Neal O’Farrell, executive director of the nonprofit Identity Theft Council, spoke about the seriousness of mobile security as part of San Francisco Small Business Week, Cult Of Mac reported. “There were more data breaches than U.S. residents last year and more cases of identity theft than just about all other crimes combined,” O’Farrell said, adding that unless users are encrypting their devices, they are essentially asking for trouble. “You’ve got to wake up [and] protect yourself, even if you use a Mac,” he said, citing the massive Flashback virus that affected more than 600,000 Mac computers. O’Farrell went on to warn that, “Eight out of ten mobile banking apps have security flaws, but Apple and the banks don’t want you to know that.” He didn’t give specifics, but did state, “I’ll wait another 20 years to stick my toe in that pond.” O’Ferrel is a security consultant who has advised organizations including Toyota, Merrill Lynch, Cost Plus World Market and the Bulgarian Government.

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Apple on Wednesday released the latest update to its OS X Lion operating system, OS X 10.7.4. Along with a number of minor bug fixes and a security update to address a vulnerability in FileVault, the update included behind-the-scenes changes that will pave the way for future Macs with high-resolution Retina displays, according to Apple Insider. The Cupertino-based company has updated a number of apps — including the built-in TextEdit app — with double-resolution icons, increasing their sizes from 512 x 512 pixels to 1,024 x 1,024 pixels. The move suggests that Apple is planning to introduce new MacBooks with ultra-high-resolution screens, as it did with the Retina displays found on its iPhone and iPads.

[Via Gizmodo]

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Apple on Wednesday released an update to its desktop operating system. OS X Lion 10.7.4 contains a number of minor fixes as well as a security update that addresses the FileVault password security issue uncovered recently. The bug made users’ passwords vulnerable by storing them in plain text format. Apple’s 10.7.4 release notes are as follows:

The 10.7.4 update is recommended for all OS X Lion users and includes general operating system fixes that improve the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac including fixes that:

• Resolve an issue where the “Reopen windows when logging back in” setting is always enabled
• Improve compatibility with certain British third-party USB keyboards
• Address an issue that may prevent files from being saved to a server
• Improve the reliability of copying files to an SMB server

For detailed information on this update, please visit this website: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5167.

For information on the security content of this update, please visit: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.

The OS X Lion 10.7.4 update can be downloaded immediately through the integrated software update utility in OS X.

Microsoft researchers recently discovered a piece of Mac OS X malware that exploits a three-year-old flaw in old versions of Office for Mac. The threat uses a multi-stage attack, just like a Windows virus would. While Microsoft did fix the problem in 2009, the software giant notes that not every machine is up-to-date. The company’s data indicates, however, that the malware is not widespread. “No operating system that exists outside a laboratory is entirely immune to malware,” Microsoft stated on its blog. “As different operating systems continue to gain in popularity they attract more attention from would-be attackers – especially since, as we see in the example analysis above, the techniques and understanding needed to do so may be much the same as those used against other platforms. And even though an operating system may include many risk-reducing mitigation technologies, any machine’s defenses against vulnerabilities are directly related to how current its security updates for applications are kept.” Microsoft concludes by warning users of Office 2004 for Mac, Office 2008 for Mac or Open XML File Format Converter for Mac to update their software in order to protect themselves from possible threats.

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The “Flashback” virus that originated on a series of WordPress blogs and went on to infected more than 600,000 Mac computers last month may have generated its creators thousands of dollars each day. According to antivirus software firm Symantec, the Flashback malware has been generating revenue for its authors by hijacking users’ ad clicks, and due to the widespread nature of the infection, the authors could have been generating up to $10,000 per day. “Flashback specifically targets search queries made on Google and, depending on the search query, may redirect users to another page of the attacker’s choosing, where they receive revenue from the click,” the firm explained, adding that Google never receives the intended ad click. Symantec notes that ad-clicking Trojans are nothing new and a botnet of 25,000 infections could generate an author up to $450 per day.

