Malware Waits for Users Looking for Nude Photos of Beyonce

WARNING: This threat is still active.

Her name may not have made it on the list of the Most Dangerous Celebrities to Search Online, but looking for Beyonce photos that are NSFW can still lead you to a malware infection.

GFI Labs warns that cybercriminals have setup a trap for anyone that dares to type in “beyonce nude” in Google’s search engine and click the following link:



The link will take you to a Flickr page containing an image of an embedded video player (clever). Said image will redirect you to a third-party website that will prompt you to download an exe file before viewing the [nonexistent] video.

Screenshot Credit: GFI

Don’t bother downloading whatever “video player” or browser plugin they’re pushing. There’s no video, and you definitely won’t be seeing Beyonce in her birthday suit.

You've been warned!

[via GFI]

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Beware of Fraudulent "Invoices" from DNS Services (dnssvc.com)

Be careful when checking your mailbox – there are fraudulent invoices lurking about!

One of our clients contacted us recently after they received an invoice from a company by the name of “DNS Services” (dnssvc.com). It was for the amount of $65, which was listed as the annual fee for 'Managed DNS Backup Business Services'.

Here's the "invoice" that they received:



Despite what you may believe at first glance, the mailer is NOT an invoice, but a rather shady offer to sign up for DNS backup services.  Infact, you may even catch the following disclaimer if you read the document very carefully:

This is a solicitation for the order of goods or services, or both, and not a bill, invoice or statement of account due. You are under no obligation to make any payments on account of this offer unless you accept this offer.

After doing a bit of research, we found that this fake invoice scam has been going around for the last few weeks, and worse yet, there are reports that some of the bogus invoices do not have a disclaimer!

Needless to say, unless you intending on signing up for these services it is best that you discard mailers sent from DNS Services. Be sure to warn office admins, accounting staff, or anyone else that runs a risk of accidentally sending payment to DNS Services about this scam as well.

Additional information about this scam can be found on WOT (Web of Trust), Ripoff Report, or by Googling the dnssvc.com domain.

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Get 15% off Your Annual Carbonite Subscription Fee!

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Carbonite offers secure, automated online backup for both home and business users. Contact Hyphenet to sign-up for Carbonite Online Backup and you'll get 15% off your annual subscription cost.

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Call Hyphenet at (619) 325-0990 or fill out our online form to signup for Carbonite and get your 15% discount today!

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Happy Thanksgiving from Hyphenet! (See you Monday)

Things will be rather quiet around these parts given our staff will be spending time with family, friends, and of course, stuffing their faces.

Who knows, some of us may brave the crowds (and burn off some of those calories) to do a little holiday shopping on Black Friday!

Either way, we will be back in the office on Monday. We've scheduled some tweets to keep you occupied in the meantime, so make sure you're following us on Twitter (@hyphenet).

We hope you have a happy Thanksgiving!



Photo Credit: martha_chapa95

Don’t miss out on the latest tech news and computer security alerts! Follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet,  “Like” us on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+

Backdoor Trojan Uses Google Docs to Connect to C&C Servers

Using Google Docs for evil purposes is nothing new.

Cybercriminals have already found that the ability to host online forms using Google Docs can prove quite useful when launching phishing attacks.

Now it seems that they’ve discovered that there’s more value in Google Docs, and have begun using it as a proxy server to pass information between command & control servers and machines infected with the latest variant of Backdoor.Makadocs.

As explained on the Symantec security blog, this is all made possible thanks to a Google Docs feature called viewer that retrieves the resources of another URL and displays it.

Of course, Backdoor.Makadocs’s use of Google Docs' viewer feature is a violation of Google’s policies, but it’s highly doubtful that cybercriminals care. They’re likely more interested in the benefits, which include hiding command & control server communications and the fact that the connection to the Google Docs server is encrypted using HTTPS, making it difficult to block locally.

Backdoor.Makadocs appears to primarily target Brazilian users, and arrives as a Microsoft Word document or Rich Text Format (RTF) file that relies on social engineering tactics to infect the machine. Symantec detects the Word & RTF files associated with this attack as Trojan.Dropper.

Should Backdoor.Makadocs manage to find its way onto your PC, it will do as its name suggests and open a backdoor to siphon sensitive information out of your machine.

Keeping Your PC Safe from Makadocs Malware

• Keep your operating system and installed software fully patched and up-to-date.


• Always run antivirus software that offers real-time scanning.


• Do not download files from unsolicited emails or untrusted sources.


• Do not click suspicious hyperlinks, regardless if how they were shared (email, social network, etc.)

Don’t miss out on the latest tech news and computer security alerts! Follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet,  “Like” us on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+

Spammers Use Western Union Brand to Spread Malware

Do you see that Western Union Agent Portal email sitting in your inbox, asking you to download a zip archive that supposedly contains a list of changes & a contract for you to sign?

Yes, I’m talking about the one with the subject line “Western Union Agent urgent action needed.”

Well, that email didn't really come from Western Union.

No, it was sent from a spammer that wants to infect your computer with Mal/BredoZp-B, which is hiding inside the attached file, WU-BD02E0BBE2.pdf.zip.

Here’s the full email that I’m talking about:

Subject: Western Union Agent urgent action needed
From: Western Union Agent Portal (88350b9b6@hertzarsales.com)

Western Union® AgentPortal

Dear WU agent,

Western Union Agent Coordination Department notifies all its agents about urgent changes in the reward system and working conditions.

In order to continue working as an agent you must read the list of changes through and sign the contract provided in the attachments to the email.

We are sorry to cause inconvenience. Please do not be slow in making the decision and make the necessary actions as soon as you can.

Faithfully yours,

Western Union Agent Coordination Department

Western Union © 2012

What to Do with Western Union Spam

Should you receive a copy of the above email - or perhaps another suspicious looking email claiming to be from Western Union – then it is recommended that you:

• Do NOT download or open the attached file.


• Do NOT click on any suspicious links within the email.


• Forward the email to spoof@westernunion.com.


• Delete the emails immediately.

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Buy of the Week: Lenovo ThinkPad Twist S230u 3347 for $913

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Until November 23rd, 2012, you can order a Lenovo ThinkPad Twist S230u 3347 from Hyphenet for only $913, plus shipping!

Specifications for Lenovo ThinkPad Twist S230u 3347

MFR#	33472HU
System Type	Ultrabook
Mechanical Design	Convertible design
Display	12.5" LED backlight Multi-Touch 1366 x 768 / HD
Processor	Intel Core i5 (3rd Gen) 3317U / 1.7 GHz
Memory	4 GB DDR3 - 1333 MHz
Storage	500 GB Hybrid Drive (24 GB flash) / 7200 rpm
Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 4000
Networking	802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0, Gigabit Ethernet
Battery	8-cell - up to 6 hours
Dimensions	12.3 in x 9.3 in x 0.8 in
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Operating System	Microsoft Windows 8 Pro 64-bit Edition
Warranty	1-Year Lenovo Warranty

Call (619) 325-0990 to order a Lenovo ThinkPad Twist S230u 3347 today!

Buy of the Week offer valid through November 23rd, 2012.

Note: Shipping and taxes apply.

Looking for something else? Check out our monthly deals or contact us to get a quote on the product you're searching for.

This deal expired on 11/23/12. Please check the top banner ad for active deals.