Sophos Warns of \'Gaddafi\' Malicious Malware Attack

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IT security and data protection firm, Sophos, is warning of a malicious email attack, one of the first to capitalize on the death of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. 

The scam poses as pictures of Gaddafi's body, tricking users into believing the email comes from the AFP news agency and has been forwarded by a fellow internet user.  In reality, opening the attached file on a Windows computer puts PCs at risk of malware infection.

"The death of Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi has almost inevitably resulted in cybercriminals taking advantage of the news story, and the general public's seeming interest in viewing ghoulish photos and videos of his last moments," said Graham Cluley, Senior Technology Consultant at Sophos.  

"As unlikely as the legitimacy of these emails may seem - in this case, the latest photos being forwarded to you in an email attachment - the news is often just too interesting for people to ignore.  Internet users need to be sensible when it comes to a top news story, and not throw their security suspicions regarding links and unsolicited attachments out the window, in search of the latest revelations or shocking images,” he added.