VietNamNet Bridge – Hackers who attacked VC Corp last month, causing the temporary shutdown of six online newspapers, were probably professional information technology experts, according to an investigation agency.

Six online newspapers could not be accessed by readers on October 13 (Vietnamese Entrepreneurs Day) and following days, resulting in a loss of VND2.5 billion a day for VC Corp, the service provider that runs the websites.

In the latest news, VC Corp’s deputy CEO Nguyen The Tan confirmed with VietNamNet that the hackers must be a professional crime group.

Regarding the method the hackers used to deploy the attack, Tan said hackers spread a highly professional spyware program by installing the spyware into the commonly used Adobe Flash Player.

When accessing Adobe’s website to download the software, internet users could be driven to ISP systems.

Hackers somehow successfully exchange fraudulently spyware-infected software for real Flash Player files. As a result, users download spyware-infected software and install it on their computers.

Also according to Tan, through the process of decompiling the virus samples to learn about the programming codes, VC Corp’s research team discovered it was a  professionally programmed spyware, which could not be done by amateurs.

After successfully penetrating the targeted computers, the spyware silently watched what operations users did with the computers, and then could steal the passwords for computer administration.

The spyware also allowed them to copy and steal important files and information like bank accounts, and then send the information to the criminals’ systems.

It also allowed them to capture screens and record the calls through Skype, and automatically film with the webcam on the computers. All these spy activities created a backdoor through which hackers could hijack the systems from a distance.

Tan said the software is very expensive in the world market. “As far as I know, the software is sold as a part of a solution package, priced at between $200,000 and $1 million,” he said.

Tan went on to say that the hackers might have had to spend a long time to prepare for the attack, carrying out many undercover activities before officially launching the attack.

VC Corp has found that the spyware had been spreading to VC Corp’s computers since April 21.

An analyst, who compared the attack to VC Corp’s data center with cyberattacks in the last few years, noted that the VC Corp attackers showed they have very high qualifications like the members of Sinh Tu Lenh, a group of mysterious hackers who recently attacked large websites.

Tan said the similarities can be found in the way of writing codes for viruses and the software tools used for the attack.

“One of the criminals is believed to be working for a company in Vietnam,” Tan said.

VC Corp reportedly suffered a loss of VND25-30 billion because of the attack.

Huy Phong