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NPD Group on Thursday released the results of its Apple Ecosystem Study, which suggests that almost 25% of U.S. iPad owners are first-time Apple buyers. The firm’s data, as reported by AppleInsider, indicated that 33% of U.S. households own Apple products, with a majority owning an iPod. That number is growing beyond the 37 million American households the Cupertino-based company’s products are already found in, thanks to Apple’s flagship tablet. “iPad sales are growing much faster than any other Apple product has this soon after launch,” said Ben Arnold, director of industry analysis at NPD. “In fact, one-in-five Apple owner households has one — nearly equivalent to the number that own an Apple computer. This demonstrates the appeal of both the new form factor and Apple’s app ecosystem.” The study found that six out of ten homes with a Mac also own a Windows PC, and nearly 30% of so-called “Apple enthusiasts” own a smartphone other than the iPhone. The data comes from a survey NPD conducted in February of more than 3,000 consumers.

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Apple may be the most valuable company in the world, but when it comes to security, the Cupertino-based company doesn’t hold a candle to Microsoft. Kaspersky Lab co-founder and chief executive Eugene Kaspersky on Wednesday told CBR that Apple is a decade behind Microsoft in terms of computer security. ”I think they are ten years behind Microsoft in terms of security,” Kaspersky said. “For many years I’ve been saying that from a security point of view there is no big difference between Mac and Windows. It’s always been possible to develop Mac malware, but [Flashback] was a bit different. For example it was asking questions about being installed on the system and, using vulnerabilities, it was able to get to the user mode without any alarms.” More than 600,000 Macs were infected by the Flashback trojan virus before it was discovered earlier this month and the exploit it used to infect OS X PCs was patched. “Apple will understand very soon that they have the same problems Microsoft had ten or 12 years ago,” Kaspersky said. ”They will have to make changes in terms of the cycle of updates and so on and will be forced to invest more into their security audits for the software.”

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Apple announced on Wednesday that its annual Worldwide Developer Conference will take place from June 11th through June 15th this year in San Francisco, California. The company made tickets available at around 8:30 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, and they were sold out within two hours, likely before most West Coast-based developers even woke up. Tickets are not transferable this year and as such, developers who didn’t manage to secure a ticket don’t have many options. One man, however, found a way around Apple’s restrictions.

An anonymous developer on Wednesday posted a want ad on Craigslist. Under the headline, “I will legally change my name to yours for a WWDC ticket – $1600,” the San Francisco-based man offered any takers as much as $2,100 plus other services in exchange for a ticket to the conference, which costs $1,600 when purchased directly from Apple. Because tickets are not transferable, the man said he would also legally change his name, thus allowing him to use the ticket.

In addition to the name-change and $1,600, the man offered a number of perks. As he and any potential taker will share a name once the transaction is complete, the eager developer has agreed to perform jury duty, handle tasks at the department of motor vehicles and perform up to 40 hours of court-ordered community service in place of the ticket holder. He also offered a $500 bonus if the ticket holder’s first name is Jebodiah.

Apple’s developer conference this year will offer more than 100 sessions focused on developing for the iOS and OS X platforms. Apple will also likely unveil new products during its keynote on June 11th, though a new iPhone is not expected to be announced until later this year.

Security firm Intego on Monday announced that it had discovered a new variant of the Flashback malware called Flashback.S that continues to use a Java vulnerability Apple has already patched. This variant requires no password to install, and it places its files into the user’s home folder in “~/Library/LaunchAgents/com. java.update.plist” and “~/.jupdate.” Once Fashback.S is installed, it will then delete all files and folders in “~/Library/Caches/Java/cache” in order to delete the applet from the infected Mac, and avoid detection. The virus is actively being distributed, although it will not install if it finds Intego VirusBarrier X6, Xcode or Little Snitch installed on the Mac it tries to attack.

