"I have just found a new best friend and his name is Pyr0. I didn’t choose him because he is entertaining or fun to be with - although he is both. Nope, it’s just that, more than anything, you wouldn’t want Pyr0 to be your enemy. Got anthrax in your laboratory? Pyr0 could steal it. Millions [...]

"This article focuses mainly on Windows rootkits – they are the most numerous, they are continuing to evolve, they pose a serious threat for users and because Windows is the most popular OS today, they are widely used by virus writers. I define rootkits as programs that evade or circumvent standard system mechanisms by using stealth [...]

""Google’s a great company, got some great products, but you know in some respects I think Google is where Microsoft was 7 or 10 years ago," Peter Cullen, Microsoft’s chief privacy strategist told CNET News sister site ZDNet Australia. Cullen heads up the privacy arm of Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing Group, which has led the company’s drive [...]

"Microsoft on Monday described some new privacy features that will come with IE8, the next release of its browser. The features are designed to make it easier for people to delete and control information about their Web browsing history. With InPrivate Browsing, one of the new features, a user launches a new InPrivate Browsing window to [...]

This post analyzes the installation method of a rogue antivirus application Antivirus 2009 and its effective removal as observed by me. Antivirus 2009 is a fake antivirus application, designed to scare the users with fake alert screens about non-existent and often misleadingly named threats found on your system. When the user tries to clean the [...]

“By now most personal-computer users know not to post their Social Security numbers on the Internet or respond to Nigerian e-mails seeking help with suspicious bank-account transfers. "But many people still make mistakes that compromise their computer’s security or invite identity thieves. "You can’t be too safe," said Jeff Fox, technology editor at Consumer Reports. People [...]

"Two of the world’s largest and most prolific spamming botnets have been spotted sharing a common bot malware-delivery method. But whether that means that the operators of the rival Rustock and Srizbi botnets are actually in cahoots is unclear, security researchers say. Rustock, which recently edged Srizbi for the top slot as the biggest spammer mostly [...]

"Browser maker Opera released an update to its software on Thursday, closing serious security vulnerabilities in the versions of its software for Windows, Mac, Linux and other operating systems. The patch, which upgrades the Opera browser to version 9.5.2, closes 5 holes in Opera for Mac OS X, 6 holes in the Linux version and 7 [...]

"The attack puts a hard-to-delete weblink into the clipboard that, if followed, leads people to a website selling fake security software. The code that inserts the link has been found in flash-based adverts seen on many legitimate websites. The attack on the clipboard has hit both Windows and Mac users of the Firefox web browser. " [...]

"Symantec has signed a definitive agreement to acquire PC Tools, a provider of security and utilities software for Microsoft Windows. Financial terms of the deal, which is expected to close by the end of 2008, were not disclosed. Headquartered in Australia, PC Tools has offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and the Ukraine. According [...]

"g_ has discovered a moderately critical vulnerability in VLC Media Player, which potentially can be exploited by malicious people to compromise a user’s system. The vulnerability is caused due to an integer overflow error within the “Open()” function in modules/demux/tta.c. This can be exploited to cause a heap-based buffer overflow via specially crafted TTA data. Successful [...]

"Online advertising has become a huge profit center for website owners. Web adverts fuel many free websites, particularly social networks, blogs, forums and news sites. Since Web adverts have a virtually unlimited capacity to reach millions of users, attackers look to them as a doorway to install malicious code. Advertising space on a website works through [...]

Further to my earlier blog about Antivir64 Rogue Antispyware software, there were many enquiries about how I managed to get rid of it off my system. Let’s start with the files and registry keys created by this malware. The following were found in my fully patched Windows Vista system: In C:\Program Files\Antivir64 folder it adds the [...]

Antivir64, a new rogue antispyware is on the prowl, it seems to be installing from scanner.antivir64.com with an affiliate id 1050 (scanner.antivir64.com/?aff=xxxx). The victims are redirected -probably through .htaccess file hack- from certain pages of legitimate but hacked websites. A quick google search shows first reports of blog sites getting hacked to redirect visitors to [...]

CheckPoint Software Technologies Ltd, the makers of the famed ZoneAlarm range of security products will give away full versions of ZoneAlarm ForceField software on Tuesday, August 12. This promotion will run for 24 hours starting at 6.00AM PDT, running concurrently with Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday. The offer includes a full year license for one PC, and is [...]

Google last week introduced a security setting designed to protect GMail users sessions from getting hijacked. The setting is provided as an option in the "settings" page of your GMail account. If you haven’t enabled the "Always use HTTPS" option, it’s time to do so now due to the emergence of an automated cookie stealing [...]

Couple of days back, I came across A Few Tips to Help You Protect Your Home Computer compiled by Deborah Hale in the Handler’s Diary over at SANS Internet Storm Center. It was nice to see that almost all of the tips mentioned in that list was available to Malware Help. Org readers for more than [...]

"To gain a grasp of just how badly organized cyber-crime groups are fleecing American banks and consumers, it may be instructive to look at the details released this week about the operations of a single online crime gang, that is responsible for undoubtedly the largest cache of stolen data ever uncovered. The info comes from Joe [...]

"The big security news of Summer 2008 has been Dan Kaminsky’s discovery of a serious vulnerability in DNS. This vulnerability could allow an attacker to redirect network clients to alternate servers of his own choosing, presumably for ill ends. This all led to a mad dash to patch DNS servers worldwide, and though there have [...]

"Internet Antivirus is a new rogue anti-virus program that uses false information and aggressive tactics in order to scare people into purchasing it. Most people see ads for Internet Antivirus as they browse the web…If you decide to download and install the program, Internet Antivirus will be set to automatically run when your computer starts. [...]