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Symantec, makers or Norton security products, has warned that malware writers are starting to use DRM to protect their "products", DRM that has been apparently stolen from commercial packages.
Selling malware toolkits is now big business, with kits priced at up to $8000. Malware writers are protecting their investment by adding DRM to their kits, which then allows them to rent out the packages to non technical users (that don't have the ability to break the DRM, nor want to pay the $8000 price to buy the kit). Malware writers may even be setting up affiliate programs to earn commission from successful attacks.
These malware toolkits can be deployed on unsuspecting websites to steal visitor information, including credit card details. These details can then be used for credit card fraud, or even identity fraud.
While governments have mostly been focusing on the "threat" of online piracy, they have largely ignored the more serious threat of malware and online fraud, and has even went as far as shifting FBI resources from fraud and identity theft investigations towards piracy. The latest statistics show the total cost of identity fraud was $54 billion in 2009, in the US alone.
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Selling malware toolkits is now big business, with kits priced at up to $8000. Malware writers are protecting their investment by adding DRM to their kits, which then allows them to rent out the packages to non technical users (that don't have the ability to break the DRM, nor want to pay the $8000 price to buy the kit). Malware writers may even be setting up affiliate programs to earn commission from successful attacks.
These malware toolkits can be deployed on unsuspecting websites to steal visitor information, including credit card details. These details can then be used for credit card fraud, or even identity fraud.
While governments have mostly been focusing on the "threat" of online piracy, they have largely ignored the more serious threat of malware and online fraud, and has even went as far as shifting FBI resources from fraud and identity theft investigations towards piracy. The latest statistics show the total cost of identity fraud was $54 billion in 2009, in the US alone.
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