Security Trends: Archive: November 2010

Malware Volume Surges, But Lifespan Is Short

New report from Panda Security finds that more than one-third of all malware in existence was created this year, but unlike previous strains, most is active for less than a day.

8 New Security Add-Ons for Firefox

Improve browser security and protect your privacy--and your identity--with these eight great open source add-ons for the Firefox Web browser.

Ransomware Scams Take Your Data Hostage

New form of malware encrypts files on a victim's computer and demands they fork over $120 if they ever want to be able to access their Office files again.

Cybercriminals Exploit Facebook Bug for Spam Campaign

Cybercriminals seized on Facebook users' woes earlier this week to spread a malicious downloader Trojan the old-fashioned way--by e-mail.

Invincea Enhances PDF Security

The Invincea Document Protection solution offers a new approach to securing Adobe's PDF that goes beyond simple sandboxing.

Six Security Tips to Survive Cyber Black Friday

With more and more people passing on the mall in favor of their smartphones for holiday shopping, online criminals have stepped up their games to steal their data and money.

Survey: Twitter, Cloud, Mobile Concerns for IT

Information security functions are trying to adapt to the new world of mobile computing, cloud computing and social networking, but at the end of the day, it's really about data loss prevention.

Online Crooks Celebrate Miley Cyrus' 18th Birthday

The "Hannah Montana" star turns 18 tomorrow and online scams promising racy videos of the teen star are already popping all over the Internet.

Afilias Project Expands DNSSEC Deployments

As Afilias accelerates DNSSEC for top-level domains, what is the current status for DNSSEC deployment, and what's next?

How to Choose the Right Data Wiping Software

Deleting data isn't enough--you also have to wipe it. There are many software tools available that can do this. We help you choose the right one and recommend 12 of our favorites.

McAfee Presents Its '12 Scams of Christmas'

The security software firm issues its "12 Scams of Christmas" list to raise Internet users' awareness of online scams designed to steal their money or their identities, or both.

Dell Debuts Encryption App for SMBs, Enterprise

Dell's new security suite is designed for customers that need to encrypt their data and comply with government information security regulations.

Malware, Mobile Device Threats Surge in Q3: McAfee

Security-software vendor McAfee's third-quarter threats report finds a huge increase in both the volume and sophistication of malware.

How To Encrypt a Windows Drive with DiskCryptor

Even if you password-protect your Windows account and encrypt your sensitive data, your system files can still be easily accessed, for example, from a Linux-based LiveCD--unless you encrypt them.

Malicious Spam Traffic Hits Record High in 3Q

Security software vendor Kaspersky Lab report finds a sharp spike in malicious email attachments in the third quarter.

Online Banking Security a Concern for Most: Survey

Survey reveals that most Internet users still have serious reservations about accessing banking information online due to persistent security risks.

Security Product Watch, November 12, 2010

New products released for protecting consumers, enterprises, small business, and government. And new data from Kaspersky Labs shows the U.S. still leads the world in spam production.

Healthcare Data Breaches Cost $6B A Year: Report

Latest data security report from Ponemon Institute finds that data security inadequacies are costing healthcare organizations dearly and exposing their patients to identity theft.

Apple Patches Mac OS X for Over 130 Flaws

OS X 10.6.5 released delivering the biggest patch load ever to Apple users, but did they still miss a few?

Too Young to Tweet?

We're not just business people or IT pros, many of us are parents, too. Is it good to use your tech savvy to establish an online presence for your child from birth? Or will it cost him or her in the long run?

Hacker Infiltrates Louisiana EMT Database

Someone managed to illegally access a state licensing database that held the personal information of more than 56,000 first responders.

New Harry Potter Movie Means New Malware Scams

It doesn't take a wizard to know how to cast a spell on people eager for "Deathly Hallows" sneak peaks. As anticipation grows for part 1 of the series finale, so does the number of Harry Potter-specific malware threats.

Small, But Serious Patch Tuesday

Microsoft patches a handful of security holes, but at least one of the vulnerabilities is dangerous and wide-spread. The message is, don't let your guard down.

USB Devices Responsible for 1 in 8 Malware Attacks

Study by security software developer AVAST finds that hackers are exploiting the AutoRun function in portable USB flash memory devices to infect PCs and mobile devices.

Spam Jumps 28 Percent in October: Report

AppRiver's October Internet security report finds a decided spike in spam last month and a reemergence of old, but still highly effective, malware.

Improve Network Security with Better Router Security

Millions of home and small business routers have a security flaw, which is simple to fix if you know how. Our expert explains the flaw and how to protect your network against it.

10 Ways to Protect Yourself from Firesheep Attacks

Our expert offers the top ten ways to surf websites vulnerable to Firesheep without getting fleeced. Learn how to best defend yourself from Firesheep and other sidejacking attacks.

PayPal Fixes iPhone App Security Flaw

Authentication vulnerability in PayPal's iPhone app made it possible for hackers to snare account information and passwords from users on unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots.

Microsoft: A Light Patch Tuesday Coming Up

Microsoft has only one critical bug to patch this month, a dramatic change over last month's Patch Tuesday and a welcome break for systems administrators.

UK Says Google Guilty, Broke Privacy Law

Agency says it won't fine Google for its Street View violations, but will audit company's data protection practices going forward.

Sophos Offers Free Security Software for Macs

Sophos unveils free antivirus software for home users looking to defend against malware targeting the Mac OS.

Phishing Scam Targets Military Families

Campaign uses popular financial services and insurance firm USAA as lure to steal personal information.

Rethinking Privacy and Cloud Computing

A predominantly cloud-based architecture is the future for most enterprises. The question is how to best balance privacy and security with cost and business risk.

Another Hawaiian University Exposes Personal Data

University of Hawai'i officials are warning more than 40,000 former students that a faculty member inadvertently posted their most sensitive personal information online for more than a year.

Android Code at Risk?

New report from static analysis vendor Coverity scans the Android code base and finds a pile of common software defects, though the defect density is lower than with other software.