BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG

Posted: September 16, 2013

Threat Metric

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:

Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.

Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.

Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.

% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.

Threat Level:	2/10
Infected PCs:	32

First Seen:	September 16, 2013
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG is one of the newest variants of Sykipot, a long-lived and often-updated backdoor Trojan that's noted for its history of attacks against the US government. Recent changes in the Sykipot campaign have led to some shifts in BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG's probable targets and SpywareRemove.com malware researchers warn that BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG most likely may be used in attacks against major civilian aircraft companies. E-mail is the dominant infection vector by which BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG infects new computers, and the sophisticated security-dismantling attacks at BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG's disposal cause BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG to be classified as a high-level PC threat. Naturally, deleting BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG with anti-malware software immediately after its detection is strongly advised.

BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG: Carefully Undoing Industry Security from the Inside Out

Although BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG is a backdoor Trojan crafted to be essentially undetectable to the PC user, its attacks are intended to render your PC roughly as helpless as a lobster in a boiling pot. First sighted back in 2007, the Sykipot family (often detected by the alias of Wyksol) has received many updates over the years, and BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG is one of the newest 2013 variants to be confirmed. Because BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG and other Sykipot Trojans are designed for attacking professional computers rather than personal ones, they are distributed by fraudulent e-mail attachments that are targeted at specific addresses – as opposed to generalized spam. Victims who fall for the e-mail ruse may be infected with BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG or another Sykipot variant – with a little help from an exploit kit that, in most cases, uses a zero-day exploit (a software vulnerable that has not yet been patched).

BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG opens an SLL-protected (the same type of data transmission protection used by, for example, many banking websites) connection to various Command & Control servers to receive instructions on how to attack your PC. BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG also may use this connection to upload stolen data, download new threats or simply update itself. Government institutions and government-contracted companies have been the major targets of past Sykipot attacks, but SpywareRemove.com malware researchers noted a recent shift in targets implicating the air travel industry as being BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG's most likely victim.

Getting a Flight to Skies Clear of BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG Troubles

Although BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG is one of the newest versions of Sykipot that SpywareRemove.com malware analysts have been able to verify, the often-updated Sykipot family most likely may see new members in the future. Accordingly, keeping your anti-malware and security programs updated is critical to keeping a BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG infection away from a vulnerable computer – or, at least, deleting BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG after BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG is crept into your hard drive.

However, PC security always starts and ends with the user, as can be demonstrated through the e-mail attacks that BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG uses as the first step of its distribution. Scanning potentially malicious files before opening them and learning to recognize targeted attacks disguised as business messages are important parts of dealing with BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG and keeping BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG from compromising confidential company information.

BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG

Threat Metric

BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG: Carefully Undoing Industry Security from the Inside Out

Getting a Flight to Skies Clear of BKDR_SYKIPOT.AG Troubles

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