The Endless Wave of Online Threats – Protecting our Community

Michael McKinnon – Security Advisor, AVG (AU/NZ)

An Avalanche Technology Group company

AVG.COM.AU

AVG.CO.NZ

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Presentation Overview

• Overview of the AVG Community Protection Network

• Details and examples of the latest online threats:

• Web threats

• PC threats

• Mobile threats

• Printed malware

• Trends & issues

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About AVG

• Best known globally for AVG Anti-Virus FREE

• Over 114 million active users, as of May 2012

• Windows based end-point security

• Consumer market

• SMB (typically up to 200)

• Mobile security product for the Android™ platform – AVG Mobilation

• Other research

• AVG Digital Diaries – www.avgdigitaldiaries.com/

In our community, who are the most vulnerable internet users?

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Future Generations

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Mature Generations

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AVG Community Protection Network

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AVG Community Protection Network

• User is asked whether they would like to opt-in during the installation process of their AVG product

• Operating since the start of 2011

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Web Threats• Overview• Exploit Toolkits (Blackhole)• Second Click Redirect Mechanism

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Web Threats - Overview

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Blackhole Toolkit – What is it?

• Web based, distribution system for exploits and malware; runs on a private or compromised server

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Blackhole Toolkit – Targets many platforms

• Allows them to target many platforms, including Mac!

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Blackhole Toolkit – Features & Facts

• Interesting features:

• Geo-IP detection & distribution

• Built-in anti-virus scanning, re-obfuscation upon detection

• Facts:

• In Q4 2011, it accounted for 80.2% of all known toolkits being used

• Exploit toolkits account for 58% of threat activity on malicious websites

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Second Click Redirection – What is it?

• Scripting technique for distributing malware

• User visits a site, typically with thumbnail images (video content, photos etc.)

• Cookie is set on first click, link goes to intended site

• If visitor returns, on second click, redirected to a fake anti-virus scan page – user tricked into installing fake anti-virus software (know as Fake AV)

• Subsequent clicks, link goes back to intended site

• AVG Community Protection Network detected ~8 million pages doing this, mostly from ~1700 domains

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Second Click Redirection – Fake AV Webpage

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Second Click Redirection – Top 25 Domains

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Second Click Redirection – Site Owners

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PC Threats• Fake AV – Security Shield, System Fix etc.• Ransomware

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Fake AV – What is it?

• Our support team has been helping clean up the following Fake AVs for customers:

• Security Shield

• System Fix

• XP Antivirus 2012

• Internet Security 2012

• Let’s have a look at what they can do…

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Fake AV – Fake “Blue Screen of Death”

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Fake AV – Nag screens and pop-ups

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Ransomware – What is it?

• Has been observed being served up by blackhole toolkits

• Unlike Fake AV – this malicious code just locks up your computer and demands money!

• Usually pretends to befrom the Government ora law enforcement agency

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Ransomware – Your PC has been seized!

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Email Scams – Still prevalent, but declining

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Spammers are becoming Facebook scammers

• Global spam levels are decreasing

• Scammers are now using Facebook, which provides:

• Instant access to 900+ million users

• Built-in word of mouth provides viral spread

• Default “trust” with Facebook is still high

• Some people think that Facebook*is* the internet

• Gen-Y using messaging apps morethan email

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Mobile Threats• Stolen private encryption keys for developer certificates• Premium SMS scams making money in Europe

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Mobile Threats – Rogue Apps & Rootkits

• In Q4 2011, AVG reported the emergence of rogue “signed” applications available in the Android™ Marketplace

• Signed with stolen/leaked digital certificates

• Permission prompts on Android™ is weak – doesn’t make the user think at all

• Risks are mostly around spying and premium SMS

• Google has recently announced they are scanning apps in the Marketplace with “Bouncer”

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Printed Malware• QR Codes

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Printed Malware – QR Codes

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Printed Malware – QR Codes

• Just like URL shorteners (like bit.ly for example), QR codes don’t reveal anything themselves until you use them

• In Q4 2011, we observed a QR code being used in a Russian forum website that linked to a malicious mobile app

• These are something to keep our focus on, especially with large, well-known, trusted brands starting to use them for marketing

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Trends & Issues• Motives – data or money?• Could better reporting of cybercrime reduce it?

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Motives – Data or Money?

• Lots of talk about information theft – protecting corporate data

• Our data, at the consumer and SMB space indicates, there are much more basic motives at play

• Money making scams:

• Digital extortion (Fake AV)

• Other fraud (banking Trojans)

• Clearly, just as there are vendors operating in different markets, there are cybercriminals also specialising in different markets

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Can reporting cybercrime reduce it?

• Verizon DBIR 2011

• Shows large reduction of data breaches reported

• Enterprises becoming very good at reporting incidents when they occur

• Consumers and small businesses still left in the dark and MOST low-level crimes continue to go unreported

• High volume of small incidents – what do these add up to in terms of lost time/productivity?

Thank You!

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