LINUX Malware

Jon Gold reports that malware developers sell their toolkits to thieves for thousands of dollars. They have now entered the LINUX market, targeting machines that formerly had few threats. This bodes ill for corporations, as many business/Web processes run on LINUX.

Gold cites security expert Lemor Kessem: "Hand of Thief is currently being sold in 'closed cybercrime communities' for $2,000, which includes free updates, writes Kessem. However, she adds, the upcoming addition of new web injection attack technology will push the price to $3,000, and introduce a $550 fee for major version updates."

“'These prices coincide with those quoted by developers who released similar malware for the Windows OS, which would make Hand of Thief relatively priced way above market value considering the relatively small user base of Linux,' she notes."

-DD