Attack Methods used by spywares to spread

Appin has various honeypots which did studies over botnets, methods used to spread botnets which capture various attack, exploits which are used to spread spywares. Some of the examples are given below:

1. Email based attacks: Ever got an email prompting you to click a link or download a pdf. Beware this is one of the most common methods used to spread spywares and there have been countless such attacks spreading out of Chinese and Russian IP addresses.

2. Pornographic and free tools download websites: These websites are honeypots created to attract people and spread spywares through browser vulnerabilities being exploited.

3. Spyware removal tools which act as spyware: Spyware removal tools prompt a user to check their system for spywares but the police become a thief in no time. A lot of these tools remove other spywares but add a spyware to take control of your computer.

4. USB drives: USB drives act as a spreader of spywares in a network of computers. There are various such propagation modules which have worm behavior and act as a carrier of spywares.

5. Chat bots: How often do you get a link in your chat bot from girl with hot picture? This is again one of the methods to spread a spyware in a network of people related to each other where the software starts sending malicious links which download the spyware on your computer.

Source of Information :  Hakin9 November 2010