Computer Security 'Steve Jobs Alive!' Spam Email Distributes Waledac.C Trojan

'Steve Jobs Alive!' Spam Email Distributes Waledac.C Trojan

steve-jobs-alive-spam-emailWithout Steve Jobs, today's Internet and user-friendly computers would probably not exist. Steve Jobs' death was a big loss and many people use their computers and devices without realizing the enormous debt owed to this man. Even something as simple as being able to use different fonts when writing in a word processor is thanks to Steve Jobs' tireless efforts. Many people were deeply affected by his passing, and the tech world in particular has been shocked by the sad news. Criminals have emerged trying to take advantage of the sad news of Steve Jobs' death by sending out manipulative spam email, designed to distribute a particular downloader Trojan, TrojanDownloader:Win32/Waledac.C.

Computer security researchers suspect that the Waledac botnet, a huge bot net specialized in sending out spam emails, is behind the recent host of spam email messages seeking to capitalize on Steve Jobs' death. These spam email messages may contain subjects such as Steve Jobs Alive!, Steve Jobs: Not Dead Yet!, Is Steve Jobs Really Dead?, and Steve Jobs Not Dead! These emails try to trick people into clicking a link by claiming that the link contains information about Steve Jobs still being alive. You should not click on this link; in reality, this link leads to an attack website that will attempt to force your computer to download and install the TrojanDownloader:Win32/Waledac.C Trojan.

The TrojanDownloader:Win32/Waledac.C Trojan is a dangerous malware infection that allows a hacker to install malicious programs onto your computer system. This Trojan in particular probably leads to the installation of a remote access tool and bot software. This, in turn, causes any computer infected with this malware to become another drone in the Waledac botnet, a vast array of infected computer systems that are used to send out spam email or to carry out other criminal activities.

The best way to protect yourself from spam email and these kinds of downloader Trojans is by not clicking on any suspicious links. A bit of common sense is all you need to make sure that you do not become another victim of this scam. It is also important to make sure that your email account has a strong spam filter. However, if a message bypasses the spam filter or if it is not caught by your own security software, the real difference between an infection and staying safe is common sense and being smart about what you click on the Internet.

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