Security » Malware

Massive Mac OS X update shatters illusion of security

Perhaps you've heard that the Apple Mac OS X operating system is simply more secure by design and not prone to the security flaws and vulnerabilities that plague the dominant Microsoft Windows operating system? Well, don't believe the hype. Apple unleashed an update for Mac OS X this week which fixes a massive 134 vulnerabilities.

By Tony Bradley | 12 November, 2010 02:15

Tags: Apple, Mac OS, Mac OS X, malware, online security, operating systems, security, software

Mobile malware will test Android and iPhone

2009 ushered in mobile malware with the first (and second) iPhone worm appearing just before Christmas.

By Andreas M. Antonopoulos | 13 January, 2010 07:59

Tags: malware, mobile malware, smartphones

Careless downloading makes BlackBerry users spy targets

IPhone lovers and other smartphone users should take heed: A security researcher showed ways to spy on a BlackBerry user during a presentation Wednesday, including listening to phone conversations, stealing contact lists, reading text messages, taking and viewing photos and figuring out the handset's location via GPS.

By Dan Nystedt | 08 October, 2009 01:15

Tags: Blackberry, security

Windows attack code out, but not being used

It has been a week since hackers released software that could be used to attack a flaw in Windows Vista and Server 2008, but Microsoft and security companies say that criminals haven't done much with the attack.

By Robert McMillan | 07 October, 2009 07:21

Tags: metasploit, security, windows server 2008, Windows Vista

Latest malware trick: outsourcing quality assurance

Creators of Waledac malware enlisted the Conficker botnet as a tool to spread malware of their own, marking the first time Conficker was made available for hire, according to Cisco's mid-year security report.This was symptomatic of a wider trend Cisco noted of malware purveyors using established business practices to expand their illegal enterprises. Cisco likened the arrangement between Waledac and Conficker to a partner ecosystem, a term Cisco uses to describe its collaboration with other vendors.

By Tim Greene | 15 July, 2009 10:02

Tags: botnets, conficker, malware, Waledac

Three years undercover with the identity thieves

Salesmen and parents know the technique well. It's called the takeaway, and as far as Keith Mularski is concerned, it's the reason he kept his job as administrator of online fraud site DarkMarket.

By Robert McMillan | 21 January, 2009 08:22

Tags: cybercrime, identity theft

McColo takedown: Internet self policing or vigilantism

Few tears were shed when McColo, a US-based company that allegedly hosted systems for prolific purveyors of spam, malware and child pornography, was suddenly taken offline by its upstream service providers on November 11.

By Jaikumar Vijayan | 02 December, 2008 09:01

Tags: malware

Seven classic PC symptoms

As a small-business person, you might bemoan the fact you don't have 24/7 IT support like your larger-scale competitors. Don't panic. You can solve many of the most common computer problems yourself. Here are some snafus you can tackle on your own, thanks to the advice of the support staff at several major hardware and software vendors:

By Mary K. Pratt | 27 November, 2008 08:46

Tags: desktop pcs, graphics cards, laptops, malware, software

A sneaky security problem, ignored by the bad guys

Frank Boldewin had seen a lot of malicious software in his time, but never anything like Rustock.C.

By Robert McMillan | 17 November, 2008 08:51

Tags: malware, rootkits

Morris worm turns 20: Look what it's done

The Internet will mark an infamous anniversary on Sunday, when the Morris worm turns 20.

By Carolyn Duffy Marsan | 03 November, 2008 07:57

Tags: morris worm

Up next: Cellular botnets, cyber militias

The ability of malware writers to consistently stay ahead of those seeking to stop them has been a constant factor in the security industry over the past several years.

By Jaikumar Vijayan | 20 October, 2008 08:30

Tags: botnets, cybercrime

Cyber security threats grow in sophistication, subtlety

The annual report from Georgia Tech Information Security Center identifies five evolving cyber security threats, and the news is not good.

By John Cox | 16 October, 2008 09:26

Tags: cybercrime

Worst Windows flaws of the past decade

June 25, 1998, and June 30, 2008, marked two important milestones in Microsoft's evolution of the Windows OS -- the passing of the torch from Windows 95 to Windows 98, and the less seemly transition from XP to Vista.

By Andrew Brandt | 07 October, 2008 09:36

Tags: windows 2000, windows 98, Windows Vista, windows xp

Web 2.0 applications and sites (and security concerns)

A recent survey released by security software firm Symantec found 66 per cent of Millennial employees, those born after 1980, admit to using Web 2.0 technologies, such as Facebook and YouTube, while at work. The same poll found younger workers also regularly store corporate data on personal devices, such as PCs and USB drives.

Norton Internet Security 2009 beta ramps up

Security software customers are speaking with their feet: They want security updates and other security interruptions out of their faces, and they won't hesitate to dump their security suites because of performance drag -- whether or not it's actually the security software that's to blame.

Stupid user tricks: IT admin follies

For those of us who make our living behind a keyboard in IT, it's hard to imagine a more time-tested vulnerability than the end-user. Armed with network access, these IT viruses wreak havoc nearly everywhere you look -- havoc borne of tech idiocy.

Web 2.0 sites a thriving marketplace for malware

A wiry young man with his head shaved and wearing a tank top points a handgun straight at the camera in a disturbing YouTube video. The man wears what appears to be a wedding ring, and he gazes vacantly away from the viewer.

10 essential (and free!) security downloads for Windows

To use an Internet-connected computer is to be insecure and place your privacy in danger. Spyware, viruses, Trojans and assorted malware are everywhere on the Net, trying to hop onto your PC and cause damage. Snoopers want to get at your personal information for nefarious purposes, such as identity theft.

Malware vs. anti-malware, 20 years into the fray

As I recall, November 2, 1988, started as an ordinary day at Goddard Space Flight Center where I was working in the data communications branch. By the end of the day ... well, actually, that day never ended. We just kept fighting to bring our servers and networks back to life. Our SunOS and VAX/BSD systems, which were connected to the Internet, had slowed to a stop.