Malware piggy-backs on job ads

Several major US firms have been hit by malware which piggy-backs on company servers via fake job listings in internet ads and emails.

Reports claim that the US Department of Transportation, HP, Hughes Network Systems and Unisys were among US companies hit by the malware.

Geoff Sweeney, chief technology officer at Tier-3, which champions behavioural analysis-based IT security, said that the fake job ads and emails acted as a conduit for the latest forms of malware.

"IT managers need to review their IT security needs regularly and ensure that the software is updated constantly by monitoring the dashboard or console of the packages concerned," he said.

"Ideally, a single dashboard which controls multiple IT security applications, even from different vendors, should be installed. This tells the IT manager at a glance the status of their security software."

Sweeney added that, even if the malware takes hold after the employee reads or clicks on what appears to be an interesting job offer, good behavioural software will lock down any unusual memory activity associated with the malware before it does any harm.