The Spicey Chicken Cartel

According to ZDNet India, a new, more sophisticated tool for creating phishing websites has been found:

The tool, which RSA calls the "Universal Man-in-the-Middle Phishing Kit," is available on underground online marketplaces for about $1,000, Jens Hinrichsen, RSA's product marketing manager for fraud auction, said in an interview Wednesday.

So, what's the big deal?

"Unlike other phishing kits which have been in existence for quite some time, this kit is unique because with a very simple user interface you can choose whatever site you'd like to spoof," Hinrichsen said. "The arms race continues; we on the security side have to continue to escalate resources and invest in technology."

Oh.

What is really scary about this is that it enables a whole new group of people to join in the phishing game: those we call "skiddiez", or more precisely "those who can't get a date on Friday night, who are not technically sophisticated, but who can launch pre-built malcode, especially when all they have to do is fill in a form and click a button."

It also means that there is real money to be made in the phishing business - and someone figured out how to elevate themselves 'above the fray' by selling the tool. Sort of like those "How to Make Lots of $$$$MONEY$$$$$ in Real Estate" infomercials one sees on Sunday AM.

Hopefully, the good guys will have some cool new thing to help us defend ourselves. Or, we could just start using common sense, and quit doing the stupid things like clicking on links in email.

(Cross-posted over at the MMF Hall of Humiliation.)