Symantec has long been recognized as one of the security software industry’s biggest players yet even these blokes are prone to make errors. Some while back as their developers were out to test some features of their virus scanners and other security software, they unknowingly released a test file without attaching a valid and proper security certificate, and what do you know, they tried to make it disappear. As it turns out, the file was supposed to be a valid test program and in fact it was, yet the lack of the security signature had it recognized as such and as an attempt to infiltrate the computer systems of their clients. On the client side, their firewalls set out and performed what they were designed to do, and that was to block the attempt to allow entry to their protected systems. System administrators and personal users alike got so worried that they flooded the support site for information due to fear of a large-scale hacking attack that may be trying to get into their system. (more…)
Continued from the previous post…………
There is also a facility that allows people to report attack sites that have either been pre-loaded with malware or exploits that can later be used for hacking attacks for whatsoever reason. The way Google searches also tends to expose the power of their bots that also gather data on the overall site statistics and other facts about a particular page where it finds the said information thus becoming a sort of data store for hackers to use. These hackers somehow managed to circumvent security measures in place, intercepting the data the bots gather and stores them in some remote area or hidden site on the web where hackers check regularly for the easiest sites to get into. (more…)
In security that is and the stuff of fiction has become reality when hackers developed a bit that uses it’s immense search capabilities to do their dirty work for them. Everybody knows that when it comes to searching for information on the internet, nobody can come close to Google’s never ending banks of data center servers and storage racks. (more…)
You’d better beware of a new worm that’s literally worming its way into infamy: the Conficker (AKA Downadup) worm.
A prolific new worm has spread to infect more than 3.5m Windows PCs, according to net security firm F-secure. The success of the Conficker (AKA Downadup) worm is explained by its use of multiple attack vectors and new social engineering ruses, designed to hoodwink the unwary into getting infected. The worm uses a complex algorithm to develop a changing daily list of domains which infected machines attempt to establish contact with. Hackers need only register one of these possible names to establish contact with the botnet established by Conficker. The tactic is designed to frustrate attempts by security watchers to dismantle the command and control network associated with compromised machines.
Read the full article here.
That’s 3.5 MILLION PCs folks. Which is why it really pays to be careful about the site you go to and the files you download, or even the emails that you open. Virus, trojan and worm developers are becoming more clever in disguising their creations nowadays, so you should always be wary of unsolicited emails and messages and downloads that are offered to you. Also, have a good anti-virus that you update regularly, as well as a anti-spyware and malware software. Run these programs regularly to remove any suspicious files that are just waiting for you to open them. These scans may seem tedious, but it’ll be doubly hard if a destructive worm such as Conflicker gets into your system and ruins it.
The world would be a better place if there were no malware around the internet which we have become so dependent on. May it be for research, casual browsing or ranting on your blog, we seldom go on each and every day of our lives without logging into the internet. The many malware out on the internet is one of the signs that it is well loved and hated by so many. There is one thing that you can do though, help the many security software developers out there, by enabling the ability of such software to send in samples of the virus/worm or malware into their laboratories for them to take a hack at.
These people are hackers themselves only on the good side of the law in the forever raging battle between good and evil in what is the internet. After all, what is life without a bit of spice, which these malware provides to the many users and developers out there who are out to get at each other.
The anti-virus companies are doing their darnest, but there’s something they won’t be able to factor in when doing their software, the human error.
From Jan. 1 to Nov. 25, the top 100 attack programs infected 53% of their victims by duping them into downloading something from the Internet. An additional 12% of the infections tracked globally were caused by users opening e-mail attachments.
Just 5% of the infections were related to an exploit of a software vulnerability, said Trend’s analysis.
“That’s something we can’t engineer against,†said Ferguson. It’s also is why Trend Micro and other security vendors have stepped away from a pure anti-virus detection and deletion model, and instead have been bringing in other protective features, such as domain reputation ranking and URL filtering, to their products.
Educate and be vigilant regarding malicious websites and downloads, if you do, you’ll be a whole lot safer.
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Recently, a virus definition update for the widely used anti virus program AVG has wrongfully tagged a Windows file called user32.dll as a malware and considered it as a threat and recommended it to be removed. This is just one of the many flaws that really prove anti virus softwares that exist are not perfect in dealing with its purpose. WHY? For the benefit of the readers who have not a clue in Windows registry system, user32.dll is a vital function of the Windows operating system. You DELETE it, you will have no chance of booting up your PC again. Luckily for Windows Vista, the Problematic tagging is limited only to Windows XP. AVG on the other hand has updated the definition and resolved the false tagging.
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The latest edition of the popular Avast anti virus software is here. The Avast Home Edition is a complete ICSA & Checkmark certified anti virus program. It is also certified by Checkmark for its anti spyware and anti rootkit bundled package. Avast boasts of its featured components like an On Demand scanner with a simple, easy access user interface. The skin can be changed according to your meticulous preference. What you do is just pick out the drive or media device to scan and then simply press the Play button, Voila! On Access scanner is one other feature. These are special providers that protect mostly available email clients, instant messaging and the Network traffic which detects easily, any intrusion. It is a light weight firewall. Peer to Peer protection for file sharing programs like Kazaa. Bit torrents, the most popular file sharing method. It has Web shield which monitors and filters HTTP traffic. It has Boot time scanner which scan disks in the same time as Chkdsk does in Windows. it provides a much more secure and prompt detection of trojans and rootkits.
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Antivirus software is an essential part of a computer’s ability to rid off viruses and malicious softwares. Online, there are hundreds of Antivirus softwares just waiting for you to be discovered. Some perform very well, others just lacks particular functionality. so to help you in choosing between these softwares, we’ll narrow it down to just a few.
Top 10 Recommended Antivirus Software Programs
- BitDefender – Softwin, which owns BitDefender, has been around since 1990.
- Kaspersky – Founded in 1997 by Eugene Kaspersky, the Moscow-based company.
- Norton Anti-Virus – Owned by global security giant Symantec.
- McAfee – McAfee is another big name in Internet security.
- F-Secure – Based in Helsinki, Finland, F-Secure has been in the computer protection business since 1988.
- Shield Anti-Virus 2007 – PCSecurityShield offers protection against viruses, hackers and privacy threats.
- Protector Plus – Proland Software offers virus protection with its Protector Plus package, compatible with Windows Vista.
- DefendGate – Canada-based DefendGate offers everything from protection against viruses and identity theft to office productivity suites and desktop accelerators.
- PC DoorGuard – This program is PC DoorGuard is designed for those looking to protect their email from spam, viruses, Trojans and worms.
- CA Antivirus – CA Antivirus says it provides software to 98 percent of Fortune 500 companies and boasts that it was the first antivirus software to be awarded certification with Microsoft Vista in 2007.
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Avast Home Edition 4.8.1229.80923 is a free antivirus, and it was released this year September 23, 2008. Even if it was just released less than a month (since the date today is Oct 8), 30,937,233 people have already downloaded this program at Download.com. Even the Editor of Download.com has given Avast Home Edition a perfect score 5/5. It just proves that Avast Home Edition is a program worthy for our attention. This program has the following workings, according to the publisher’s description: On demand scanner with skinnable simple interface, choose what you want to scan and just press the play button; On access scanner, special providers to protect the most of available e-mail clients; Instant messaging–ICQ, Miranda; Network traffic–intrusion detection, lightweight firewall; P2P protection for Kazaa, BitTorrent; Web shield–monitors and filters all HTTP traffic; NNTP scanner–scans all Usenet Newsgroup traffic and all operations with files on PC; Boot time scanner–scans disks in the same way and in the same time as Windows CHKDSK does.
