News on Viruses and Worms

Faux Facebook emails use password reset ploy

2010-03-19T04:15:10Z

<div id="subtitle">Scammers are trying to infect the computers of Facebook users by claiming their password has been reset and that a replacement credential is contained in an attachment.</div><div><p>A widespread phishing campaign is making the rounds that claims to be from Facebook but is meant to infect victims' PCs, researchers said.The fraudulent emails arrive with a note stating that the recipient's Facebook ...

Ransomware not considered threat for Mac OS X

2010-03-17T04:15:54Z

<div id="subtitle">Security researchers discovered proof-of-concept Mac OS X ransomware code, which does not pose a serious threat but could portend future problems.</div><div><p>Mac OS X users do not currently have to worry about being targeted with ransomware, but this is likely to change in the future, security researchers have determined. Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts files on a computer, and...

India, Mexico, Brazil have most Mariposa bots

2010-03-11T04:15:13Z

<div id="subtitle">The Mariposa botnet infected PCs from almost every country around the world, making it one of the largest networks of compromised computers ever seen.</div><div><p>An analysis of the dismantled Mariposa botnet has revealed that it consisted of 13 million infected PCs spanning 190 countries and 31,901 cities worldwide, according to anti-virus vendor Panda Security. The botnet, which took its name from the ...

Huge 'botnet' amputated, but criminals reconnect

2010-03-11T00:16:07Z

<div id="subtitle">Limb of huge 'botnet' of virus-infected PCs is amputated, but criminals are reconnecting</div><div><p>The sudden takedown of an Internet provider thought to be helping spread one of the most promiscuous pieces of malicious software out there appears to have cut off criminals from potentially millions of personal computers under their control.</p><p>But the victory was short-lived. Less than a day after a service known as "AS Troyak" was unpl...

Energizer software found to open backdoor

2010-03-09T04:15:23Z

<div id="subtitle">An application that allows users to view the battery charging status of the Energizer DUO USB charger contains a vulnerability that could enable an attacker to install malware on Windows machines.</div><div><p>An application that allows users to view the battery charging status of the Energizer DUO USB charger contains a vulnerability that could enable an attacker to install malware on Windows machines.The flaw, disclosed Friday by US companies on the Fortune 1,0...

Authorities bust 3 in infection of 13M computers

2010-03-02T11:31:32Z

<div id="subtitle">Spanish authorities arrest 3 behind the `Mariposa botnet,' an infection of 13M computers</div><div><p>Authorities have smashed one of the world's biggest networks of virus-infected computers, a data vacuum that stole credit cards and online banking credentials from as many as 12.7 million poisoned PCs.</p><p>The "botnet" of infected computers included PCs inside more than half of the Fortune 1,...

Malware Threat for 'Smart Phone' Users

2010-02-26T00:15:31Z

<div id="subtitle">Smart phone attacks could be worse than assaults on personal computers</div><div><p>Bad enough that you have to worry about attacks on your computer. Now, researchers say the same type of malware can go after smart mobile phones.</p><p>These assaults, they warn, could potentially cause a phone to eavesdrop on a meeting, track an owner's travels, or rapidly drain its battery to render the phone useless. </p><p>Computer scientists...

Corporations, agencies infiltrated by `botnet'

2010-02-22T08:37:55Z

<div><p>Security experts have found a network of 74,000 virus-infected computers that stole information from inside corporations and government agencies. The unusual thing about the incident is not that it happened but that it was discovered, and it is a reminder of the dangers of having computers with sensitive data connected to the open Internet.</p><p>More than 2,400 organizations, including financial institutions and energy companies an...

Cybercriminals exploiting luger's death, Winter Olympics

2010-02-22T09:05:49Z

<div id="subtitle">Attackers have been using Twitter and black hat search engine optimization tactics to promote fake videos from the Winter Olympics that are spreading malware, experts warned.</div><div><p>Cybercriminals have been capitalizing on the world's interest in the Winter Olympics in Vancouver to spread malware, experts warned...

