Trojan horses

ALSO NOTED: Virtualizing the Xserve with Parallels; Storm Worm makes a Valentine's Day comeback;

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 06:59:51 -0500

> Virtualizing the Xserve with Parallels. Article
> Digital picture frame ships with Trojan. Article
> Storm Worm makes a Valentine's Day comeback. Article
> Gigabyte announces Eee-like laptop. Article
> Everex Cloudbook gets upgraded to 9" LCD. Article
> NEC shows off curved, 42" display. Article

And Finally... MacBook Air gets a manila folder-style case for real. Article

Bluetooth security still a challenge

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 06:59:58 -0400

Bluetooth offers a tremendous opportunity for mobile users, but Ooi Szu-Khiam, senior security consultant at Symantec, says that security is still a big issue. Indeed, research firm InsightExpress revealed that 73 percent of mobile device users are not aware of security issues that could put mobile devices such as cell phones and Bluetooth-equipped notebooks at risk. "There are many other methods that (launch) a variety of denial-of-service attacks, and even some that could allow an attack to eavesdrop on private conversations," Szu-Khiam told Cnet. He also noted that "numerous instances of mobile viruses, worms and Trojan horses" have occurred in the last year. Some of the terms used to describe these security vulnerabilities: bluejacking, bluespamming and bluebugging.

For more information on Bluetooth security:
- see the article in Cnet

Scammers using IM to snare victims

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 20:01:39 -0400

Hackers and scammers are getting more creative than ever: They're now turning to instant messaging to lure users onto Web sites where they're asked for confidential information. This latest phishing strategy fooled a Yahoo! employee and showed that even those who are well aware of scamming techniques can still get suckered by a malicious scheme. As one Yahoo! rep says, hackers are "super devious" these days.

For the latest phishing strategy:
- read the article at News.com

PLUS: The rise in targeted Trojan attacks. Article

Hackers have a target strategy

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 20:01:39 -0400

When it comes to email vulnerabilities, targeted Trojan attacks aimed at one to ten users seems to be all the rage these days with those trying to steal information. According to a leading security vendor, email hackers are doing their homework in researching specific companies and identifying targets to craft sophisticated email messages that house a zero day exploit hidden in a business application file, such as a Word or Excel document. The apps then install a back-door on the targeted system. The big problem is that the attacks are so small that security antivirus products don't detect the risk element.

For more on the new email target approach:
- read the column at InfoWorld

Zero-day attack exploits Word bug

Tue, 05 Sep 2006 20:01:35 -0400

Security companies are reporting that an extremely critical flaw in the still popular Microsoft Word 2000 software is currently being exploited by an attack called Trojan MDropper.Q. It spreads by seemingly harmless email attachments, as did a similar attack in June. However, this version installs a malicious file that's a variation of the Backdoor.Femo bug. Microsoft doesn't yet have a patch for this.

For more on this:
- read this Cnet News.com article

ALSO: First U.S. felony spammer almost in jail. Article

Microsoft dismisses PowerPoint warning

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 20:01:37 -0400

Is there a new zero-day PowerPoint bug or did Trend Micro make a mistake? Trend Micro originally said that an infected .ppt file installs Trojan-style malware and then tries to download additional infected files from the Internet. Microsoft claims that Trend Micro never contacted them to confirm and that, in fact, Trend Micro's discovery actually refers to a bug that was previously patched. So it sounds like Microsoft is on top of things this time. Seriously though, when it comes down to Microsoft versus a credible security company, who are you gonna believe? Yeah, I thought so.

For more on security:
- read this eWeek article

Trojan takes a bite out of BlackBerry

Tue, 08 Aug 2006 20:01:38 -0400

Your emails are encrypted, but what about exploiting your BlackBerry's network access? A simple game of tic-tac-toe, shown at Defcon this week, contained a Trojan which can attack via a BlackBerry into a corporate network. Research In Motion says protection is already available in its messaging server and that all mobile devices have such issues and reflect larger security trends.

For more on security:
- read this IDG News article

ALSO NOTED: New trojan disguises malicious traffic; Mozilla postpones Firefox 2.0 Beta 2; and much more...

Tue, 08 Aug 2006 20:00:50 -0400

> New trojan disguises malicious traffic. Article

> Mozilla postpones Firefox 2.0 Beta 2. Article

> Open Text updates collaboration suite. Article

And Finally... An inside look at Technion. Article

ALSO NOTED: More Microsoft security patches coming next week; Australian tech job survey shows a slight slowdown; and much more

Sun, 07 May 2006 20:00:50 -0400

> More Microsoft security patches coming next week. Article

> Australian tech job survey shows a slight slowdown. Article

> How terrorists are using US computers to propagate hate. Article

> Porn sites being used for latest Trojan attacks. Article

> NYC department fires employee for Net use despite court ruling. Article

And Finally... Remembering the dot.coms that went bust. Article

Experts say Mac showing more security holes

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 20:01:35 -0400

Leap.A is a new Trojan-style virus circulating for the Apple Macintosh OS X platform. Claims about it being the "first" Macintosh virus are bogus, but it's likely to be the first of many in a new trend, security experts say. Still, given OS X's roots in the Unix-based FreeBSD operating system, it is still far more secure than any version of Windows.

For more on the Mac:
- read this AP article
- read this Register article

ALSO: Apple pondering ZFS for OS X. Article

PLUS: Notes from Apple's investor meeting. Article