TOKYO (TR) – Last month, researchers at Proofpoint, a cybersecurity company headquartered in California, identified a new type of computer malware that targets users of adult sites, reports TV Asahi (Oct. 23).
According to the company, Stealerium is information-stealing malware that has been increasing since May.
Yukimi Sota, a Japan-based expert at the firm, says that owners of infected computers are at risk of being victims of theft and other crimes.
“If you’re browsing an adult website, it turns on your camera and secretly captures what’s going on,” says Sota.
Not only does it hijack your camera and capture unwanted moments, it also steals a wide range of information, including credit card data registered on websites and the content of chat apps.
The virus creator can freely determine the conditions under which the camera has been turned on. To be sure, this isn’t limited to adult sites.
As to the source of the virus, Sota says, “Based on the data we’ve seen so far, it’s almost always emails with some kind of attachment.”
There’s no risk of infection unless a user opens the attachment, she assures.
