{"id":15841,"date":"2011-09-22T15:08:14","date_gmt":"2011-09-22T05:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/power-up.space\/?p=15841"},"modified":"2011-09-22T15:08:14","modified_gmt":"2011-09-22T05:08:14","slug":"scammers-hackers-target-children-online-to-install-malicious-software-steal-parents%e2%80%99-data","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.impulsegamer.com\/wordpress\/?p=15841","title":{"rendered":"Scammers, hackers target children online to install malicious software, steal parents\u2019 data"},"content":{"rendered":"

SYDNEY & AUCKLAND\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>\u2013\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>September 22, 2011<\/strong> \u2013<\/em> Scammers and hackers are increasingly targeting children with a series of online games that trick them into installing malicious software onto computers.<\/p>\n

Games that invite kids to nurture online kittens, allow them to paint pumpkins and witches, or \u2018spot the differences\u2019 between two similar images, are being laced with malware that could give scammers access to the kids\u2019 parents financial data or recruit the kids\u2019 computers into international networks, or botnets, aimed at further criminal activity.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome scams might raise suspicions of adults \u2013 particularly when they seek to install software on the computer or redirect computer users to suspicious web sites,\u201d said Catalin Cosoi, head of online threats lab at Bitdefender. \u201cSo the scammers are going for easier targets. Kids are more easily tempted into clicking on that big green download button or flashing icon in hopes of having more fun. A four-year-old, obviously, isn\u2019t worried about online banking vulnerabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

The problem is only set to grow as children spend more time on the internet and parents often neglect to supervise their online activity. A Bitdefender online survey shows that about 46.6 per cent of children in the US and the UK have their own social network accounts and that 24.7 per cent of parents don\u2019t monitor their kids\u2019 online activity. Of the 1,649 adults surveyed between April 12 and July 10, 44.3 per cent said their children had accessed sites that they shouldn\u2019t have.<\/p>\n

Bitdefender analysts in the past week have discovered more than half a dozen samples of eye-catching Flash games rigged with Trojans that could steer kids to web pages that install malicious software potentially capable of stealing financial information or injecting spyware onto the machines.<\/p>\n

Games are not the only online threats for children. Sites with educational and entertaining materials for children have been used to lure young computer users.<\/p>\n

A few malware discoveries by Bitdefender include a site where children \u2018adopt\u2019 and grow virtual pets. The \u2018magic brush\u2019 application that changed the colour of the pet was altered to route children toward malware. An Italian \u2018online kids land\u2019 was also hacked and rigged to expose all visitors to malware and retail sites with stuffed animals have been rigged with malicious software.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In all cases, the malicious code was planted in a hacking attack on legitimate, high-traffic websites. But games are not the only online threats for children. Sites with educational and entertaining materials for children have been used to lure young computer users.<\/p>\n

Consider the following steps to protect children:<\/p>\n