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A group of developers in Russia recently launched the “HackStore,” a centralized location for third-party OS X applications. Like Cydia on iOS, the HackStore is a software hub that allows developers to distribute applications without having to endure Apple’s approval process. The developers behind the project claim that piracy will not be tolerated in their app store, though it is unclear exactly what measures they are taking to prevent pirated software from being distributed through the HackStore. “The biggest Mac Appstore problem is that they limit their users in everything, without giving an opportunity to expand these limits,” HackStore’s creators wrote on their website. “This is not correct, because ONLY users should decide which applications they should install and which one do not. We think HackStore [will] break through the narrow confines of Mac Appstore.”

[Via Engadget]

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Security firm Sophos on Tuesday indicated that a surprisingly high level of malware has been found on Mac computers — the firm’s research revealed that one in every five Mac computers is harboring some kind of Windows malware. Of the 100,000 customers sampled through Sophos’s antivirus offerings, 20% of users were found to be carrying one or more instances of Windows malware. The firm highlighted that Windows malware on a Mac won’t cause any harm, however, unless the computer also runs a Windows partition in addition to OS X. The company’s research found that just 2.7% of Macs that installed the company’s free anti-virus software were infected by OS X malware. Nearly all of the OS X malware discovered was an iteration of the “Flashback” trojan called “Flshplyr.” Sophos said that cybercriminals may find Macs to be targets because OS X users are less likely to be running an anti-virus software, however Macs can get viruses and the right software can keep a user’s computer safe. A second pie chart follows below.

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After a rough month that saw Apple’s stock tumble nearly $90 from a high of $644 earlier this month to as low as $555.18 on Tuesday, Apple reported its earnings for the second fiscal quarter on Tuesday after the market closed. Following a last-minute round of panic that swept Wall Street, Apple posted a net profit of $11.6 billion, or$12.30 per share — up 94% year-over-year — on revenue of $39.2 billion, crushing the Street’s consensus. Analysts were expecting earnings of $10.06 per share on $36.81 billion in sales. Read on for more.

IPhone channel sales were the focus of the Street’s worries earlier on Tuesday, as a number of analysts lowered expectations following AT&T’s first-quarter earnings report. Wall Street was looking for Apple to move 30.5 million smartphones during the second fiscal quarter and the company beat expectations, selling 35.1 million iPhones into channels last quarter, up 88% from 18.65 million units in the second quarter a year earlier.

Outside of the iPhone, which has quickly become Apple’s biggest money-maker by a substantial margin, analysts were expecting Apple to sell between 12 million and 13 million iPads along with 4.4 million Macs. Actual iPad sales came in at 11.8 million units, and Apple sold 4 million Mac computers in the second fiscal quarter. Apple sold 4.69 million iPads and 3.6 million Macs in the same quarter in 2011.

Shares of Apple stock are up more than 6% in after-hours trading, and the company’s full press release follows below.

Apple Reports Second Quarter Results

Record March Quarter Sales of iPhones, iPads and Macs

Net Profit Increases 94% Year-over-Year

CUPERTINO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2012 second quarter ended March 31, 2012. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $39.2 billion and quarterly net profit of $11.6 billion, or $12.30 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $24.7 billion and net profit of $6.0 billion, or $6.40 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 47.4 percent compared to 41.4 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 64 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

“Looking ahead to the third fiscal quarter, we expect revenue of about $34 billion and diluted earnings per share of about $8.68.”

The Company sold 35.1 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 88 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 11.8 million iPads during the quarter, a 151 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 4 million Macs during the quarter, a 7 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 7.7 million iPods, a 15 percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter.

“We’re thrilled with sales of over 35 million iPhones and almost 12 million iPads in the March quarter,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “The new iPad is off to a great start, and across the year you’re going to see a lot more of the kind of innovation that only Apple can deliver.”

“Our record March quarter results drove $14 billion in cash flow from operations,” said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO. “Looking ahead to the third fiscal quarter, we expect revenue of about $34 billion and diluted earnings per share of about $8.68.”

