Should a person never click on a link in any email?

pcontour · May 12, 2005

Background

Fake Microsoft Security Trojan on the Loose, Antivirus Firm Says

Clicking link takes you to false Windows Update page that infects your PC.

Paul Roberts, IDG News Service
Friday, April 08, 2005

A new campaign by malicious hackers uses a Web site designed to look like Microsoft's Windows Update page to trick unwitting Internet users into infecting their computers with a Trojan horse remote access program, according to antivirus experts at Sophos.

The scam uses e-mail messages that appear to come from Microsoft to get recipients to visit a Web page that uploads the malicious program. Using the promise of Windows software patches to distribute malicious code isn't new. However, the latest attacks show that scammers are adopting strategies used by phishers to evade detection by gateway and desktop antivirus programs, says Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos.

The attack was first detected on Thursday in Sophos's Vancouver, Canada, lab after it was distributed in a spam campaign. The messages have subject lines like "Update your windows machine" or "Urgent Windows Update," Cluley says.
What Happens

A link in the body of the e-mail message appears to take users to the Microsoft Windows Update Web site, but would actually forward them to a Web site operated by the attackers and install a Trojan horse program called DSNX-05, according to Sophos.

The Web site run by the hackers was registered to an Internet service provider in Toronto, but it has since been shut down. The site looked very much like the actual Microsoft Windows Update page and displayed Microsoft's corporate logo. One clue that something was amiss: The URL displayed in the Web browser address bar showed only the IP (Internet Protocol) address of the site, instead of the Windows Update address, Cluley says. Sophos does not know how many Internet users may have fallen for the ruse, he adds.

The method of attack is similar to the phishing identity theft attacks that have become common in the last year. As with many phishing attacks, gateway antivirus software does not detect the scam, because there is no malicious code in the e-mail. Desktop antivirus software with spam detection could spot the e-mail, but only if an antispam definition for the attack had been created and the user had updated the antispam definitions for their product, according to Cluley.
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Question.

Should a person never click on a link in an email?

After all any message I receive could be a fake. Is my extreme paranoia, appropriate.

Capp · May 11, 2005

Well, If you are interested in finding out whether the link is legit or not, move the mouse over it (don't click) and look at the url in the tooltip that pops up. A lot of fraud links use 1's instead of L's so watch that.

Also, go to the site in question manually by typing in the url and see if you get the same type of information.

jwcca · May 12, 2005

You might like to add another option which would be to only when required to complete a Registration Confirmation. That's about the only time I do it.

Infinity · May 12, 2005

spoofstick should take care of that too I guess, limited but it shows where your browser is going too.

pcontour · May 12, 2005

JW Clements said:

You might like to add another option which would be to only when required to complete a Registration Confirmation. That's about the only time I do it.
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It seems that by desiign that the author can't Edit a Pole. Good point however.

I've created a multi choice allowed pole. You can select more that one option.

pcontour · May 12, 2005

Infinity said:

spoofstick should take care of that too I guess, limited but it shows where your browser is going too.
Click to expand...

What is SpoofStick?
SpoofStick is a simple browser extension that helps users detect spoofed (fake) websites. A spoofed website is typically made to look like a well known, branded site (like ebay.com or citibank.com) with a slightly different or confusing URL. The attacker then tries to trick people into going to the spoofed site by sending out fake email messages or posting links in public places - hoping that some percentage of users won't notice the incorrect URL and give away important information. This practice is sometimes known as “phishing".

SpoofStick makes it easier to spot a spoofed website by prominently displaying only the most relevant domain information. It's not a comprehensive solution, but it's a good start. For example, if you're on the following URL (this is a real, legitimate ebay url):

The free extension is available for both Microsoft Internet Explorer, and the growing FireFox.
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Very good suggestion . Spoofsite

http://www.corestreet.com/spoofstick/SpoofSite

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