Carlo Orlando

Cybercrime is often likened to a never-ending cycle: just when a security company believes they have found a way to combat one malware-installation method, hackers come along and find a new ways to attack a computer. Thus, it should come as little ... surprise that there is a new hack that attacks network card firmware: software specifically designed to control the network card. This innovative hacking technique (dubbed the "Jedi Packet Trick") works by sending infectious network packets to the network's firewall , which needs to be running a vulnerable network card. Once an infected packet is ... (view more)

Those who tweet on Twitter can rest a little easier now that their social network medium is taking effective measures to keep phishing attacks (and cyber criminals in general) away from the site. The new service will scan all links to keep online ... goons from spreading their malware across the popular micro blogging destination. Once the service is launched, all links submitted to Twitter will be routed through the system so that malicious links can be detected. This will prevent users from clicking onto corrupt links under false pretenses. In a recent blog post, Del Harvey, director of the ... (view more)

The classic Commodore 64 personal computer is set to make a surprise comeback in the next few months, this time featuring a modern design and some of the latest computer technologies. Commodore USA is a new company that has licensed the Commodore ... namesake from Commodore Gaming. The entire advertisement campaign thus far has played on the former glory of the Commodore 64 to promote the new PC. New Commodore PC Packed with Power Besides the Commodore namesake and similarities in keyboard design, very little is reflective of the 1980's computer model. The new Commodore PC offers up to 500GB of ... (view more)

The U.S. government is being accused of attempting to deliberately take down the whistle-blowing website Wikileaks.org, approximately two years ago. This virtual David versus Goliath war came to life after a 32-page classified document written by ... the Department of Defense (DoD) Intelligence Analysis program was posted on Wikileaks. The document, which was dated March 2008, speaks of the "counterintelligence threat posed to the U.S. Army by the Wikileaks.org website." The document accentuates the fact that there is the "possibility that a current employee or mole within the Department of ... (view more)

The results are in: cyber crime and online scams were way, way up in 2009. It's bad enough that the difference in losses between 2007 and 2008 was an increase of 11 percent (or roughly $265 million) -- but who would have guessed that difference ... between 2008 and 2009 would be double the previous year -- at an astounding $559 million? Cyber Crime Success: Sophistication, Anonymity According to an FBI-led taskforce, the cyber crime losses are the result of more sophisticated techniques employed by hackers during attacks. "The figures contained in this report indicate that criminals are ... (view more)

It seems ironic that as the first of April draws near, the dreaded Conficker worm has resurfaced yet again in the media. April 1, 2010 will mark the one-year anniversary of the date that the Conficker virus was set upon the world, infecting millions ... of computers. And while many feel the worm failed to live up to its hype, its presence is still being felt across the globe. Security Researcher Discovers Malware on Phone A Panda Security employee recently discovered the worm (along with two other malware programs) on his new HTC Magic phone. The malware was activated once the phone was plugged ... (view more)

Many within the tech world are expecting Microsoft to announce a beta version of Internet Explorer 9 at the upcoming MIX 2010 conference. While nothing is yet confirmed by Microsoft, the new version of the popular browser is expected to boast ... improved support for open web standards. Microsoft has in the past been criticized for not fully supporting open web standards. Considering that most Microsoft software produced is proprietary and closed source, the push towards open web standards for Internet Explorer is a huge change for the company, and many critics believe it will yield high returns ... (view more)

Spanish police have arrested three individuals for what is believed to be one of the biggest computer crimes in history. At a news conference delivered this past Wednesday, police revealed that malicious programs created by the accused were used to ... steal bank details from computers all over the world, and that these programs had the potential to cripple the computer systems of an entire country. The accused men are said to be between the ages of 25 and 31, each from a small town in Spain. 13 Million Infected PCs in Control Their transition into hacking came after the acquisition of a virus ... (view more)

Microsoft is cautioning users not to download fake versions of Microsoft Security Essentials, which are similarly named to the original, but are in fact rogue. The original Microsoft Security Essentials is fully functional and free from Microsoft ... and without charge for all legitimately registered users of MS Windows. Fake Antivirus Storms Internet, Duping Users Rogue antivirus products are notorious for having similar names, appearances and functions of legitimate antivirus software in an attempt to coax unsuspecting users into doling out hundreds of dollars towards unnecessary, and often ... (view more)

A new botnet that carries the namesake of perhaps the most famous American-born martial arts actor of all time is causing quite a stir across the Internet. The botnet received its name from a comment (written in Italian) in its source code: "in nome ... di Chuck Norris" which translates: "in the name of Chuck Norris". So, how does one get infected with the infamous Chuck Norris botnet? Those who have yet to change the default password on their home router are the most susceptible to an attack. Norris Infects DSL Modems and Routers The Chuck Norris botnet is also unusual because it infects DSL ... (view more)