The latest wizard wheeze from the world’s cybercriminals appears to be malware that steals your photographs directly off your computer then sends them to a remote server.

This can mean a serious breach of privacy and create yet another opportunity for professional photographer’s work to be used illegally.

The offending malware goes by the catchy name of TSPY_PIXSTEAL.A.  After copying the files the malware accesses an FTP server, a server used to transfer files from one computer to another over the Internet.

Cyber criminals comb through the files looking for anything of value such as passport photos, incriminating pictures of high-profile people or industry related images.  These can then be user for criminal purposes including blackmail and industrial espionage.  They will also be used to target future attacks if they find anything juicy.  Even if the images have no commercial or criminal value they can do your reputation a lot of harm if they catch you in a ‘moment of relaxation’.

If your systems carry images that are commercially sensitive, it might be a good idea to speak to your IT people and make sure they are protected.