McAfee
Global Secure Systems are an authorised reseller for McAfee and are the UK's largest privately owned and most experienced IT security organisation.
Our award-winning solutions (including McAfee) have been helping businesses secure their data and achieve regulatory compliance since the mid-nineties by providing cutting-edge technology alongside accredited consultancy and testing services. GSS has a single aim; information assurance. delivered.
For the latest information on McAfee click on your choice from the links below.
About McAfee
McAfee proactively secures systems and networks from known and as yet undiscovered threats worldwide. Home users, businesses, service providers, government agencies, and our partners all trust our unmatched security expertise and have confidence in our comprehensive and proven solutions to effectively block attacks and prevent disruptions.
McAfee has acquired Secure Computing, a global leader in enterprise security solutions. Secure Computing's award-winning solutions, powered by TrustedSource™ technology, proactively protect mission-critical business applications from Internet-borne threats. The acquisition of Secure Computing extends McAfee's position as the industry leader in security risk management, with the most comprehensive and integrated endpoint, gateway, and hybrid security offerings.
McAfee Products
McAfee UTM Firewall (formerly Secure Computing SnapGear) is a complete office network-in-a-box Internet security appliance for small and medium-size businesses (SMBs). It features wide-area networking tools that you would normally only see with enterprise-class devices. Because the last thing SMBs need is another single-purpose security appliance to add to their network.
McAfee Firewall Enterprise (formerly Secure Computing Sidewinder) appliances provide powerful centralised management and reporting tools to ease planning, troubleshooting, and configuration, while global reputation technology reduces up to 70 percent of unwanted traffic and blocks attacks before they occur.
The Blue Coat AV510 Series is a purpose-built solution designed for simple integration with Blue Coat SG810 and SG510 series solutions for medium enterprise or distributed environments providing scalable performance with a choice of antivirus engines.
McAfee Industry News
Moscow police investigate alleged ransomware gang Russian police are reportedly investigating a criminal gang that installed malicious "ransomware" programs on thousands of PCs and then forced victims to send SMS messages in order to unlock their PCs. The scam has been ongoing and may have made Russian criminals millions of dollars, according to reports by Russian news agencies. Russian police seized computer equipment and detained a Russian "crime family" in connection with......
[more] Sophos warns of fake anti-virus spam campaign Security vendor Sophos is warning of a major spam campaign designed to trick users into downloading fake anti-virus software. In a blog post, Sophos senior technology consultant Graham Cluley explained that the unsolicited emails arrive with subject lines such as "You're invited to view my photos!", "Appointment Confirmation", or "Your Bell e-bill is ready". "Opening the attached HTML file, however, redirects your w......
[more] Hackers bait Zeus botnet trap with dead celeb tales Hackers are using tales of dead celebrities to build out Zeus botnets by duping users into compromising their own PCs, security experts said today. The list of celebrities -- actors and singers for the most part, with an occasional sports star tossed in -- range from Anniston (Jennifer) and Cruise (Tom) to West (Kayne) and Z (Jay), said Symantec. According to the spam that carries the malware, the personalities perished along with 34 others whe......
[more] Why Intel is buying McAfee Intel's acquisition of security company McAfee could help the chip maker make a splash in the handheld and embedded markets, in which the company has struggled to establish a presence, according to analysts. Intel on Thursday announced plans to acquire McAfee for US$7.68 billion, saying this will help the chip maker blend advanced hardware and software security to protect devices from internal and external threats. Hardware and software changes will improve both Intel......
[more] Acquisitions blunting security innovation, say users, analysts Some IT managers and analysts today said the planned $7.7 billion Hewlett-Packard-McAfee deal and HP's acquisition of Fortify this week are the latest examples of a trend that could threaten long-term innovation in the security industry. This week's moves are the latest in a long line of merger and acquisition activity in the security industry in recent years.The McAfee acquisition marks a completely unexpected entry into the securit......
[more] Cameron Diaz named the most dangerous cyber space celebrity Knight and Day star Cameron Diaz has been named as the most dangerous celebrity in cyber space. McAfee's fourth annual most dangerous celebrities report found that the actress results in a one -in-ten chance of landing on a risky site, with actresses Julia Roberts second and Jessica Biel third. With cyber criminals often using the names of popular celebrities to lure people to sites that are actually laden with malicious software, anyo......
[more] Intel announces mega-deal to purchase McAfee A blockbuster deal just announced has Intel acquiring McAfee, one of the world's largest security firms, for $7.68bn. In a statement released today, Intel said the purchase will result in McAfee becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Intel that will report to the company's Software and Services group. Readers of Infosecurity have undoubtedly recognized the recent surge of acquisitions in the security sector but, for the most part, deals have been the r......
[more] Adobe to beef up PDF security with Reader sandboxing Adobe Systems Inc. today announced that it will harden the next version of its popular Reader PDF viewer, a frequent target of attacks, by adding "sandboxing" technology to the software. Sandboxing, perhaps best known for its use in Google Inc.'s Chrome browser, isolates processes from one another and the rest of the machine, preventing or hindering malicious code from escaping an application to wreak havoc or infect the computer.Previously,......
[more] McAfee moves into Mac security space McAfee has released a pair of security offerings for MacOS X. The company said that it would be extending its Internet Security and Family Protection offerings to the MacOS X platform. Both products target end user markets and will require MacOS 10.5 or later. The Internet Security offering will offer basic malware detection and firewall protections along with the McAfee Site Adviser web security service and the Secure Search tools.For families, the company......
[more] Kraken botnet re-emerges 318,000 nodes strong Kraken, a large and difficult-to-detect botnet that peaked in 2008 and was dismantled by early 2009, is back, and anti-virus solutions are struggling to detect it, according to researchers at Georgia Tech Information Security Centre. The botnet reappeared in April and, as of last week, was made up of more than 318,000 unique IP addresses, or about half its 650,000 maximum size in 2008, Paul Royal, research scientist at the Georgia Tech centre told S......
[more] McAfee offers up SaaS web security protection Security giant McAfee has launched a software-as-a-service (SaaS) security product designed to protect enterprises from web-based threats in the cloud before they can reach the corporate network. McAfee SaaS Web Protection is based on the same scalable, multi-tenant platform architecture that powered the MX Logic solution, and works completely in the cloud, thus requiring no upfront investments in hardware or software.The product uses McAfee's Globa......
[more] The pros and cons of Windows 7 security Businesses are eyeing a transition to Microsoft Windows 7, and with a wealth of security features that are part of it, it's worth figuring out the good and bad about each of them, says Gartner analyst Neil MacDonald, who notes in some cases, third-party security products might be the better fit. The AppLocker feature in Windows 7 offers an application-control capability that lets the IT manager set up a list of applications allowed to run, said MacDonald......
[more] Technology security myths debunked Bursting the security bubble Think you can hide behind the privacy of an "unlisted" cell phone number? Think again. Maybe you believe you don't need security software on a Mac or iPad. You'd swear that Firefox is the safest browser in town. Wrong on both counts.Most of us don't think about security for our digital devices until something goes wrong, or it's time to renew an antivirus subscription. But what the security experts like to call the threat......
[more] McAfee unveils new data loss prevention tools McAfee has unveiled a new enterprise package designed to help firms reduce the risk of data loss. The company said that the new McAfee Data Loss Prevention (DLP) tool would help businesses secure sensitive data both within the system and on removable storage. As with most of McAfee's enterprise offerings, the DLP tool will be designed to run through the ePolicy Orchestrator Platform and will be designed with ease of use and efficiency as primary con......
[more] Why is cloud computing hard? Top tech execs speak their minds Everyone's talking about cloud computing and security. But what makes it so hard? Top execs at Microsoft, Trend Micro, EMC's RSA division, McAfee and Symantec weighed in on the security challenges related to cloud computing. "It's going to be an ongoing challenge and ongoing area of not only technical innovation but also of communications innovations," said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer during an appearance at the Universit......
[more] McAfee aims to ease cloud security fears McAfee has launched a new service aimed at easing fears over enterprise cloud computing services. The new Cloud Secure platform will offer vendors a combined security and certification service based on its Smart Protection Network. The service will combine the Smart Protection Network with certification standards, auditing and daily security scans. "It is really about driving a greater deal of confidence," McAfee senior vice president and gener......
[more] Fake antivirus software is most costly security scam of 2010 Fake antivirus programs that encourage web users to part with their hard-earned cash and download hoax security software is likely to be the most costly scam of 2010, says McAfee. According to the security firm, cybercriminals make upwards of $300m from conning web users worldwide into downloading scareware.The security firm also said it had seen a 660 percent rise in scareware over the past two years, and a 400 percent increase in re......
[more] McAfee warns of scareware plague Security firm McAfee has used its first Consumer Threat Alert to advise web users of the dangers of fake anti-virus scams. Malware writers are increasingly using the technique to snare unwary users by presenting pop-up windows appearing to be a security report from a recognised firm. The ads prompt the user to 'scan' their computer for viruses, but in fact often deliver malware designed to steal personal data and credit card information."It is an incredibly......
[more] Government could retaliate over "daily" cyber attacks State-sponsored cyber attacks have escalated to such an extent that the UK may soon be forced to retaliate, according to a new report in The Observer today. Lord West of Spithead, the parliamentary under-secretary for security and counter-terrorism, told the paper that the UK is under daily attack from foreign states and terrorist groups. He explained that there had been 300 "significant attacks" on core government computer network......
[more] McAfee launches real-time threat response service McAfee has formed a new security group from its malware response teams to offer help and advice to organisations about emerging threats. The Vulnerability Detection and Response Group will include input from McAfee's Labs, the office of the chief technology officer and Foundstone Professional Services. McAfee claims that the service will help enterprises to identify risks, analyse systems and deal with recurring security concerns.The nature of t......
[more] Google hackers stole source code, researchers Companies should take extra steps to secure their source code from the type of targeted attacks that hit Google, Adobe, Intel and others over the past few months. That's according to security vendor McAfee, which released a report detailing the way software source code was accessed in some of these attacks. "We saw targeted attacks against software configuration management products," said George Kurtz, McAfee's chief technology officer. In many of t......
[more] Valentine's Day brings out cyber crooks As Valentine's Day nears, security experts are issuing warnings of fresh attacks targeting the holiday. McAfee has reported a new round of attacks targeting user who search for information and files relating to the holiday. According to McAfee Labs director Dave Marcus, attackers have used search engine optimisation techniques to force malicious sites high on result pages for common searches on Valentine's Day. The attack sites promise items such as scree......
[more] Microsoft's Mundie calls for 'internet driving licence' Microsoft's chief strategy officer has suggested that people should undergo mandatory training before being allowed online. Craig Mundie, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, proposed a three-tier system of authentication for people, devices and applications. Mundie acknowledged that this would mean some loss of anonymity, but said that people are used to having to present identification in other areas of life and that the intern......
[more] Critical infrastructures under attack, warns McAfee Attacks on critical infrastructure IT systems are widespread and growing in frequency, and could cost over $6m (£3.7m) a day on average, according to a detailed new report from security giant McAfee launched today. In the Crossfire: Critical Infrastructure in the Age of Cyberwar is one of the most in-depth reports of its kind in the security area. McAfee surveyed over 600 professionals responsible for critical infrastructure protection across......
[more] Hackers ran detailed reconnaissance on Google employees The hackers who infiltrated the computer systems of Google earlier this month first carried out sophisticated reconnaisance and may even have posed as friends of Google employees, according to McAfee chief technology officer George Kurtz. In a project dubbed Operation Aurora by the security giant, hackers are likely to have used sophisticated social engineering techniques and advanced reconnaissance work to target individuals at the compan......
[more] McAfee boss calls for global cyber-crime body McAfee’s chief executive is calling for the formation of a global framework to fight the growing spectre of cyber-crime. Dave DeWalt stopped off briefly in London today on his way out to the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he will give a keynote on the need to protect critical infrastructure. He stressed that companies and countries are now facing not only the threat of cyber-terrorism but also state-funded attacks that are "creating an atmosph......
[more] McAfee launches Google hack scanning tool Security firm McAfee has released a new tool designed to detect and repair any threats related to the recent 'Operation Aurora' attacks on Google and several other firms which exploited a vulnerability in Internet Explorer. McAfee chief technology officer George Kurtz explained in a blog posting yesterday that the tool is an updated version of the firm's Stinger virus removal application.
"The Aurora Stinger has been designed to specifically detect and......
[more] McAfee CTO: Google hack was 'watershed' moment Last week's revelation of a series of targeted Chinese cyber attacks on Google and at least 20 other firms was a "watershed" moment in cyber security, according to George Kurtz, chief technology officer at security giant McAfee. Writing on the firm's Security Insights blog yesterday, Kurtz said that, although his researchers see " lots of attacks that use complex malware combined with zero-day exploits", the attack on Google, which McAfee has dubbe......
