Security, Privacy & other Tech News
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All-in-one security suites: Tried and tested
Today's security suites have a difficult job. Every other day seems to bring a new threat that targets Windows PCs. Spam is going through the roof, and phishing Web sites are proliferating as well. To find out which security suites can best handle the onslaught, we put eight of them through some tough tests under the 32-bit version of Windows Vista.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 21st December 2007 11:41PM (...Read more)
Cookie variants skirt blockers, antispyware tools
Just because your Web browser is set to block third party tracking cookies that doesn't mean all of them are being blocked.
Linked by shanmuga Wednesday, 19th December 2007 8:42AM (...Read more)
Malware Targets EBanking Security Technology
A new class of malicious software contains a feature specifically designed to thwart online security technology implemented by Bank of America and many other financial institutions that allow their customers to monitor and make changes to their accounts via the Internet.
Linked by shanmuga Wednesday, 19th December 2007 8:36AM (...Read more)
Microsoft demonstrates real online scams
Microsoft teamed up with Prevx and Get Safe Online to demonstrate the real life, online scams that criminals use to steal from PC users. Their message was simple: secure your PC, and do it today.
Linked by shanmuga Wednesday, 19th December 2007 8:27AM (...Read more)
Warning sounded over flirting robots
Those entering online dating forums risk having more than their hearts stolen. A program that can mimic online flirtation and then extract personal information from its unsuspecting conversation partners is making the rounds in Russian chat forums, according to security software firm PC Tools.
Linked by shanmuga Wednesday, 19th December 2007 8:23AM (...Read more)
How to remove AntiSpy Pro or AntiSpyPro (AntiSpy Pro or AntiSpyPro Removal Guide)
A computer becomes infected with the AntiSpy Pro, or AntiSpyPro, infection when a user installs a Trojan that is masquerading as a video codec required to watch a movie found on a web page. When the Trojan is installed, it will add a Browser Helper Object into Internet Explorer that hijacks searches you make on both Google and Yahoo. These searches will show alerts stating that you are infected and that you should install AntiSpy Pro to remove them.
Linked by shanmuga Wednesday, 19th December 2007 8:19AM (...Read more)
Spammers Giving Up? Google Thinks So
Bill Gates was wildly optimistic when he said in 2004 that the problem of spam would be "solved" by 2006. The volume of junk email transmitted worldwide is still enormous. But a remarkable trend is underfoot, according to Brad Taylor, a staff software engineer at Google: The number of spam attempts that is, the number of junk messages sent out by spammers is flat, and may even be declining for the first time in years.
Linked by shanmuga Wednesday, 19th December 2007 8:17AM (...Read more)
Malware: From bedroom to boardroom
Once the preserve of bedroom bound teenagers, malware is now big business and aimed at financial gain rather than peer group recognition. Viruses are firmly established in the public consciousness. Most people are familiar with the dangers they pose, yet millions continue to succumb to attacks that exploit unpatched holes in common platforms such as Windows or Java. No system is safe from compromise.
Linked by shanmuga Wednesday, 19th December 2007 8:13AM (...Read more)
How PC Repair Shops Can Steal Personal Info
WPBF News 25 reporter Brian Albert recently took a look into how easily computer repair shops could steal personal photos, music, financial information and more from customers' computers. Best Buy Geek Squad Supervisor Henry Roper told WPBF that personal computers carry a large risk of exposure when individuals keep all their private information on them.
Linked by shanmuga Wednesday, 19th December 2007 8:11AM (...Read more)
Killing botnets
Panda Security is arming customers with new software Panda Security for Business Version 4.02SP1 that takes advantage of its "Collective Intelligence" strategy. The Madrid based company is bringing the Collective Intelligence approach to bear with integration between the latest version of Panda Security for Business and Malware Radar, an on demand service that provides an automated malware audit for customers.
Linked by shanmuga Wednesday, 19th December 2007 8:09AM (...Read more)
Hackers on prowl: Biggest digital threats in 2008
Safe in cyberspace, the advent of new technologies usually presents a double edged sword. Innovative software, Web sites, and devices attract attention because they make communicating easier, accomplishing tasks faster, or being online more entertaining. But hackers generally follow to exploit the latest mass market.
