Viruses and malware issues are far from being a thing of the past. On the contrary, they seem to grow large by numbers as each day passes. Thus the works of security software companies have their work cut out for them. There is not definite date to which such threats and intrusions would wholly be resolved.

For the time being, it would be advisable for people to scan third party storage devices such as diskettes, USB drives and mobile storages to be safe and sound. These wandering viruses can attack at any time and this is a fact anywhere computer related materials are concerned.

Files can go as far as infecting the executable files, hence document, excel and compiled scripts are baits for immediate infection and malicious intrusions. Software applications also have their limits as their development teams cater only to a specific genre for known harmful files. But it is better to lower the risk of intrusion than not having protection at all.

[tags]scan, spyware, virus, infections, spyware, malware, trojans[/tags]

Tags: infections, Malware, scan, Spyware, trojans, virus

Categories: Backups, IT Security Basics, Malware, Network Security, Operating Systems, Programming, Real-World Issues, Security Policies, Spyware, Storage, Tips, Wireless Security

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Not everyone hates worms – the natural kind, that is. I still remember classmates from grade school (even high school!) who grossed out everyone else by eating worms in their natural state. I am talking about a different kind of worm here, though; the kind that everyone hates; computer worms.

Pretty soon, we just might have ants on our side to combat the threat that worms pose year in and year out. Researchers in the field of IT security have been working on a project to combat worms, drawing their inspiration from the common ant. The Daily Tech tells the story:

Security researchers found inspiration in the common ant. Describes Wake Forest University Professor of Computer Science Errin Fulp, “In nature, we know that ants defend against threats very successfully. They can ramp up their defense rapidly, and then resume routine behavior quickly after an intruder has been stopped. We were trying to achieve that same framework in a computer system.”

WFU created digital “ants” — utilities that migrate from computer to computer over networks searching for threats. When one locates a threat, others congregate on it, using so-called “swarm intelligence”. The approach allows human researchers to quickly identify and quarantine dangerous files by watching the activity of the ants.

The implications are tremendous. Anti-virus software that is commonly used today usually take up a lot of resources, and make computers slow down. With this new technology, we just might see a whole new breed of anti-virus programs. While everything is in the research and development phase still, it does give us a bright future in terms of fighting malware!

Tags: antivirus, ants, it-security, Malware, worms

Categories: Malware, News

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From Internet Explorer to Mozilla Firefox to Google Chrome – that’s the path that many computer users have followed in the past years. Personally, I have stuck to Mozilla but I do use Chrome every now and then when I want things to go much faster. But did you know that Google’s streamlined browser has its share of security issues as well?

This is not really that surprising. After all, most any product you see in the market will be exploited by those who want to do so. In any case, Google has come out with updates to their browser, making it more secure for us users.

The most recent update for Google Chrome fixes some issues on how the browser handles Javascript and XML. For the Javascript engine, the fix makes sure that an infected web site will not allow malicious Javascript to run arbitrary code. You and I know very well that the phrase “run arbitrary code” simply translates to “install malware.” With this problem supposedly fixed, Chrome is definitely safer.

Another fix deals with the possibility of a web page using XML to, again, run arbitrary code. This happens when the malicious XML crashes a Chrome tab.

Last, the Chrome update will not allow you to connect to “HTTPS (SSL) sites whose certificates are signed using MD2 or MD4 hashing algorithms.” The reason for this is that these algorithms are prone to hacking and that it is relatively easy to pose as a fake HTTPS site.

For more detailed info, read it from Google’s own blog.

Photo courtesy of Ivan Zlatev

Categories: General, Google Chrome, Malware, News

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Last week, I found myself craving for Spam – the kind that you put in between two slices of nice white bread. The moment I checked my Inbox, though, my feeling towards spam – in general; food or e-mail related – changed drastically. For some reason, I keep getting these e-mails about Viagra and winning the lotto. And I am talking about my WORK e-mail here, not my personal e-mail! Seriously, I don’t understand why these people keep sending out these e-mails when everyone knows they’re SPAM and that they amount to NOTHING! No one pays attention to these e-mails, right?

Well, apparently, some people do! According to a survey conducted by Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group, 1 out of 6 people in the United States and Canada respond to spam e-mails. I know, this is simply unbelievable, isn’t it?

In this day and age, why would anyone still fall for these scams? Haven’t we learned anything at all? No wonder that these scammers continue to send out their e-mails! I mean, just one or two people who respond to their bait might give them the profit that they are out for.

To be fair, the scammers are getting more and more creative. They also take advantage of the hottest things happening. For example, around the time of Michael Jackson’s death, there was an astronomical increase in e-mails about him – a lot of these were spam. Even those who are normally careful were lured into opening these e-mails and clicking away.

Bottom line: spam might be here for a while. Make sure you are careful and don’t be cocky (like me) – you never know what might hit you!

Categories: E-mail, Malware, News

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The world of cyber-crime has grown so much in these past few years due to the explosion of growth with respect to the number of internet users the world over. It has not only expanded on the side of normal people but on the side of cyber-criminals who now operate on their own networks, spanning the globe and ready to spread their products, malicious code that first scans the globe for weak points in the security net that we all put up to somewhat give us a sense of security from the ever-growing threat which is actually futile to some extent. Read the rest of this entry »

Categories: General, IT Security Basics, Malware, Network Security, News, Real-World Issues, Security Policies

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Cool! But wait – Microsoft is giving away something for FREE? Am I dreaming? You better believe it, though. The software giant is jumping into the freeware fray with their latest security product. Dubbed Microsoft Security Essentials, the program is designed to detect, find, and kill malicious software that might find its way into your computers.