[more] Facebook McAfee 'fans' to get free security suite Facebook has inked a deal with McAfee that will see all 350 million members of the social networking platform eligible to receive a free copy the firm's Internet Security suite for six months - if they become a 'fan' of McAfee. After the six month period, users will be offered a 'significant discount' if they want to renew the software. The actual value of the discount has not yet been revealed.
Most consumers are not adequately protected online......
[more] The clash between virtualization and compliance Everyone loves new technology that actually makes it easier keep the joint running. When a technology like virtualization comes along, which fully exploits hardware and makes scaling a much simpler, people flock to it. But how many are aware they might be violating compliance requirements? Specifically, I'm talking about the PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard), probably the most stringent set of mainstream compliance regulations......
[more] Spammers taking advantage of free online hosters Security giant McAfee warned today that spammers are increasingly exploiting online hosting companies that provide free domains and web hosting, in order to bypass anti-spam filters. In the vendor's December 2009 Spam Report, McAfee Labs anti-spam technology lead Adam Wosotowsky and director of product marketing Elan Winkler argued that the trend has turned into "an all-out gold rush".
"Using a free hosting service is a good tactic for spammers b......
[more] 2010 predictions: Security The security landscape is a complex, multi-layered one that changes more subtly and indefinitely than the seasons. It is therefore hard to predict security trends with any degree of certainty. That said, by looking back at the security developments of the past year and talking to security experts, we believe we have come up with a list of key trends that any IT leader worth his or her salt would be wise to keep an eye out for in 2010. Spam, botnets, social networks -......
[more] More attacks expected on Facebook, Twitter in 2010 Social-networking sites like Facebook and Twitter can expect more attention from cybercriminals in 2010, according to a new report released Tuesday by McAfee Labs. Also at risk are users of Adobe Systems products including Acrobat Reader and Flash. And move over Microsoft; the security firm predicts that Google's Chrome OS will "create another opportunity for malware writers to prey on users." The company also anticipates smarter and more dange......
[more] The 12 Cons of Christmas While the risk of being hacked, conned or having sensitive information stolen is possible all through the year, most security experts agree that the holiday season brings a spike in fraudulent activity, both online and off. CSO compiled a list of twelve dirty tricks to avoid this holiday season (or any time). Product come-ons
After a day of shopping, you log on to Twitter and 'tweet' about how hard it is to find a Zhu Zhu Pet, this season's hot toy, for your daughter. S......
[more] Swine flu botnet causes chaos A spam campaign that poses as a message from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) asking people to register for H1N1 vaccinations continues to be a major problem, according to a security researcher. The messages lead unwary users to a convincing-looking CDC site where they're asked to create a profile in order to receive a vaccination for the swine flu , which has made headlines for both its aggressive spread and a lack of vaccine. The site urges users to download......
[more] Cameroon revealed as web threat hotspot More than one third of websites in the West African country of Cameroon pose a security risk to surfers according to a new report by security expert McAfee. Web addresses for Cameroon end ".cm" - attracting careless web users who wrongly type ".com". Fraudsters take advantage of spelling mistakes and typing errors to set up false sites that may look similar to those the surfer intended to visit.
But they can contain spyware, adware and malicious downloads......
[more] China warns about return of destructive Panda virus A computer worm that China warned Internet users against is an updated version of the Panda Burning Incense virus, which infected millions of PCs in the country three years ago, according to McAfee. The original Panda worm, also known as Fujacks, caused widespread damage at a time when public knowledge about online security was low, and led to the country's first arrests for virus-writing in 2007. The new worm variant, one of many that have ap......
[more] McAfee warns of cyber warfare Security giant McAfee today launched a new report urging public and private sector organisations to collaborate more effectively to ensure that critical national infrastructures are able to withstand any future cyber warfare attacks. The firm's fifth annual Virtual Criminology Report argued that there must first be put in place an accurate definition of cyber warfare, in order to differentiate attacks launched by disaffected hobbyists from large scale state sponsor......
[more] Blue Coat unveils secure Web gateway appliances Blue Coat on Monday unveiled new Web gateway security appliances that the company says achieve higher throughput and scalability compared with its earlier products. The Blue Coat ProxySG 9000 Series appliance, used for Web policy enforcement and detecting and blocking Web threats, supports 1Gbps throughput, an improvement over the 400Mbps in its earlier high-end 8100. The ProxySG 9000 Series, which supports up to 60,000 concurrent users, is design......
[more] One year later, McColo bust does little to slow spam On the one year anniversary of the McColo shutdown, spam levels have more than recovered, according to experts. Recent figures released by security firm McAfee indicate that spam levels are at an all-time high. When the notorious hosting provider was shut down in November of 2008, spam levels immediately plummeted. Though experts were sceptical that the shutdown would deal a lasting blow to spammers, there was hope that levels would at least......
[more] Pirate Bay clampdown prompted file sharing site spike Attempts to shut down notorious torrent tracker site The Pirate Bay have spurred a four-fold increase in the number of file sharing websites during the third quarter of 2009. At least some of these sites are primarily designed to distribute scareware and other types of malware rather than pirated content. Net security firm McAfee reports that a 300 per cent increase in file sharing sites that offer music and films has been accompanied by a s......
[more] Small, medium firms cut security budgets Small and medium businesses have, for the most part, frozen spending on security, despite an increase in perceived threats, according to a survey released this week by security firm McAfee. The report, McAfee's first study of the small- and medium-sized business market, analyzes surveys from approximately 100 companies in each of nine different countries, focusing on firms with 51 to 1,000 employees. The surveys found that three-quarters of firms decided......
[more] Security incidents costing mid-sized firms £26K a year New research from security giant McAfee claims that security incidents cost mid-sized firms an average of £26,000 last year. The Security Paradox report said that many mid-sized firms are labouring under the misapprehension that they are less likely to be targeted by hackers than their larger counterparts. McAfee found that 56 per cent of organisations with between 51 and 1,000 employees globally have seen more security incidents this year......
[more] Commentary: Microsoft can help kill fake antivirus threat Earlier this week, Symantec revealed that 42 million fake antivirus applications were downloaded last year. It seems consumers are being duped into paying between $30 and $100 for software that basically hands full control of their computer over to cybercriminals. The problem, according to Symantec, is that it's almost impossible for a consumer to tell the difference between a legitimate security application and a fake one. There is also......
[more] McAfee takes on critical infrastructure security McAfee today launched a new multi-point plan to address the key security threats facing critical national infrastructures. The security giant announced the expansion of its Initiative to Fight Cybercrime, which was launched around a year ago and focuses on three key areas: law and policy, education and awareness and research and innovation. McAfee highlighted the energy, telecoms and transportation sectors as particularly vulnerable to attack, wa......
[more] Adobe, McAfee to combine DRM and data-loss prevention Adobe Systems and McAfee will jointly develop a product that combines digital rights management capabilities with technology designed to prevent data from leaking outside corporate networks, the companies said Monday. The partnership combines Adobe's expertise in digital rights management with McAfee's data-loss prevention technology in a bid to give customers the ability to restrict access to documents based on how the documents are classif......
[more] McAfee warns of software imposter McAfee is warning users following the discovery of a new rogue security application that masquerades as the company's flagship antivirus suite. The company said that the rogue application, known as 'AntiVirus Pro' is using McAfee's own application icons in an attempt to trick users into believing the product is originating from the security vendor. Rogue security applications use deceptive methods, such as fake scans and deceptive alert messages, into believing......
[more] Botnet armies driving spam to new heights More than 150,000 computers being infected every day, says McAfee. Spam volumes have increased by 140 per cent since March, according to new figures from security giant McAfee, which has recorded its longest run of increasing monthly spam levels. The McAfee Q2 Threats Report, released today, said that the rise had been driven by surging growth in botnet activity. Some 14 million new computers were recruited this quarter, an increase of 16 per cent over......
[more] McAfee's managed service offers website check McAfee has updated its managed security service to allow companies to scan their own websites to spot vulnerabilities. The company has also introduced the ability to check for compliance with payment-card industry standards for handling financial data, said Sal Viveros, a McAfee security analyst. The vulnerability assessment service scans websites to see if they've been hacked and then can send reports to administrators as to what's wrong. The servi......
[more] AV vendors fight 'scareware' with new whitelist Security vendors have decided to take on the plague of bogus anti-virus software circulating on the Internet by creating a public list of legitimate vendors and programs. Run from the website of the Common Computing Security Standards Forum (CCSS), an organisation set up in March of this year by by Comodo CEO and chief security architect, Melih Abdulhayoglu, the purpose is to give ordinary Internet users something with which to check programs and......
[more] Chinese security company shares huge malware database A Chinese company that has created a massive database of malware found on Chinese Web sites opened up the information to other security organizations on Thursday. Beijing-based KnownSec gathered the viruses and other information with a crawler that scans nearly 2 million Chinese Web sites each day, Zhao Wei, CEO of the security company, said in an interview in Beijing. He planned to give a presentation on the subject at the Forum of Incident......
[more] Twitter users offered security plug-in As Twitter becomes increasingly abused by hackers, Finjan Software has released a free browser add-on with a new feature that scans links and warns if they point to a page containing malware. The SecureTwitter component is wrapped into SecureBrowsing, a plug-in for either the Firefox or Internet Explorer browsers, said Yuval Ben-Itzhak, Finjan's CTO. SecureTwitter is designed to warn people about links that people post on the micro-blogging service. Becaus......
[more] Preventing data loss - what's needed Though there are plenty of tools to help businesses shore up data, the lack of policy standards makes the task more difficult than it should be, says Quocirca's Bob Tarzey. The UK's MPs may rue the day a disk listing details of their expenses was leaked to the Daily Telegraph from the House of Commons Fees Office earlier this year, but they were going to be made public at some point anyway, courtesy of the UK's Freedom of Information Act which the MPs themse......
[more] Air France crash prompts spam, malware outbreak As expected, spammers and malware writers are trying to cash in on the Air France disaster. Spammers have begun falsely promising news on the Air France crash as a way of tricking recipients into opening messages promoting Canadian pharmacy products. Junk mailers this week began pushing a new campaign that included subject headings such as "Last seconds of plane" or "A-330 blackbox record" as a means of enticing users into open......
[more] McAfee downplays service pack fail Virus update leaves PCs unbootable A recent McAfee service pack led to systems being rendered unbootable, according to posts on the security giant\'s support forums.The mandatory service pack for McAfee\'s corporate Virus scanning product, VSE 8.7, was designed to address minor security bugs but instead tagged windows system files as malware. The software update was issued on 27 May and pulled on 2 June, after problems occurred. Users were advised to keep the p......
[more] Microsoft to patch 'critical' PowerPoint hole Microsoft plans to patch a hole in its PowerPoint presentation program, the company said in an advanced bulletin that was notable because it contained only a single update. As is almost always the case with advanced notification bulletins issued the first Thursday of the month, Microsoft didn't provide many details about the following Tuesday's release, except to say it carried a severity rating of "critical," the company's highest level.......
[more] Zombie computers 'on the rise' Twelve million computers have been hijacked by cyber-criminals and detected by security vendor McAfee since January, the firm has said. It reports there has been a 50% increase in the number of detected so-called "zombie" computers since 2008. The true number of newly hijacked PCs is likely to be higher than those detected by McAfee alone. The figures come as a report from Deloitte said a global approach to cyber-security was needed. "Doing......
[more] Swine flu causes spam fever Just days after news surfaced of a swine flu outbreak in Mexico, spammers are exploiting the news to advertise online pharmacies. Researchers have tracked several new spam runs which make reference to the outbreak, using such headlines as "swine flu worldwide' and "first US swine flu victims." Other message claimed that actress Salma Hayek and pop star Madonna had contracted the illness. The messages themselves contained links to online pharmacies which peddled drugs......
[more] Mac malware turns into botnet A rash of malware for MacOS X systems is now being used to run a botnet, according to researchers. First spotted in January, the trojan had been bundled into copies of pirated MacOS software. At the time of discovery, researchers noted that the malware payload included tools which could allow an attacker to remotely take control of an infected system. Now, it appears as if those components are being put to use. In a recent article, Symantec researchers Mario Barcen......
[more] Spam comes with huge carbon footprint In a report on the state of the spam industry security software vendor McAfee has estimated that spam emails use 33 terawatt hours (TWh) of power each year. The report states that last year 62 trillion spam emails were sent in 2008 and the energy used to sent and delete them could power 2.4 million American homes. Each spam email generates 0.3 grams of carbon, both from the power to send it and from the recipient to delete it. The company estimates that spa......
[more] Conficker activation passes quietly, but threat isn't over An expected activation of the Conficker.c worm at midnight on April 1 passed without incident, despite sensationalized fears that the Internet itself might be affected, but security researchers said users aren't out of the woods yet. "These guys have no designs, I think, on taking down the infrastructure, because that would separate them from their victims," said Paul Ferguson, a threat researcher at antivirus vendor Trend Mic......
