malware

Security firm Trend Micro says it has discovered a malicious software program that employs online notepad service Evernote as a communications tool. Evernote is a cloud-based note-taking software utility that allows users to place "notes, web clips, ... files and images ... on every device and computer." (Source: evernote.com ) That means you can make a note about a recently-discovered favorite wine on your smartphone and have that note instantly show up on your home computer. Unfortunately, it seems this handy little program has been exploited by cyber-crooks. Evernote Used to Communicate with ... (view more)

Security firm McAfee says it has discovered a new type of malware designed to steal credit card data from point-of-sale (POS) computer systems. The malware is of the Trojan horse variety and is being called 'vSkimmer'. Point-of-sale systems, or ... checkout systems, are the computers used in retail environments. Malware Communicates Credit Card Data to Hackers McAfee security researcher Chintan Shah reported on the vSkimmer threat in a recent blog post. According to Shah, the malware was discovered in mid-February 2013 and is currently being discussed on cybercriminal forums. (Source: pcworld.com ... (view more)

A new study commissioned by Microsoft and carried out by researchers at IDC has found that most counterfeit software includes some kind of malware. The researchers also estimate that the total value of the counterfeit software market now exceeds ... $100 billion. IDC recently published its findings in a report titled "The Dangerous World of Counterfeit and Pirated Software: How Pirated Software Can Compromise the Cybersecurity of Consumers, Enterprises, and Nations ... and the Resultant Costs in Time and Money." Most Counterfeit Software Laced with Malware In that report (which can be viewed in ... (view more)

A newly-discovered form of malware can reportedly spread via malicious PDF documents. An infected system can then be controlled via Twitter. Called 'MiniDuke' by security experts, it appears the malware is still very active. Russian security company ... Kaspersky Lab, who recently discovered MiniDuke, said that recovered fragments of the malware had been created as recently as February 20, 2013. That has led Kaspersky researchers to suggest that MiniDuke is still being used to attack computer systems. Hackers Capitalize on Adobe Flaw The malware is reportedly being spread in the form of malicious ... (view more)

If you're an Android user, make sure you avoid clicking on any message that says you've just won a free video game or a $1,000 Target gift card. Failing to heed this advice could lead to your device becoming infected with a nasty Trojan virus. This ... new Trojan virus is spreading so rapidly, according to one report, that it has already been offered to Android users roughly 500,000 times. Problem Starts with Malicious SMS Texts Here's how the scam works: Owners of mobile devices running Google's Android operating system (OS) receive a Short Message Service (SMS) text inviting them to download a ... (view more)

Leading security firm Sophos has revealed that Google's Android operating system (OS) -- and not Microsoft's Windows -- is now the favorite operating system for hackers to target. Sophos revealed that finding in its newly released 2013 Security ... Threat Report. The firm says that during a three-month time frame, one in every ten Android-based devices was the target of some kind of malware attack. By comparison, only six per cent of Windows devices were targeted by hackers and other purveyors of malware. (Source: forbes.com ) This is the first time since the 1990s that Windows has not been the ... (view more)

Let's get this out of the way: Microsoft's decision to drastically change the Windows interface for Windows 8 remains highly controversial. But there are benefits for users who make the switch to the new operating system (OS). Number one on that ... list: the all-new security features that Windows 8 offers. For one, Windows 8 includes Windows Defender (otherwise know as Security Essentials). This free antivirus and antimalware security program takes over and protects a user's computer automatically, and remains in operation until some other antivirus program is installed. While recent tests have ... (view more)

During the past twelve months, malicious software known as 'Eurograbber' was apparently used to steal $47 million in Europe alone. According to reports, the software took advantage of a popular security measure. The security researchers who ... discovered Eurograbber are now warning Internet users that the malware could easily spread from Europe to the rest of the world. (Source: checkpoint.com ) Eurograbber is a modified form of a previously known botnet called 'Zeus.' A botnet is a network of computers controlled by malicious software under the direction of a particular individual or gang of ... (view more)

A new type of malware targeting Microsoft's new Windows 8 operating system (OS) reportedly uses Google Docs to carry out its attacks on unsuspecting users. According to a report from security firm Symantec (which discussed the issue in one of its ... recent Security Response blogs), a Trojan horse known as Backdoor.Makadocs is targeting Windows 8 users. Malware Disguises Itself; Tricks Users Here's how it works, according to Symantec: the malware exploits a vulnerability in the Google Docs program called "Viewer." Apparently the malware masks itself as a Rich Text Format (RTF) or Microsoft ... (view more)

According to a new report, nearly one in every eight home networks in North America is infected with malware. Experts consider about half of those threats to be "serious." The study comes from Mountain View, California's Kindsight Security Labs. In ... its third-quarter malware report, the company indicates that 13 per cent of all home networks are infected. Kindsight's report suggests that about 6.5 per cent of these infections are serious enough to have converted the computers on the infected network into a botnet , or are capable of compromising a user's information security. ZeroAccess Botnet ... (view more)