Security
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 [...]
Site about scams
Courtesy of Bruce Schneier, I have just come across an interesting British site called Scam Detectives. The site has an interview with someone claiming to be an ex-scammer from Nigeria that is worth reading. There are three parts. Here is the editor’s disclaimer about the interview:
Editor’s Disclaimer: Whilst I am reporting an actual conversation, I [...]
Critical Adobe updates
Again. Adobe is issuing security patches for Flash player, Acrobat, and Reader. The Flash player update came out today and the Reader/Acrobat patch will be next Tuesday. The Flash player bulletin is here. The Reader and Acrobat bulletin is here.
Via Computerworld.
Web Security: Are You Part Of The Problem?
That’s the title of an article at Smashing Magazine and it’s about a problem that the technology types seem to have trouble understanding—namely, that PCs and Web security are too complex for average PC users to understand. That means that hundreds of millions of people are going to do insecure things or get infected by [...]
Monitor your bandwidth usage
Caps of some sort on bandwidth usage are becoming more prevalent. Video eats up huge chunks of bandwidth and the Internet service providers are looking for ways to meter how much you use. If you would like to keep track of your bandwidth consumption, there are several free programs for that purpose. In addition to [...]
Another IE security hole
Here is an excerpt from a Microsoft security advisory issued today:
Our investigation so far has shown that if a user is using a version of Internet Explorer that is not running in Protected Mode an attacker may be able to access files with an already known filename and location. These versions include Internet Explorer 5.01 [...]
Story of a Chinese hacker
The New York Times has a story on hackers and cybercrime that will give you pause. The story includes an interview with a young Chinese hacker. I often write that fraud on the Internet is a big and growing business and this Times article makes it clear how true that is. For example:
Indeed, in China [...]
Yet another way to track you
And this one is ominous. The Electronic Frontier Foundation is experimenting with something called “Panopticlick”. This program puts together all the bits and pieces about your system that can be gleaned from the information that your browser reveals and constructs a sort of electronic fingerprint. It turns out that the exact combination of such things [...]
Email scams and the multi-billion dollar ripoffs
There’s the Nigerian scam, the fake lottery winnings, the phony bank message, fake Facebook friends, bogus account cancellations, greeting card scams, fake delivery messages, phony government agency alerts, the list goes on and on. They’re all email scams; some are hilariously inept, others are ingenious and very clever. They all have the same purpose—to [...]
Short takes
Here’s a quick summary of some links that caught my eye this past week:
LaptopFriendlyCafes Finds Great Wi-Fi Spots WorldwideLifehacker says, “LaptopFriendlyCafes.com lists more than 300 places around the globe that have plugs, Wi-Fi, 3G, and, oh yes, coffee.” Link is here.
Comcast running out of IPv4 addresses, beginning IPv6 trialArs Technica reports on the growing shortage [...]
Fake Adobe Reader phishing scam
Adobe reader always seems to need security updates and the phishers are playing on that. PC World reports:
A new phishing scam is trying to fool people into thinking it comes from Adobe, announcing a new version of PDF Reader/Writer. The message is making its way into e-mail boxes now, and the real Adobe urged any [...]