[more] China more friend than foe, says white hat China's security community is more concerned with vulnerabilities in its own computer networks than leveling attacks at the United States and other western countries, a white-hat hacker told attendees at the CanSecWest Security Conference on Thursday. With 260 million Internet users, an underground malware industry and laws that are just catching up with cybercrime, China has a major security problem on its network, Zhao Wei, CEO of KnownSec, said dur......
[more] Google hits back over Trend attack Google has taken down web pages which security researchers believe are manipulating the search engine to aid in malware attacks. McAfee senior threat researcher Craig Schmugar reported that by late Friday evening US time the company had recorded a major drop-off in the number of malicious web pages which were showing up in queries of popular search terms on Google Trends. Last week, Schmugar said that malware writers appeared to be searching the trends site fo......
[more] Experts sound scam threat warning Experts are warning of an increase in the number of fake anti-virus websites. Hackers are tricking people with a false warning, saying that the computer is infected with a Trojan and getting users to buy a fake anti-virus product. A number of sites were closed last year when authorities in the US took action to stop sellers of "scareware". But despite the closures, the number of sites continues to grow, with one expert saying it was "the biggest......
[more] Hacker challenge to take aim at browsers and smartphones A high profile hacking contest is set to return next month with hackers being offered a cash prize in order to crack browsers and smartphones, according to the security company that sponsors the "PWN2OWN" challenge. "We're still in the planning stages for how the competition will be structured," said Terri Forslof, the manager of security response for 3Com's TippingPoint, regarding discussions she's had with organisers of CanSec......
[more] Malicious insider attacks to rise The world's biggest software maker has warned companies to expect an increase in "insider" security attacks by disgruntled, laid-off workers. Microsoft said so-called "malicious insider" breaches were on the rise and would worsen in the present downturn. "With 1.5 million predicted job losses in the US alone, there's an increased risk and exposure to these attacks," said Microsoft's Doug Leland. "This is one of the most significant threats compan......
[more] Parking ticket leads to a virus Hackers have discovered a new way of duping users onto fraudulent websites: fake parking tickets. Cars in the US had traffic violation tickets placed on the windscreen, which then directed users to a website. The website claimed to have photos of the alleged parking violation, but then tricks users into downloading a virus. Anti-virus firm McAfee says the Vundo Trojan then gets users to install a fake anti-virus scanner. Vehicles in Grand Forks, North Dakota were......
[more] China muscling in on spam market The number of spam messages originating from computers in China has surged over the past month, and security experts are warning that the country may emerge as a spamming superpower. The rise in spam volumes ends what had been an encouraging period for China. Security firm McAfee reported in December that state enforcement agencies had cracked down on spammers, causing many messages to appear with the malware links already taken down. In January, however, McAfee......
[more] Global cost of cybercrime hit $1tn, study finds Data theft and breaches from cybercrime may have cost businesses as much as $1tn globally in lost intellectual property and expenditures for repairing the damage last year, according to a new study from McAfee. McAfee made the projection based on responses to a survey of more than 800 chief information officers in the US, UK, Germany, Japan, China, India, Brazil and Dubai. The respondents estimated that they lost data worth a total of $4.......
[more] 1 in 3 Windows PCs vulnerable to worm attack The worm that has infected several million Windows PCs is causing havoc because nearly a third of all systems remain unpatched 80 days after Microsoft Corp. rolled out an emergency fix, a security expert said today. Based on scans of several hundred thousand customer-owned Windows PCs, Qualys Inc. concluded that about 30% of the machines have not yet been patched with the "out of cycle" fix Microsoft provided Oct. 23 as security update MS0......
[more] Abuse of free web hosting and blogging sites to increase in 2009 Abuse of free webhosting and blogging sites by spammers will increase in 2009. According to McAfee's January threat report, spammers will increasingly abuse the free web hosting and blogging abilities that don't require the purchase of a domain name. Using what it calls ‘domain tasting', McAfee claims that spammers will utilise ICANN's five-day “grace period” that allows an individual to register a domain name an......
[more] Windows 7 beta fights with anti-virus programs Users trying the Windows 7 beta who keep their computers safe with McAfee virus protection are in for a bit of disappointment -- and a loss of security. According to a Channel Web report, when you try to run McAfee Total Protection in the Windows 7 beta, an error message pops up. "The version of Windows installed on this machine is not supported. Please refer to the product documentation for a list of supported operating systems." McAfee's anti-vir......
[more] Downturn 'boosting cyber-crime' The economic downturn is "proving a hotbed" for global cyber-crime, a study by security firm McAfee has warned. McAfee said this was because cyber-criminals were "cashing in on consumer anxiety to profit from old-fashioned 'get rich quick' scams". At the same time, it warned government attention to the problem was being distracted by economic recovery work. Fellow computer security group Sophos said it now found a new infected website every 4.5 seconds. Each of t......
[more] Spam has gone from being an annoyance to carrying malware Spam has been around for 30 years now and we’ve grown use to the irritating messages that can at times outnumber the valid ones in our inboxes. Whether they’re offering incredible deals on credit cards, telling us we can earn big money just by giving our bank account details or promising to cure just about any medical ailment, spam messages hit pretty much all of us at one time or another and although spam filtering technologies have come......
[more] Microsoft to offer free consumer security suite Microsoft on Tuesday said it is changing its strategy for offering PC antivirus software, with plans to discontinue its subscription-based consumer security suite and instead offer individuals free software to protect their PCs. Code-named Morro, the new offering will be available in the second half of 2009 and will protect against viruses, spyware, rootkits, and Trojans, the company said in a statement. With the arrival of Morro, Microsoft pla......
[more] Security giants propose new testing standard Symantec, McAfee, F-Secure and Kaspersky are among the names that have pledged support for the project, which boasts more than 40 security vendors and media groups as part of the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organisation. The new system would provide guidelines as to how a test should be conducted, including the types of malware used, method of analysis and accurate support for a conclusion.The guidelines will also outline procedures for studying a......
[more] New worm feeds on latest Microsoft bug One day after Microsoft issued a rare emergency Windows security patch, the bad guys have a few new ways to take advantage of the bug. Microsoft issued the patch more than two weeks ahead of its next security updates because the bug could be used to create an Internet worm attack and Microsoft had already seen a small number of attacks that exploited the flaw. This vulnerability lies in the Windows Server service used to connect with other devices on netwo......
[more] Sophos concludes €217 million Utimaco buy Antivirus vendor Sophos has concluded its acquisition of Utimaco Software, a seller of data encryption software. With the acquisition, Sophos gets a sizeable foothold in the endpoint data protection market, where it will compete with McAfee and CheckPoint Software. Utimaco is dominant in Germany and Western Europe, selling mainly to the type of large-enterprise customers that Sophos covets, said Sophos CEO Steve Munford. The €217 million (US$314 mi......
[more] McAfee to buy Secure Computing in $465M deal McAfee to buy network security company Secure Computing in $465 million deal Security software maker McAfee Inc. said Monday it agreed to buy network security company Secure Computing Corp. in a deal valued at $465 million. Santa Clara, Calif.-based McAfee said it will pay $5.75 per share in cash, or about $413 million. That represents a 27 percent premium over Secure's Friday closing stock price. San Jose, Calif.-based Secure's preferred stocks will......
[more] Brad Pitt Tops Charts For Most Celebrity Malware Sites Hollywood actor Brad Pitt has bumped Paris Hilton off the top of the list as the most dangerous celebrity to search for on the Web, according to McAfee researchers. Altogether, fans surfing the Web for "Brad Pitt," "Brad Pitt downloads," and Brad Pitt wallpaper for items like screen savers and images have an 18 percent chance of becoming infected with online security threats such as spyware, spam, phishing, adware and vi......
[more] McAfee sued by unhappy 'adware' company A little-known company called 7Search.com has become the latest outfit to legally contest its classification as spyware by a major anti-malware company. In a court filing from 25 August, Chicago-based 7Search.com complains that that "McAfee continues to incorrectly and falsely advise the public that 7Search.com contains downloads that are adware, spyware, or other potentially unwanted programs, when it is aware that there is no software on that site at......
[more] Small biz weak in cybersecurity Small- and medium-sized businesses are in denial about the threat posed by cyberattacks, security software firm McAfee concluded in a study published this week. While most small- and medium-sized companies believe that they operate under cybercriminals' radar, the study found that one-in-five firms have been attacked. The survey -- which polled 500 companies with 1,000 employees or less -- found that for every eight firms, only ten employees were dedicated to man......
[more] Security SAAS Makes Messaging Strides Security in the cloud, also called Security SAAS, is currently focused on messaging security, but expect the concept to include remote vulnerability testing, malware filtering, URL blocking, browser proxy security and other areas as the enterprise work force relies more on mobility and applications in the cloud. Efforts at security in the cloud, also called Security SAAS, are currently focused on messaging security, but expect the concept to expand as the e......
[more] Major security sites hit by XSS bugs The websites of three of the security industry's best-known companies include security flaws that could be used to launch scams against customers, according to a new report. The report, from security watchdog site XSSed, verified 30 cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities across the sites of McAfee, Symantec and VeriSign. The flaws could be used to launch scams or implant malicious code on the systems of visiting users, according to XSSed. Recent resea......
[more] Do Hackers Pose a Threat To Smart Phones? In addition to placing calls, smart phones pack many of the functions found on computers: Internet, email, multimedia programs and even word-processing and spreadsheet capabilities. But, like computers, smart phones are vulnerable to viruses and other types of malicious software. By all accounts, the risk of a smart-phone attack is low. But as people start using the devices for more sensitive tasks -- handling customer data and transferring corporate fil......
[more] Antivirus is 'completely wasted money': Cisco CSO Companies are wasting money on security processes — such as applying patches and using antivirus software — which just don't work, according to Cisco's chief security officer John Stewart. Speaking at the AusCERT 2008 conference in the Gold Coast yesterday, Stewart said the malware industry is moving faster than the security industry, making it impossible for users to remain secure."If patching and antivirus is where I spend my money, and I......
[more] 'Hacktivism' making a comeback Politically-motivated hacking incidents are on the rise, according to security researchers. Paul Ferguson, advanced threats researcher at Trend Micro, said in a company blog that so-called 'hacktivist' attacks have become increasingly common and more dangerous in recent years. "While most of the cyber-crime activities conducted on the internet are being driven by financial incentives, there also appears to be type of malicious activity being driven by other m......
[more] Password-stealing hackers infect thousands of Web pages Hackers looking to steal passwords used in popular online games have infected more than 10,000 Web pages in recent days. The Web attack, which appears to be a coordinated effort run out of servers in China, was first noticed by McAfee researchers on Wednesday morning. Within hours, the security company had tracked more than 10,000 Web pages infected on hundreds of Web sites. McAfee isn't sure how so many sites have been hacked, but "g......
[more] Security vendors prep anti-virus software for Mac OS X Russian security vendor Kaspersky Lab has a prototype version of its virus protection software waiting in the wings in case Apple Mac OS X suddenly becomes a target of choice for hackers. Kaspersky, based in Moscow, has no plans soon to make it into a product, but one could "be ready in just days," said Timur Tsoriev, spokesman, at the Cebit technology trade show in Germany on Tuesday. Kaspersky's anti-virus technology is flexible......
[more] 'Out of office' messages turned into spam relays Spammers have found a new trick that gets around many current anti-spam filters: abusing the "out of the office" auto-respond feature found in legitimate webmail services. Security firm McAfee has come across several instances of the trick, the company said this week. The spammer first signs up for a legitimate webmail account, switching on its auto-respond feature, with the spam text in place of the "out of the office" message. The spa......
[more] Phishers feast on UK tax payers The UK's HMRC 'lost disc' debacle appears to have prompted criminals to target the country's tax payers with a specially-crafted phishing email. According to McAfee, an email doing the rounds claims that recipients can get an attractive tax refund from the Government by visiting what turns out to be a bogus website. "After the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity we have determined that you are eligible to receive a tax refund of £215 ($420......
[more] Localised malware adding to growing number of threats Virus writers are getting more sophisticated and are localising malware for specific markets claims a senior security researcher. For example, said Dave Marcus, security research and communications manager for McAfee Avert Labs, look at the taunting Trojan, which goes after users of the Winny file-sharing program (Winny creator Isamu Kaneko was convicted of abetting copyright violations in late 2006). Winny is file-sharing software that is i......
[more] Government 'lost' DNA data disc on 2,000 criminal suspects The government is being urged to explain why a data disc, containing DNA profiles of 2,000 offenders whom the Dutch authorities wished to trace had been missing for almost a year. The latest data controversy to hit the government came about after the Dutch authorities tried to track down 2,000 Dutch citizens who were on the run after committing serious crimes. In January 2007, they sent a disc containing the DNA samples of the offenders......