Apple will provide live streaming of its Q2 2012 financial results conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m. PDT on April 24, 2012 at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq212. This webcast will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter.

This press release contains forward-looking statements including without limitation those about the Company’s estimated revenue and diluted earnings per share. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation the effect of competitive and economic factors, and the Company’s reaction to those factors, on consumer and business buying decisions with respect to the Company’s products; continued competitive pressures in the marketplace; the ability of the Company to deliver to the marketplace and stimulate customer demand for new programs, products, and technological innovations on a timely basis; the effect that product introductions and transitions, changes in product pricing or mix, and/or increases in component costs could have on the Company’s gross margin; the inventory risk associated with the Company’s need to order or commit to order product components in advance of customer orders; the continued availability on acceptable terms, or at all, of certain components and services essential to the Company’s business currently obtained by the Company from sole or limited sources; the effect that the Company’s dependency on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties may have on the quality, quantity or cost of products manufactured or services rendered; risks associated with the Company’s international operations; the Company’s reliance on third-party intellectual property and digital content; the potential impact of a finding that the Company has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; the Company’s dependency on the performance of distributors, carriers and other resellers of the Company’s products; the effect that product and service quality problems could have on the Company’s sales and operating profits; the continued service and availability of key executives and employees; war, terrorism, public health issues, natural disasters, and other circumstances that could disrupt supply, delivery, or demand of products; and unfavorable results of other legal proceedings. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company’s financial results is included from time to time in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of the Company’s public reports filed with the SEC, including the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 24, 2011, its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2011, and its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2012 to be filed with the SEC. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple’s PR website (www.apple.com/pr), or call Apple’s Media Helpline at (408) 974-2042.

© 2012 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Apple Inc.UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS(In millions, except number of shares which are reflected in thousands and per share amounts)
		Three Months Ended						Six Months Ended
		March 31,2012			March 26,2011			March 31,2012			March 26,2011
Net sales		$	39,186		$	24,667		$	85,519		$	51,408
Cost of sales (1)			20,622			14,449			46,252			30,892
Gross margin			18,564			10,218			39,267			20,516
Operating expenses:
Research and development (1)			841			581			1,599			1,156
Selling, general and administrative (1)			2,339			1,763			4,944			3,659
Total operating expenses			3,180			2,344			6,543			4,815
Operating income			15,384			7,874			32,724			15,701
Other income and expense			148			26			285			162
Income before provision for income taxes			15,532			7,900			33,009			15,863
Provision for income taxes			3,910			1,913			8,323			3,872
Net income		$	11,622		$	5,987		$	24,686		$	11,991
Earnings per common share:
Basic		$	12.45		$	6.49		$	26.48		$	13.02
Diluted		$	12.30		$	6.40		$	26.17		$	12.83
Shares used in computing earnings per share:
Basic			933,582			923,196			932,265			921,245
Diluted			944,893			935,944			943,185			934,549
(1) Includes stock-based compensation expense as follows:
Cost of sales		$	63		$	51		$	126		$	103
Research and development		$	168		$	104		$	328		$	217
Selling, general and administrative		$	193		$	132		$	390		$	266

Apple Inc.UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS(In millions, except number of shares which are reflected in thousands)
		March 31, 2012			September 24, 2011
ASSETS:
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$	10,121		$	9,815
Short-term marketable securities			18,417			16,137
Accounts receivable, less allowances of $83 and $53, respectively			7,042			5,369
Inventories			1,102			776
Deferred tax assets			2,253			2,014
Vendor non-trade receivables			6,727			6,348
Other current assets			5,050			4,529
Total current assets			50,712			44,988
Long-term marketable securities			81,638			55,618
Property, plant and equipment, net			8,847			7,777
Goodwill			1,141			896
Acquired intangible assets, net			3,604			3,536
Other assets			4,992			3,556
Total assets		$	150,934		$	116,371
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY:
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable		$	17,011		$	14,632
Accrued expenses			9,778			9,247
Deferred revenue			5,247			4,091
Total current liabilities			32,036			27,970
Deferred revenue – non-current			2,446			1,686
Other non-current liabilities			13,954			10,100
Total liabilities			48,436			39,756
Commitments and contingencies
Shareholders’ equity:
Common stock, no par value; 1,800,000 shares authorized; 934,982 and 929,277 shares issued and outstanding, respectively			14,850			13,331
Retained earnings			87,124			62,841
Accumulated other comprehensive income			524			443
Total shareholders’ equity			102,498			76,615
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity		$	150,934		$	116,371

