Security news
Security news23 August 2007
High volume phish campaign strikes Australian internet users Email claims "Westpac Internet Bank hardware problems"
Sophos, a world leader in IT security and control, is warning Australian banking consumers not to be duped by a high-volume spam campaign aimed at tricking Westpac customers into 'reviewing their account information' online.
SophosLabs™ reports that the phish email, which arrives with a subject line of 'Westpac Internet Bank hardware problems', has shown up exclusively in its Australian spamtraps, but at around ten times the local volume typically seen in less targeted spam campaigns.
The emails claim that Westpac Internet Bank has been having hardware problems.
"Westpac has suffered neither 'recent hardware failure', nor 'partial loss of information', as the scammers claim," said Paul Ducklin, Head of Technology, Asia Pacific, at Sophos in Sydney. "This scam has been specifically targeted at Australia and has been distributed far and wide inside the country. Don't fall for it!"
Sophos reports that the fake websites linked to this phish are currently off-the-air, which limits the damage that can be done, but urges users not to click through anyway, even in a spirit of research. "You know the links are bogus," says Ducklin, "So don't tempt fate by trying to look at them to prove it."
Sophos recommends companies protect themselves with a consolidated solution which can control network access and defend against the threats of spam, hackers, spyware and viruses.
About Sophos
Sophos enables enterprises all over the world to secure and control their IT infrastructure. Sophos's network access control, endpoint, web and email solutions simplify security to provide integrated defenses against malware, spyware, intrusions, unwanted applications, spam, policy abuse, data leakage and compliance drift. With over 20 years of experience, Sophos protects over 100 million users in nearly 150 countries with its reliably engineered security solutions and services. Recognized for its high level of customer satisfaction and powerful yet easy-to-use solutions, Sophos has received many industry awards, as well as positive reviews and certifications.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com