[more] Hackers spread malware with 'Hilary Clinton' spam Cybercriminals may have weighed risk and reward and figured that the first isn't worth the second if they try to exploit the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, a security researcher at Symantec Corp. said today. At least for now. "We've now seen just two instances of spam using political candidates to spread malicious code," said Oliver Friedrichs, director of Symantec's security response team and a writer on electoral cybercrime. "I......
[more] Hackers camouflage 100% of Web attacks, IBM researcher says Hackers now mask virtually every Web browser exploit as part of their normal procedure to evade detection by security software, said IBM's X-Force research team today. By the end of last year, according to Kris Lamb, director of IBM Internet Security Systems' X-Force, nearly 100% of all Web exploits were either self-encrypted or relied on obfuscation techniques to make it difficult for standard intrusion detection and intrusion prevent......
[more] Unpatched PCs open to latest web hack A sophisticated hacking scheme seen early last year is affecting an increasing number of web servers, including one owned by a major online advertising company, Finjan Software has said. It appears that a single gang is behind the attacks, since the malicious software it spreads is storing login and password details on one server in Spain, said Yuval Ben-Itzhak. Finjan is trying to get the ISP to shut it down, he said. A web server of an online adverti......
[more] Hacked MySpace page serves up fake Windows update There's now one more reason to be security-conscious while using MySpace.com: fake Microsoft updates. Using a hacked MySpace profile, online criminals are trying to trick victims into downloading a malicious Trojan Horse program by disguising it as a Microsoft update, according to researchers at security vendor McAfee. The attack is certainly not widespread -- McAfee has seen it used on only one MySpace profile -- but it does show how sites such......
[more] Hackers quickly move to exploit Bhutto assassination Within hours of yesterday's assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, malware makers exploited the breaking news to dupe users into downloading attack code, security researchers said Friday. Searches for news about Bhutto's killing and the ensuing chaos in Pakistan listed sites pimping a bogus video coder/decoder (codec), said analysts at McAfee Inc., Symantec Corp. and WebSense Inc. For instance, WebSense found such a......
[more] French embassy site for Libya 'serving malware' The French embassy website for Libya has been compromised and is serving up malware to visitors, according to McAfee. McAfee researcher Francois Paget found the site to be compromised last week and McAfee has reported its findings to the French government. The site has been attacked using an iFrame exploit that inserts an invisible frame in the page in order to re-direct some web browser connections to another location, which serves up a "dow......
[more] Top-secret US labs penetrated by phishers One of the most sensitive science and technology labs in the US has been hacked as part of what it called "a sophisticated cyber attack that now appears to be part of a coordinated attempt to gain access to computer networks at numerous laboratories and other institutions across the country." The unknown attackers managed to access a non-classified computer maintained by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory by sending employees hoax emails that contained m......
[more] Beware of Typos Cyber Squatters Lure Consumers Into Scams - McAfee released a research report that spotlights a dangerous cyber practice known as typo-squatting. "What's In A Name: The State of Typo-Squatting 2007," exposes how typo-squatters register domains using common misspellings of popular brands, products and people in order to redirect consumers to alternative Web sites. These squatter-run sites generate click-through advertising revenues, lure unsuspecting consumers into scams and harve......
[more] Microsoft not happy with it's AV software Microsoft is still experiencing growing pains as it brings its consumer and enterprise security products and service up to speed. Microsoft released Windows Live OneCare for consumers in May 2006 and its Forefront Client Security for enterprises earlier this year. Both products entered a saturated security market populated by experienced security-specialist companies such as Symantec, McAfee and Trend Micro. When Microsoft began investing in the securit......
[more] 2 minutes on...ethical hacker kits on sale The "ethical hacker toolkits" recently posted for sale on eBay appear to point to a dangerous trend: selling these types of tools - used primarily for penetration testing of applications and servers - on mainstream auction sites increases everyone's security risks.But not everyone is concerned. "I don't get the pitch," says Mark Loveless, the senior security architect for Vernier Networks and a white-hat hacker known as "Simple......
[more] Program automating online jihad found in the wild Security researchers say they have discovered a program that could be used by Islamic terrorists to launch data attacks against Western targets.The "Electronic Program of Jihad," as its creators have dubbed it, asks for a username and password once it's installed, according to this entry on the McAfee Avert Labs Blog. The program, quoted as version 3.0, then tries to join a cyber jihadist website that coordinates the attack. Loyal user......
[more] Firms fail to block music downloads Despite saying it's their biggest threat, IT managers don't stop employees from downloading online music while at work. Many companies are not stopping their employees from downloading music from the internet - despite security risks to work computers, a new survey commissioned by McAfee has found.Two-thirds of IT managers polled said they do not block employees from taking music off the web, even though they named it as the biggest threat.In a poll of more th......
[more] McAfee goes shopping for ScanAlert McAfee has agreed to acquire e-commerce firm ScanAlert in a transaction that is valued at up to $75m.ScanAlert runs the Hacker Safe security service. The service provides a certification program for online retailers that meet certain security standards. Qualifying sites are awarded a "Hacker Safe" logo.The company claims that having a Hacker Safe certification increases consumer confidence that results in a 14 per cent sales jump.Under the terms of t......
[more] Trojan horse dupes Skype users, steals usernames and passwords Skype Ltd. again warned users of its software that malicious code targeting the voice-over-IP (VoIP) and instant messaging service was on the prowl, the second such alert in the past five weeks. A Trojan horse posing as a Skype add-on is stealing log-on credentials, the company\'s online spokesman, Villu Arak, said yesterday in a blog posting. Calling itself Skype Defender, the malware installs if users download and run the executab......
[more] McAfee To Acquire Data-Encryption Vendor SafeBoot SafeBoot's Data Protection Suite lets users encrypt individual files and folders, as well as entire local hard drives. Security software vendor McAfee on Monday said it has agreed to buy SafeBoot, a maker of enterprise data-encryption technology, for $350 million in cash. If the deal closes as expected in the fourth quarter, McAfee said it will combine its technology with SafeBoot's to form the foundation of a new data protection business unit h......
[more] Storm builds the world's biggest botnet Storm may not be the most creative or malicious piece of malware ever written, but it's on track to become the most productive; threat researchers' recent estimates put the number of PCs it has infected at more than 1 million. First showing up on researchers' radars about a year ago, Storm is defined by some as a worm, others as a Trojan Horse. Though it has gone by many names, Storm - referring to the spam blasts it has been behind that mention storms -......
[more] Storm worm still raging New report finds that the Storm worm tempest has failed to die down. The Storm trojan is still causing havoc and has changed tactics over the last month in order to infect computers, according to the latest Messagelabs report.The company's research team had observed a large increase in emails with links to virtual postcards and YouTube videos. The team noted a significant outburst on 15 August of 600,000 emails over that day. It estimated that the StormWorm botnet now com......
[more] Sony confirms security problem Electronics giant Sony has confirmed a recently discovered security flaw in some of its products that could leave PCs vulnerable to attack by hackers. The firm said that the fault, which affected software packaged with memory sticks, was developed by a third-party. Sony said it was conducting an internal investigation into the problem and would offer a fix "by mid-September". The vulnerability, found by security firm F-secure, was similar to one found on......
[more] Yahoo patches Messenger video bug It's the second update this summer to fix webcam vulnerabilities Yahoo Inc. today updated its Messenger instant messaging software to flush a bug that hackers could exploit by sending video chat invitations to unwary users. The vulnerability, which surfaced last week in a posting to a Chinese security forum, could be exploited by duping a user into accepting a malicious webcam invitation, McAfee Inc. confirmed Aug. 15. In its advisory, Yahoo said that it had act......
[more] McAfee warns of Yahoo Messenger Webcam bug Users of Yahoo's instant messaging platform are being warned to avoid webcam invites from unknown sources after a vulnerability in the platform was disclosed this week. The zero-day flaw was first published on Chinese security forums, but researchers at McAfee said this week that they recreated the flaw on Yahoo Messenger version 8.1.0.413.The vulnerability "seems like a classic heap overflow that can be triggered when the victim accepts a webcam i......
[more] Vendors disagree on PDF spam volumes PDF spam, the most prevalent spam method currently used by hackers globally has decreased in numbers over the last two weeks, claims data security vendor BitDefender, but fellow security experts are disagreeing. BitDefender researchers have revealed that its detection rates for PDF spam are reducing and attributed the change to the relative ineffectiveness of the method, stating it requires more user interaction than usual e-mail spam. According to Vlad Valc......
[more] McAfee offers free solution to rootkit attacks McAfee is to release Rootkit Detective, software for blocking and removing rootkit attacks. The software also funnels intelligence into the company's ongoing research operations. Following in the footsteps of SiteAdvisor - the free web site security program acquired by McAfee in April 2006 - the new tool will be free for download, with benefits for both end users and its researchers. Rootkits are self-cloaking malware attacks that install themselve......
[more] Spammers dump images, switch to PDF files Foiled by increasingly accurate corporate spam filters, spammers have dumped pictures for PDFs in their bulk e-mailings, according to the latest data from security firms. Image spam, which at the beginning of the year accounted for nearly 60 percent of all junk e-mail, has plummeted and now accounts for only about 15 percent of spam. Taking its place, the number of junk e-mail messages using an attachment in the Portable Document Format (PDF) has steadi......
[more] Postini partners may jump ship Google's takeover of Postini could cause some of the security company's partners to rethink their positions, analysts have warned.Postini licenses much of its security technology from third parties, including antivirus software from McAfee. But analysts have suggested that the acquisition may lead partners to rethink their strategy or ask for more cash."Some companies are going to feel very unhappy about sharing their technology with Google," said Nick S......
[more] Hackers don't time exploits for impact They don't always wait for the day after 'Patch Tuesday' to strike The idea that cybercriminals stockpile exploits, then time their release to do the most damage gives them too much credit, a security researcher said Friday. "We think that [attackers are] all highly skilled and doing careful planning," said Craig Schmugar, a security researcher for McAfee Inc. "It's not always the case." Schmugar compared the disclosure date of 200 zero-......
[more] How cybercrooks get under your skin Security firm McAfee has said that cybercriminals are using increasingly sophisticated social-engineering techniques, and that IT managers need to make users aware of the psychological tricks that make the techniques work. The vendor worked with University of Leicester forensic psychologist Professor Clive Hollin to analyze why users fall for online scams.According to Hollin, the first part of the process is persuading the user that an e-mail comes from a resp......
[more] Net predictions revisited INTERNET security firm McAfee has revisited its top 10 predictions for threats this year and found that, as expected, data-thieving phishing web sites are on the rise. McAfee Asia Pacific director Michael Sentonas says: "Professional and organised criminals continue to drive much of the malicious net activity the net. We were surprised mobile malware and image spam has tapered off." In reviewing its predictions, McAfee found that password-stealing web sites ar......
[more] Hackers launch PDF spam campaign Hackers have launched a widespread "pump-and-dump" stock spam campaign using PDF files, anti-virus researchers have warned. In a change of tactics, the attackers have hidden the spam content within a PDF file instead of attaching an image file to plug the stock, according to a security advisory on the McAfee website.The spammers are sending the PDF files with randomly generated subject lines, sender names and a blank message body. The stock spam is believed to ha......
[more] The decline of antivirus and the rise of whitelisting The recent acquisition of SecureWave by PatchLink was not so much an acquisition as a merger, with PatchLink being the senior partner. With 3400 customers it had about twice the customer base as SecureWave and it also had about twice the staff.The merger probably sent a shock wave or two through the declining AntiVirus industry, because it has created a bigger and more powerful whitelisting vendor. As far as SecureWave is concerned, it will......
[more] McAfee: How cybercrooks get under your skin Security firm McAfee has said that cybercriminals are using increasingly sophisticated social-engineering techniques, and that IT managers need to make users aware of the psychological tricks that make the techniques work. The vendor worked with University of Leicester forensic psychologist Professor Clive Hollin to analyse why users fall for online scams.According to Hollin, the first part of the process is persuading the user that an email comes from......
[more] Sophos awarded ITPro Editor's Choice, outperforming McAfee and Symantec Sophos Anti-Virus Small Business Edition 2.0 declared "outright winner" Sophos Anti-Virus SBE 2.0, Sophos's integrated protection solution for small businesses, has won the prestigious "Editor's Choice" award in a comparative test conducted by ITPro. ITPro tested McAfee Active VirusScan SMB Edition, Symantec AntiVirus 10.2, F-Secure Anti-Virus Small Business Suite and Sophos Sophos Anti-Virus Small Business Edition......
