Symantec alarms network security

According to Symantec's latest network security report (US), anyone can get someone else's bank account, credit card, personal security number and birth date via the Internet with The price is only about 14 USD.

To get such a preliminary "price list", a Symantec team must keep track of online chats for more than six months.

Dean Turner, senior researcher for the project, said there are "hundreds, even thousands," of chat sites that could have such implicit transactions. He also said that what is observed now is just the surface of the iceberg. The real problem may be worse than what the report describes.

On chat sites there are a lot of hacking tools that are purchased for resale. Spammers can buy a list of 29,000 email addresses for only $ 5. Details of a computer have been hacked and can be controlled remotely by a hacker hand can be sold for only $ 6 to $ 20.

Some "quotes" that Symantec disclosed are also surprising. While credit card information can only be sold for a few dollars, a PayPal account can cost up to $ 500. A Skype Internet calling account costs $ 12 and a World of Warcraft online game account can be sold for $ 10.

Mr. Turner said different prices reflect the usage of hacked information. For example, credit cards can only be used within a few days, even a few hours because of the high level of control, so the price is quite cheap.

Symantec's report also said that the trend of stealing confidential information is growing rapidly. There are more than 45% of the attacks Symantec has tracked to steal confidential information, while six months ago it was only 23%.

Hong Thanh