Security

Research conducted by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) suggests that more than 8 in 10 of web browsers have unique signatures, creating identifiable "fingerprints" that can be used to track almost any user that browses the Internet. The ... results ( PDF ) were found after an experiment was conducted by the EFF with volunteers who visited panopticlick.eff.org. Each participant who visited that site had the configuration and version information of their operating systems, browser, and browser plug-ins anonymously logged. (Source: eff.org ) The information gathered by the website ... (view more)

More and more research is proving that those who know how to create viruses and malware are keen on reaching out to others, most likely to cash in on their deceptive knowledge. Such can be proven with TwitterNet Builder: a new tool designed to ... simplify botnet-based attacks over Twitter. Botnets: A Virtual Army of Zombie Computers For those unaware, a botnet is a technical term used to describe a network of computers under the control of a malicious software program. Once a computer has become compromised, the botnet program runs silently and autonomously until issued a command from a master ... (view more)

Do you have an on-board computer system in your vehicle that's connected to the Internet? If so, then you might be at risk for a potentially devastating cyber attack by hackers, says a recent scientific study. "We demonstrate the ability to ... adversarially [sic] control a wide range of automotive functions and completely ignore driver input -- including disabling the brakes, selectively braking individual wheels on demand, stopping the engine, and so on," says a new report by scientists from the University of Washington and the University of California, San Diego. (Source: nytimes.com ) Vehicle ... (view more)

A ten week investigation into the Lower Merion School District's (LMSD) use of webcams to spy on students with school-issued laptops has found that the school did nothing wrong -- aside from taking 58,000 images without consent . The 72-page report ... (PDF) exonerates most higher-level school officials, concluding that there is no evidence indicating that anyone above the IT level "knew how TheftTrack worked or understood that it could collect large quantities of webcam photographs or screenshots." (Source: techdirt.com ) The report also confirms that 58,000 images were captured. Report ... (view more)

Beware any program that describes itself as a Windows 7 compatibility checker promising to verify whether or not your system can run Microsoft's new operating system (OS). Prominent security firm BitDefender first reported the attack earlier this ... week, but noted that the problem has not yet become widespread. However, because the Trojan appears genuine, it could actually have an enormous impact on users in the near future. Trojan Emulates Microsoft in Emails As one might expect, scammers are using the popularity of Windows 7 to spread malware. "This [Trojan is in particular is appealing to ... (view more)

A group of security researchers say they've found a workaround for just about every antivirus product on the market today, effectively making Windows-based security programs totally useless. Security research site Matousec.com recently issued an ... advisory for a process that allows malware to evade security detection. Note that this doesn't just apply to Microsoft's free Security Essentials software or other freeware antivirus products, but also targets full software packages from industry leaders like Norton, BitDefender and McAfee. Matousec's Morphing Malware According to reports, Matousec. ... (view more)

The digital photocopier in your home or office could offer a hacker a gateway to your personal or sensitive data. Unbeknownst to many, nearly every digital copier built since 2002 contains a hard drive -- similar to the one in your personal computer ... -- that stores images of every document copied, scanned, or emailed by the machine. Company Warns of Risks Associated with Digital Copiers Digital Copier Security, a Sacramento-based business known for their hard-drive scrubbing software 'INFOSWEEP', has been trying to warn people about the potential risk with little luck. A CBS News investigation ... (view more)

Last week, a buggy McAfee anti-virus update released to the public sent computers running Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) crashing to a halt . The widespread issue led to intense anger thrown in the direction of the security firm, which recently ... announced it would offer to reimburse some users affected by the problem. The issue was the result of a poisoned virus update which identified vital processes in the Windows XP operating system as being virus infected. When the antivirus program attempted to quarantine these critical files, it caused machines to crash without warning, leaving many ... (view more)

Most people believe that hackers are tech-savvy, evil geniuses who toil away hours designing sophisticated pieces of malware. In actuality, spam and other virus tactics can be simplified thanks to illicit services like those offered by a Russian ... hacker named 'Kirllos,' who claims to have up to 1.5 million hacked Facebook accounts in his possession. The typical asking price for such criminal services range from US $25-$45 per 1,000 accounts, depending on the total number of accounts hacked. Still, security researchers at Verisign's iDefense are not entirely sure if the Kirllos accounts are ... (view more)

The Lower Merion School District (LMSD) laptop spying saga continues to unfold. District investigators have finished their investigation, concluding that web cameras were activated by school district employees about 80 times in the past two school ... years, capturing nearly 56,000 images of students, their homes and copies of the programs or files running on their screens. Laptop Took Photos While Student Slept The system was allegedly used by LMSD officials to track lost and stolen laptops. However, the lawsuit filed on behalf of Blake J. Robbins by his parents claims that the teen's school- ... (view more)