Fake NordVPN Web Site Drops Banking Malware Spotted in the Wild

I've recently came across to a rogue NordVPN web site distributing malicious software potentially exposing NordVPN users to a multi-tude of malicious software further compromising the confidentiality availability and integrity of the targeted host to a multi-tude of malicious software.

In this post, I'll provide actionable intelligence on the infrastructure behind the campaign and discuss in-depth the tactics techniques and procedures of the cybercriminals behind it.

Sample malicious URL known to have participated in the campaign:
hxxp://nord-vpn.club - 192.64.119.159; 2.56.215.159

Sample malicious MD5s known to have participated in the campaign:
MD5: 3c24aa2c26e3556194ffd182a4dfaae5a41f
MD5: 7d6c24992eff0d64f19c78f05ea95ae44bc83af1
MD5: d39c320c3a43873db2577b2c9c99d9bf2bdb285c
MD5: d5ed3c70a8d7213ed1b9a124bbc1942e2b8cfeea
MD5: e89efde8ae72857b1542e3ae47f047c54b3d341a
MD5: 59f511ea1e34753f41a75e05de96456ca28f14a7
MD5: 453c428edda0fc01b306cc6f3252893fce9763a7 Continue reading →

Would we ever witness the end of plain text communications?

Last week, a report released by the research firm In-Sat estimated that revenues for IP VPNs will double between 2004 and 2009 to $658 million.

Estimates should also be questioned, though the trend is very relevant these days. VPNs as a concept are the natural shift from avoiding plain text data exchange over the insecure by default Internet. Yet, secure communication channel doesn't mean actual attacks on the both, the channel and the host itself cannot be executed. Though, I think that avoiding plain text communications at all is a strategic step of a great important.

How you can take advantage of this trend?
Given the market is actively growing, namely a lot of new entrants, it would mean a lot of product/service choice and very competitive pricing schemes. Keep track of them, and ensure your TOC is as low as possible,think in the long-term.

What to keep in mind?
Do your homework, and while a newly established company offers might seem attractive compared to an established vendor's one in respect to pricing, don't ignore expertise and quality for a short-term deal. On the other hand, make sure you are aware of the fact, that vendors will rush into offering many other cross-sale services. We are already witnessing such vendors being as confident as to launch their own anti-virus solutions. That's exactly the type of companies whose product extension services you should avoid, as they are basically reinventing the wheel, with the idea to cut paying any royalties to the established anti virus vendors. TOC, experise, value oriented and flexible vendorare the things to keep in mind, given you don't have something else in mind?

Technorati tags :
VPN, security, information security, secure communications

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