[more] McAfee offers Total Protection 2.0 beta McAfee has released a beta version of its Total Protection 2.0 consumer security software. The beta was posted to McAfee's websitee on Monday. It will be available for download until 1 August and beta testers will continue to receive signature files until 1 September. Total Protection 2007 is McAfee's high-end consumer product, expected to be launched by the end of September this year. It includes network management and wireless protection capabilities th......
[more] New type of image spam hides in e-mail wallpaper Pump-and-dump scammers behind innovation; malware attacks could be on the way A new type of image spam found this week is able to bypass many filters by presenting a message as wallpaper within an e-mail, according to the vendor Secure Computing. Image spam uses text embedded in an image to foil traditional spam filters that catch spam by scanning messages for key words and by using other text-based techniques. Normal image spam is delivered as an......
[more] Microsoft patches Windows Vista, IE 7 Microsoft released six security bulletins to fix 15 flaws across its product line Tuesday, including Windows XP, Vista and Internet Explorer 7. Attackers could exploit the most serious flaws remotely to run malicious code on victims' machines.Patch management experts said IT administrators should put top priority on deploying the patches for Internet Explorer and Windows, particularly those included in MS07-031, 032 and 033.Don Leatham, director of solution......
[more] Microsoft delivers seven patches including DNS fix Microsoft today released seven patches - all critical - addressing 19 vulnerabilities, including a promised fix for the well-publicised but sparsely exploited zero-day DNS server flaw. While that bug drew the majority of headlines over recent weeks, researchers today said the most significant patch appears to be MS-0726, which provides a fix for a critical Microsoft Exchange vulnerability that could result in remote code execution should a user......
[more] Sophos records 40% enterprise security growth in March quarter – outstripping rivals Symantec and McAfee Sophos, a world leader in IT security and control, today announced significant growth for its final quarter, ending March 31, 2007, led by the North American market. Sophos's worldwide bookings increased 40% with growth in North America topping 70% compared to the same quarter last year. The company also experienced strong growth in both Europe and Asia Pacific. The percentage of growth at S......
[more] McAfee Wins the Most Awards at SC Magazine Event McAfee, Inc. today announced that it has won the most awards of any vendor at the 2007 SC Magazine's European Annual Award. McAfee won "Best Anti-Malware Solution" for McAfee Secure Internet Gateway, "Best Anti-Malware Solution" for McAfee Policy Enforcer and "Best SME Security Solution" for McAfee Total Protection for Small Business. "We are delighted to win the awards in three categories," said Mike......
[more] Microsoft adds brains to security drive Microsoft announced this week that it is setting up security response and research operations in Ireland and Japan and launched a preview of a new online Malware Protection Center. The efforts are meant to make Microsoft, a security industry newcomer, more competitive.Mark Miller, Microsoft's director of communications for security response, said on Wednesday: "This is significant. It is part of the globalisation of our research and response effort.&......
[more] McAfee plugs data leaks with information sentry McAfee has taken the wraps off a data-loss prevention gateway appliance to complement its existing host-based DLP software. The DLP Gateway promises to block both unintentional and malicious attempts to expose sensitive information at the network level, providing a second layer of defence when combined with McAfee's endpoint-based system, which was introduced in February. In order to block the most channels for potential data loss - from mobile de......
[more] Infosecurity: Data breach will cause major corporate collapse, says McAfee study More than a third of IT professionals believe a major accidental or malicious leak of sensitive corporate data could threaten the future of their business, according to the latest research from McAfee. The global study, which sought the views of more than 1400 IT professionals, found that 60 per cent of respondents said they had experienced a security breach in the past year, and only six per cent of those surveyed......
[more] Variants of Rinbot worm attack Windows Server DNS flaw Variants of the Rinbot worm are exploiting the Windows Server DNS Service vulnerability, researchers said today. The worm exploits the flaw by sending a specially crafted Remote Procedure Call (RPC) packet to targeted PCs, analysts said.Ron O'Brien, senior security analyst at Sophos, told SCMagazine.com today that the worm has made the vulnerability much more than just a DNS-related headache for administrators because it can also use ot......
[more] Three Critical Fixes For Windows What a difference a month makes. Last month, Microsoft said it had no security fixes. This month, it's releasing five security bulletins, four of which are rated as "critical." Notably absent from today's fixes was anything for Office, even though there is at least one outstanding Word vulnerability, CVE-2007-0870, which has been around since February. And late Tuesday afternoon McAfee's Avert Labs reported it had found a new zero-day exploit affe......
[more] Windows flaw leaves users open to attack from malformed .ani files Microsoft warned users today about a critical unpatched vulnerability in Windows that leaves systems open to attack through malicious websites or email messages. Researchers with the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) gave the heads up on the flaw through a security advisory sent out this morning. The announcement explained that attackers can exploit the way Windows handles animated cursor files. "In order for this at......
[more] Microsoft partner: Vista less secure than XP Security company Kaspersky claims that Vista's User Account Control (UAC), the system of user privileges that can be used to restrict users' administrative rights, will be so annoying that users will disable it. Natalya Kaspersky, the company's chief executive, said that without UAC, Vista will be less secure than Windows XP SP2. "Windows Vista with UAC disabled will be less secure than XP SP2," said Kaspersky, speaking to ZDNet UK at the Ce......
[more] Ireland show internet extremes The top-level domain (TLD) name for government agencies (dot-gov) is the safest domain in terms of worldwide risk assessment which measured the probability of malicious software or nuisance features such as annoying pop-up windows appearing in 256 top-level domains. The SiteAdvisor survey, called Mapping the Mal Web, tested 8.1 million of the most-visited websites which represent more than 95 percent of overall web traffic, according to McAfee. Just over 4 percent......
[more] Vista StickyKeys feature open to hack A Windows feature designed to simplify computing for disabled users could be misused in Vista, a McAfee researcher has reported. Attackers could use this feature, called StickyKeys, to trick a user into launching unauthorised software on the Vista machine, according to Vinoo Thomas, a McAfee researcher who blogged about the issue on Monday. StickyKeys is launched when a Windows user hits a modifier key like Shift or Alt five times. This makes the modifier k......
[more] McAfee ushers in new CEO After watching its boardroom partially emptied by a stock options backdating scandal, McAfee reloads with a new CEO: former EMC and Documentum executive David DeWalt McAfee introduced its newest chief executive on Feb. 5 in its latest step to rebuild the firm's leadership ranks after a 2006 stock options backdating probe that led to the departure of several top officials. The security applications vendor named David DeWalt, 42, a former executive wit......
[more] Mobile malware on the rise, operators report The number of security attacks reported by mobile phone operators in 2006 jumped fivefold over the year before, a McAfee study has said. According to data gleaned from more than 200 mobile operators worldwide, an overwhelming majority - 83 percent - said that their subscribers have been hit by some kind of mobile device infection. "This research clearly demonstrates that mobile security is moving quickly up the industry agenda, with the number o......
[more] Microsoft OneCare fails virus test Microsoft's OneCare security in a test failed to detect or stop 37 malicious programmes on Windows Vista.The independent security certification body Virus Bulletin tested 15 security suites on Windows Vista against a set of malware that is listed in the WildList database."The tests conducted in our secure labs were against the most significant viruses and worms affecting real-world users. In these days of hourly updates, it's always a surprise and a......
[more] McAfee to tackle data loss McAfee is to enter the data loss protection market with software designed to guard sensitive information from unauthorised access and transfer at the network, desktop and notebook levels. The McAfee Data Loss Prevention Host will monitor data leaving the network via e-mail, IM, printed documents, USB drives, CD-ROMs and other methods, says Vimal Solank, senior director of product marketing with McAfee. The software sends up alerts when data deemed sensitive - such as......
[more] Security tools ready for Vista launch Microsoft is promoting Windows Vista as the most secure version of its operating system yet--but it's still recommending outside help to shield against common cyberthreats. All major security software makers, as well as many smaller ones, will have products available for Vista when the operating system is launched to consumers on January 30, Microsoft said Wednesday. That's a different story from last November, when Vista was released for businesses. At tha......
[more] McAfee: Online identity theft dramatically increases Online identity theft has rocketed over the past couple of years as organised gangs switch to the net to commit fraud, new figures show. A McAfee white paper on identity theft found that global internet and computer-based identity fraud had increased by 250 per cent between January 2004 and May 2006.Hackers are using a technique called keylogging to install malicious code onto the user's computer, which tracks typing activity to steal password......
[more] Botnets pose growing online threat Botnets account for 22 per cent of all malware, up from three per cent in 2004, according to research published last week.Security vendor McAfee's Virtual Criminology Report says botnets are the UK's fastest growing online threat, compromising 12 million computers worldwide.A botnet is a number of hijacked computers that forward spam and viruses over the internet to other computers without the user's knowledge.Charlie McMurdie, detective chief inspector at the......
[more] Malware gangs using 'KGB-tactics' to recruit tech grads Organised crime is "grooming" a new generation of would-be cybercriminals using tactics which echo those used by the KGB to recruit operatives at the height of the cold war, according to a new blockbuster study by net security firm McAfee.McAfee's second annual Virtual Criminology report sensationally claims that crime gangs are targeting academic high-fliers in much the way Soviet intelligence agencies recruited spies such as no......
[more] Mcafee Debuts Vista Compatible Products Mcafee recently unveiled the new McAfee VirusScan Enterprise 8.5 and AntiSpyware Enterprise 8.5 support for Microsoft Windows Vista to provide customers with protection from viruses, worms, spyware, adware, rootkits, hacker attacks and exploits. The company said that the updated products not only offer protection, but also do so via a database of signatures, using technology that protects systems from both known and unknown threats on both 32-Bit and 64-B......
[more] Malware wars: Are hackers on top? The money made from malware is eclipsing the revenue of anti-virus vendors, a leading net security vendor claims. Raimund Genes, CTO of anti-malware at Trend Micro, cites FBI figures that IT security problems cost the economy $62bn last year against IDC estimates that the anti-malware market was worth $26bn in 2005.The FBI figures include the cost of clean-up operations, not just the profits accrued by the bad guys. Even taking this into account Genes reckons c......
[more] Some websites reporting common error code contain adware Web surfers are accustomed to seeing a 404 error message when they try to reach a website that is not available. But now hackers are using that common occurrence to their advantage by creating fake sites containing the error message to load spyware and adware, security researchers said today. One particular site - http://404dnserror(dot)com - "tries to install an ActiveX control and the installation message communicates that page is n......
[more] Vista more secure than XP? Most of us who have played with the Aero interface and Flip 3D know how lovely Vista looks. However, is it really more secure than Windows XP? After all, both operating systems still need firewalls and anti-virus protection. I have been using Windows XP for years and I have suffered a virus infection on my PC exactly twice.On one occasion, someone in my household launched one of those bogus "screensavers" which had been sent by email. Even then, that person r......
[more] McAfee announces top 2007 security threats Experts with McAfee Avert Labs predicted today that the top security threats in 2007 will revolve around the increased production of malware by organized criminals in search of monetary gains. In a teleconference today, McAfee executives said that it believes users and administrators will see increased use of sophisticated techniques such as rootkits, polymorphism, parasitic infectors and automated systems with cycling encryption to release new builds i......
[more] Malware goes to the movies Online attackers have started to experiment with embedding malicious code or links to such code in different video formats. On Tuesday, anti-virus firm McAfee warned Windows users that the company had discovered a worm, dubbed W32/Realor, actively infecting Real Media files. The infected video files do not contain an exploit for the RealOne or Real players, but a hyperlink that points to a malicious website. When infected files are opened, the victim is referred to the......
[more] Worm uses Real Media files to infect McAfee is warning of a new worm that modifies Real Media files and launches a malicious website without a user prompt. Once the page is open, the worm can spread over network drives and shared files to "download whatever the (malware) author wants to download," Craig Schmugar, threat researcher with McAfee Avert Labs, told SCMagazine.com on Wednesday.The worm initially infects a user's PC when he or she is duped into downloading an executable that s......
[more] One-Millionth McAfee-Protected msystems U3 Smart Drive Ships McAfee, Inc., the leading dedicated security technology company, and msystems(TM), a leader in smart personal storage, today announced that the one-millionth msystems U3(TM) smart drive bundled with U3 Anti-Virus Powered by McAfee has shipped."This significant milestone shows that consumers want to secure their applications and files wherever they are," said Todd Gebhart, senior vice president worldwide consumer and mobile s......
[more] Time to simplify security software Complex security software that people need to buy in a store or online, then install and manage, should be replaced with a simple shield delivered nearly invisibly with an Internet access account, argues Siilasmaa, the chief executive of F-Secure.The small Finnish security company - it recorded €61.8m in revenue last year - specialises in security as a service. In Europe, it leads the market and provides security software to just over a third of all broad......
