Security

Online security companies are celebrating this week after learning that the dreaded Koobface virus suffered a critical blow that could compromise its continued existence. Security officials discovered that most of the web servers hosting the virus' ... "command and control" structure were effectively dismantled, thus limiting its exposure to the outside world. Koobface originally made headlines early last March (2009), when it wreaked havoc on thousands of vulnerable Facebook pages. The virus was responsible for installing malware on the computers of victims who mistakenly (and ... (view more)

The worldwide volume of spam has decreased in the third quarter of this year, thanks in large part to the mass shutdowns of some major botnet systems . In their latest reports, security software companies Symantec and Kaspersky have found that spam ... volumes decreased 47 percent compared to August figures. Botnets are formed when (for example) malicious software is unknowingly installed on an MS Windows PC. That PC then becomes part of a "zombie network" of infected systems which are then used to propagate spam email messages. Kaspersky weighed in on the correlation between legitimate ... (view more)

The latest cash-stealing scam, an evasive "zombie virus," is costing Chinese smartphone owners hundreds of thousands of dollars every day. The virus has already appeared on more than one million mobile phones in the Far East, and is reportedly ... responsible for sending out a barrage of text messages to the friends and family of each victim, costing them an average of $300,000 a day (or 2 million yuan). Smart Phone Virus Clever and Malicious The smart phone virus works similarly to a PC infected with a virus. Like a PC-based Trojan, the virus hides within a fake anti-virus smart-phone ... (view more)

A group of cyber-security experts told US lawmakers Wednesday that American facilities could be the next target of the Stuxnet virus . The Stuxnet virus made headlines this past summer when it infected USB memory sticks and attacked Siemens ... industrial automation systems. Security experts believe that the virus went beyond the work of an individual prankster and was instead a sinister "game changer". That's because unlike most viruses, which aim either to merely cause disruption or to make money through stealing data or by redirecting web browsers to pay-per-click ads, Stuxnet is ... (view more)

Cloud-based security company "Zscaler" has launched a new Firefox web browser plug-in called "BlackSheep" designed to protect users against a recent browser hijacking tool that allows just about anyone to potentially hijack your web browser session. ... Firesheep: A 'Peculiar' Extension In order to explain the details of how "Blacksheep" came to be, we need to take a few steps back. In October of this year, a Firefox plug-in dubbed "Firesheep" was created. It was an extension put together by developer Eric Butler and demonstrated at the Toorcon security conference. ... (view more)

Google plans to bar other companies from accessing information in its Gmail service, even with user permission. There's suspicion the scheme is designed to increase competition between Google and social media services such as Facebook. Facebook is ... actually one the best examples of how the change will apply in action. At the moment, when a new user signs up to the site, Facebook asks if they want to import their contacts list from their email account. If they do so, Facebook then cross-references this list, finds anyone who is already on Facebook, and asks if the user wants to add them as an ... (view more)

Amidst reports that threats to Macs are steadily increasing , security firm Sophos is now offering a free version of its business antivirus software to Apple computer fans. It's a pretty good deal: dubbed Sophos Anti-Virus Home Edition for Mac, the ... software comes with no strings attached and will be updated forever (or the foreseeable future). The Sophos software has been adapted from its business roots so that it is easier to install and operate. (Source: zdnet.co.uk ) According to Chris Kraft, Sophos product management vice president, the Mac offering is the exact same model currently being ... (view more)

In most cases, when an individual finds themselves the victims of an online phishing, virus or malware attack, the damage has already been done. Now, a London-based coder has designed a hijacking tool that compromises Twitter accounts for the sole ... purpose of raising awareness over the dangers associated with conducting social network-based communications over unsecured networks. Jonty Wareing, of London, England, created the software tool (called "Idiocy") as a second-chance for those who decide to take a risk when using Twitter, the popular social network. Idiocy is designed to scour the ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced a temporary workaround for users of older editions of Internet Explorer (IE) vulnerable to a new bug. The situation yet again highlights the importance of upgrading to the more secure, recent editions (IE8 and IE9) of the ... browser. The bug's dynamics are all-too-familiar: if a hacker persuades a user to visit a specially-crafted webpage, they'll be able to install and run malicious software on the user's computer. It's another zero day attack , meaning the problem is currently being exploited by hackers before Microsoft has a working fix. Browser Check First, Virus ... (view more)

Adobe has revealed that there is a critical zero day bug in its Flash Player, Acrobat and Adobe Reader applications. As well as potentially causing a crash, the bug could allow an attacker to remotely take control of a computer. A zero day bug means ... big trouble for a software developer. It occurs where hackers have discovered a security hole in a program and are actively sharing ways to exploit it before developers know it exists. The term " Zero day " refers to the start of the period during which hackers are able to exploit the bug before the developers produce and distribute a ... (view more)