McAfee protection backfires spectacularly
January 19, 2012
McAfee’s security software is intended to prevent your computer from unauthorized use by rogue parties. Unfortunately a software bug means that in some cases its doing the exact opposite.
Category: Antivirus
Mobile malware finds a home
August 24, 2011
What do you want in a smartphone? For many people, “is a phone, does that touch thing and can play Angry Birds” pretty much covers it. If the salesperson adds “free” or “buy one, get one free” to the pitch and the customer’s walking out the door with a bag.
‘Relentless’ attacks put LulzSec into perspective
August 4, 2011
We in the tech media have given a lot of coverage to the boisterous “hactivism” attacks of groups such as Anonymous and LulzSec. But claims by security firm McAfee serve as a reminder that it’s the quiet ones you have to watch.
Twitter hit with scareware scam
January 21, 2011
One of the strengths of Twitter is that it makes it easy to bring together different ideas. Unfortunately a bunch of scammers have done just that, combining URL shortening with a fake security software con.
Kindle users are paying for free Project Gutenberg books
December 1, 2010
Amazon will turn a buck anyway it can and cheating Kindle users our of money seems to be one way of doing it. Project Gutenberg volunteers take their time turning out of copyright books into free eBooks that can be downloaded to a multitude of devices the iPad, Kindle, and Android platform being just a few. You can find Project Gutenberg books free in the iBooks Store for iPad. You have to pay for them if you buy them from Amazon for the Kindle.
Review: Norton Internet Security 2011 is up to speed
November 29, 2010
When I was offered a copy of Norton Internet Security 2011 to review, I was skeptical. I had not used a Norton product since the very first Norton product was introduced. Unfortunately, it seemed that Norton’ antivirus was seen as more of a challenge then a hindrance to malicious software writers so I switched to less well known antivirus products like AVG. However, this latest version of Norton surprised me.
Koobface: Security community strikes back
November 15, 2010
A British Internet service provider has taken down the main server behind the network of machines infected with the Koobface virus. But security researchers warn the move is one of disruption rather than destruction.
St. Georges is developing a mobile app for STD self diagnosis
November 9, 2010
St. Georges, University of London is part of a consortium that is developing a mobile app to self diagnose sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). STD kits similar to pregnancy kits would be available for use by the potentially infected. The kits would also allow the user to determine which STD by using a cell phone or computer.
Are new attempts at Internet security helpful or dangerous
October 18, 2010
Countries are looking for new and better ways to maintain Internet security for governments, businesses and individuals. One way of doing that is to monitor customer usage and alert them when their computer is used by hackers for botnets and spam. But will monitoring systems and offering voluntary solutions be enough?
Windows full of holes, ready for Microsoft patch
October 13, 2010
Microsoft has released some epic patches to its operating systems over the years, but never one as large and sweeping as that they unleashed today, featuring the fixes for 49, count ‘em, 49 problems.
How do I clean up my PC- Malware and viruses
September 12, 2010
Sometimes your computer can slow down without a fragmented disk, a lack of disk space, or too little memory. At those times you have to suspect the presence of malware or viruses. Here’s how to clean those up.
Does Mac OS X need anti-virus software
September 5, 2010
The controversy is long and bitter. Does Mac OS X need anti-malware software to protect it? Is OS X inherently safer than Windows or is it simply not popular enough for hackers to care about it?
Windows Mobile apps carry malware
June 5, 2010
Just to make sure that their reputation for exquisitely bad security does not become tarnished, Microsoft has extended their reputation for malware by the bucket-load to it’s newest mobile operating system.
Virus publishes porn downloaders Web history to the public
April 16, 2010
People with a fondness for pornographic games that think they are downloading them in complete anonymity are getting a rude awakening thanks to a new virus named Kenzero.
Mariposa virus makes jump to mobile cell phones
March 21, 2010
Earlier this month it was reported that the new Android-based Vodafone HTC Magic handset carried a virus on the memory card. This malware was initially discovered by Panda Security. Vodafone stated that it was an “isolated incident.” However, since then more cell phone virus infections have been reported.
Botnet Zeus merely slowed by amputation
March 11, 2010
One of the most notorious networks of infected computers suffered a painful but short-lived loss this week after a rogue Internet service provider was cut off from the Web. As many as a third of the “command and control” machines in the Zeus botnet were effectively disabled by the move, though it doesn’t appear that’s a permanent effect.
Vodafone HTC Magic found to be carrying virus out of the box
March 9, 2010
It appears that just because something is factory sealed doesn’t necessarily insure that it is free of viruses.