[more] Island domains hijacked to send spam Spammers are co-opting the top-level domains (TLDs) of obscure island nations as a new tactic to avoid spam filters, according to McAfee. In the past, spammers have ordinarily used sites with well-known TLDs such as .com or .info to advertise their wares. But McAfee's researchers began to notice a steep rise in the number of junk emails using .st domain names, .st being the TLD for Sao Tome and Principe, islands off Africa's west coast. Digging further, they......
[more] McAfee warns botnets could threaten infrastructure Researchers with McAfee released a whitepaper today that claims botnets could feasibly threaten most countries' infrastructures. Written by McAfee researchers Ken Baylor and Chris Brown, the whitepaper examines the growing problem of botnets through the lens of experience gained while protecting an unnamed Central American country. Botnets had repeatedly attacked the county's national telecommunications company, bringing its infrastructure to it......
[more] Vista security discussions off to bad start Discussions between security vendors and Microsoft over changes made in Vista got off to a bad start yesterday when a technical glitch kept many from joining in online. "Oops," wrote Microsoft product manager Stephen Toulouse in a blog posting. "We had a glitch where we sent out a messed up link. We're very sorry about that, it certainly was not intentional and we definitely see that was not a good thing for people to experience on such......
[more] Microsoft opens Vista for security Microsoft has suddenly announced that it's new Windows Vista operating system will be open to third-party security software - such as McAfee and Norton - to help protect users against malware threats.This comes as a surprise as previously Microsoft had insisted that Microsoft alone would have root access to Vista, essentially locking out security vendors.This would have meant that Microsoft alone would have been reponsible for keeping PC's protected against ma......
[more] Microsoft enters the anti-virus bear-pit Microsoft is setting the cat among the pigeons at this year's Virus Bulletin conference, the big chinwag for the security software industry. Ordinarily, blame for the lamentable state of awareness of internet security has fallen on Redmond, alongside clueless end-users and over-sensationalist journalists. Lately, though, Microsoft has tried to shake off the fall-guy role, and reinvent itself as security industry participant. In May it launched its own se......
[more] Celeb sites now best way to get malware The quickest way to become infected with malware could be to visit a fake celebrity website and not, as is commonly assumed, one dedicated to porn.This is according to a recent report on malware trends published by McAfee that confirms an October 2005 University Of Washington study that suggested celebrity websites had overtaken porn as the favoured means of malware distribution. In fact, the company concurs that porn is now probably only in third place i......
[more] Microsoft engaging with hackers In a few weeks time Microsoft is expected to launch Vista, its new operating system, and in January we will all get to play with the finished version. But how safe will this brave new world be? Given the number of attacks Windows usually attracts it is not surprising that Microsoft has been speaking to anyone they think can help. A team from Microsoft headquarters went to Malaysia for Asia's biggest gathering of hackers - not to confront the enemy - but to throw......
[more] Microsoft and McAfee accuse each other of being driven by commercial factors There's a war of words between Microsoft and McAfee over security products, with both sides accusing each other of being motivated by commercial factors and not security concerns. McAfee decided to take out a full page ad in the Financial Times stating that Microsoft's aim was to see "a world in which one giant company not only controls the systems that drive most computers around the world but also the security t......
[more] Companies told: Guard against new IT security threats or lose millions A failure by companies to adequately defend against IT security threats can cost them millions. And a failure to recognise that these threats are evolving, and the importance of continually upgrading to ensure appropriate security measures are in place, can cost them even more. Viruses, worms and hacking are no longer the only threats that must be tackled."Threats are evolving. We still worry about viruses, but spyware......
[more] Top security priorities revealed Some 'same old, same old' but a few new worries too IT managers are being warned of the threats that are likely to keep them awake nights in 2007, with laptop security, VoIP and the contentious issue of mobile phone viruses all featuring on one organisation's 'hit-list'.The Sans Institute says the greatest concern for businesses should be the security of their laptops as more companies replace desktops with notebooks. The mix of sensitive data being taken out of......
[more] Microsoft 'taking security risks' Microsoft is taking security risks with its forthcoming Vista operating system, says software firm McAfee. The security specialist has taken out a full-page advert in the Financial Times to alert readers to its concerns. It feels the tech giant is increasing risks of hacks and viruses by locking out third-party software firms from its in-built security system for Vista. The row also involves the European Union, which is watching Vista's release for signs of mono......
[more] IT managers weighed down by using too many security products Reseach commissioned by McAfee shows that businesses want security to be more simple A desire for easier management of IT security is being undermined by complex security purchasing strategies, according to research by Ipsos MORI, commissioned by security vendor McAfee.Despite IT managers demanding a single view of IT security, the use of too many security suppliers and products are weighing down businesses, according to the report.The......
[more] UK firms get the IT security message Virtually every UK company has security measures in place to protect business data communications, and spending has reached "massive" levels, according to new research.A report from Point Topic found that barely one per cent of businesses with data access have no specific security measures, corresponding to only 37,000 workplaces in the UK. Average monthly expenditure ranges from £15 to £134 per month at the smallest sites, but leaps to......
[more] Vista release will not be delayed says McAfee Number two security software vendor McAfee is holding discussions with Microsoft over “simple changes” to Windows Vista and believes that the operating system release will not be delayed. The attitude of McAfee stands in stark contrast to the confrontational approach taken by Symantec which has complained to European Commission about the integration of security features by Microsoft into Vista.Symantec also has pending litigation with Microsoft over......
[more] Microsoft nabs another McAfee virus expert Security industry newcomer Microsoft has hired another veteran from McAfee. "Microsoft is very pleased that Jimmy Kuo has joined the company as a senior security researcher with the Security Research & Response team," the representative said. "Microsoft looks forward to his contribution to its efforts to help protect customers from evolving threats." Microsoft did not provide any other details on Kuo's hiring. Kuo joins Vincent......
[more] Botnet operator taps into Google Analytics A botnet operator is using Google Analytics to collect additional details about his network of zombie computers.Google Analytics offers free site visitor statistics, tracking the number individuals that visit a website and their geographic location. The service uses special HTML code embedded into a website that alerts the Google server to visitors.In this case, however, a botnet operator has embedded the code into a variant of the Opanki virus, accord......
[more] Spammers cycling more quickly through domains Usually spam messages contain links to Web sites where recipients can purchase advertised wares. Because anti-spam companies filter for these URLs, spammers are constantly buying new domains and abandoning old ones to get through spam defenses. According to a report released by McAfee on spam trends during August, major spam campaigns are going through 72 percent more domains per hour than one month ago. Additionally, McAfee Avert Labs found recentl......
[more] Celebs bigger than sex in adware war Adware and spyware has risen by 1,000 per cent since 2003 Celebrities are a bigger lure than sex when it comes to getting users to download adware or spyware, according to research by an antivirus vendor.The common view that adult and pornography websites are the most prolific distributors of malware has been challenged by stats collected by McAfee SiteAdvisor. McAfee said that its research proved that adware and spyware distributors are abusing the affi......
[more] McAfee warns of 'SMiShing' attacks Cell phone users should watch out for text messages containing a Web site link which, when visited, could download a Trojan horse, security experts have warned. In a blog posting Friday, McAfee Inc. dubbed the new development "SMiShing," referring to a phishing attack sent via SMS (Short Message Service). Some cell phone users have started receiving an SMS that reads: "We're confirming you've signed up for our dating service. You will be ch......
[more] Security firms develop anti-rootkit tools Antivirus firms Trend Micro and Sophos have developed new tools to discover rootkit infections but both are attacking the problem from a slightly different angle. Rootkits are powerful programs that alter the kernel of an operating system, which allows them to hide certain files or applications from the underlying OS. In April, antivirus firm McAfee said the number of rootkits found by its emergency response team in the first quarter of 2006 had increase......
[more] Microsoft hires McAfee antivirus veteran Antivirus veteran Vincent Gullotto will join industry newcomer Microsoft. Gullotto, former head of McAfee's Antivirus and Vulnerability Emergency Response Team, AVERT, will be general manager of Security Research & Response at Microsoft, a representative for the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant said Wednesday. "Microsoft is very excited that Vincent Gullotto will be joining Microsoft," the representative said. "We look forward to wo......
[more] Microsoft patch numbers hit record high The number of critical flaws in Microsoft software has hit a record high, offering a prime opportunity for hackers to exploit the backlog of unprotected vulnerabilities, according to security experts. So far this year, the software giant has already addressed more critical vulnerabilities than in 2004 and 2005 combined, according to security specialist McAfee. This news follows Microsoft's latest monthly security patch update, issued yesterday, which high......
[more] Skype teams up with McAfee Skype certifies McAfee Internet security suite 2006 Internet communications company Skype has certified McAfee's suite of anti-virus software.McAfee Internet Security Suite 2006, McAfee VirusScan 2006 and McAfee Personal Firewall 2006 have all met Skype's standards for security, quality and usability.The security collaboration will mean files sent using the Skype file transfer function will be easily scanned by McAfee products adding an extra layer of protection t......
[more] More than two dozen Mac flaws fixed Apple patched 26 flaws - a number of which exposed end users to remote code execution - in a software release this week. One critical fix is for a flaw in the Canon RAW format image viewer, which could allow malicious code to run uninvited on a Mac. Other critical patches were for image viewer flaws with GIF and TIFF files. Patches were also released for critical flaws - meaning they could allow malicious code execution - in fetchmail when downloading from a m......
[more] Hackers try to crack Windows PowerShell Virus writers in Austria have reportedly developed malicious code that targets Windows PowerShell, the command line interface shell and scripting language product being developed by Microsoft. Security company McAfee warned this week that it had detected the worm, called MSH/Cibyz. MSH/Cibyz is designed to spread using the Kazaa file-sharing network, and the worm runs in PowerShell, which is due to ship in the second half of this year. PowerShell, formerl......
[more] KaZaa users warned of p2p worm Researchers are warning peer-to-peer (p2p) application users of a new proof-of-concept virus that acts similarly to the W97M/Melissa malware. The virus, MSH/Cibyz, which is based on Windows PowerShell, was released by members of the RRLF virus group, according to an advisory from McAfee. PowerShell is a command line shell and scripting language that runs on Microsoft XP, Windows Server 2003, Vista and Longhorn operating systems. The malware is a low risk to home an......
[more] Microsoft's security meeting causes unease For 10 years, Microsoft has held annual meetings with top antivirus companies; but now the software giant is a rival, some attendees are questioning the meeting's purpose Microsoft likes to keep its friends close - and now security companies are its foes, it may well want to keep those even closer. The software maker has traditionally held meetings with partners to explore common ground. Security has been one area of activity: for almost 10 years, it ha......
[more] McAfee launches its own security publication Called Sage, the publication features news stories, opinion pieces and comprehensive technical articles, all written by members of McAfee Avert Labs, the vendor's security research division. "A lot of other journals talk about what's easily counted," said David Marcus, security research and communications manager for Avert Labs. "We wanted the journal to take sides...We wanted to take a position and not just give out data and statistic......
[more] Websense finds malware with Google Research from Websense Security Labs has found that thousands of pieces of malicious binaries are available on the web.Websense searched Google with Google's own application programming interface to find malicious executables indexed by the search engine.A Google query for 'Signature: 00004550' results in numerous links to executable files. The reason this search works is because when Google indexes the executable file, it passes the PE file format of the......
[more] McAfee threat catalog doubles in less than two years Researchers at McAfee Avert Labs said this week that it took only two years to double the number of malicious threats registered in its vulnerability database. The company said it officially released protection this week for the 200,000th threat in its intrusion prevention database. This milestone was reached in less than two years since the company recorded its 100,000th threat in September 2004."It's remarkable to note that it took 18 y......
[more] Football union scores staff mobility goals The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) plans to upgrade computer systems to enable staff to access email and other applications remotely.The trade union - which advises footballers in England and Wales - expects to replace Windows NT4 and Microsoft Exchange 5.5 servers with systems providing greater functionality to staff based in Manchester, London and Birmingham.By updating IT systems the PFA hopes to introduce remote working applications th......
[more] Will Microsoft corrupt the security sector? With the wreckage of Netscape, Lotus and Borland in its rear-view mirror, Microsoft now seems to have another group of software vendors in its sights, ready to run them down: antivirus vendors. That at least is the accusation made by Alex Eckelberry, chief executive of Sunbelt Software, which makes antispyware products. "It's bad enough that Microsoft is getting in to all aspects of security. But now they are going to kill their competition throu......
[more] Angola wins spam and spyware World Cup Angola may have a better chance of beating Brazil in the World Cup than the bookies first thought, if research from McAfee SiteAdvisor is correct. An analysis of screensaver pages associated with World Cup teams and players found that pages linked with Angola contained the highest percentage of risky websites. The study searched Google for each of the 736 World Cup players, adding the phrase 'World Cup Screensaver' to the search. The results......
