Carlo Orlando

It appears as if Google was telling the truth when they announced that several other US companies had been targeted alongside their China-based attack last month. At the time, Google declined to name the other American companies. Computer chip giant ... Intel Corp. has now come forward in the wake of the Google fiasco to announce that it too was the victim of a cyberattack last month. More specifically, the Intel attack was performed around the same time as the Google hack. Hacking is the "Norm" at Intel According to a corporate spokesperson, "We regularly face attempts by others to gain ... (view more)

With thousands of computer security companies spending millions of dollars in research and product development each year, some might question how the influence of hackers continues to be a growing problem. One company has apparently found success in ... reducing the spread of viruses and malware by doing things the "hard" way. Hardware-Based Antivirus Best for Rootkits Kaspersky Lab announced the acquisition of a U.S. patent for a hardware-based antivirus solution. The success of this form of antivirus will limit the amount of damage done by the stealthiest of malware because the ... (view more)

Simply saying that rogue antivirus software is becoming more sophisticated is one thing, but a new fake antivirus program called "Live PC Care" has made one necessary change to dupe innocent users: offering live technical support for bogus software. ... According to Symantec researchers, once users have installed the program, they are met with a screen that informs them of numerous computer infections, several kinds of malware, and the like. This tactic of duping users is nothing new; what is new, however, is the fact that the free trial version of Live PC Care comes with a large yellow "online ... (view more)

A new Trojan horse has surfaced online; its primary functionality makes it appear to be friendly to end users, but the final result can prove disastrous. On one hand, the Spy Eye toolkit is celebrated for its ability to remove malicious rival ... programs from infected computers. It boasts a feature called "Kill Zeus" which removes all traces of the notorious Zeus virus from a victim's PC. Of course, the Trojan horse has ulterior motives in playing the hero. It "Kills" the Zeus Trojan so that the computer is once again susceptible to attack, meaning that Spy Eye has exclusive access to usernames ... (view more)

While most malware infections occur when an unsuspecting user clicks onto a dubious web site, a new report suggests that malware infections also occur on legitimate sites. Websense Security Labs recently released their bi-annual research report ... which suggests that 71 per cent of known websites containing malware are actually legitimate sites. The report encompasses the second half of 2009. Hackers Poison Social Search The report also sheds some light on another growing malware trend: an increased number of searches for the latest news or current buzzwords often leads to malware. In a recent ... (view more)

Microsoft Child Exploitation and Online Protection Center (CEOP) to release a new version of Internet Explorer 8 that boasts a number of online safety features. However, while it is being heralded as a "child-friendly" version of the popular web ... browser, it proves to be nothing more than an informational source. There is no doubt that a tremendous need exists for the protection of youngsters against the dangers that lurk online. According to Microsoft, almost 64 per cent (two thirds) of those under the age of 18 have been contacted by a stranger while online. Further research reveals that 41 ... (view more)

Interested in a free copy of Office 2010 but can't wait until summer to purchase the new software suite? It appears that Microsoft has let slip some interesting details about a forthcoming promotion aimed at potential Office 2010 customers this ... June. The promotion, which is rumored to be called the "Microsoft Office 2010 Technology Guarantee Program," will pertain to those customers who purchase a copy of Office 2007 (with or without a new PC) from an authorized retailer between March 5, 2010 and September 30, 2010, and who wish to upgrade to Office 2010 free of charge. Office 2010 ... (view more)

Hackers are now hiring new recruits on a contract basis to carry out attacks. According to Kevin Stevens, a threat intelligence analyst for SecureWorks, the "hiring hackers" have no shame in listing exactly what their positions entail. Cash Offered ... for Infected Downloads The desired candidates must be willing to take malicious code and link it to something scandalous that people will likely click on. The incentive is there, however, as new malware peddlers will be compensated for every 1,000 times the compromised software is downloaded onto a computer. One recruiting website boasted a payment ... (view more)

A new phishing scam is out in the wild and is targeting users with online bank accounts. However, unlike thousands of similar phishing campaigns that hope to entice a user into clicking onto malicious link which redirects to a malicious website, ... this new campaign is banking on the fact that users will actually decline the request. How the Phishing Attack Works It all starts when a user receives a 'notice' to their email account. The message then claims that there has been a request issued by the service provider for the user to reset their password. Next comes the hook line: "If you didn't ... (view more)

There are a handful of people already cashing in on the iPad , well before Apple has had a to release the product to the masses. Security officials are warning computer enthusiasts everywhere to approach with caution when visiting a website ... containing information about the iPad device. That's because a number of fraudsters have rigged their websites that promise pertinent information on the tablet computer, but instead deliver a malware payload to the user visiting the site. Hackers "Poison" Online Searches According to Ivan Macalintal of Trend Micro, hackers tend to "poison" online searches ... (view more)