Web and email threat protection, today announced that customers of one of the biggest financial institutions have fallen victim to a sophisticated attack by cybercriminals using Web-based malware to rob money via the bank's online banking system. Researchers at the M86's Security Labs detected a command & control center located in Eastern Europe targeting one of the biggest financial institution's UK customer accounts.

Unprotected customers were infected by a Trojan - which managed to avoid detection by traditional Anti-Virus software - while browsing the Internet. The Trojan, a Zeus v3, steals the customer's online banking ID and hijacks their online banking sessions. It then checks the account balance and, if the account balance is bigger than GBP 800 value, it issues a money transfer transaction.

From July 5, the cyber criminals have successfully stolen GBP 675,000 (c. USD 1,077,000) and the attack is still progressing.

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About M86 Security Labs
M86 Security Labs is a group of security analysts specializing in email and Web threats, from spam to malware. They continuously monitor and respond to Internet security threats. The Security Labs' primary purpose is to provide a value-added service to M86 customers as part of product maintenance and support. This service includes frequent updates to M86's unique, proprietary anti-spam technology, SpamCensor, as well as Web threat and vulnerability updates to the M86 Secure Web Gateway products. The updates allow M86 customers to proactively detect and block new and emerging exploits, threats and malware.

Data and analysis from M86 Security Labs is continuously updated and always accessible online at http://www.m86security.com/labs and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/m86labs

About M86 Security
M86 Security is the global expert in real-time threat protection and the industry's leading Secure Web Gateway provider. The company's appliance, software, and Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions for Web and email security protect more than 24,000 customers and over 17 million users worldwide. M86 products use patented real-time code analysis and behavior-based malware detection technologies as well as threat intelligence from M86 Security Labs to protect networks against new and advanced threats, secure confidential information, and ensure regulatory compliance. The company is based in Orange, California with international headquarters in London and development centers in California, Israel, and New Zealand. For more information about M86 Security, please visit: www.m86security.com.

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