[more] Intel Macs vulnerable to 'chip-level' threats Chip-level attacks target a vulnerability in the processor rather than the software Researchers have claimed that "chip-level threats" pose a potential problem for Intel-powered Mac systems.A chip-level attack targets a feature or vulnerability in the processor rather than attacking software as is the case with nearly all today's security threats.Examples of chip-level attacks are rare. The last known serious outbreak dates back to 1998, wh......
[more] Ancient worm runs riot at Infosec Infosec may have hosted mass of secure wireless networks last week, but that didn't mean everything was secure.A quick review of the available wireless networks from Olympia's press office revealed very few open WLAN networks.However, while exhibiting at the show, security risk firm McAfee was able to detect various networks connections that lacked any encryption, so maybe things weren't as rosy as we first suspected. Using its Network intrusion prevention prod......
[more] Virus alerts 'as bad as spam' Alerts generated by antivirus software are as bad as the spam advertising messages that clog up users' email accounts, according to an industry analyst. "Many email security products or services will warn you if they detect a virus in an incoming message. The problem is that these days, most virus-infected email is sent not by users, but by other viruses," said Richi Jennings, an analyst at Ferris Research."It's effectively spam. The viruses will oft......
[more] MS issues Office überpatch Microsoft has patched a variety of vulnerabilities in its ubiquitous Office suite which create a means for hackers to attack vulnerable systems. The critical (cumulative MS06-012) update, along with a security fix (MS06-011) to defend against an "important" privilege escalation flaw in Windows, form a brace of patches issued by Microsoft as part of its regular monthly Patch Tuesday update cycle.The update covers bugs in various versions of Excel including on......
[more] Security standoff over PC-PDA malware code Code for a 'PC to mobile' virus that emerged last week has not been shared between some antivirus researchers and vendors, amid allegations of bullying and untrustworthiness Mobile antivirus researchers and antivirus companies are at loggerheads over access to code for a PC-to-mobile Trojan. The Mobile Antivirus Researchers Association (MARA) said last week that it had received proof-of-concept code last week for Crossover, which MARA claims is malware......
[more] Security fears over London's blanket Wi-Fi Security company McAfee on Tuesday raised security concerns over the City of London's plan to install a Wi-Fi network throughout the Square Mile. The system will be constructed by The Cloud, and should give most of The City's workers always-on wireless access within six months.The Wi-Fi network will be installed in existing street furniture including lamp posts and street signs, and will "allow City workers and visitors with Wi-Fi enabled devices......
[more] MS to omit anti-virus from Vista Microsoft will omit anti-virus protection in Vista, the next version of Windows, which it plans to ship late this year. As with previous versions of Windows dating back to Windows 2000 at least, Redmond is promoting Vista as a landmark improvement in Windows security.
Jim Allchin, co-president of Microsoft's platform products and services division, told reseller magazineCRN that safety and security, improved user experience, and mobility features will be key ad......
[more] McAfee president jumps to Websense McAfee President Gene Hodges has resigned to take the chief executive post at rival security company Websense, the companies announced separately Tuesday. Hodges, whose resignation is effective immediately, marks the latest case of a high-level executive jumping to a competitor. Websense provides Web-filtering security software, while McAfee, predominately known as an antivirus company, has been rapidly expanding its footprint into new areas of the security ma......
[more] Microsoft Confirms Windows Flaw The software giant admits to a security breach to its Windows operating system and offers ways for consumers to steer clear of problems At a time when most people are enjoying a holiday break, computer security experts are on high alert. On Wednesday, Microsoft confirmed that it is investigating a new security vulnerability in the Windows graphics-rendering engine—the part of Windows that turns code into pictures.
Attackers can take control of a Windows PC by lu......
[more] Trojan circulates as fake McAfee patch Experts are warning of a new Trojan that is spreading by masquerading as a patch for McAfee's antivirus software.
Emails have been spammed out pretending to be a security update for a virus called 'Kongos 31' which does not exist. The email contains a link to a web page hosted in the US that looks very similar to the McAfee download page.
"Users receive a spoofed email message instructing them to click on a link to immediately download and install a pat......
[more] Don't fear the Sober, just prepare for it With preparation systems administrators can mitigate the effects of the upcoming worm attack, say experts Security administrators need not worry about the effects of the predicted Sober attack on 5 January, as long as they take precautions and strip infections from their systems, security experts said on Friday.
The impact of the upcoming attack can be mitigated by rooting out the problem at source, according to McAfee.
Because a machine needs to be al......
[more] Hackers publish two more Windows attacks Hackers have given system administrators two more reasons to update users' Windows PCs. Over the past two days, they have published two more samples of software that could be used to attack an unpatched Windows system, bringing the tally of new Windows attacks released into circulation this week to four.
The latest examples, posted to the French Security Incident Response Team (FrSIRT) Web site on Wednesday (http://www.frsirt.com/exploits/20051130.MS05......
[more] Latest Sober threatens e-mail gateways The latest Sober worm, first spotted over the weekend, has generated the vast majority of virus-laden e-mail traffic in the past 24 hours and could cause problems for corporate e-mail gateways, security companies said. This variant of Sober generates e-mails that purport to be from the CIA or FBI. These messages tell the recipient they have been looking at illegal Web sites and should answer some questions in the e-mail's attachment. If the attachment is o......
[more] Sober Virus Clones Taunt AV Vendors A new batch of Sober virus clones has been spammed around the world to seed botnets for malicious use, anti-virus vendors warned Tuesday.
The appearance of the latest threat comes 24 hours after law enforcement authorities in Germany predicted the Sober mutants would appear as e-mail attachments in German or English.
According to F-Secure Corp., an anti-virus vendor based in Finland, at least four new versions of the virus have been detected. All are capabl......
[more] Sophos exceeds growth expectations Global security provider is set to build on its successes with forthcoming firewall and adware detection launches Sophos, a world leader in protecting business against viruses, spyware and spam, today announced an increase in annual turnover of 19.2% to £66.2 million ($122.6 million USD) for the year ending March 2005. Sophos has achieved year-on-year growth, ahead of the industry average, thanks to strong market demand for its integrated IT security solutions.......
[more] Virus Writer Targets AV Vendors A virus writer released malicious code that ridicules anti-virus vendors and the Sasser worm author. A virus writer apparently seeking notoriety instead of financial gain has released malicious code that ridicules anti-virus vendors and Sasser worm author Sven Jaschan, a security firm said Friday.
The Lebreat-D virus, which is rated a low threat, creates in infected computers a JPEG image file of Jaschan, a German teenager recently convicted of authoring the wide......
[more] Is there method in Microsoft's security buys? While Microsoft's latest deals show it's committed to building its security muscle, some analysts say the company needs to focus on a clearer and more productive strategy. The software maker said it was making security its top priority when it launched its Trustworthy Computing Initiative three years ago. Since then, it has overhauled its in-house development to bolster security and has put its $38 billion war chest to work. It has been buying antiv......
[more] Are Virus Writers Creating a Super Worm? Recent rash of Mytob worm variants has some security experts concerned. Virus writers responsible for the recent rash of Mytob worm variants could be working on creating a super worm, a security researcher warns.
The "HellBot" group behind the Mytob worms write programming instructions in their code that mirror the way developers work, says Sophos Security Consultant Carole Theriault.
"The only conclusion we can come up with is that they are working on......
[more] Hackers turning away from Windows In the first quarter of 2005 software such as iTunes, as well as antivirus applications, came under particularly focused attack Online criminals turned their attention to antivirus software and media players in the first three months of 2005, as they sought new ways to take control of peoples' computers, according to a survey released on Monday.
Hackers continued to poke new holes in Microsoft's popular Windows operating system, but they increasingly exploited......
[more] Hackers aren't just picking on Microsoft Online criminals turned their attention to antivirus software and media players like Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes in the first three months of 2005 as they sought new ways to take control of users' computers, according to a survey released on Monday.
While hackers continued to poke new holes in Microsoft Corp.'s popular Windows operating system, they increasingly exploited flaws in software made by other companies as well, the nonprofit SANS Institute f......
[more] Unpatched machines 'Net's biggest threat' Most Internet-connected computers don't have up-to-date software with the latest security holes patched, and this is fuelling a rise in cybercrime, according to McAfee Unpatched computers continue to represent the IT world's biggest security problem, keeping threats that target software vulnerabilities at the top of McAfee's latest industry analysis.
In its report covering security threats during the first quarter, McAfee's Anti-virus and Vulnerability......
[more] McAfee Antivirus vulnerability published ISS has published details of the fifth security flaw in major antivirus software in two months, but this one shouldn't affect those who have patched their systems recently For the fifth time in two months, security researchers have publicised a serious flaw in a widely used virus-scanning program.
The vulnerability affects McAfee's Antivirus Library, a collection of common code shared among the security software company's various virus scanners, includin......
[more] SurfControl rides the spyware wave But warns time is running out for anybody favouring "buy" rather than "build" as an entry strategy... SurfControl last week signed a $6.8m deal for the intellectual property of threat management firm Apreo which hands the UK firm a market-ready spyware protection product. Today the company's EMEA president told silicon.com he believes SurfControl has stolen a march on its competitors.
The deal makes SurfControl the latest security vendor to add spyware protec......
[more] Industry unites against IM spam Days after the first arrest for instant-messaging spam, an innovative software product has been launched to help counter the menace of 'spim' Back in December, instant-messaging (IM) management company IMLogic partnered with security companies McAfee and Sybari (recently acquired by Microsoft) to build IMLogic's Threat Center, which aims to protect users from peer-to-peer and IM threats, such as viruses, worms, spim and malicious code. The centre monitors honeypot......
[more] Microsoft's security strategy pilloried The software giant should be concentrating on securing Windows instead of trying to squeeze security firms out of the market, according to Gartner Microsoft has bought two antivirus companies and an antispyware company -- the latter acquisition has already produced an antispyware application for Windows -- since Bill Gates launched the Trustworthy Computing Initiative, which changed coding practices to make security Microsoft's first priority.
However, Ga......
[more] Long fuse for Microsoft's security challenge As security companies brushed off any immediate threat from Microsoft's plan to give away anti-spyware tools, analysts noted that the software giant could yet become a force in the security market. On Wednesday, security business leaders responded to Microsoft's announcement of its plan at RSA Conference 2005 by challenging the company's ability to offer technology that rivals existing tools. In that, they echoed Symantec CEO John Thompson, who said......
[more] Microsoft acquisition adds to anti-virus, anti-spam arsenal Microsoft last week made another acquisition to strengthen its anti-virus and anti-spam strategy and signal corporate customers that it plans to increase protection for desktops and servers.
The question now is how will Microsoft pull together all the disparate technology it has acquired and been developing over the past 18 months? Microsoft bought anti-virus and anti-spam vendor Sybari Software for an undisclosed sum last week, addi......
[more] Vendors exit anti-spyware group An anti-spyware consortium is on the verge of collapse after admitting 180solutions, the controversial adware firm. to its ranks. CA, Alluria and Webroot, all founding members of the Consortium of Anti-Spyware Technology vendors (Coast) have resigned, citing a lack of faith in its ability to develop effective anti-spyware standards.
180solutions, which describes itself as a provider of search marketing solutions, was allowed to join as a developer member of Coas......
[more] Another Worm Hits Online Tsunami Relief Another worm has emerged in the wild, preying on the generosity of those trying to donate to the Tsunami relief effort.
Multiple security firms, including McAfee, TrendMicro, Sophos and Symantec, today are reporting the discovery of the worm. McAfee and Symantec call it W32.Zar.A@mm, Trend Micro calls it WORM_ZAR.A and Sophos calls it W32/VBSun-A.
The worm usually has the subject line "Tsunami Donation! Please help" and includes an attachment named ts......
[more] Microsoft move sends shivers through antivirus market It released antispyware and virus-removal tools yesterday The stocks of major antivirus software vendors traded lower after Microsoft Corp. yesterday announced the release of beta antispyware technology it bought in December and said it would begin giving away an improved tool to remove worms and viruses from its customers' computers.
Symantec Corp.'s share price was down by more than 6% yesterday, and rival McAfee Inc.'s shares fell by abou......
[more] Netsky Takes The Biggest Worm Of 2004 Award Although getting anti-virus vendors to agree is like getting Bill O'Reilly and Michael Moore to share a cab, it seems Netsky has the dubious honor of taking the top spot of most 2004 threat rankings.
According to Helsinki-based security firm F-Secure, Netsky.p, a variation that debuted in March 2004, was the most common piece of malicious code in the wild, accounting for nearly one in four (24.3 percent) viruses or worms. Four other Netsky variants m......
[more] Are Security Vendors Tricking XP SP2? Windows Security Center may not know when your antivirus definitions are out of date. Microsoft says its Service Pack 2 update adds an additional layer of security to Windows XP-based PCs. However, recent PCW tests seem to show that at least two major security suites are crippling SP2's ability to offer users accurate security information.
