In advance of Wednesday’s House Judiciary Committee hearing on the Stop Online Piracy Act, a coalition of national consumer groups has reached out to the committee to urge them to stop this legislation, which they believe is too far-reaching and could end up hurting the consumers it intends to protect.

The Stop Online Piracy Act Goes Too Far & Could Hurt Consumers – The Consumerist

Posted: November 15th, 2011 under Software.
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Anti-spyware company Lavasoft AB is now owned by a set of online entrepreneurs who have been linked with misleading websites.

The Montreal-based entrepreneurs, who purchased the company’s assets in January, have previously been accused of selling the free versions of Lavasoft products to unwitting internet users as recently as 2007 via cyber-squatting sites.

Were Lavasoft’s buyers once on its hit list? • The Register

Posted: November 13th, 2011 under Security, Software.
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As part of a new program run by the Federal Communications Commission to expand the number of Americans with broadband internet access, Microsoft and its hardware partners will team up in 2012 to deliver new $250 computers to low-income families.

Microsoft working on $250 PC for low-income families | WinBeta

Posted: November 11th, 2011 under Computers.
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Summary: One version of the attack was triggered by a rigged Microsoft Word .doc that probably included some social engineering and required the target to open the booby-trapped file.

The mysterious Duqu malware attack exploited a zero-day vulnerability in the Windows kernel, according to security researchers tracking the Stuxnet-like cyber-surveillance Trojan.

Windows kernel ‘zero-day’ found in Duqu attack | ZDNet

Posted: November 1st, 2011 under Internet, Operating Systems, Security, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP.
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iPad 2 owners need to reconsider just how secure their tablets are following the discovery of a flaw that allows attackers with Apple Smart Covers to unlock iPads, even if they are password protected. The issue was first disclosed in the forums of German Apple enthusiast site apfeltalk.de, and has since been replicated numerous times including in tests by BetaNews.

Want to break into iPad 2? Get a Smart Cover

Posted: October 21st, 2011 under Apple, iPad, Security.
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In the old, old days researchers wrote virus code to prove a point and lone coders released malware that disseminated a message or simply vandalized computers. Modern malware is all about money. Symantec has just released a report on the various techniques used to make a profit from Android-focused malware. Given that Android is now the most widespread mobile platform, it’s a wide-open field for malefactors seeking to cash in.

How Android Malware Makes Money

Posted: October 20th, 2011 under Android, Security.
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In June 2010, security experts, analysts, and software providers were warning IT managers about Stuxnet, a new computer worm that was spreading rapidly over the internet. Stuxnet was distributed by Windows machines, and the intent of the worm wasn’t immediately clear. After a few months it was revealed that the vast majority of Stuxnet infections were in Iran, and Stuxnet seemed to have been specifically targeting the Siemens industrial control equipment used in the Iranian nuclear program.

New Stuxnet-Like Worm Discovered

Posted: October 20th, 2011 under Computers, Security.
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In 2007, security experts found a new Trojan capable of logging keystrokes navigating through banking sites and stealing money from consumers’ bank accounts. Following its increasing success, the now-famous Zeus Trojan has quickly adapted to many of the defenses implemented by banks to reduce online theft.

Banking Trojans Adapting To Cheat Out-of-Band Security – Dark Reading

Posted: October 20th, 2011 under Computers, Security.
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The new malware, identified as Duqu, is a highly specialized Trojan capable of gathering intelligence data and assets from entities, such as industrial control system manufacturers, in order to more easily conduct a future attack against another third party.

Stuxnet 2.0? Researchers find new ‘cyber-surveillance’ malware threat | ZDNet

Posted: October 18th, 2011 under Internet, Security.
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Facebook is the second most popular site in the world according to Alexa’s traffic rankings. The social network had explosive growth from 2008 with 100 million users to 750 million users today. This equates to about 11 percent of the world’s population or 36 percent of global Internet users; Facebook became the largest social network worldwide. The social network’s popularity and its fast growth make it a prime target for cybercriminals.

How do survey scammers ‘clipjack’ Facebook users?

Posted: October 11th, 2011 under Facebook, Internet, Security.
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