McAfee just published the sixth edition of its Security Journal, which includes a lengthy piece I wrote about the pros and cons of taking down Internet service providers and botnets that facilitate cyber criminal activity. The analysis focuses on several historical examples of what I call “shuns” and “stuns,” or taking out rogue networks either by ostracizing them, or by kneecapping their infrastructure in a coordinated surprise attack, respectively.
I recently highlighted a study which showed that most of the top third-party software applications failed to take advantage of two major lines of defense built into Microsoft Windows that can help block attacks from hackers and viruses. As it turns out, a majority of anti-virus and security products made for Windows users also forgo these valuable security protections.
Thieves recently attached bank card skimmers to gas pumps at more than 30 service stations along several major highways in and around Denver, Colorado, the latest area to be hit by a scam that allows crooks to siphon credit and… Read More »
Researchers have discovered what appears to be a sophisticated new strain of malicious software that piggybacks on USB storage devices and leverages a previously unknown security vulnerability in the way Microsoft Windows processes shortcut files.
USB-borne malware is extremely common, and most malware that piggybacks on USB and other removable drives traditionally has taken advantage of the Windows Autorun or Autoplay feature. But according to VirusBlokAda, this strain of malware leverages a vulnerability in the method Windows uses for handling shortcut files.
Security weaknesses in the hugely popular file-sharing Web site thepiratebay.org have exposed the user names, e-mail and Internet addresses of more than 4 million Pirate Bay users, according to information obtained by KrebsOnSecurity.com. An Argentinian hacker named Ch Russo said… Read More »
Many of the most widely used third-party software applications for Microsoft Windows do not take advantage of two major lines of defense built into the operating system that can help block attacks from hackers and viruses, according to research released today.
A new study about the (in)efficacy of anti-virus software in detecting the latest malware threats is a much-needed reminder that staying safe online is more about using your head than finding the right mix or brand of security software.
Last week, security software testing firm NSS Labs released the results of its latest controversial test of how the major anti-virus products fared in detecting real-life malware from actual malicious Web sites: Most of the products took an average of more than 45 hours — nearly two days — to detect the latest threats.
A hacker in a group that discovered the AT&T iPad-related flaw was arrested on drug charges following the execution of an FBI search warrant of his home in Arkansas on Tuesday, according to published reports. CNET’s Elinor Mills writes that… Read More »
Police have arrested 178 people in Europe and the United States suspected of cloning credit cards in an international scam worth over 20 million euro ($24.52 million), according to a report from Reuters.
The stories so far are all light on details or whether this bust was connected to specific fraud forums that facilitate the trade in stolen credit card data, but the wire reports include the following information:
Keystroke-logging computer viruses let crooks steal your passwords, and sometimes even read your e-mails and online chats. Recently, however, anonymous criminals have added insult to injury, releasing a keylogger that publishes stolen information for all the world to see at online notepad sharing sites such as pastebin.com.
