Must-read articles on computer security, including virus alerts and much more!
Bigger US role against companies' cyberthreats?
(AP)
- <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/security/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120206/ap_on_hi_te/us_cyber_regulating_industry"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20120205/capt.277453d5b3424b61ae1c4da29cf2e9bf-277453d5b3424b61ae1c4da29cf2e9bf-0.jpg?x=130&y=80&q=85&sig=Fdq3Q28IkeyEhfxPGrgPJw--" align="left" height="80" width="130" alt="FILE - In this Sept. 21, 2011, file photo Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn. presides over the committee's hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. A developing Senate plan that would bolster the government’s ability to regulate the computer security of companies that run critical industries is drawing strong opposition from businesses that say it goes too far and security experts who believe it should have even more teeth. “But where the market has failed, and critical systems are insecure, the government has a responsibility to step in,” said Leiberman. (AP Photo Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)" border="0" /></a>AP - A developing Senate plan that would bolster the government's ability to regulate the computer security of companies that run critical industries is drawing strong opposition from businesses that say it goes too far and security experts who believe it should have even more teeth.</p><br clear="all"/>
Hackers intercept FBI, Scotland Yard call
(AP)
- <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/security/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120203/ap_on_hi_te/hacking_fbi"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20120203/capt.1c243e7107f74c27af9575eb47bef282-1c243e7107f74c27af9575eb47bef282-0.jpg?x=130&y=121&q=85&sig=HK1tnbk9oEkcy8A_wHv.Aw--" align="left" height="121" width="130" alt="This two picture combo shows, above: the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) headquarters in Washington Friday, Feb. 3, 2012, and below, New Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the London Metropolitan Police, also Friday Feb. 3, 2012. Hackers claim to have intercepted and leaked a sensitive conference call between cyber crime investigators at the FBI and Scotland Yard. The hacker group Anonymous has released a roughly 15-minute-long recording of what appears to be a Jan. 17 conference call devoted to tracking and prosecuting members of the loose-knit hacking group. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, Alastair Grant)" border="0" /></a>AP - Trading jokes and swapping leads, investigators from the FBI and Scotland Yard spent the conference call strategizing about how to bring down the hacking collective known as Anonymous, responsible for a string of embarrassing attacks across the Internet.</p><br clear="all"/>
Android OS rules in U.S., gets a Bouncer to keep malware out the Market
(Appolicious)
- Appolicious - The Android platform expanded its dominance in the U.S. smartphone market during Q4 of 2011, according to the latest ComScore report. Apple may have boosted its share of the mobile handset market with the release of the iPhone 4S, but Android’s still the clear winner in terms of OS use, powering 47.3 percent of surveyed subscribers. That’s up from 44.8 percent last year, growing by slightly more percentage points than Apple’s increase to 29.6 percent from 27.4 percent.
Google tightens security in Android app store
(Reuters)
- Reuters - Google Inc has been quietly policing its online store for months now in an acknowledgement of malware's growing threat to its increasingly popular Android mobile software.
Exclusive: Hacked companies still not telling investors
(Reuters)
- Reuters - At least a half-dozen major U.S. companies whose computers have been infiltrated by cyber criminals or international spies have not admitted to the incidents despite new guidance from securities regulators urging such disclosures.
Android “malware” turned out to be benign
(Appolicious)
- Appolicious - Consumers got a lesson in malware safety this week when Symantec and Lookout security companies presented different perspectives on “Android.Counterclank.” Symantec identified the string of apps as malware, but Lookout insisted the apps weren’t malicious but merely annoying adware Trojans. After several days of debating the semantics of malware, Symantec retracted its original statement, falling in line with Lookout’s assessment after all.
AVG Technologies prices at $16/share: source
(Reuters)
- Reuters - Anti-virus software maker AVG Technologies NV priced its initial public offering at $16 per share, at the low end of the expected range, according to a market source.
New DMARC email authentication aims to stop phishing
(Digital Trends)
- Digital Trends - Email spam has been a problem for even longer than commercial activity has been permitted on the Internet, and thanks to botnet operators, scammers, and outright cybercriminals spam has ballooned to account for the vast majority of all email. Although antispam technologies and filters have improved considerable over the years—and there have been some notable victories, like the takedown of the Rustock botnet last year—email operators and end users are always playing catch-up to the spammers, who always seem to find new ways to get a few messages into people’s inboxes.
Sarah Palin email hacker loses appeal
(Reuters)
- Reuters - A former college student convicted for hacking into Sarah Palin's e-mail account during the 2008 presidential election lost a bid to overturn his felony conviction on Monday.
New Android malware? Or just an ad network?
