WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 — For a computer user, it’s the ultimate security headache: A hacker has secretly taken control of the computer and copied sensitive information such as passwords and credit card numbers.
USERS OFTEN think the odds of getting hit by malicious software are safely low, but there are more invasive and destructive programs on the Web than ever before, computer security specialists say. In response to one of the latest attacks to become public, the Securities and Exchange Commission arrested a college student Thursday on charges that he hacked into someone else’s computer, logged onto his brokerage account, and left the victim with an investment loss of over $40,000.
The student allegedly used a version of the Beast — software that gave him control over the victim’s computer.
The Beast is an extension of legitimate computer software that some people call “spyware.” Some...