The beta version will be released next week. In the meantime, the company is continuing to develop the full version of the product, which is slated to be released in the fall. The security software is not going to be bundled with Windows 7, as this may provoke anti-trust issues, which Microsoft has had more than its share of. Still, critics have not been slow to point out that the description of the product is flawed and misleading.

David Cole of Symantec has stated that it is NOT an essential security solution. He also pointed out that users still need protection such as firewalls, spam fighters, and other features that are included in subscription products.

So what does Microsoft Security Essentials really offer? According to Theresa Burch, the program will try to spot malicious software, even if it is not part of the database of known threats. Once the suspicion of the software is aroused, it will first check with online servers before allowing the program to run. Users do not have to worry about the program interfering with trusted sources, however, as there will be a list of those, such as Google Toolbar.

I think I’ll see what it has to offer next week.

Categories: General, Malware, News, Spyware

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What in the world is an acai berry? If you are into fad diets, then you probably have heard of the acai berry. It is purported to be the next wonder drug, which is all natural by the way. It is supposed to make you lose weight like no other substance in existence. It is also supposed to make you feel better and younger because of its curative properties.

Anyhow, I have nothing against the acai berry fad per se. I mean, these fads come and do and it’s up to you if you want to try them or not. What is happening to me is another story, however. You see, I have somehow been victimized by the acai berry virus (or so I’d like to call it) on Yahoo messenger.

I didn’t have any inkling as to what was happening until I suddenly got this slew of offline messages last week. People on my contact list – even those with whom I had not spoken for months and months – suddenly started sending me offline messages. Their messages seemed to be in reply to something I had sent.

Yesterday, an old friend sent me an SMS saying that I might have a virus. He said that I kept sending him messages on Yahoo Messenger about this acai berry thing. Obviously, it was not me.

I am pretty sure that I am not alone in this thing. I have scoured the web for similar reports and have found a lot of other people complaining of the same thing! The solution? I scanned my laptop for malware using Spybot last night. I am about to scan again using Avast. Then I am changing my passwords. Let’s see if I can get rid of this thing.

Any suggestions?

Categories: IM, Instant Messaging, Malware, Real-World Issues

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If there is one thing that a lot of people do but deny doing so, it is buying fake software. This is actually understandable if you think about it. Licensed software is just so expensive and with the way things are going financially right now, people are always looking for ways to save a dime here and there. And if you buy unlicensed software, you will definitely save more than a dime!

Then again, if you are talking about security software, I do not really think that it is such a good idea to buy fake software. After all, you are talking about staying safe here, and who knows where all that fake software comes from?

Microsoft has actually issued statements regarding fake security software. Naturally, many will be skeptical about the statements – it is from the largest software company in the world. Of course they will tell you to stay away from fake products, right?

But they do have a very valid point, one which we will all benefit from. Canada.com has a report on this:

Fake computer security software, created by cyber criminals as smokescreens for viruses, is the No. 1 threat to computer security in Canada, software giant Microsoft said Wednesday in its latest biannual security report.

And experts blame hackers for playing on people’s fears of infectious malicious software, such as the Conficker worm.

According to Microsoft’s report, rogue security software, also called scareware, was found in 5.9 million computers, a rise of 66 per cent in the last six months.

What should you do? Make sure you are buying 100% legit software.

“If you see a message pop up (from a website) no matter how dire it is don’t click on it because almost 100 per cent of the time that message is a fake message,” said Mohammad Akif.

“Norton, Symatec, Microsoft — none of these companies sell their software this way.”

Sounds like a plan to me!

Categories: General, IT Security Basics, Malware, Spyware, Tips

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If you remember, everyone was up in arms about April 1. This was supposed to be the day that the third version of the Conficker worm was to be released. It’s been several days since April Fools and it seems that nothing big happened. (Knock on wood.)

So what’s up with the Conficker worm? Is it’s reign over? Can we sit back and relax now? According to PC World, no one really knows. They just published a story on it yesterday and here is what they have to say:

But nobody knows for sure what Conficker can accomplish. However, at the time of this writing no Conficker-related catastrophes have surfaced and some think the threat never will. So as attention shifts away from Conficker, it’s important to know where we stand against the world’s most famous piece of malware.

While nothing has happened in the last week, we should not forget that the other 2 versions of the worm is still out there. And if your computer is not protected, you are still a sitting duck.

One thing that I recently learned, you can still access the security patch for the worm even if your operating system is not the real deal (READ: pirated). Data shows that the highest densities of Conficker infections are in areas which have pirated software. And while no one condoning the use of illegal software, “pirates” can still download the security patch directly from Microsoft. So while we don’t know what’s going on with Conficker, we should still be careful.

Categories: Malware, News, Operating Systems

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And the joke will be on whom? It is not a good joke, actually. In fact, if it indeed happens, it will be one of the worst jokes in cyber security. The Conficker worm has been the subject of many discussions and the target of many security experts’ attention; and rightly so. This worm has infected millions and millions of machines worldwide and has proved to be a headache.

Now, the rumor is that on April’s Fools Day of this year, the third version of the worm will be activated. Those behind the worm designed the first two versions to spread like wildfire. According to experts, those two versions are nothing compared to the third one, 32.Downadup.C, which is supposed to “solidify its position.”

The good news is that the first two versions of the Conficker worm have been thoroughly scrutinized and reverse engineered by security experts. These activities have given them an understanding of how the worm works. The bad news is that the creators of the virus know this, and they will definitely work on creating a “better” version this time around.

Experts say that while the first two versions are able to contact 32 web addresses out of 250 per attempt, the third version could probably generate about 500 domains. More so, the activation of the third version will mean that computers that are already infected can connect to each other AND receive updates of the worm. Worse, the third version will probably be able to fight off security bots. This is more than enough reason to be ultra careful come April 1.

Photo from http://nuevayolblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/conficker.png

Categories: Malware, Real-World Issues, Tips

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