Apple Inc.UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS(In millions)
		Six Months Ended
		March 31, 2012				March 26, 2011
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of the period		$	9,815			$	11,261
Operating activities:
Net income			24,686				11,991
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash generated by operating activities:
Depreciation, amortization and accretion			1,461				790
Share-based compensation expense			844				586
Deferred income tax expense			2,915				1,563
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net			(1,663	)			(288	)
Inventories			(326	)			121
Vendor non-trade receivables			(379	)			(883	)
Other current and non-current assets			(1,510	)			(1,886	)
Accounts payable			2,809				1,626
Deferred revenue			1,916				698
Other current and non-current liabilities			778				1,674
Cash generated by operating activities			31,531				15,992
Investing activities:
Purchases of marketable securities			(85,022	)			(42,260	)
Proceeds from maturities of marketable securities			7,702				10,211
Proceeds from sales of marketable securities			49,052				21,705
Payments made in connection with business acquisitions, net of cash acquired			(350	)			0
Payments for acquisition of property, plant and equipment			(2,778	)			(1,838	)
Payments for acquisition of intangible assets			(160	)			(81	)
Other			(48	)			12
Cash used in investing activities			(31,604	)			(12,251	)
Financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock			377				494
Excess tax benefits from equity awards			636				740
Taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards			(634	)			(258	)
Cash generated by financing activities			379				976
Increase in cash and cash equivalents			306				4,717
Cash and cash equivalents, end of the period		$	10,121			$	15,978
Supplemental cash flow disclosure:
Cash paid for income taxes, net		$	4,835			$	1,913

Apple Inc.
Q2 2012 Unaudited Summary Data
(Units in thousands, Revenue in millions)
			Q1 2012					Q2 2011					Q2 2012
																		Sequential Change						Year/Year Change
Operating Segments			Mac Units		Revenue			Mac Units		Revenue			Mac Units		Revenue			Mac Units			Revenue			Mac Units			Revenue
	Americas		1,612		$	17,714		1,217		$	9,323		1,214		$	13,182		- 25	%		- 26	%		0	%		41	%
	Europe		1,482			11,256		995			6,027		1,048			8,807		- 29	%		- 22	%		5	%		46	%
	Japan		184			3,550		155			1,383		158			2,645		- 14	%		- 25	%		2	%		91	%
	Asia Pacific		814			7,697		596			4,743		771			10,153		- 5	%		32	%		29	%		114	%
	Retail		1,106			6,116		797			3,191		826			4,399		- 25	%		- 28	%		4	%		38	%
Total Operating Segments			5,198		$	46,333		3,760		$	24,667		4,017		$	39,186		- 23	%		- 15	%		7	%		59	%
																		Sequential Change						Year/Year Change
Product Summary			Units		Revenue			Units		Revenue			Units		Revenue			Units			Revenue			Units			Revenue
	Mac Desktops (1)(9)		1,479		$	1,936		1,009		$	1,441		1,199		$	1,563		- 19	%		- 19	%		19	%		8	%
	Mac Portables (2)(9)		3,719			4,662		2,751			3,535		2,818			3,510		- 24	%		- 25	%		2	%		- 1	%
Subtotal Mac			5,198			6,598		3,760			4,976		4,017			5,073		- 23	%		- 23	%		7	%		2	%
	iPod (3)(9)		15,397			2,528		9,017			1,600		7,673			1,207		- 50	%		- 52	%		- 15	%		- 25	%
	Other Music Related Products and Services (4)					2,027					1,634					2,151					6	%					32	%
	iPhone and Related Products and Services (5)(9)		37,044			24,417		18,647			12,298		35,064			22,690		- 5	%		- 7	%		88	%		85	%
	iPad and Related Products and Services (6)(9)		15,434			9,153		4,694			2,836		11,798			6,590		- 24	%		- 28	%		151	%		132	%
	Peripherals and Other Hardware (7)					766					580					643					- 16	%					11	%
	Software, Service and Other Sales (8)					844					743					832					- 1	%					12	%
Total Apple					$	46,333				$	24,667				$	39,186					- 15	%					59	%
(1)	Includes revenue from iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Pro sales.
(2)	Includes revenue from MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro sales.
(3)	Includes revenue from iPod sales.
(4)	Includes revenue from sales from the iTunes Store, App Store, and iBookstore in addition to sales of iPod services and Apple-branded and third-party iPod accessories.
(5)	Includes revenue from sales of iPhone, iPhone services, and Apple-branded and third-party iPhone accessories.
(6)	Includes revenue from sales of iPad, iPad services, and Apple-branded and third-party iPad accessories.
(7)	Includes revenue from sales of displays, networking product, and other hardware.
(8)	Includes revenue from sales of Apple-branded and third-party Mac software, and services.
(9)	Includes amortization of related revenue deferred for non-software services and embedded software upgrade rights.