Linked by shanmuga Wednesday, 19th December 2007 8:07AM (...Read more)
Apple releases QuickTime Security Fix
Apple has released an update to its QuickTime media player, fixing a number of critical security bugs in the software. The QuickTime 7.3 update, released Monday, fixes seven bugs in the software. Six of the flaws could allow an attacker to run unauthorized software on a victim's PC.
Linked by shanmuga Tuesday, 6th November 2007 12:50AM (...Read more)
Google's Advanced Search Operators Abused by Spammers
Imagine Google's search engine being exploited for sending spam URLs. Unbelievable? Believe it!...It appears that spammers have found a way to exploit this facility to direct the end user to a URL advertising their products or services, using Google’s advanced search operators.
Linked by shanmuga Tuesday, 6th November 2007 12:47AM (...Read more)
Graffiti as password: secure and memorable
One of the largest security challenges many organizations face come from the most basic aspect of security: user passwords. Humans simply have a limited capacity to remember otherwise insignificant streams of letters and digits; as a result, they often choose passwords that are easier to remember.
Linked by shanmuga Tuesday, 6th November 2007 12:46AM (...Read more)
Deconstructing the Fake FTC Email Virus Attack
A targeted email virus disguised as an identity theft inquiry from the Federal Trade Commission appears to have successfully compromised more than 500 PCs, including victims at banks, real estate brokerages, law firms and marketing companies.
Linked by shanmuga Tuesday, 6th November 2007 12:44AM (...Read more)
The Decline of the CAPTCHA
The concept of using CAPTCHA tests to defeat automated attacks is reaching the end of its useful life. This is what we get for taking Alan Turing's name in vain. The 'T' in CAPTCHA is for Turing and his famous proposition that a machine could be said to be called "sentient" when a person out of view talking to it could not tell if it were human or machine.
Linked by shanmuga Tuesday, 6th November 2007 12:41AM (...Read more)
Cracking passwords
When you type in a password, the computer converts whatever you type into a hash. A hash is a unique algorithmic value that is then stored on your computer (or Web server). "Computers have been designed this way for the last 20 years," said Graham, who last summer hacked someone's Gmail account before a live Black Hat audience, "so that when hackers break into your computers they can not just easily steal your passwords. All they can steal is that cryptographic information." Typically, passwords are stored in MD4 hash, says Graham.
Linked by shanmuga Tuesday, 6th November 2007 12:36AM (...Read more)
Researchers fine tune picture passwords
Computer scientists from Newcastle University announced last week that they have developed software that lets the user draw pictures as an alternative to remembering strings of letters and numbers.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 2nd November 2007 11:24PM (...Read more)
Most Consumers Clueless About Online Tracking
Every single move you make online can, and often is, tracked by online marketers and advertising networks that gather and use the information for serving up targeted advertisements.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 2nd November 2007 11:22PM (...Read more)
Leopard's firewall a 'mess,' breaks Skype, says researcher
Leopard's firewall is confusing, inconsistent, switched off by default and incompatible with some applications, a security researcher said Friday after analyzing the new security tool.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 2nd November 2007 11:20PM (...Read more)
Symantec: Storm worm changes course
The Storm worm has evolved again, researchers from Symantec claim. To streamline the worm and make it more stable, the malware authors have shed key functionalities in the malicious code, said the researchers.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 2nd November 2007 11:17PM (...Read more)
When antivirus products (and Internet Explorer) fail you
When Didier Stevens recently took a closer look at some Internet Explorer malware that he had found, something surprised him somewhat. He discovered that the IE targeted malware had been obfuscated with null-bytes (0x00) and when run against VirusTotal, he found that fewer than half of the products identified the sample as malware (15 of 32).
