Almost a third of all fraudulent banking transactions now originate from the customer's own computer, as cyber criminals use increasingly sophisticated malware to hijack accounts, online security specialists warned yesterday.
To combat the ever-present threat of online crime, financial institutions across Europe have developed multiple security mechanisms such as encrypted card readers and complex security questions when customers log on to their accounts.
But experts are warning that the latest software used by criminals to steal money from people's accounts is becoming so clever that it fools the bank into thinking that they are making a legitimate online transaction.
Cyber-security experts have described the latest remote administration tools used to hijack people's computers – often referred to by hackers as "rats" – as "blood chilling" in their complexity and efficiency. Analysts yesterday illustrated how the latest malware could infect an unwitting person's computer and quickly persuade the user to send over vital security data such as log-on details and passwords.