You have an extra three days to file this year, but the April 18 tax deadline is fast approaching. Tax season can be stressful, or exciting depending on who owes who. Either way, the anxiety over income tax season helps attackers catch people off guard with spoofed IRS messages and other income tax related scams.
Tony Bradley | 07 Apr | Read more
There's hacking, then there's hacktivism. There's malware, then there's Android Trojans like the latest "threat" discovered by Symantec. Android.Walkinwat is like the Batman of mobile malware -- a rogue vigilante seeking justice through means that also skirt legality, but for a good cause.
Tony Bradley | 01 Apr | Read more
The Rustock botnet--one of the most prolific sources of spam -- has gone silent. Microsoft worked with security vendors and the civil court system to pull the plug on Rustock. Some security experts question, though, if the absence of Rustock will have a significant impact on spam volume, or whether we have truly heard the last of Rustock, or if it is just dormant for a while.
Tony Bradley | 19 Mar | Read more
Throughout the beta testing phase of Internet Explorer, and the days and weeks leading up to its official launch, much has been made of the blazing performance of IE9's hardware accelerated graphics, and the overall immersive experience of the new browser. Another facet of IE9, though -- which has received less attention -- is the improved security of the browser. Here are four features of IE9 that make it safer and more secure:
Tony Bradley | 16 Mar | Read more
With the launch of the Motorola Xoom, and impending arrival of the BlackBerry PlayBook, HP TouchPad, and a plethora of other tablets, the competition is mounting for the Apple iPad. However, a survey from ChangeWave finds that the dominance of Apple's iPad is assured for the foreseeable future.
Tony Bradley | 11 Mar | Read more
The Android world is still reeling from the DroidDream invasion of the Android Market. Google has flipped the kill switch to wipe out apps associated with DroidDream, but the work of investigating how this Android Trojan infiltrated Google, and how to prevent similar attacks in the future is just beginning.
Tony Bradley | 08 Mar | Read more
Intel's acquisition of McAfee -- originally announced last August -- has passed regulatory hurdles and is now official. The question now is: "What does the future hold with the combination of one of the leading chip manufacturers and one of the leading security vendors?"
Tony Bradley | 02 Mar | Read more
It is no secret that mobile platforms are ripe targets for malware. The explosion of smartphones and tablets, combined with the lack of security awareness or tools for mobile platforms makes them particularly attractive targets. Apparently, Android has caught the attention of mobile malware developers because the number of threats is on the rise.
Tony Bradley | 01 Mar | Read more
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has given Microsoft's proposal for a standard protecting consumer privacy the seal of approval. Acceptance by W3C -- the governing body responsible for HTML5 -- is a significant hurdle for Microsoft as it works to give users more control over their own online privacy and the tools necessary to block unwanted Web tracking.
Tony Bradley | 25 Feb | Read more
A week or so ago, I had never heard of HBGary. I assume you probably hadn't either. Now we know HBGary all too well after an attempt to make a name by unmasking the anonymous hackers of Anonymous backfired in more ways than one.
Tony Bradley | 22 Feb | Read more
Attention! Dear Depositor -- the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) is not sending you an e-mail with a mysterious ZIP file attachment. If you receive such a message claiming to be from the FDIC, don't be fooled. The e-mail is a phishing attack, and the attachment is actually malware.
Tony Bradley | 19 Feb | Read more
At a keynote speech delivered at the RSA Security Conference, Scott Charney -- Microsoft corporate vice president for Trustworthy Computing -- reiterated a vision for the future of Internet security. Charney painted a picture of a collaborative approach to Internet and PC security modeled after the processes used to respond to global health epidemics.
Tony Bradley | 17 Feb | Read more
Momentum is building behind the US Federal Trade Commission call for some sort of "do not track" system. Each of the major Web browser vendors have come up with their own unique approach to preventing Web surfing habits from being tracked, and now Congress is getting in on the act with pending "do not track" legislation.
Tony Bradley | 17 Feb | Read more
In January, Microsoft only released two security bulletins, but even at the time it was common knowledge that a number of known vulnerabilities were not yet addressed. In February, Microsoft is apparently catching up on patches for outstanding zero-day threats and then some--with a total of 12 new security bulletins.
Tony Bradley | 04 Feb | Read more
There have been a number of attacks recently against high-profile social networking accounts -- French President Sarkozy, teen pop star Selena Gomez, and even social network wunderkind and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg have all fallen prey. Web surfing and social networking are here to stay, so the trick is figuring out how to protect your computer and your personal information while you're online.
Tony Bradley | 01 Feb | Read more