The National Crime Agency (NCA) is asking members of the public to be aware of a serious strain of malware called ‘Dridex’, which is being used by criminals to access UK online banking details and steal money.
Dridex malware, also known as Bugat and Cridex, has been developed by technically skilled cyber criminals in Eastern Europe to harvest online banking details, which are then exploited to steal money from individuals and businesses around the world. UK losses are estimated at £20 million.
Computers become infected with Dridex malware when users receive and open certain attachments in seemingly legitimate emails. The NCA estimates there could be thousands of infected computers in the UK, the majority the majority being Windows users.
Dridex cannot install itself on other PC operating systems such as Mac OS X or Chrome OS, nor can it load on mobile devices.
How to protect yourself from Dridex?
- Always use legitimate antivirus software and keep it up to date.
- If you don’t recognise the source or the sender avoid opening attachments or clicking on links from unknown sources.
- Keep your firewall switched on. Firewalls can prevent access to your computer from unknown outside sources.
- Use the anti-spam solutions offered by your Internet service provider, or install email filters to reduce the amount of spam email you receive.
What to do if your computer has been infected?
If you think your computer has been infected you can use the following free tools to scan your computer and remove Dridex or any other malware.
- F-Secure - https://www.f-secure.com/en/web/home_global/online-scanner
- McAfee - http://www.mcafee.com/uk/downloads/free-tools/stinger.aspx
- Microsoft - http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx
- Sophos - https://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/virus-removal-tool.aspx
- Trend Micro http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
The NCA is working with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to takedown the Dridex malware threat globally.
If you think you have lost money through malware such as Dridex, report to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or by using the online reporting tool and contact your bank.
For further information please visit the NCA website.
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