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 2nd November 2007 11:15PM (...Read more)
Mozilla fixes Firefox regressions, releases Version 2.0.0.9
Mozilla Corp. late Thursday released Firefox 2.0.0.9, an update it promised last week after it announced five bugs had been introduced by the previous version of the browser. The update, which Mozilla has begun pushing to users who have enabled automatic updates, fixes multiple regression flaws.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 2nd November 2007 11:14PM (...Read more)
Malware Warning Over Trial Software Hacks
Those tempted to download software cracks to unlawfully activate software from a trial mode into a paid mode have been warned that they may be unknowingly installing hacking tools onto their system.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 2nd November 2007 11:11PM (...Read more)
IBM to spend $1.5 billion to improve computer security
IBM will spend $1.5 billion developing computer security products in 2008, a sum that could double the company's previous spending. $1.5 billion "is much more than we've ever spent," Val Rahmani, a general manager in IBM's services unit who is responsible for security programs, told The Wall Street Journal.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 2nd November 2007 11:09PM (...Read more)
How Gmail Blocks Spam
While Gmail doesn't filters all the spam messages that could reach your inbox, it certainly does a better job than other webmail apps like Yahoo Mail or Hotmail. Gmail's filters are constantly improving and an important ingredient of their effectiveness is the use of community signals.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 2nd November 2007 11:07PM (...Read more)
The 10 Biggest Web Annoyances
Beyond obvious, nagging problems such as email spam, phishing lures, viruses, and spyware, a great many commonplace online frustrations some dating all the way back to the earliest days of the Web remain unfixed.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 2nd November 2007 10:50PM (...Read more)
Operation GreenDot, Following the SPAM
Do you ever wonder what is at the other end of the SPAM email that you receive in your inbox? You often see emails advertising cheap software, hot stock tips, and various pharmaceuticals. I think that we have all gotten the v1gra and Cialis emails. One day I decided I would investigate and see just where this little message would take me. So, if you are ready for an adventure, follow me on a virtual trip that will take you all the way around the world. Don’t forget your passport, you will need it.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 2nd November 2007 10:46PM (...Read more)
F.T.C. to Review Online Ads and Privacy
The Federal Trade Commission will hold meetings today and tomorrow about online privacy. The questions they will entertain include how much control people need or want over the vast trove of information that corporate America routinely collects about people as they click from site to site on the Internet.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 2nd November 2007 10:43PM (...Read more)
A dangerous conflict of interest between Firefox and Google
The Firefox browser may not be as independent as previously thought. Mozilla essentially owns Firefox, and it proved so when it flexed its muscles last year in forcing Debian to rename its browser IceWeasel. However, the open secret in the tech sector is that at the end of the day, Google calls the shots.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 2nd November 2007 10:38PM (...Read more)
How to remove AntiSpyGuard (AntiSpyGuard Removal Guide)
AntiSpyGuard is a rogue antispyware program, that when run, displays misleading and exaggerated results about infections found on your computer. In order to remove these "infections" you must pay for the commercial version of the software. These infections, though, are fake and are placed on your computer by the AntiSpyGuard installation program.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 2nd November 2007 10:36PM (...Read more)
How to remove IE Defender (IE Defender Removal Guide)
The IE Defender infection is a Browser Helper Object installed in your Internet Explorer browser that hijacks searches you input into the Google and Yahoo search engines. These hijacked searches will state that you are infected and that you need to install the IE Defender rogue antispyware program. You will also receive popups that state you are infected when browsing the web. The reality is that all of these messages and alerts are fake and should be ignored.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 2nd November 2007 10:22PM (...Read more)
Virtual stripper helps spam to spread
Spammers have created a Windows game which shows a woman in a state of undress when people correctly type in text shown in an accompanying image.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 2nd November 2007 10:21PM (...Read more)
Phishing Trojan targets Mac OS X
Security vendor Intego claims to have uncovered a new Trojan attack that targets Apple's OS X operating system. The OSX.RSPlug.A Trojan disguises itself as a video codec that offers access to a pornographic video.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 2nd November 2007 10:19PM (...Read more)
Why spam can only be managed, not ended
Years ago when I was still a bit more naive, I thought we could end the spam dilemma if we would simply implement domain level sender authentication using digital signatures. SenderID and Yahoo's DomainKeys came out around 2004 gave me the satisfaction of knowing that I wasn't alone in calling for domain level authentication and DomainKeys is very similar to what I was proposing in 2002.
