Anti-theft software could be exploited by cyber attackers: Kaspersky Lab

Millions of computers running anti-theft software are reportedly susceptible to hijacking by cyber attackers, according to a research conducted by Kaspersky Lab's research.

The team has published a report which has revealed that following the weak implementation of anti-theft software marketed by Absolute Software, cyber attackers were capable of turning a useful defensive utility into a powerful instrument.

According to PC World, the major reason for this research project was the discovery of the Computrace agent running on several private computers of Kaspersky Lab's researchers and corporate computers without prior authorisation.

Kaspersky Lab's principal security researcher, Vitaly Kamluk, said that powerful actors with the ability to tap fiber optics can potentially hijack computers running Absolute Computrace, adding that the software can be used to deploy spyware implants.