Some of you may have thought that Zeus was just a mythical figure, but, in fact, Zeus is very much alive and represents a real threat to your fiscal well-being.  Zeus is the name of a particular type of malware tht has been around since at least 2007, but has been recently getting worse and affecting more people.  Zeus is a type of keystroke logging malware, sometimes referred to as a Trojan Horse which when downloaded on to a person’s computer, smartphone, laptop, tablet or other portable device enables the hacker to steal information from the victim to use to make that person a victim of identity theft.  Zeus is specifically targeted to recognize and steal bank account information.  The Zeus malware passes on to the identity thief, the bank account password, account number and all the other information needed by the identity thief to electronically empty the victim’s bank account.  Recently links containing Zeus malware have been appearing on National Football League Facebook fan pages, such as one named “Bring the N.F.L. back to Los Angeles.”  People unwittingly click on the links under various pretences and end up infecting their computers and electronic devices with the malware.  Recently Zeus malware has been used by an organized crime group in Russia.

TIPS

The first step in your protection is to make sure that all of your electronic devices including your computer, laptop, smartphone and tablet are protected with a good Firewall, security software and anti-malware software.  Also it is critical that you keep your security software and anti-malwre software up to date with the latest patches.  Many of these updates are provided regularly to you here at Scamicide, but the best thing you can do is to both automatically have your security software updated and regularly check for additional updates.  Additionally, you should never click on links or download attachments unless you are absolutely positive that the downloads or links are legitimate.  Facebook and other social media are filled with malware tainted attachments and links.  Never download anything until you have confirmed that it is legitimate.