Russian Anti-Virus Company Firebombed by Angry VXers

Malware creators have firebombed the offices of an anti-virus company after it refused to delist its reverse engineered analysis of an ATM skimmer. A group calling itself “The Syndicate” sent threatening letters to Dr Web, demanding that it took down the ATM malware exposé, otherwise it would “destroy” the company’s offices.

“You have a week to delete all references about ATM skimmers … otherwise Syndicate will stop cash-out transactions and send criminals for your programmers’ heads,” read the first letter. A follow-up letter added, “If you don’t delete all references about ATM skimmer viruses from your products and all products for ATM (sic), the international carder syndicate will destroy Doctor Web’s offices throughout the world.”

Dr Web refused to bow to terrorism and kept its ATM skimmer article online. Soon after, its St. Petersburg laboratory was firebombed twice. The fire cause minimal damage, but the subsequent water used to quell the blaze was said to have harmed computer systems more.

Dr Web remains defiant. “Dr Web considers its duty to provide users with the ultimate protection against the encroachments of cybercriminals,” the company said in a statement. “Consequently, efforts aimed at identifying and studying ATM threats are in progress as is work to improve Dr Web ATM Shield.”

Thank you The Register for providing us with this information.