Mozilla recants assertion that Firefox add-on has trojan

2010-02-22T09:53:49Z

<div id="subtitle">Mozilla has retracted earlier claims that one of its Firefox plug-ins contained malware.</div><div><p>Mozilla has done an about-face after disclosing that two "experimental" add-ons for its Firefox browser contained malware targeting Windows users. The company admitted late Tuesday th...

New "Bugat" trojan harvesting banking credentials

2010-02-22T10:23:44Z

<div id="subtitle">A new banking trojan has arrived on the scene and it uses unique features to steal login information, researchers at SecureWorks said Tuesday.</div><div><p>Researchers discovered a new banking trojan that is being used to steal the financial credentials of customers at approximately 15 large- and mid-size ...

Mozilla says two Firefox browser plug-ins contain trojan

2010-02-22T10:37:24Z

<div id="subtitle">Mozilla is advising users who may have downloaded two "experimental" Firefox add-ons that they contain malware.</div><div><p>Mozilla is warning that two "experimental" plug-ins for its Firefox web browser contain malware.Version 4.0 of the Sothink Web Video Downloader and all editions...

Cyberthieves are hiring, using online ads

2010-02-22T12:29:38Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The people who brought the world malicious software that steals credit card numbers from your personal computer and empties bank ATMs of their cash are hiring, and they're advertising online.</p><p>Two companies that are hiring -- at least on a contractor basis -- advertise online, said Kevin...

Popularity of Apple devices draws malware, report

2010-02-22T14:16:31Z

<div id="subtitle">A just released annual report from Intego said it has been a busy year for Apple security.</div><div><p>Amid speculation that Apple is set to introduce its tablet device tomorrow at a press event in California, a discussion of the security implications will not likel...

What Protection and Virus Removal is Available For Your Computer

2010-02-22T16:08:00Z

Viruses, spyware and adware are all over and we hear lots and lots about them and their adverse side effects. Viruses, spyware and adware can all cause a computer to run slower or even worse of all, crash. It is important to know what protection and virus removal is available since a virus can be a computer nightmare.<br><br>New viruses are constantly being introduced into the world of technology and we have to be aware of them. It is sometimes frustrating at the n...

Microsoft discloses zero-day IE flaw used in China attacks

2010-02-22T19:58:35Z

<div id="subtitle">The organized and well-resourced cybercriminals who compromised systems at Google, Adobe and more than 30 other large companies used a previously unknown, zero-day Internet Explorer exploit as part of their arsenal to install data-stealing malware on target m...

Google, Adobe targeted by malware in coordinated attack

2010-02-22T20:30:55Z

<div id="subtitle">A number of high-profile companies were targeted in a well-orchestrated attempt to steal intellectual property on behalf of China.</div><div><p>Google's disclosure on Tuesday evening that its systems, as well as those belonging to a number of other companies, were compromised to steal intellectual property on behalf of Chinese ...

What You Should Know About Spyware Blocking Software

2010-02-22T21:11:13Z

Anyone who has ever had their own computer has likely had to deal with some kind of spyware issue at some point. Spyware is a type of malicious software, also known as malware, that is unknowingly installed on someone's computer and collects information, such as surfing habits, visited websites and more, without the users knowledge. This type of software has also been known to slow down a computers performance, and at times even render it unusable. Spyware blocking software are programs that ...

Size doesn't matter: SMBs are now a major target of cyberattacks

2010-02-22T23:08:29Z

<div id="subtitle">Finding more resistance than ever from large businesses, hackers are customizing their malware ploys for SMBs, reports Dan Kaplan.</div><div><p>Finding more resistance than ever from large businesses, hackers are customizing their malware ploys for SMBs, reports Dan Kaplan.Two years ago, the vice president of human relations at Texas Trust Credit Union (TTCU), a 60,000-member busi...