02.02.06

Nyxem worm uses social engineering to trash files

Posted in security, virus, worm at 11:52 am by HowardG

Rearing its ugly head in January was the Nyxem worm, also known as Blackdoom, Tearec, Kama Sutra, and Win32/Mywife.E@mm or W32.Blackmal.E@mm. The mass-mailing worm requires users to click on a link or open a file attached to an email to become active. According to a report from US-CERT, the worm targets Windows systems that hide file extensions. The worm’s icon is disguised to make it appear to be a WinZip file. Those who are disseminating the worm attempt to trick people into opening the file by telling recipients it contains free pornographic images.

The worm is disseminated through e-mails that contain subject lines such as “school girl fantasies gone bad”, “the best videoclip ever,” or “Miss Lebanon 2006.”

Once the worm has been launched, the code may do several things. Read the rest of this entry »

12.27.05

Unwanted Christmas Greeting Plagues Net Users

Posted in security, virus, worm at 12:07 pm by HowardG

During the holiday season, e-mails and electronic greetings fill every electronic mailbox, and recipients eagerly open them up in expectation of seeing friendly messages from friends, acquaintances, and relatives. But despite the temptation to let down one’s guard when presented with a festive “Merry Christmas” message, it’s still essential to take the standard precautions against malware. This year, PandaLabs discovered a new Trojan called MerryX.A, which delivers a payload much worse than coal in your Christmas stocking. Read the rest of this entry »

09.01.05

Containing the Security Threats of Spyware

Posted in security, identitytheft, virus, spyware at 5:34 pm by DarrenS

Spyware has overtaken viruses as the biggest security threat facing Windows computer users. A survey of Australian and New Zealand consumers conducted by Symantec in 2005 revealed that spyware and adware is creating chaos. Read the rest of this entry »

08.16.05

Fast Responce Champion: ZOTOB Emerges in 7 days

Posted in security, virus, microsoft, worm at 7:13 pm by HowardG

Zotob (BotOZ spelled backwards?) has emerged as the reining champion in the contest to most quickly exploit an announced Microsoft Security Bulletin. Unseating the existing champion Sasser, which took two weeks to emerge, Zotob has appeared only seven days following the announcement of a vulnerability and an associated security patch. Read the rest of this entry »

07.17.05

First Pocket PC Virus Discovered

Posted in security, virus, microsoft, mobile at 4:00 pm by DarrenS

The first ever virus to breach the security of Microsoft Pocket PC operating systems has been discovered. The credit for this discovery goes to antivirus researchers at the security software firm, Sophos. Read the rest of this entry »

05.17.05

New Variant of Sober Worm

Posted in security, virus, spam, worm at 8:03 pm by DarrenS

Computer security firm, Sophos, estimates that the Sober computer worm has a share of more than 5 percent of all e-mails sent worldwide. In early May, the Sober-N worm infected thousands of computers by pretending as a medium to get tickets for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. The first Sober worm was seen in October 2003. Read the rest of this entry »

Computer virus attacks university email system

Posted in security, virus, spam, microsoft at 4:55 pm by DarrenS

A new virus has started infecting computers globally. Waikato University is struggling hard to fight against this virus which has infected four other systems around the world. Read the rest of this entry »

04.08.05

Security Threats from IM and P2P

Posted in security, virus, worm at 6:31 pm by DarrenS

Corporates are facing security threats from the use of Instant Messaging (IM) services and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) systems. In April 2005, Akonix Systems, a provider of security solutions revealed that it has tracked over 100 new corporate security threats targeting IM and P2P systems in the first quarter of 2005, a more than 400% increase over the same period last year. Read the rest of this entry »

03.07.05

Cabir Wakes up the Mobile Phone Industry

Posted in security, virus, mobile at 9:47 am by DarrenS

Security threats are now not limited to desktops and laptops. An entirely new genre of security threats are creating ripples in the mobile phone industry. The world’s first mobile phone virus named Cabir spread to the United States from Philippines in February 2005 and it has been found in about 15 variations so far. Cabir spreads through Bluetooth wireless technology and drains the batteries of infected phones. While the initial damage from the original Cabir virus was minor, a later virus family called Skulls, which carries Cabir, destroyed some files on infected phones. Read the rest of this entry »

03.05.05

Computer Virus Epidemics on the Rise

Posted in security, virus at 6:27 am by DarrenS

One of the Russia’s largest antivirus software developer firms Kaspersky labs has recorded an increase in major virus “epidemics” to 46 percent in 2004 from 35 percent in 2003. Read the rest of this entry »

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