(Digital Trends)
- Digital Trends - Security firm Symantec raised eyebrows last week with a security notice about software it has dubbed Android.Counterclank, malware that the company claims can be found in over a dozen apps in the official Android market that have been installed as many as 5 million times. According to Symantec, CounterClank is a “bot-like” threat that, once installed on an Android device, can steal information and pass it along to a malicious host, and the software can respond to remote commands to carry out certain actions on the Android device. Devices with the software running might see a service running under the name “apperhand,” along with a new Search icon on the home screen.
Symantec, Lookout Mobile Security debate latest Android “malware” attack
(Appolicious)
- Appolicious - If you have an Android device, malware threats are nothing new, just something with which you’ve learned to deal. Mobile security companies usually alert the public when any major malware or Trojan threat is discovered in the Android Market, but rarely do they disagree over what’s actually considered malware. This question’s been raised in regards to the latest string of Android Market botnets uncovered by Symantec, in what could be the largest botnet setup in Android’s history with as many as 5 million victims.
US cybersecurity efforts trigger privacy concerns
(AP)
- AP - The federal government's plan to expand computer security protections into critical parts of private industry is raising concerns that the move will threaten Americans' civil liberties.
Evi tops Android Apps of the Week
(Appolicious)
- Appolicious - There’s been a second wave of Siri clones on the rise this week, with the launch of Evi gaining plenty of attention. While Android users seek their own version of the popular iPhone 4S artificial intelligence assistant, Evi, SimSimi and others have continued to gain traction in the Android Market. Lookout Labs unveiled a great app for visualizing mobile security threats, giving you deeper insight to malware behavior over time. Apartments.com also broke out with an Android app this week, joining the top real estate resources in the Market.
Facebook takes on 'clickjacking' spammers in court
(Reuters)
- Reuters - Facebook and the state of Washington sued a company on Thursday they accused of a practice called "clickjacking" that fools users of the world's top social network into visiting advertising sites, divulging personal information and spreading the scam to friends.
Symantec profit, forecast in line with estimates
(Reuters)
- Reuters - Symantec Corp, the top maker of computer security software, reported a higher quarterly profit and issued an outlook in line with Wall Street estimates.
ThreatMetrix: Mobile buying less risky than desktop this holiday season
(Digital Trends)
- Digital Trends - Cybercrime prevention solution provider ThreatMetrix has released their assessment of the risk levels associated with online commerce transactions during the 2011 holiday season, and finds on average mobile transactions were less risky overall than transactions conducted from desktop (or notebook) computers. From businesses’ point of view, this means that mobile transactions might be less chancy than traditional online sales; for consumers, it might mean that businesses increasingly try to shift online purchasing to mobile platforms as a way to reduce their risk.
Megaupload founder joked about his 'hacker' past
(AP)
- <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/security/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_hi_te/as_new_zealand_megaupload"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20120119/capt.418ae2ff53b44fb0aed72e0d42b1354c-418ae2ff53b44fb0aed72e0d42b1354c-0.jpg?x=130&y=75&q=85&sig=nMWF5XkWMSZErVK7kj14sg--" align="left" height="75" width="130" alt="Megaupload.com employees Bram van der Kolk, also known as Bramos, left, Finn Batato,second from left, Mathias Ortmann and founder, former CEO and current chief innovation officer of Megaupload.com Kim Dotcom (also known as Kim Schmitz and Kim Tim Jim Vestor), right, appear in North Shore District Court in Auckland, New Zealand, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. The four appeared in court in relation to arrests made to Megaupload.com, which is linked to a U.S. investigation into international copyright infringement and money laundering. (AP Photo/Greg Bowker, New Zealand Herald) NEW ZEALAND OUT, AUSTRALIA OUT" border="0" /></a>AP - Two years ago, Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom joked in emails with his new neighbors in New Zealand about his bad-boy reputation before telling them his criminal past was behind him and he was coming to the country with good intentions.</p><br clear="all"/>
Nokia fined for spam texts in Australia
(Reuters)
- Reuters - Australian regulators have fined Nokia, the world's largest cellphone maker by volume, A$55,000 ($58,000) for spamming customers and said the Finnish company should change its text message (SMS) marketing.
McAfee patches flaw that turned protected systems into spam relays
(Digital Trends)
- Digital Trends - Security software is an everyday necessity for most people, especially Windows users, businesses, and enterprises. But one of the ironies of security software is that, once in a while, it turns out to be the source of security problems all by itself. The latest instance involves McAfee’s SaaS Total Protection suite, a cloud-based solution designed to provide comprehensive email and and Web filtering along with centralized security management for businesses and organizations. However, McAfee has just had to issue an update to the service to block a flaw that could let attackers execute code on protected machines, and to fix another problem that could potentially enable attackers to turn protected systems into spam relays.
