CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - LinkedIn is a great way to spread your professional network, keep in touch with colleagues, and look for a dream job.
However, there was a nasty surprise this week as cybercreeps targeted LinkedIn users.
CISCO reported that almost 25% of the world's spam on a recent Monday, for about 15 minutes, came from infected related emails targeted at LinkedIn users.
HOW IT WORKS:
- The emails look legitimate and show a linked in request.
- If you click on the link, you wait for a few seconds and then Google launches.
- Behind the scenes though, Zeus has been dropped onto your computer in what is called a "drive by download".
Zeus is the malware that typically focuses on stealing your online banking credentials from you.
If you use a mobile phone and think this does not apply to you, think again. If they can infect your computer and your phone, they could reroute calls and text alerts so you will not know until it's too late.
The experts believe that this attack is most likely targeted at employees that have access to financial systems, including online commercial bank accounts.
TIPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF:
1. Educate - People are the first line of defense.
2. Think Before You Click - Whenever you get reminder emails from social networking sites, ignore the link and go directly to the site. Most sites have an easy way to get to your pending messages.
3. Computer Changes - If your computer starts to act sluggish or freezing up, you may be infected by Zeus or another malware; refer to a computer professional to clean your computer.
You can see a sample of the bogus email at the CISCO Blog Report: http://blogs.cisco.com/security/cisco_security_tracks_linkedin_spam_attack/
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