It had to happen sooner or later.
PandaLabs uncovers a complex malware creation system designed to spy and steal personal data
After Panda ActiveScan detected a malicious code designed to spy on infected computers and capture data, a complex espionage system has been uncovered
This system sells made-to-measure Trojans to hackers for US$ 990
Although this code is checked to avoid detection by different antivirus solutions, TruPrevent™ Technologies have managed to detect it
The author’s website guarantees that if the Trojan is detect by an antivirus solution, it will be changed
I miss working in the security field. I remember seeing predictions of this some time ago. Of course, here is what these folks have to be asking now - is this something new, or has this been around a while and we’re just now finding it? Also, one has to ask how the money transfer is taking place. If someone is paying for this, there has to be an exchange of money somewhere. I’m guessing that’s how people are going to try to track down the programmer in question.
I seriously doubt this is new, although it’s probably not a very old (in tech-world terms “mature”) service. Still, this will likely grow more popular as other skilled programmers realize they can make real profits from doing bad. But any that would offer a guarantee to reprogram said malware if it is discovered (as this one was) will have to charge more to stay ahead, fiscally speaking. This is what you would call a growth industry, and like all growth industries, pricing will be high until it matures. (via ArsTechnica)
[tags]Maleware, Virus for hire[/tags]