AhnLab Warns of Rising SpyEye Malicious Code Threat in US

SEOUL, South Korea, March 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

• 48% of all SpyEye domains identified in the US indicate American banks as main target of threat
• Banks in need of a comprehensive security approach to protect online banking transactions

AhnLab, Inc. (http://www.ahnlab.com), a leading provider of integrated security solutions, today announced that its research has identified a significant majority of the domains and hosts for the SpyEye Banking Trojan are in the US. The malicious code has gained attention as of late for the threat it poses to online banking user information.

According to SpyEye-relevant host data extracted by the AhnLab Packet Center, 48% of all SpyEye domains were found to be located in the US, followed by Russia at 7%, and the Ukraine at 6%. The AhnLab Packet Center is the company's malicious packet analysis system, which assesses suspicious packet data, including that from SpyEye C&C servers. The findings indicate that the main targets of SpyEye are mainly in the US, and that North American financial institutions and users should remain especially vigilant.

Since its toolkit first became public in 2010, the SpyEye Trojan has produced many variants. According to analysis by the AhnLab Packet Center, the "10310" variant was identified as the most distributed version at 34.5%. The "10299" and "10290" variants followed at 14.7% and 14.6%, respectively. Additional variants are expected in the future.

SpyEye, along with ZeuS, are notorious banking Trojans that have helped thieves steal more than $100 million around the world. Without an end-user PC solution, banks face great difficulty protecting individual customers from the sophisticated threats posed by these malicious codes. AOS ensures comprehensive transaction security with its Anti-keylogger, Firewall and Anti-virus/spyware agents for individual user PCs, as well as Secure Browser which creates an independent online space for safe communication. With AOS' unique approach to transaction security, banks are able to deliver complete peace of mind to their online customers.

The four components of the AhnLab Online Security (AOS) solution, designed to protect the entire transaction process, include:

AOS Secure Browser: Provides a dedicated security browser that creates an independent and protected environment for online transactions. It secures user banking data against Man-In-The-Browser (MITB) attacks such as SpyEye and ZeuS, memory hacking, webpage alteration, HTML injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), browser help object (BHO) hacking, screen capturing, debugging, and reverse engineering.

AOS Anti-keylogger: Delivers the protection needed to keep account information safe and prevent theft of personal banking data during input via a keyboard.

AOS Firewall: Protects the user by detecting and blocking unauthorized intrusions and hacking attempts and preventing the leakage of personal information.

AOS Anti-virus/spyware: Secures online transactions against the latest malicious codes with AhnLab's cloud based security technology known as ASD (AhnLab Smart Defense).

Several of the world's most famous banks including Citibank Korea, Banamex, Banco Santander and Cornerstone Community Bank have selected AhnLab Online Security to keep their online banking environment safe from sophisticated security threats, today. For more information about AhnLab's AOS solution, please visit: http://aos.ahnlab.com

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* Established in 2010, AhnLab Packet Center is AhnLab's automated packet data analysis system. With more than 25 million files of malicious packet, APC predicts threats at the network level through analysis of the connection among given data. During the early stages of a nationwide DDoS attack that hit South Korea on 4 March 2011, the AhnLab Packet Center successfully minimized damage by tracing the distribution points of malicious codes through reverse engineering.

About AhnLab, Inc.

Headquartered in South-Korea, AhnLab Inc. (KR: 053800) develops industry-leading security solutions and provides professional services that are designed to secure and protect critical business and personal information. As a leading innovator in the information security arena since 1988, AhnLab's cutting edge products and services have been fulfilling the stringent security requirements of both enterprises and individual users. AhnLab's products and services include anti-virus solutions, network, mobile and online game security, security management and consulting services. Today, AhnLab boasts a network of sales and research operations in more than 20 countries worldwide.