Linked by shanmuga Saturday, 27th October 2007 12:00AM (...Read more)
Flaws in ActiveX controls are being increasingly used to run security exploits
Arbitrary file overwrite and deletion flaws, typically exploited through ActiveX controls, are well on the way to becoming a new class of security flaw, according to net security firm Symantec.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 26th October 2007 11:58PM (...Read more)
How to remove VirusRay (VirusRay Removal Guide)
VirusRay, a rogue antispyware program is installed by Trojans, called Zlob infections, that impersonate audio or video codecs that you are required to install in order to watch or listen to certain media. In reality, though, when you install these codecs they instead download and install rogue antispyware programs on to your computer and display fake security alerts in your Windows taskbar.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 26th October 2007 11:50PM (...Read more)
Storm Worm Botnet Lobotomizing AntiVirus Programs
The ever mutating, ever stealthy Storm worm botnet is adding yet another trick to its vast repertoire: Instead of killing antivirus products on target systems, it's now doing a hot fix with a memory patch to render them brain dead. The strategy means that users won't be alarmed by their antivirus software not running.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 26th October 2007 11:44PM (...Read more)
Bad security products thrive on confusion
Bruce Schneier, founder and chief technical officer of BT Counterpane, said many security products offered the feeling of being secure rather than actual security. Vendors can't be trusted to give a reliable precis of a product's capabilities, he warned.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 26th October 2007 11:37PM (...Read more)
US still top spam generator
"It seems as though a major American spammer is arrested every other week at the moment, but despite these high profile lawbreakers being put away, the US continues to relay far more spam than any other nation on the planet," said Carole Theriault, senior security consultant at Sophos.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 26th October 2007 11:35PM (...Read more)
Fight malware by upgrading to Vista, urges MS
Systems running Microsoft's latest operating system recorded 60 per cent less malware infections than XP, according to figures obtained using Microsoft’s malicious software removal tool.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 26th October 2007 11:34PM (...Read more)
Identity thieves likely to be first timers, strangers
Identity theft has become the financial crime of the 21st century. The crime has made up approximately a third of all complaints the largest proportion to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and other government agencies since 2004. The U.S. Secret Service has cracked down on a number of identity fraud rings this year, including the arrest of former security consult Max Ray "Max Vision" Butler in September.
Linked by shanmuga Friday, 26th October 2007 11:31PM (...Read more)
Privacy, Keeping your information confidential
Using a modern computer is not what it used to be, computers are now more interconnected than ever before, internet applications have become more advanced and more intelligence is built into applications so installed and live applications gather user information. This information is gathered and reported on periodically, partly with and partly without the user's consent. Some of the information transacted may be confidential and some of the information may have little sensitivity or relevance to the user's identity. The information transacted, however small, has some value and this is why it is transacted.
Linked by shanmuga Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 2:09AM (...Read more)
RealPlayer Patch Plugs In the Wild Security Exploit
RealNetworks, the maker of the RealPlayer and RealOne media player software, has issued a security update to fix a flaw that hackers are actively exploiting to break into vulnerable computers.
Linked by shanmuga Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 2:06AM (...Read more)
Secunia: 25% of computers have vulnerable IrfanView installed
Secunia Research has discovered a vulnerability in IrfanView, which can be exploited by malicious people to compromise a user's system. The vulnerability is caused due to a boundary error when importing palette (*.pal) files.
Linked by shanmuga Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 1:58AM (...Read more)
Google's Purchase of Jaiku Raises New Privacy Issues
Google's acquisition of Jaiku, a small Finnish startup active in the obscure field of microblogging a word most often associated with the better known company Twitter might not appear to be an earth shaking event.
Linked by shanmuga Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 1:54AM (...Read more)
University researcher claims the Zhelatin Trojan is dying down
A security researcher at the University of California says the Storm Worm could be coming to an end, based on his tracking data. Brandon Enright told the Toorcon hacker conference in San Diego he had been following the Zhelatin Trojan's progress since July and believes its effects have been significantly reduced.
Linked by shanmuga Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 1:52AM (...Read more)
Research Shows Steganography Threats, May Be On The Rise
Until recently, steganography, the stealth technique of hiding text or images within image files, has mostly been considered too complex and conspicuous to be much of a threat. But some forensics experts now worry that the bad guys are starting to use the tactic more frequently, especially in child pornography and identity theft trafficking.
Linked by shanmuga Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 1:49AM (...Read more)
Mozilla fixes 10 Firefox flaws
Mozilla Corp updated its open source Firefox browser to patch 10 bugs in Firefox, including three rated as critical, and released the refreshed versions for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. The new Firefox 2.0.0.8 is also compatible with Mac OS X 10.5, a.k.a. Leopard, Mozilla said.
Linked by shanmuga Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 1:47AM (...Read more)
Zero Day Vulnerability Threatens RealPlayer Users
A zero day vulnerability in the latest version of RealPlayer and RealPlayer 11 Beta is actively being exploited, Symantec said Friday morning. It could allow remote attackers to take control of computers running the affected music player software.
Linked by shanmuga Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 1:46AM (...Read more)
