Linux News: Malware

Mozilla Fixes Firefox JavaScript Glitch
July 17, 2009

Thursday marked yet another chapter in the short, rocky history of Mozilla's Firefox 3.5 browser, as the foundation released a security update a little more than two weeks after unveiling it. Firefox 3.5.1 fixes a JavaScript vulnerability in version 3.5 that exposed users to so-called drive-by attacks.

Cyberattack Defense: Staying One Step Ahead of Hackers
July 16, 2009

Describing cyberterrorism as a "weapon of mass disruption," President Barack Obama released in late May the findings of a 60-day cybersecurity review. The statistics told the ugly story: Last year alone, cybercriminals stole intellectual property from businesses worldwide worth up to $1 trillion.

Where Are the Cybercops?
July 13, 2009

The month of June saw a host of Web-based attacks compromising legitimate Web sites. One, dubbed "Nine Ball," compromised more than 40,000 Web sites. Another attack injected a malicious script into large numbers of legitimate sites. What can be done about these attacks, and who's policing the Web anyhow?

ActiveX Shark Stalks IE Surfers
July 07, 2009

Microsoft has warned Web surfers that an unused ActiveX control in Internet Explorer could let hackers launch malicious code on the user's system if it's running an older OS like Windows XP or Windows Server 2003. Hackers have reportedly already begun exploiting the vulnerability, and security experts predict the attacks could get worse. Microsoft has posted a fix for the problem online.

A Week of Free Updates, Free Advice and Free Speech
June 19, 2009

What we're seeing in Iran could be the beginning of some big political changes. Fishy results in the presidential election last week have led to massive protests, some of which have turned violent. The way the news about the country's turbulence is reaching other parts of the world is monumental in its own right -- symptomatic of the changes that have been brewing ever since the term "Web 2.0" moved into cliché territory.

China Scrambles to Repair Crumbling Green Dam
June 15, 2009

For years, China's government has kept the country's Internet surfers on a very short leash. Censors attempt to block any content considered immoral, which could be anything from pornography to politically charged blog posts. Its latest plan is to order the installation of filtering software directly into all personal computers.

Google Is the Sarah Palin of Enterprise Vendors
May 25, 2009

We all remember Sarah Palin. Like many, I too got excited about the difference she would bring to the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign. She showed well at events, and she looked good on paper. Then came her interviews, and suddenly she was the new Dan Quayle -- or, basically, another person who trades on looks and luck and doesn't figure doing homework is actually necessary.

Chrome 2.0 Juices Up JavaScript
May 22, 2009

Google on Thursday revealed Chrome 2.0, a purportedly faster and more feature-filled version of the search giant's Web browser. The extra speed comes from an update to its V8 JavaScript engine and from a new version of the open source WebKit rendering engine. However, Chrome's speed advantage may soon be overshadowed by rivals.

You Could Be File-Sharing More Than You Think
May 14, 2009

With the Congressional Oversight and Government Reform Committee taking a fresh look at the privacy and security risks posed by using LimeWire and other peer-to-peer file-sharing applications, now is a good time for both home and office users of these services to reassess the safety of their own sensitive data.

Panda Floats New Cloud-Based Security Tool
April 29, 2009

Panda Security on Wednesday released a cloud-based antivirus solution in beta. Panda Cloud Antivirus is based on a new protection model that utilizes a thin-client agent and server architecture to process and block malware. The product provides full protection from viruses, spyware and rootkits for free, according to the company, and does so with 50 percent less impact on PC performance.

Twitter Birdie Chokes Down Worms
April 13, 2009

Two recent developments have all but guaranteed Twitter's successful crossover into the mainstream: First, the popular social networking site -- and its bluebird logo -- are included in a new Sprint national television ad campaign. Secondly, the network was the target of computer worm attacks apparently launched by a teenager over the Easter weekend.

Conficker Twitch Leaves Security Sleuths With More Mysteries to Solve
April 09, 2009

On Tuesday, computers infected by the Conficker worm woke up and downloaded a new variant. Named "Worm.Downad.E" by Trend Micro, "Conficker.AQ" by antivirus vendor Eset and "Trojan-Dropper.Win32.Kido.o" by antivirus vendor Kaspersky Labs, this new variant has left many security threat researchers bewildered. One conundrum: They don't know why it has a kill switch that apparently kicks in on May 3.

Scammers Swarm: Tax Time Is Open Season for Phishers
April 08, 2009

It's tax time again, and the online scammers are crawling out of the woodwork. Their goals are to intercept personal information about taxpayers nationwide, and in some ways, they may be benefiting from the IRS' push for people to electronically file their returns. Some scammers are "phishing" taxpayers by sending emails that claim to be from the IRS.

Conficker Fears Create Fertile Ground for Other Scammers
March 31, 2009

You Googled "Conficker," and you read the stories about the computer worm that's vexing security researchers around the world. Your fears about your own PC soon hit critical mass, so you then Google "how to detect/remove Conficker." What you get is the latest example of social engineering; in attempting to run away from one bit of nasty malware, you could head right into the arms of another.

Security Sleuths Work Overtime to Confound Conficker
March 30, 2009

Corporate network administrators can breathe a little easier as the world braces itself for what could be a massive Internet attack courtesy of the Conficker worm on April 1. International non-profit research organization The Honeynet Project, which works on Internet security, has come up with a new scanner to detect the worm on networks.

This Week's Browser Fight: Will Security KO Speed?
March 20, 2009

Speed kills -- ask any cop -- and browser users are going to find that out very soon. The browser wars heated up this week, with Microsoft's launch of Internet Explorer 8, Google's release of a new beta version of Chrome, and the debut of Mozilla's Fennec, the mobile version of Firefox.