Financial malware threatens our banks and the safety of our personal identify and hard-earned money. Evidence from private research suggests that most endpoint security solutions offer minimal to no protection against financial malware. However, in a new test, avast! Internet Security provided 100% protection against banking malware.

Man-in-the-Browser attacks

Variants of the banking Trojans ZeuS and SpyEye are a massive threat to the security of financial institutions and their customers. Using the so-called 'Man-in-the-Browser' (MitB) attack, this malware sits between the user and the website modifying the pages displayed in real time. Some versions of the MitB changes payment details and on-screen balances to cloak its activities.

Last February, BBC news aired a program called ‘Click: Online Banking Test” highlighting the risks of financial malware and the ineffectiveness of traditional security suites against MitB attacks. Initial research was done by independent firm MRG Effitas. In a follow-up test just published, MRG Effitas tested more than 30 security software products against financial malware simulators, and avast! Internet Security was one of only two anti-malware and internet security applications to get a perfect score.

The avast! SafeZone - Privacy ensured

For banking and other financial transactions, like online shopping, avast! Internet Security is a smart choice because of SafeZone™. The avast! SafeZone is a security feature which lets you browse the web in a private, secure environment, invisible to the rest of your system. This ensures secure financial transactions when banking or shopping online. The secure browser window auto-prompts avast! Internet Security users whenever it would be more secure to use it, and it opens easily from their normal browser.

Read our press release for more information and a link to the report.

Spencer Kelly, the BBC “Click” presenter, offers these tips regarding banking malware:

How to spot if you have been infected

• If your transaction seems to be taking longer than normal, there is a chance it is going via a fraudster's system
• If you are asked for more information than normal, especially entire passwords where previously you were only asked for part, your machine may have been infected
• Computers that have been infected often slow down while malware monopolizes both the processor and the internet connection

What to do if you suspect something

• Contact your bank by phone, not by email
• Tell them the time and date you believed you were accessing your bank account, and if the bank's records do not match, it is likely your computer has been compromised