malicious

Mon
22
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

Zombie PC Network Takedowns Drop Spam 47% in Q3: Report

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)

Wed
20
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

Crimeware

Crimeware is a class of malware designed specifically to automate cybercrime. The term was coined by Peter Cassidy, Secretary General of the Anti- Phishing Working Group to distinguish it from other kinds of malevolent programs. Crimeware: ... Definition Crimeware is a form of malicious software. It is distinct from spyware, adware, and malware. Crimeware is designed through social engineering or technical stealth to perpetrate identity theft. Once an identity is stolen, it is used to access a computer user's online accounts at financial services companies and online retailers for the purpose of ... (view more)

Wed
15
Sep
Dennis Faas's picture

'Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool 3.11', and 'EssentialPIM 3.7.3'

Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool 3.11 This tool checks your computer for infection by specific, prevalent malicious software (including Blaster, Sasser, and Mydoom) and helps to remove the infection if it is found. Microsoft releases an ... updated version of this tool on the second Tuesday of each month, also known as Patch Tuesday . http://www.microsoft.com EssentialPIM 3.7.3 EssentialPIM is a program that manages personal information. It allows you to keep all your information in electronic form; for example: all your appointments, tasks, to do lists, notes, contacts and email ... (view more)

Wed
07
Apr
Dennis Faas's picture

PDF Document Exploit Prompts Fears of Worm-Like Malware Attack

Jeremy Conway, a security researcher with NitroSecurity, is claiming to have found a way to spread malicious code via PDF (Portable Document Format) documents. The secret is in the way PDF file format works. More specifically, a certain flaw exists ... in the PDF file format that adds malicious data to legitimate files. This means that anyone who opens compromised PDF files instantly becomes a victim of a worm-like attack. Attack Launched Without User Consent Conway spent a great deal of time developing a technique with which to inject malicious commands into PDFs. Until now, his attacks only ... (view more)

Tue
16
Feb
Dennis Faas's picture

New Spy Eye 'Toolkit' Kills Trojan, Then Steals Bank Info

A new Trojan horse has surfaced online; its primary functionality makes it appear to be friendly to end users, but the final result can prove disastrous. On one hand, the Spy Eye toolkit is celebrated for its ability to remove malicious rival ... programs from infected computers. It boasts a feature called "Kill Zeus" which removes all traces of the notorious Zeus virus from a victim's PC. Of course, the Trojan horse has ulterior motives in playing the hero. It "Kills" the Zeus Trojan so that the computer is once again susceptible to attack, meaning that Spy Eye has exclusive access to usernames ... (view more)

Tue
19
May
Dennis Faas's picture

Help! My PC Is Infected and being used to Spam!

Infopackets Reader 'Mule63' writes: " Dear Dennis, I would like to know how to get rid of Tracking Cookies. They seem to be using my email to send inappropriate messages to people and my Internet Service Provider (ISP) has threatened to cut my ... Internet service. Could this cause the computer to go slower? Thank you for any information you can give me. " My response: The short and sweet answer is that tracking cookies probably aren't the issue here. The more likely answer is that your computer is infected with Spyware, is part of a botnet, and is being used to proliferate spam. Allow me to ... (view more)

Mon
04
May
Dennis Faas's picture

Malware

Malware (a portmanteau of "malicious software") is any software program developed for the purpose of causing harm to a computer system, similar to a virus or Trojan horse. Malware can be classified based on how it is executed, how it spreads, and/or ... what it does. The classification is not perfect, however, in the sense that the groups often overlap and the difference is not always obvious, giving rise to frequent flame wars. Overuse of the term 'Virus' Because viruses were historically the first to appear, the term "virus" is often applied, especially in the popular media, to all sorts of ... (view more)

Mon
22
Aug
Dennis Faas's picture

Malware

Malware Malware , or "malicious software" is a generic term used to describe various types of malevolent programs. Below are some of the most common forms of malware. Virus Viruses have used many sorts of hosts. When computer viruses first ... originated, common targets were executable files that are part of application programs and the boot sectors of floppy disks. More recently, most viruses have embedded themselves in e-mail as Email attachments, depending on a curious user opening the viral attachment. In the case of executable files, the infection routine of the virus arranges that ... (view more)

Thu
11
Aug
Dennis Faas's picture

'Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool', and 'Google Earth Hacks'

Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool checks computers running Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003 for infections by specific, prevalent malicious software -- including Blaster, ... Sasser, and Mydoom -- and helps remove any infection found. When the detection and removal process is complete, the tool displays a report describing the outcome, including which, if any, malicious software was detected and removed. Microsoft releases an updated version of this tool on the second Tuesday of each month. You can run the tool from ... (view more)

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