McAfee software bug could turn customers' PCs into spam servers
(Reuters)
- Reuters - Anti-virus software maker McAfee warned that a flaw in one of its products could make customers' PCs vulnerable to attacks in which hackers used their computers to distribute spam.
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Anti-SOPA forces have ISP snooping bill in their crosshairs
- An Internet outcry forced Rep. Lamar Smith to delay a vote on SOPA. Opponents of Smith's ISP snooping bill are hoping they can repeat the process.
EU officials want Google to suspend privacy policy change
- Despite request, Google tells concerned European Union advisers that it will stick to its March 1 date for privacy policy modifications.
Anonymous hacks lawyers for Marine accused of Iraq massacre
- Hackers follow release of recording of FBI call on Anonymous with attack on lawyers in an Iraq massacre case.
Facebook users polled 'unlike' new Timeline feature
- A whopping 70 percent of Facebook users surveyed by SodaHead voted thumbs down on the social network's now mandatory Timeline feature.
Google's response on new privacy policy ticks off congresswoman
- At a hearing in the House over the search giant's new privacy policy, subcommittee Chairwoman Mary Bono Mack expresses frustration over what she sees as Google's lack of clarity in answering questions.
Google's response on new privacy policy ticks off Congress
- At a hearing in the House over the search giant's new privacy policy, subcommittee Chairwoman Mary Bono Mack expresses frustration over what she sees as Google's lack of clarity in answering questions.
Anonymous claims to have snooped FBI cybercrime call
- Activist groups record call apparently between U.S. and U.K. law enforcement officials over cybercrime cases and individuals.
Anonymous: We snooped an FBI cybercrime call
- Hacktivist group says it recorded a call apparently between U.S. and U.K. law enforcement officials over cybercrime cases and individuals.
Mystery and mayhem surrounding MegaUpload (roundup)
- Hackers down government and entertainment Web sites after piracy arrest of people including Kim DotCom connected with the hosting site.
Kelihos botnet makes a comeback
- New variants resurrect the malware four months after Microsoft and Kaspersky Lab took down the original, which was capable of sending nearly 4 billion spam e-mails each day.
Feds seize illegal sports-streaming sites
- Just in time for Super Bowl Sunday, the federal agents announce they have seized and shuttered 307 Web sites that either live-streamed sports or sold fake NFL paraphernalia.
Teen finds bugs in Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft code
- Bug hunter credited with finding bugs in software from big tech firms is Norwegian teen.
How to identify fake Facebook accounts
- Barracuda Networks releases a study that helps identify fake Facebook accounts.
Security concerns on Apple's FileVault decryption via FireWire
- Since the news of Passware being able to decrypt FileVault over FireWire connections, Mac users might be concerned about the integrity of the security on their computers.
Google now scanning Android apps for malware
- New service scans apps for malicious code or behavior and bounces them if they are suspect.
Hackers stole data from VeriSign in 2010
- VeriSign discloses in quarterly SEC filing that hackers stole data in successful attacks, but doesn't say what data was stolen.
HTC patching Wi-Fi password leak on several smartphones
- Certain HTC smartphones may expose Wi-Fi passwords due to a bug. The company is addressing the problem through a regular update and a manual patch.
Cocoon now sheathes you in IE, too
- Cocoon extends its protective casing for you and your Internet habits to Internet Explorer users in a new beta. Along with IP address masking and anonymous browsing, you get secure Wi-Fi, e-mail on-the-fly, and antivirus scanning.
FileVault 2 easily decrypted, warns Passware
- Apple's FileVault 2 whole-disk encryption can be unencrypted within an hour, according to encryption and password-recovery company Passware.
Dubious Android apps may not be malware--just ads
- Verizon-affiliated ICSA Labs steps into the controversy over Android apps that Symantec identified as malware.
How Republican opposition derailed SOPA and Protect IP
- SOPA and Protect IP Act have finally splintered a Democrat-Republican alliance in favor of expanding copyright law that's been in place since the 1990s.
WikiLeaks buying boat to move servers offshore?
- According to a report, WikiLeaks investors are working to acquire a boat to house the controversial site's servers and keep Julian Assange safe from prosecution.
Google gets bad buzz, and Microsoft pounces--sort of
- Microsoft aims to exploit uneasiness over Google's new privacy steps by talking up its own services--but hasn't offered much but spin so far.
Microsoft playing up bad buzz about Google to reel in users
- The company is taking advantage of some of the concerns over Google's new privacy policy to convince people to use its own products and services.
Swedish high court scuttles Pirate Bay appeal
- Three of the men who founded The Pirate Bay have found out that the Sweden Supreme Court will not hear their appeal of fines and jail sentences imposed on them in 2010.
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