Successful Hacking Tools For A Rock Bottom Price Spread Malware To You Even Faster

Like much of technology, with time go improved features at lower costs. Cybercrime is most certainly one of those technologies – getting more sophisticated and more effective at lower prices. Researchers initially discovered a cybercrime kit dubbed Rubella Macro Builder, available for rent to hackers at $550 per month. The kit allows hackers to bypass basic antivirus software and run amok with email attachments hiding malware. Recently, the kit was spotted for rent at a “sale” price at a mere $120 for three months. The new and improved kit allows hackers even more access to social engineering spam campaigns at bargain basement prices.

Popularity of the Rubella Macro Builder crimeware kit is gaining momentum with the cybercrime underground. The kit uses Microsoft Word and Excel to weaponize documents attached to spam emails. Victims opening those infected attachments allow hackers to infuse their own malware. The Rubella kit circumvents antivirus software, allowing malware-laced email attachments to escape detection. That’s a new feature that antivirus software creators have yet to tackle.

Two well-known strains, Panda and Gootkit, were spotted teaming up with Rubella for their credential-stealing attacks on banking institutions. Experts believe the success of Rubella will inspire more malware kits to emerge in the future. It’s very likely these kits will be even more effective, and who knows, maybe even cheaper to rent. After all, they are basically a one-stop shop for the criminal element.

Cybercrime is a business like any other, responding to market supply and demand with fluctuating profits. We already know that stolen full-identities once for sale at $350 are now available for around $150. That price reduction is largely due to the mega corporate hacks flooding the Dark Web with data for sale.

In the case of Rubella and other spam malware, the need for continued employee education on cybercrime is a must. At the moment, a cyber-savvy individual is the best defense against spam malware. Spam filters don’t catch everything. It just takes one email message to get through to an employee’s inbox to wreak havoc across the network. Being wary of spam emails and malware attachments requires having your spam antenna set on high both at home and at work. Antenna’s up!