Briefs: Cyber criminals exploit BBC

March 31, 2006

Spam e-mails containing BBC news stories are being used to attract cyber victims, the news organization reports.

According to the BBC, online criminals are exploiting a flaw in Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser and deploying keyloggers. Security firm Websense has been issued the original alert on this threat.

The BBC reported that when an individual clicks the link to read a BBC article in an e-mail, they are taken to a fake Web site.

This fake Web site installs software on their computer called a keylogger, which could then monitor the financial activity of that individual.

Microsoft plans to release a security update on April 11 to address the flaw.

"We have had people creating spoof pages of our site before," said Steve Herrmann, editor of the BBC News Web site in the Friday's BBC article. "But using them in this way to attack people's online security is particularly troubling to us and a cause for serious concern."

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