security

A new Internet Explorer (IE) security vulnerability has been found. The flaw, which is related to Internet Explorer's HTML engine, allows hackers to infiltrate systems running Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7. The issue was first discovered early in ... December by French security company Vupen . The company says this flaw could be exploited with the processing of a CSS (or Cascading Style Sheets) file intended for use by web designers. Rigged Website Key to Attack Those running Internet Explorer could find themselves under attack if they're (knowingly or unknowingly) directed to a specially- ... (view more)

According to security firm Armorize Technologies, both Google and Microsoft ad systems recently linked to web sites containing malicious software. Once an infected link is clicked, Internet Explorer automatically installs bogus software that claims ... the user's PC is infected, requiring payment to remove the alleged problems. Santa Clara based security firm Armorize Technologies says that the bogus links appeared on banner ads provided through DoubleClick (owned by Google) and MSN (Microsoft). The ads did not appear on Google or Bing's search results pages, but rather on third-party websites ... (view more)

Users of Windows 7 64-bit that use AVG Antivirus received a rather unpleasant surprise earlier this week. A recent AVG security update reportedly bricked these systems, presenting users with the infamous Blue Screen of Death (BSoD), thus making ... their PCs virtually unusable. The update was automatically distributed to AVG Antivirus users on Wednesday night. Those who downloaded the update found their systems caught in a repetitive reboot loop. Users of both free and paid versions of the software have been affected. AVG Apologizes for Poisoned Antivirus Update Since the problem was first ... (view more)

Security firm BitDefender suggests that one in five users using its 'safego' product have been exposed to malicious threats through Facebook. The report reinforces the position held by many industry experts that Facebook needs to do more to protect ... its users from privacy or security threats. Safego is a BitDefender security product specially designed for frequent social networking users. It is built to detect malware and prevent users from getting spammed because they use these sites. (Source: bitdefender.com ) Safego is in its beta stages, and BitDefender is thoroughly analyzing the tool ... (view more)

Cloud-based security company "Zscaler" has launched a new Firefox web browser plug-in called "BlackSheep" designed to protect users against a recent browser hijacking tool that allows just about anyone to potentially hijack your web browser session. ... Firesheep: A 'Peculiar' Extension In order to explain the details of how "Blacksheep" came to be, we need to take a few steps back. In October of this year, a Firefox plug-in dubbed "Firesheep" was created. It was an extension put together by developer Eric Butler and demonstrated at the Toorcon security conference. ... (view more)

With the Windows family still allowing Microsoft to enjoy the lion's share of the OS market, rival companies are forever left to jockey for second place. While the goal for these companies is to one day surpass Windows in popularity, there has ... always been one benefit in playing "second fiddle" to Microsoft: hackers tend follow user demographics. This means that Windows is as much a popular choice for malware attacks as it is for consumers. Such is true for Apple, who listed only 34 known vulnerabilities within the Mac OS family back in 2009. While even one vulnerability should be cause for ... (view more)

Just when security companies have developed new ways of dealing with the infamous Zeus Trojan , a variant characterized as the "Son of Zeus" has arisen. Worse yet, the variant has the trait of being virtually undetectable by conventional antivirus ... applications. About the Zeus Trojan and MS Windows The Zeus Trojan made headlines back in 2009 as a "highly customizable" tool for hackers. It's main mission is to sniff out financial information and break into online bank accounts . Security experts estimate that the Zeus Trojan has been used to infiltrate tens of thousands of PCs around ... (view more)

Microsoft yesterday announced that its next monthly security update due on October 12th, popularly referred to as " Patch Tuesday ," will include a record 16 Security Bulletins -- the most ever released at one time by the company. The bulletins ... address a total of nearly 50 vulnerabilities. Almost All Windows Versions Susceptible to Exploits Of the nearly 50 vulnerabilities to be addressed this next Patch Tuesday , four have been rated 'Critical,' Microsoft's most serious designation for security threats. Another ten are marked 'Important,' the second-highest rating, and two more are ... (view more)

Microsoft Security Essentials for Windows 1.0.2498.0 Microsoft Security Essentials is a free download from Microsoft that helps to keep your PC protected against malware and virus threats. It's simple to install, easy to use, and always kept up to ... date so you can be assured your PC is protected by the latest technology. http://www.microsoft.com Cloudmark DesktopOne 1.0.1040 Cloudmark DesktopOne is a free Anti-Spam Solution to protect your inbox from spam, phishing and viruses. It features a quick, easy, and automatic setup. http://download.cnet.com This freeware software program is brought to ... (view more)

Viruses get their name because, like human diseases, they can spread and multiply quickly. Now, Microsoft believes some of the tactics used to protect public health should be applied to the world of technology. Computer Virus Prevention is Key to ... Deterring Further Infections The idea comes from Scott Charney, a senior figure in Microsoft's security team. He's just published a paper named "Collective Defense: Applying Public Health Models to the Internet." In Charney's paper, he argues that while preventing individual machines from getting infected -- for example through security software -- ... (view more)