One of the most serious and pervasive network security threats is Zeus. It has made it possible for hackers to have access to user credentials for financial systems and actually steal money from millions of people’s bank accounts. Over $70 million in stolen property was found, and more than 100 persons were detained, during an FBI operation into a criminal ring operating out of Zeus in Eastern Europe.

What is the Zeus Virus?

A server approach is used by the malware package known as Zeus/Zbot. Massive botnets are built using it by the Zeus malware’s operators. By stealing login passwords, banking information, and financial data and relaying it back to the attackers via the Zeus Command and Control (C&C) server, its primary purpose is to obtain illegal access to financial systems.

Your device may be a part of Zeus botnets without your knowledge, but hackers can use this horde of compromised laptops, smartphones, and other devices to execute DDoS assaults on other targets.

Zeus has penetrated big institutions like NASA and the Bank of America by infecting over 3 million machines in the USA.

What are the Zeus Deviations?

Below are the most popular strains ever since Zbot has been detected last 2007:

  • Zeus Gameover is a Zeus botnet version without a centralized C&C.
  • SpyEye is capable of automating bank account access and money transfers to attackers.
  • Ice IX—extracts login information and personal information from forms while controlling content in a browser during a financial transaction.
  • Carberp—often used in Russian financial hacking. exploits flaws in the operating system to take control of target systems.
  • The domain generation algorithm (DGA) used by Shylock enables Zbots to connect to numerous C&C servers.

What are Zeus Virus Infection Approaches?

This scary malware can infect your device through:

  • Drive-by downloads: When users visit a compromised website, the operators of Zeus employ operating system and browser flaws to trick users into downloading the malware.
  • Zeus spreads by spam messages, phishing emails, and deceptive social media operations. The malware can enter social media accounts on vulnerable PCs and use them to publish phishing messages since it has the capacity to obtain unauthorized access to credentials. This is one of the elements that made it possible for Zeus to propagate quickly and infect millions of devices worldwide.

How does Zeus work?

Zeus is a Trojan, a type of malware that impersonates trustworthy programs. Keylogging and website tracking are used to steal passwords and financial information. This malware can identify when a user is on a banking website or doing a financial transaction, allowing it to record the keystrokes the user uses to log in. Zeus has evolved to include variations that can compromise Android phones in an effort to obtain two-factor authentication; the original Zeus exclusively affected Windows machines.

FBI crackdown on Zeus Creators

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said in October 2010 that hackers from Eastern Europe had infected millions of computers worldwide, compromised bank accounts, and made unlawful transfers totaling tens of thousands of dollars at once.

The money was frequently transferred into other accounts under the authority of “cash mules,” who were compensated with commission. The accounts were made using forged paperwork and false identities. The mules would either withdraw the money and smuggle it out of the area or wire it back to their operators in Eastern Europe once it was in the account.

According to rumors, Hamza Bendelladj is the brains behind Zeus. Despite being accused of numerous crimes of wire fraud, computer fraud, and abuse by the state of Georgia, he evaded capture. In 2010, Bendelladj announced his retirement and offered the SpyEye trojan’s inventor, a rival, access to Zeus’ source code.

How do you protect your investment from Zeus?

A trusted partner like Intelecis can help defend, mitigate, and eliminate against a variety of known and zero-day threats, including the Zeus virus, by deploying effective endpoint detection and response (EDR) security software on your endpoints. Learn more today.