Security

Sophos Security is warning that the Conficker/Downadup worm ("Conficker worm") is targeting multiple domains -- including Southwest airlines -- that could end up causing Denial of Service ( DoS ) attacks and temporary disruptions. The Conficker worm ... has been kicking around since last year and usually spreads via a) removable storage devices such as USB drives and b) network sharing. It exploits a Windows vulnerability that was patched by Microsoft last year. According to a blog entry by Mike Wood of SophosLabs Canada, those computers infected with the Conficker worm are programmed ... (view more)

Microsoft is currently readying another slew of fixes for Windows operating systems dating all the way back to 2000. Unfortunately, the software giant has still not yet addressed an Excel security hole that raised eyebrows over a week ago. Although ... Microsoft is remaining quiet about the fixes for its upcoming patch, the company has revealed that at least one issue is considered "critical" and two more have been classified as "important." In other words, most business and home users will want to pay attention this coming Tuesday, March 10, when more details regarding the three Security ... (view more)

Is it a 'good' thing that Britain, the United States, and several other countries are developing more sophisticated surveillance technology ? The premise that individuals have nothing to hide and nothing to fear in a 'big brother' society is nothing ... more than a myth riddled with false assumptions. A multitude of problems can arise from continuously gathering too much data. Trusting the government and private companies -- entities full of people, some of which will inevitably have an immoral few -- make it easier for data to be misused and error prone. That said, people who have nothing to ... (view more)

As his administration continues to work on an stimulus plan that can save America's economy, Obama's latest course of action will see millions of dollars being allocated to heighten cyber security. The move will assist government officials in ... preventing future attacks on the United States. Although his term in office has only just begun, U.S. President Barack Obama has immediately been forced to into action against a crippling recession. In response to this, Obama has come up with an " economic stimulus plan " that will invest billions of dollars to stimulate the American economy. $355 ... (view more)

Microsoft has warned users that yet another critical vulnerability has been found in its popular Office spreadsheet program Excel. The flaw could allow remote hackers to open and run malicious code on an unsuspecting user's computer through an ... infected spreadsheet file. The attack effects users of Microsoft Office Excel 2007 but also those using any of the older binary .XLS files. A user opening a file, probably through an email, will be asked to open a malicious spreadsheet. They'll then begin downloading at least two files onto their system, one valid, the other the malicious binary. Once ... (view more)

A new variant of the Conficker/Downadup worm has been detected. The worm opens a backdoor on an infected machine and allows hackers remote control of infected PCs. Dubbed Conficker B++ (and not to be confused with Conficker B), the new variant of ... the worm opens a backdoor with auto-update functionality, allowing a hacker to distribute malware to infected machines. It's difficult to know exactly how long Conficker B++ has been circulating, but researchers first noticed it on February 6 of this year. (Source: pcadvisor.co.uk ) 10.5 Million Computers Infected Machines infected by the Conficker/ ... (view more)

Ryerson University students and their families are very concerned this morning amidst reports that 600 student accounts were leaked through a software glitch that exposed Social Insurance numbers and personal information. Although the problem was ... first reported to the Toronto, Canada school's information and privacy coordinator Heather Driscoll as early as December 27, the university was unable to correct the situation, which it may have felt was a one-time occurrence. "Based on the information from the first student we could get the scope of the problem," Driscoll admitted. "But we didn't ... (view more)

Research teams at Microsoft are currently working on a new and improved browser that has the potential to be far more secure than the existing options. In the wake of financial problems, layoffs, and legal nightmares, Gazelle -- Microsoft's new ... browser-operating system hybrid -- could help the software company recover from its landslide in market shares . The Gazelle prototype, first unveiled in 2008 under the title "MashupOS" at the Microsoft TechFest Research Fair, incorporates the best of both browser and operating system characteristics in order to provide enhanced security features. ... (view more)

Are you careful with the friends you keep? What about those on your Facebook page? According to a recent report , your "Friends List" could determine which doors are open and closed to you in the near and distant future. The report likens the ... situation to this: say you hung out with some super lefties during your early years -- perhaps even Communist Party members -- and you keep those chums, be they close or distant friends, on your Facebook Friends List. Several years later you decide to run for office or apply for an executive position at a big corporation; will those friends come back to ... (view more)

A new strain of malware that can spread rapidly from machine to machine using a variety of infection techniques, including the poisoning of web servers which then go on to contaminate visitors, has reportedly been identified by Security Researchers. ... (Source: theregister.co.uk ) The malware, dubbed VIRUX by security researchers at Trend Micro, is spreading around the globe, but seems to be propagating faster in the U.S. than anywhere else. (Source: trendmicro.com ) VIRUX appears to be more complex than its cousin VIRUT and has the ability to circumvent Microsoft's Windows Firewall security ... (view more)