Acutec warns firms not to be hooked by Peter Pan virus

COMPANIES in the West Midlands have been advised to brief staff on the safe use of email after a high-profile threat arrived in the UK from Eastern Europe.

The ‘Peter Pan’ virus, a phishing email that aims to download malicious software onto individual computers or a network of PCs, was sent to hundreds of thousands of email users claiming to be confirmation that they had purchased tickets for Peter Pan at the Bournemouth Pavilion.

But once users clicked on the PDF attachment, their system was immediately under attack.

Steve Marks, of Warwickshire-based IT firm Acutec, said although no local cases had yet been reported, it underlined the importance of email vigilance.

“The ‘Peter Pan’ virus caught the imagination of the national media – more because of the name and the type of email than the actual threat,” he said.

“But it does underline the need for individuals and businesses to be more vigilant on email. I would go as far as to say that is worth company managers constantly reiterating to staff the importance of only clicking on links or attachments in emails when they are confident they are safe.

“The criminals prey on the idea that their email will not seem out of the ordinary to the user. To 99.99% of the people receiving the ‘Peter Pan’ email, they will know they haven’t booked tickets to the show and, therefore, will smell a rat.

“But if you have booked tickets and notification comes through then you wouldn’t think twice about clicking through. It seems perfectly natural.”

He said the firm had issued advice to its clients urging them to make sure staff were aware and up-to-date on the threats so they could be vigilant.

It has also advised firms to protect themselves at the perimeter.

“It’s vital that businesses have adequate levels of protection from threats – from firewalls to anti-virus software. On top of that, should the worst happen, they should also have up-to-date back-up which can help to get them back online as quickly as possible,” he added.

“Even with the very highest levels of security, a degree of awareness from staff about potential threats is still necessary because if they avoid opening attachments and links that could pose a threat, it can help to prevent such attacks.”