PC Security World

Computer memory vulnerable to hacking

2008-02-24T06:47:00.000-08:00

Want to break into a computer's encrypted hard drive? Just blast the machine's memory chip with a burst of cold air. That's the conclusion of new research out of Princeton University demonstrating a novel, low-tech way hackers can access even the most well-protected computers, provided they have physical access to the machines. The Princeton report shows how encryption, long considered a vital

'Friendly Worms' to help Spread Software Fixes Faster

2008-02-17T06:20:00.000-08:00

"Microsoft researchers are working out the perfect strategies for worms to spread through networks. Their goal is to distribute software patches and other friendly information via virus, reducing load on servers. This raises the prospect of worm races — deploying a whitehat worm to spread a fix faster than a new attacking worm can reach vulnerable machines." A good idea, isn't it? (Though the

The laptop repair that triggered a sex scandal

2008-02-17T06:03:00.000-08:00

There are some very good reasons why it's a sensible idea to back up the contents of your hard disk and either erase or encrypt all the stuff you won't want others to see when handing in a PC or laptop for repairs. You never know if the system could end up getting lost as was the case with the hapless Raelyn Campbell who is now suing Best Buy for $54 million after it happened to her. Or worse

IndiaTimes.com Visitors Risk High Exposure To Malware

2007-11-11T05:24:00.000-08:00

Malware infection risk to Indiatimes visitors:- Visitors to IndiaTimes.com, a major English-language Indian news site, risk infecting their computers with a deluge of malware, according to Mary Landesman, senior security researcher at ScanSafe. "It's an entire cocktail of downloader Trojans and dropper Trojans," Landesman said Friday, putting the number of malicious files involved at 434. This

Malware Planted on MySpace Once Again

2007-11-11T05:22:00.000-08:00

Attackers are piggybacking on the fame of R&B recording artist Alicia Keys to spread their malware over the Web. Keys' MySpace page has been infected with malicious software. Exploit Prevention Labs discovered the attack, one of several targeted MySpace pages. French funk band Greements of Fortune and Glasgow rock band Dykeenies were also targets of the Web-based attack. "When a visitor visits

Online Privacy Policies Don't Do Their Job, Critics Say

2007-11-11T05:19:00.000-08:00

Online privacy policies need to be easier to understand and more conspicuous because few people now actually read them, said panelists at a U.S. Federal Trade Commission workshop on targeted online advertising. While privacy policies can help users understand what personal information is being collected, they often need "college-level reading skills" to understand them, said Lorrie Faith Cranor,

Aladdin eSafe Secure Web Gateway Blocks 100 percent of Anonymous Proxies

2007-09-03T23:31:00.000-07:00

Anonymous proxies, or anonymizers, are Web sites that allow Internet users to connect to the Web through an external Web site, thereby bypassing any restrictions typically enforced on the local network. This bypass mechanism, though originally designed for safe, anonymous Web surfing, proves extremely dangerous for businesses, schools and other organizations. It opens any computer to all malware

Spammers and PDF spam

2007-08-29T14:02:00.000-07:00

Is PDF spam simply not working for the spammers?:Sophos has reported a dramatic decrease in the amount of spam emails using PDF file attachments to spread their unwanted messages. According to research compiled by SophosLabs, Sophos's global network of virus, spyware and spam analysis centres, levels of PDF spam have dropped from a high of close to 30 percent of all spam earlier this month, to

Cross-site scripting and Firefox 3

2007-08-29T13:56:00.000-07:00

Mozilla Aims At Cross-Site Scripting With FF3Web 2.0 has enabled a broad array of Websites to be more engaging for users. It has also enabled a new and now very common attack, namely cross site scripting, commonly referred to as XSS attacks. Mozilla is aiming to put an end to XSS attacks in its upcoming Firefox 3 browser. The Alpha 7 development release includes support for a new W3C working

New ESET Online Scanner

2007-08-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

Scan and disinfect viruses with ESET online scannerThis new online scanning service allows users to scan and disinfect systems and emails without uninstalling existing antivirus solution. ESET has announced the availability of a new online scanning service that allows users to scan and disinfect systems, hard disks, compressed files and email - without uninstalling their existing antivirus

New Norton Antivirus and Norton Internet Security

2007-08-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

Norton Internet Security - Norton Antivirus 2008 Launches:Symantec has added new shields against malware and Web vulnerabilities in the latest versions of Norton Internet Security and Norton AntiVirus software. The 2008 versions of the products include a feature called Browser Defender, a behavioral-based technology that defends against drive-by downloads and other threats targeting

Firefox Security and Privacy Extensions

2007-08-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

Extend Firefox for better security & privacy:In the last few years Firefox gained a massive support from surfers worldwide. This is mainly because Internet Explorer, still the biggest player on the market, has proved to be hopelessly insecure. Besides offering more security than IE by default, what users appreciate is the fact that Firefox can be expanded with add-ons that offer a variety of