The “Flashback” virus discovered to have infected more than 600,000 Mac computers earlier this month originated on a series of WordPress blogs, security experts have determined. According to Alexander Gostev, head of the global research and analysis team at Kaspersky, the virus began as a trojan hidden within a fake Adobe software update. In March, however, the malware’s creators repackaged the virus in a “drive-by attack” that infected users’ Apple computers when they visited one of thousands of compromised WordPress blogs. ”Tens of thousands of sites powered by WordPress were compromised,” Gostev wrote on Kaspersky’s SecureList blog. “How this happened is unclear. The main theories are that bloggers were using a vulnerable version of WordPress or they had installed the ToolsPack plug-in.” Apple released a system update earlier this month that patched a Java vulnerability and removed most common iterations of the Flashback virus. As of the middle of last week, however, more than 140,000 Mac computers were still infected with the virus, which is capable of intercepting private data and transmitting it without a user’s knowledge.

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Apple responded fairly quickly to news that more than 600,000 Mac computers were infected with a trojan virus called “Flashback.” One week after the massive botnet was discovered, Apple issued an update fixing the Java vulnerability that allowed Flashback to infect the machines, as well as a removal tool for affected machines. Despite the company’s efforts, Symantec stated on Tuesday evening that approximately 140,000 OS X PCs were still infected with the virus at that time. “The statistics from our sinkhole are showing declining numbers on a daily basis,” the company wrote on its blog. “However, we had originally believed that we would have seen a greater decline in infections at this point in time, but this has proven not to be the case. Currently, it appears that the number of infected computers has tapered off, but remains around the 140,000 mark.” Symantec offers its own Flashback removal tool separate from the one Apple made available in a system update on April 12th.

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The “Flashback” trojan virus affecting at least 600,000 Macs was discovered last week that is capable of intercepting passwords and other private data. The discovery prompted Apple to release a Java update for OS X users that removed a number of common variants of the virus. Securelist on Saturday found another Mac trojan that is also spread through Java exploits, however. The malware, called Backdoor.OSX.SabPub, can take screenshots of a user’s current session, execute commands on an infected machine and connect to a remote website to transmit the data. It is not clear how users get infected with the trojan, but because of the low number of instances and the trojan’s backdoor functionality, Securelist speculates that it is most likely used in targeted attacks, possibly launched through emails containing a URL pointing to two one of websites hosting the exploit.

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