Several known vulnerabilities to remain unpatched on forthcoming Microsoft patch day

Microsoft plans to release just two security updates to fix eight vulnerabilities in Windows and Office on its forthcoming patch day. Vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer will, however, remain unpatched

Source: The H Security

McAfee: System Security Is Weak Despite Locked Doors


NewsFactor – Evidence from the recent Aurora hack attacks on major American corporations suggest that many may have tightly locked virtual front doors, but no cybersecurity inside their systems, a McAfee expert warned on Wednesday.

In a Security Insights blog post, Paul Kurtz, McAfee’s chief technology officer, discussed his study of the December-through-February attacks on Google, Intel, Adobe Systems, and other large firms.

Source: Yahoo! News: Software News

Spanish police release details about Mariposa arrests

Three Spaniards have reportedly been arrested in connection with “Mariposa”, one of the largest botnets worldwide. The arrests took place over the past few weeks and the suspects stand accused of having taken control of more than 13 million computers and of operating the botnet since the end of 2008

Source: The H Security

Fastest Antivirus Software – New Version

One of the absolutely fastest Antivirus software titles available has just been upgraded. Vipre Antivirus version 4.

VIPRE Antivirus 4.0 is high-performance antivirus software that doesn’t slow down your PC like older, traditional security products. VIPRE is the end of antivirus as you know it.

Tired of that old antivirus program that makes your PC slow down to a crawl? Interrupting what you are doing with slow scan times, causing problems and nagging you? Time for a change to next-generation antispyware that IS NOT a resource hog!

Check out Vipre Antivirus.

Until next time ;-)

Peter – Your Online Security Guide

Scareware is getting down to business


Microsoft’s Malware Protection Center has sighted a particularly stubborn type of scareware. not only does it scare users using fake infection alerts, but it also purposefully disrupts the access to certain web pages and the execution of specific applications…


Source: The H Security

Nigerias Anti-Scam Initiative

No one’s sure how many there are to go, but according to a Nigerian official, there are about 800 scam email addresses and 18 criminals that can be considered “down.” Mrs. Farida Waziri, the chairperson of a government agency, announced that some shutdowns and arrests occurred thanks to an initiative called Project Eagle Claw.

Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is the force behind Project Eagle Claw, and with Microsoft’s help, has just started ramping it up. Waziri explained in a statement, “We expect that Eagle Claw as conceived will be 100% operational within six months and at full capacity, it will take Nigeria out of the top 10 list of countries with the highest incidence of fraudulent e-mails.”

Read Complete Article

Google Goes After Impersonator Scammers

As huge corporations go, Google’s a pretty cuddly one, but according to the search giant itself, everyone should be careful about offers of employment or wealth that involve its name. “Google Money” scammers represent a growing problem that the company is trying to combat.

A post on the Official Google Blog announced today, “Despite hundreds of consumer complaints and our own efforts to keep these sites from tricking people, some scams continue. To fight back, we’re working to stop various fraudulent ‘Google Money’ schemes, and this week filed suit against Pacific WebWorks and several other unnamed defendants.”

Read the complete article

Senate Uncovers Online Credit Card Tricks

A report issued by a U.S. Senate committee only uses the word “scam” when quoting different consumers; the report’s title employs the phrase “aggressive sales tactics,” instead. Still, it looks like a number of big online companies have been caught profiting off people’s confusion.

Read the rest of this story on Security News

McAfee: Cyberwarfare A Big Threat

It might not be long before we return to the days of schoolchildren diving under their desks in warfare preparedness drills. Only now, instead of hiding from nukes, the kiddos may be unplugging their computers, since McAfee has indicated that a cyberarms race is taking place.

McAfee: Cyberwarfare A Big Threat
McAfee: Cyberwarfare A Big Threat

Dave DeWalt, the president and CEO of McAfee, said in a statement, “Several nations around the world are actively engaged in cyberwar-like preparations and attacks.” These include China, France, Israel, Russia, and the U.S., and it’s no secret that the members of this group aren’t all on great terms.

What’s more, cyberwarfare’s barrier to entry is so low in comparison to traditional hostilities (a roomful of computers vs. thousands of men, tanks, and airplanes) that lots of other countries are almost sure to pursue the idea.

Then, if and when the virtual bullets start flying, things could get really nasty. McAfee reported, “Attackers are not only building their cyberdefenses, but cyberoffenses, targeting infrastructure such as power grids, transportation, telecommunication, finance and water supplies, because damage can be done quickly and with little effort.”

At least this state of affairs would create a good job market for security professionals. Everybody else might benefit in a physical manner from the dive-and-unplug exercises, too.

Phishing: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [alerts@cdcmailsystem.gov]


vaccine-phish1Did you get an email from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [alerts@cdcmailsystem.gov], then DO NOT respond or click any links.

This is a fake message trying to get you to give up personal information that will be used for illegal purposes.

vacine-phish2I have received several of these the last few days with slightly different wordings, title and sender information. In any regard you can be sure that CDC or other government organizations will not email you about information like this. An easy way to see where the link goes in messages like this is to hold your mouse over the image. As you can see on the image of the email I have enclosed here it goes to a website on Isle of Man.

Until next time – Stay Safe!

Peter – Your Online Security Guide

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