Security
Excellent presentation on removing malware
I have been mentioning Mark Russinovich for years. Russinovich probably knows as much about how Windows works as anybody alive. Before he joined Microsoft, he was the co-founder of Sysinternals and developed many first-rate Windows system tools. These tools are still being improved under the Microsoft aegis and one very useful utility is Process Explorer. [...]
Is your computer a zombie?
The recent brouhaha about Windows update MS10-015 and the discovery that a rootkit was involved underlines the point that there are a lot of computers that are infected without the owners knowing about it. In fact, it is these unwitting participants in botnets that spew out most of the malware spam. A recently released study [...]
Video about phishing on social sites
Symantec has a video demonstrating how phishing works on social networks. Consumer Reports has posted it and comments:
This video by Norton from Symantec graphically shows what havoc can result when cybercriminals hijack your friends’ social networking accounts. The e-mail looks like it came from a friend, but when the victim clicks on the link directing [...]
You can’t keep a good hacker down
When it became clear that a rootkit was behind the Windows XP crashes caused by Microsoft update MS10-015, the hackers swung into action—not to remedy the rootkit but to “improve” it. The whole point of the rootkit was to sit there unknown to the owner of the infected system so that various nefarious Internet activities [...]
Routers being attacked by botnet
Many of you probably have a router. Did you ever change the default password or are you still using “admin” or whatever came with the router? These default passwords are well known to everybody and not changing them is an open invitation to hackers. PC World looks at a recent exploit from what is called [...]
Hack attacks on Google traced to Chinese schools
The New York Times reports:
A series of online attacks on Google and dozens of other American corporations have been traced to computers at two educational institutions in China, including one with close ties to the Chinese military, say people involved in the investigation.
In addition, Computerworld reports:
One of two Chinese academic institutions identified in a [...]
It isn’t just newbies who get malware infections
If only the computer industry professionals would heed the lesson that is repeated over and over. The security methodology used for PCs is broken. It isn’t just the great unwashed public that gets malware. We have instance after instance of large institutions with professional IT staff getting infected. One of the latest is the city [...]
Windows XP patch problem due to rootkit
Microsoft has confirmed that the previously reported problem with Window XP update MS10-015 was caused by a rootkit called Alureon. If you are having trouble because of the update, Microsoft advises:
Customers who believe they are experiencing this reboot issue after installing MS10-015, or require support removing it or repairing their systems, are encouraged to contact [...]
PDF files were major carrier of malware in 2009
The security problems of Adobe software are a frequent topic here. Unfortunately, Adobe too often lets security holes go unpatched long after they are discovered. Since Adobe software programs in the form of Flash and PDF readers are on most PCs, their poor security is a bonanza for cybercriminals. The PDF reader in particular has [...]
Adobe patches issued
Don’t forget to update Adobe Reader and Acrobat. Link is here.
Detecting rootkits
Rootkits are an insidious form of malware that can often hide from conventional methods of detection. Anti-malware suites have started including tests for rootkits but specialized scanners are still a good idea for these stealthy invaders. Rootkits are becoming a growing problem and seem to have been behind recent problems with a Microsoft update in [...]