SP2, which Microsoft rolled out in August, includes the new Windows Security Center. This feature alerts users when the......
[more] Zafi worm will deliver an unhappy Christmas A new version of the Zafi e-mail worm is spreading seasonal greetings along with its malicious code, according to antivirus software companies. Zafi.D is a mass-mailing worm that arrives in a Zip file attached to e-mail messages with the subject "Merry Christmas." Instead of a gift, however, the e-mail package delivers worm code that infects Windows systems on which it is opened.
Antivirus companies have issued warnings about the new worm and updated......
[more] Cheat Sheet: Virus names and alerts Is a yellow warning on MyDoom.O better, worse or the same as a level 2 warning on MyDoom.P?
OK, well I know what computer viruses are so this should be straightforward - the name is just how they are distinguished from one another and the warning is an indication of how problematic things are at a given time?
Exactly. It really is that simple.
So what's the problem?
The problem is that things tend not to be so simple in practice. Often warnings for the sam......
[more] Virus writers undeterred by Microsoft bounty There's too much money to be made from malware say AV firms... Antivirus companies say malware writers are undeterred by Microsoft’s $250,000 bounty after discovering another variant of the mass-mailing worm MyDoom over the weekend.
Since the start of 2004, the people responsible for creating MyDoom and Netsky have released on average more than one new variant every week. The latest version includes a message warning antivirus researchers to expect m......
[more] Anti-Virus Can Be Tricked By Hackers The anti-virus detection engines of several big-name vendors, including McAfee and Computer Associates, can be fooled by hackers, a U.S.-based security intelligence firm warned Tuesday.
According to an advisory posted by iDefense, a Reston, Va.-based vulnerability intelligence provider, the bug could let hackers slip their malicious code past the anti-virus defenses thrown up by McAfee, Computer Associates, Kaspersky Labs, Sophos, Eset, and RAV. (The last i......
[more] Portuguese Netsky rates a medium risk Virus hunters at McAfee have identified a new variant of the Netsky virus and rate it as a medium risk. Like other Netsky viruses, the W32/Netskyag@MM offshoot uses an e-mail to gain entry and install itself into several files via the Windows directory. Once installed, it harvests e-mail addresses from the infected machine and sends out copies of itself in messages that look like they're from people on the e-mail database in the infected computer.
The viru......
[more] Intrusion prevention 'is key' McAfee and IoD urge SMEs to set up proper security management policies Security vendor McAfee has joined forces with the Institute of Directors (IoD) to educate SMEs on the need to switch from anti-virus to intrusion-prevention technology.
Research released by the two organisations, which questioned 1,240 SMEs in the UK, revealed that 57 per cent have suffered damage as a result of a virus, with half attributing this to misuse of technology by employees.
Viruses a......
[more] New MyDoom virus spreads quickly The new attack sent millions of additional queries to Google, resulting in error messages for some users trying to conduct searches, virus experts said. The site was running normally by midday. A new version of the MyDoom computer virus targeted to attack Internet search engines spread so quickly Monday morning that some Web surfers received error messages when attempting to use Google.
The timing of the news was bad for Google, which on Monday announced detail......
[more] Antivirus companies warn about Bagle.AG threat Antivirus companies are warning of another virulent new version of the Bagle e-mail worm, dubbed Bagle.AG.
The new Bagle version was first detected Saturday and is very similar to earlier versions of the worm, which spread through shared file folders and in e-mail messages carrying the worm file as an attachment, according to advisories from Sophos PLC and McAfee Inc. McAfee rated the virus a "medium" threat, citing reports from several customers.......
[more] The network is the security Remember computing in the 1980s? This was an era when stand-alone IBM mainframes and VAX minicomputers dominated the computing landscape. Each system ran an application or two for a specific constituency. Application and data integration was so cumbersome that few companies had the skills, budgets or stomachs to attempt it. Mainframes and minicomputers were truly data-processing islands.
Fast-forward to 2004, and network security looks a lot like the host-based comp......
[more] New Bobax worm copies Sasser exploit It's spreading slowly but get patched anyway… A new worm that turns infected computers into launch pads for spam and other attacks is making the rounds, according to antivirus experts.
Bobax, which was discovered on Sunday, uses the same Microsoft security vulnerability as the fast-spreading Sasser worm, but it looks to be slower.
Craig Schmugar, virus research manager for McAfee Alert Antivirus Centre, said: "The seriousness of Bobax is about a three......
[more] Antivirus Firms Warn Of Growing 'Bot' Networks While the recent Sasser worm attacks caught the attention of security professionals, security experts are warning that a more lethal and stealthy class of malicious applications are running amok throughout the Internet.
Known by many names, including "Agobot," "Polybot," and "Phatbot," these hacker-attack tools sometimes act as worms or even as backdoors into users' systems so hackers can control the systems or steal information. They're also o......
[more] Wallon Worm Deceives Users New threat exploits long-patched flaw in Internet Explorer. Antivirus experts are warning users about a new worm called Wallon that uses deceptive Web links to Yahoo.com to trick users into downloading malicious programs.
Wallon first appeared last Friday and spreads in e-mail messages. Antivirus companies report increased instances of the worm this week, and say users could be tricked by its e-mail messages, which do not contain virus-infected file attachments.......
[more] Why Are Virus Writers So Tough To Catch? The fight to rout Sasser and its ilk is fraught with ethical ambiguities. "Out of the 75,000 viruses that are written each year, all but 1,000 never infect anybody. So is it a crime to just write a virus?" asked David Perry of Trend Micro. "We are an open society. Do we give up all those [liberties] that make us Americans?" The Sasser worm author has confessed. Great, say many in the beleaguered tech industry. But why don't the authorities responsible for......
[more] Despite arrest, new variant of Sasser worm appears Despite the arrest Friday of the suspected author of the Sasser worm which affected millions of computers worldwide last week, a new variant of the worm appeared Sunday, according to computer security organizations. Despite the arrest Friday of the suspected author of the Sasser worm which affected millions of computers worldwide last week, a new variant of the worm appeared Sunday, according to computer security organizations.
This shows t......
[more] Patch now or suffer Sasser 'Dark forecast' as Windows users warned of new family of viruses Microsoft customers are being urged to update their patches to protect against a family of internet worms that are spreading fast by exploiting a vulnerability in Windows.
The Sasser worms exploit the Windows Local Security Authority Subsystem Service flaw, about which Microsoft has already advised users. Four variants of the worm have been reported since 1 May.
Security software firm McAfee warned t......
[more] Too many computer users vulnerable to viruses, says Microsoft attorney As much as Microsoft works to protect its software from hackers and other Internet threats, there is one aspect of computer security it cannot control: getting people to use antivirus software.
The company is concerned that 70 percent of consumer personal computers do not have updated antivirus protection, said Brad Smith, Microsoft's chief lawyer, in a keynote speech to lawyers yesterday.
"It is such an obvious thre......
[more] 'Osama' Spam Onslaught Leads to Trojan A persistent new spam campaign that purports to show recipients pictures of Osama bin Laden being captured is in fact a ruse that could lead victims to download a malicious Trojan.
The e-mails have been flooding inboxes all over the Internet since Thursday, carrying a subject line that reads: "Osama bin Laden Captured." The sending address is spoofed, and the messages often appear in tightly grouped batches of eight or 10 e-mails at a time. The text of......
[more] New Netsky worms change their stripes New versions of the Netsky e-mail worm are spreading on the Internet and may be the work of a different author than previous editions of that worm, according to anti-virus software companies.
Netsky.S appeared on Monday and Netsky.T was detected Tuesday. They are the 19th and 20th editions of an e-mail virus that first appeared in February. Unlike earlier variants, the new Netsky strains open "back doors" on machines they infect, prompting at least one......
[more] Net watchers wary of Sasser fallout Although the damage wrought by Sasser failed to reach the levels of MSBlast and other major infections, security experts are warning that there could still be more trouble to come from the worm. One researcher said Thursday that the group of online vandals suspected of creating both the Sasser worm and several variations of the Netsky virus could combine the two threats.
The resulting blended threat could dodge security inside corporate systems via e-mail......
[more] Europe Vulnerable to Virus Attack Despite the rampant spread of Internet viruses, many European businesses are still not using anti-virus software or keeping it up to date, according to a new study by McAfee Security.
McAfee surveyed 500 small to medium-sized businesses in the UK, Italy, Netherlands, France, Germany and Spain.
In the UK and France, only about 40 percent of companies surveyed said they have been keeping their anti-virus software up to date. In Italy, about 46 percent of......
[more] Bugwatch: The virus avalanche Take cover - here comes another MyDoom/Netsky/Bagle variant ... Each week vnunet.com asks a different expert to give their views on recent virus and security issues, with advice, warnings and information on the latest threats.
This week Jack Clark, technical consultant at McAfee Security, considers the deluge of recent virus activity and how security firms and users can protect themselves from further attacks.
The last eight weeks have been among the busiest th......
[more] Spawn of Bagle and Netsky roil Internet Serial worm outbreaks continued on Tuesday as new variants of the Bagle and Netsky e-mail worms spread on the Internet. Since Monday, antivirus companies identified two new versions of the Bagle worm, dubbed Bagle.H and Bagle.I, and a new version of the Netsky worm, Netsky.E, just hours after five new versions of Bagle and Netsky.D, a virulent new take on that worm, were released, antivirus companies said.
The new worms versions were rated "low" threat......
[more] Five new Bagles spreading Five new variants of the Bagle worm were released into the wild over the weekend, with two causing particular problems for enterprise antivirus software scanner technology, say experts Bagle versions C, D, E, F and G started propagating over the weekend and although the first three are very similar to the original Bagle--being spread through e-mail and infecting PCs of users who open the attachment--Bagle.F and Bagle.G are designed to slip past most enterprise antivirus......
[more] Netsky.B could be pesky, virus experts say A new virus called Netsky.B surfaced Wednesday, travelling quickly enough to earn a medium-risk rating from virus makers. Anti-virus analysts at Trend Micro, McAfee Security and Symantec Corp. have all issued moderate alerts.
Netsky.B, technically a "worm" that infects machines when a file attached to an e-mail is opened, has its own mailing engine and mass-mails itself to addresses it finds not only on the victim's machine, but also on shared (netw......
[more] Cheesy new Bagle virus has little bite Yet another new Internet mass-mailer worm was reported spreading in the wild on Tuesday, Bagle.B, also known as Tanx-A, and dubbed by some as Goldfinger (because it saves itself as a file au.exe, and au is the periodic symbol for gold).
It’s not another Mydoom however, although like it, it does have a remote access component. Network Associates’ McAfee AVERT anti-virus research division raised its risk assessment of Bagle.B, but only to Medium, whereas M......
[more] 'Robin Hood' virus on the loose Nachi worm adds another string to its bow A new variant of the Nachi worm is patching PCs that are vulnerable to MyDoom.A.
Nachi B, also known as Welchi, copies itself onto systems using the same flaw as MyDoom.A, as a file named 'Svchost.exe'.
It then attempts to delete MyDoom and downloads patches to fix the security hole.
Carole Theriault, security consultant at Sophos, said: "It's an interesting case - some kind of Robin Hood virus.
"We're seeing......
[more] 'Protect PCs' Microsoft users told Security experts have warned PC users running Microsoft Windows to make sure their anti-virus software is updated It comes after Microsoft earlier said that a critical flaw in its latest versions of Windows operating systems could leave PCs vulnerable to hackers.
It has urged home users and firms to download the free software repair patch from its website to fix it.
If users do not download the patch, and protect their computers, they could be left open......
[more] Zipped Files Can Zap Antivirus Apps Compressed folders can hide worms, viruses, and more, experts warn E-mail users who were slow to update their antivirus software last week may have been surprised to receive a flood of e-mail messages containing .zip files from long lost acquaintances, business partners, and complete strangers.
The e-mail was sent by the recent Mydoom e-mail worm. The .zip attachments were evidence of what antivirus experts say is a new trend in virus writing circles: u......
[more] Clues point to single MyDoom culprit The two versions of the MyDoom virus may have the same parent, according to a security researcher The name "andy" left in the code by the author of the MyDoom virus links the original program released a week ago with the B variant sent out two days later, Jimmy Kuo, McAfee fellow for security company Network Associates, said on Monday.
Other hints, including numbers that appear to designate the version of the program, indicate that the fast-spreading vir......
[more] Sophos beats rivals in VeriTest analysis Sophos Anti-Virus provides most frequent virus updates, fastest scanning speed and shortest installation time Sophos, a world leader in anti-virus and anti-spam protection for businesses, today announced that in a competitive analysis of enterprise anti-virus applications conducted by VeriTest, a division of Lionbridge Technologies, Sophos Anti-Virus led competitor solutions in several key areas including most frequent virus updates in both manual and aut......
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