News Spam Rolls On: First CNN, now MSNBC

The outbreak of spam that pretends to be a news alert from CNN has now morphed into "BREAKING NEWS" from MSNBC, like this message proclaiming that trading in McDonalds has been suspended.

However, the message is not part of a dump-n-pump stock scam, merely a variant of the basic take-me-to-your-Trojan attack. Indeed, another one of these that I received has the strangely amusing headline: "Study reveals bass players 'every bit as dull as golfers.'" What bass playing recipient could resist checking out that story?

This type of attack looks like it will run for some time (I predict Google will be the next patsy). So information security staff might want to send out a generalized alert to employees warning them to

a. disregard [and delete without reading] any news alerts they have not specifically requested,
b. decline to install any new video players.

And so the world grinds on, with each new technology benefit poisoned by selfish, twisted souls. Sigh...