Microsoft today released updates to sew up at least seven vulnerabilities in Windows and other software. The sole “critical” update in the bunch patches a particularly dangerous flaw in all supported versions of Windows that allows attackers to seize control over vulnerable systems remotely without authentication.
Hacked and phished email accounts increasingly are serving as the staging grounds for bank fraud schemes targeting small businesses. The scams are decidedly low-tech and often result in losses of just a few thousand dollars, but the attacks frequently succeed because they exploit existing trust relationships between banks and their customers.
Last month, scam artists hijacked private email accounts belonging to three different customers of Western National Bank, a small financial institution with seven branches throughout Central and West Texas. In each case, the thieves could see that the victim had previously communicated with bank personnel via email.
Half of all “rogue” online pharmacies — sites that sell prescription drugs without requiring a prescription — got their Web site names from just two domain name registrars, a study released today found. The findings illustrate the challenges facing Internet policymakers in an industry that is largely self-regulated and rewards companies who market their services as safe havens for shadowy businesses.
Underground Web sites can be a useful barometer for the daily volume of criminal trade in goods like stolen credit card numbers and hijacked PayPal or eBay accounts. And if the current low prices at one of Underweb’s newer and… Read More »
Millions of PCs sickened by a global computer contagion known as DNSChanger were slated to have their life support yanked on March 8. But an order handed down Monday by a federal judge will delay that event by 120 days to give companies, businesses and governments more time to respond to the epidemic.
The reprieve came late Monday, when the judge overseeing the U.S. government’s landmark case against an international cyber fraud network agreed that extending the deadline was necessary “to continue to provide remediation details to industry channels approved by the FBI.”
For the second time in less than a month, Adobe has issued an update to fix dangerous flaws in its Flash Player software. The update addresses two vulnerabilities rated “critical,” but Adobe says it is not aware of active attacks against either flaw.
KrebsOnSecurity.com earned two honors this week at the RSA Security Conference. For the second year running, it was voted the blog that best represents the security industry by judges at the Social Security Bloggers Awards. I was also recognized for the Security Bloggers Hall of Fame award, alongside noted security expert Bruce Schneier.
A new version of the Personal Software Inspector (PSI) tool from vulnerability management firm Secunia automates the updating of third-party programs that don’t already have auto-updaters built-in. The new version is a welcome development for Internet users who are still searching their keyboards for the “any” key, but experienced PSI users will probably want to stick with the current version.
Millions of computers infected with the stealthy and tenacious DNSChanger Trojan may be spared a planned disconnection from the Internet next month if a court approves a new request by the U.S. government. Meanwhile, six men accused of infecting and managing the huge collection of hacked PCs are expected to be extradited from their native Estonia to face charges in the United States.
Scott Henry scoured the Web for a good deal on buying TurboTax. His search ended at Blvdsoftware.com, which advertised a great price and an instant download. But when it came time to install the software, Henry began to have misgivings about the purchase, and reached out KrebsOnSecurity for a gut-check on whether trusting the software with his tax information was a wise move.
Five days after Henry purchased the product, blvdsoftware.com vanished from the Internet.