New Crimeware targeting companies

2007-08-25T21:04:00.000-07:00

New crimeware targeting companies The new variant, “Prg”, researched by Finjan’s Malicious Code Research Center (MCRC) and also noted by Don Jackson of managed security specialist SecureWorks, relays sensitive data collected during employees’ online activity to hacker websites, using SSL-encrypted format. Finjan’s MCRC found criminals’ servers in Panama. Jackson's research suggests that the

Elcomsoft System Recovery for Windows

2007-08-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

Elcomsoft System Recovery helps when you get locked out of Windows:Elcomsoft has released the Basic version of Elcomsoft System Recovery, an easy-to-use boot-disk application that makes it simple to access your Windows computer if you've been locked out because of password problems. Unlike the Standard and Professional versions of Elcomsoft System Recovery, which are designed for network

Why PCI isn’t enough to ensure data security today?

2007-08-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

Ounce Labs thinks it’s critical for consumers to know that, in many instances, their credit card data is still not secure: Compliance statistics are miserable with less than 50% of merchants able to meet the minimum standards of PCI DSS.Even when merchants do comply, some portions of the standard are worded in ways that are open to interpretation.Published reports have appeared that some

Security Vendors Challenge Antivirus Tests

2007-06-29T12:06:00.001-07:00

Security Vendors Challenge Antivirus TestsAntivirus software is frequently tested for performance, so picking a top product should be straightforward: Select the number-one vendor whose software kills off all of the evil things circulating on the Internet. You're good to go then, right? Not necessarily.The increasing complexity of security software is causing vendors to gripe that current

Malware, scams and identity theft protection tips

2007-06-24T02:11:00.001-07:00

Tips for protecting against malware, scams and identity theft Don't add friends you don't actually know when using social networking sites. Often the "free" code available in social networking sites, such as MySpace and Facebook is spyware and will track your activity or even display unwanted ads. Do not give out personal information on your social networking site profile, such as your address,

Free Antispyware downloads - Warning Signs

2007-06-06T22:07:00.000-07:00

Free Antispyware Download - Caution before DownloadWe all know getting rid of spywares is a pain in the neck. What even if our antispyware is a big nasty spyware inside? There are plenty of free antispyware programs offered for download, But are they worth it? Though internet is a revolution in the present world, it has its own disadvantages. The security and privacy are at stake. The Internet

Rise in Malware Threats

2007-05-19T00:06:00.000-07:00

Malware danger and profitability risingFBI reports show general increases in money-driven threats. Two major new reports on computer security issues have shown a steady rise in just about every aspect of security risk, with increased danger from each vector in some way linked to financial motives. According to Symantec's report on the threat landscape in the second half or last year, released

ID Data Theft by Trojan

2007-05-19T00:02:00.000-07:00

Huge haul of ID data stolen by trojanSmart Russian spyware gathered info 'unnoticed' for 54 days. According to researchers at SecureWorks, a sophisticated trojan which spread through browser exploits, harvested sensitive data both from storage and by monitoring online activity, and uploaded this data to a server in St. Petersburg, went undetected by many AV products for over 50 days. The trojan

Messenger pushes Rogue Antispyware

2007-05-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

Rogue antispyware pushed by MSN MessengerMicrosoft IM tool carries ads for fake security product. Microsoft's MSN Messenger, recently renamed MSN Live Messenger, was found last week to be carrying banner advertising for the WinFixer rogue anti-spyware product. WinFixer, also known as ErrorSafe, uses fake warnings of malware infections to trick users into installing its software. Like many such

Microsoft Update under Scanner

2007-05-18T23:55:00.000-07:00

Is Microsoft Update Infecting You? Tens of millions of Microsoft users get their security updates from the Microsoft Update service. But a researcher at security firm Symantec (Quote) is alleging that users could potentially get something more than they bargained for. A Symantec researcher said that Microsoft Update, which includes a component called Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS

Data Loss and Theft Prevention

2007-05-18T23:46:00.000-07:00

Preventing data loss and theftAll kinds of organisation have been affected by data security breaches, from government departments to well-know financial institutions. And there is no indication that the problem is subsiding. Recent research found that there had been over 25 million exposures of personal records to potential theft and fraud over a 12-month period. This equates to the same number

Hacking Risks with Pirated Software

2007-05-18T23:42:00.000-07:00

Pirated software increase hacking risksHere's one more reason why pirated software should not be used. New research from the Business Software Alliance (BSA) reveals that more than a third of PCs worldwide are running pirated software. According to the research, 35 percent of computers run at least one illegal program, with computer users in China and Russia the worst offenders (with over 80

Scan out Virus, Worms, Adware, Spyware infections

2007-04-28T05:23:00.000-07:00

Computer Virus Infection - Checking if you are Infected or Not?Ever wondered why your PC is getting so slow? Or how did those annoying popups get in your internet browser? Well… You probably have some kind of malware in your computer. Do you want to know if your computer is infected? The extent of the infection and what type of infection it is (Adware, Trojans, Hacking Tools, Worms, Spyware)?