Credit: Thinkstock Companies are finding it tough to keep out new types of banking malware, which continue to get better following the bar-raising threat known as Zeus.The malicious programs all aim to swiftly and secretly steal credentials for online bank accounts, with some specializing in making large, unauthorized wire transfers from businesses using the ACH (Automated Clearing House) system.A study by the firm SecurityScorecard, which specializes in tracking a company’s risk of intrusion, found more than 4,700 organizations that were infected by some type of advanced banking malware.SecurityScorecard collected the data in part by using sinkholes, or computers that researchers control which are part of a network of infected machines, known as a botnet. An analysis of those sinkholes can lend insight into how many machines may be infected with a particular type of malware. The company also looks at spam campaigns, vulnerabilities in web applications, malware campaigns conducted using social media and monitors underground hacking forums, said Alex Heid, chief research officer.“For hackers, you always want to look for the weakest link and pivot in,” he said. The study, conducted over the first five months of this year, found 11,952 infections affecting 4,703 organizations. Some of those organizations are customers of SecurityScorecard, while others are partners of those customers.When SecurityScorecard evaluates a customer’s network, the customer also shares information about their partners, who may also have access to their systems.It’s those relationships that are increasingly being targeted by hackers. Target and Home Depot both attributed large payment card breaches to the infiltration of third-party contractors whose credentials gave access to their systems.The top banking malware families that have been circulating are Dridex, Bebloh and TinyBanker, Heid said.Dridex spreads through spam that contains attachments to malicious XML files or Microsoft Office documents with macros, he said. Bebloh is hard to detect since it makes few changes to the computers it infects. TinyBanker — named for its small 20K size — is hard to find as well since its creators often change its digital footprint, which allows it to evade security products, he said.Those distributing malware try to make sure their programs are FUD, or fully undetectable. They do that by using tools to encrypt the software called crypters or packers, which compress the file in a way that makes it hard to detect, Heid said. SecurityScorecard also found instances of Dyre, another banking malware program that descended from the infamous Zeus software.The U.S. Department of Justice, working with security researchers, managed to shut down the Gameover Zeus botnet in mid-2014. The botnet and associated malware stole as much as US$100 million.Send news tips and comments to jeremy_kirk@idg.com. Follow me on Twitter: @jeremy_kirk Related content news Almost 50% of organizations plan to reduce cybersecurity headcounts: Survey While organizations are realizing the need for knowledgeable teams to address unknown threats, they are also looking to reduce their security headcount and infrastructure spending. By Gagandeep Kaur Dec 06, 2023 4 mins IT Jobs Security Practices feature 20 years of Patch Tuesday: it’s time to look outside the Windows when fixing vulnerabilities After two decades of regular and indispensable updates, it’s clear that security teams need take a more holistic approach to applying fixes far beyond the Microsoft ecosystem. By Susan Bradley Dec 06, 2023 6 mins Patch Management Software Threat and Vulnerability Management Windows Security feature What should be in a company-wide policy on low-code/no-code development Low-code/no-code development could bridge the gulf of development backlogs that exists between great ideas and great execution of digital innovation. But not without security policies around areas like access control, code quality, and application vi By Ericka Chickowski Dec 06, 2023 15 mins Application Security Security Practices news analysis Cisco unveils AI-powered assistants to level up security defenses New AI-driven tools aim to simplify and bolster policies, alerts and prevention to reduce complexity when setting security policies and assess traffic without decryption. By Rosalyn Page Dec 05, 2023 5 mins Encryption Cloud Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe