ParisHilton.com Infected, Cue the STD Jokes
That's hot. Paris Hilton's official website is unsafe for browsing, computer-security researchers have declared, playing host to software which tries to hijack her fans' bank accounts. Doesn't the heiress have enough money?
Hilton is actually the victim here, researchers at ScanSafe believe; her website was infiltrated, with code added to its pages which redirects visitors to another website which downloads "malware," the catchall term for hacker-written code like viruses, that then tries to obtain login information to their online-banking accounts. Out-of-date Web software on Hilton's site appears to be to blame.
Why Hilton? Famous for being famous, she's also hacked because she's famous. Her online audience is a rich target. And that tells us something about the changing nature of computer criminals. In 2005, a group of hackers penetrated Hilton's Sidekick and posted her contact list, apparently for kicks. Now, four years later, it's all about the money, as they seek to crack bank accounts, not Fred Durst's cell-phone number. Like Hilton herself, hackers have become expert at converting fame into cash.