Web hosting users warned of ‘socially-engineered virus carriers’

Socially-engineered virus exploits are a problem that web hosting users could now have to deal with.

Writing on the Sophos blog, Graham Cluley pointed out that these kinds of attacks come in the form of a fake message from a potential lover, requesting photos and email addresses of the targeted user.

If the web hosting user replies they will be sent a .zip file back, purportedly containing images of the woman, when really it will be carrying a virus which, on downloading, will enter the user’s computer.

They are named "socially-engineered" viruses as they rely on a lack of social awareness and/or vulnerability to be successful.

Mark Fullbrook, director of UK and Ireland for security experts Cyber-Ark Software, advised people to use a "vault" solution to protect themselves, in which they can access a secure repository for their electronic data.

He added that the most secure system is one that is not connected to the internet, but that is "not the environment we’re working with".

Written by Jessica Lighthouse.