Security

In what's being described as the first case of its kind, a Seattle man has reportedly been arrested on 4 counts for using peer-to-peer (P2P) software to steal digital data and commit identity theft, alleging that he victimized at least 83 people. ... Gregory Thomas Kopiloff used Limewire, Soulseek and other P2P software to rummage other people's computers for financial, medical and tax information, which he would use to open credit cards and for online shopping sprees. He bought more than $73,000 worth of merchandise online, then turned around and resold them at steep discounts. "If you are ... (view more)

Love to talk? Many of us do. It's one reason Skype has becomes such a popular "telephony" service, although both Skype Ltd. and its customers are pulling out hairs this morning over news that a nasty worm is inching its way through the instant ... messenger service. Skype, which is a Voice over Internet Protocol, or VOIP service, has seen its fair share of threats. In April we reported on a similar issue, whereby a text link led to a JPEG file that in turn presented an executable link. Clicking that meant spyware-central, and a whole lot of headaches for a service developed by former ... (view more)

Although it is the most widely-used, free web-based content encyclopaedia in the world, many online surfers are not inclined to believe everything they read on Wikipedia. In fact, most college and university professors will not allow their students ... to cite the database as a reputable source when producing research assignments. The unreliable reputation that has been linked to Wikipedia for quite some time is due to the fact that almost anyone can edit the entries that appear on the site, with little or no tools implemented to detect fraudulence. That's all about to change! Luca de Alfaro, a ... (view more)

Great news for eBay users who've ever been ripped off (and heaven knows there's a lot of you): At least one sketchy character is paying for failing to deliver on auction promises. For some, eBay is a land of frustration. Let's face it, nothing's ... guaranteed; although some products, such as wholesale movies and video games can be lucrative money-savers, there's always the chance that used or new copy of Halo 2 will never reach your door. It can be much more frustrating for those gambling on computer hardware parts and accessories, although it seems the American justice system is finally taking ... (view more)

Most of us in the tech "biz" are familiar with Zango. It's not a loving relationship. One of the most prolific spyware vendors, Zango recently failed to crawl out from underneath federal law that allows security companies to target its software. ... Since a name change from 180solutions to Zango, the adware company has been suing just about anyone in the security market. Proceedings have not gone well. A federal judge recently told Zango that companies like PC Tools and Web Sweeper can identify and target any program they like, including software from 180solutions (or whatever its name may be). ... (view more)

As recently reported by senior editor Brandon Dimmel, Microsoft has officially announced information about Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) and is reportedly scheduled to release it sometime in the first quarter of 2008. The official Vista white ... paper from the Windows Vista Blog offers some information about SP1. The white paper notes that "organizations do not need to wait for SP1 to deploy Windows Vista; they are encouraged to begin their Windows Vista evaluation and deployment now." Irregardless of the usual Microsoft epitomical marketing and explanations of the benefits and tradeoffs of ... (view more)

We hope you're not too shocked by this one: someone recently referred to Microsoft as a 'monopoly'. Got back on your feet? Good. Because, jokes aside, respected security firm Symantec Corp. is lashing out at big 'ol Microsoft for its pricing of ... Windows Live OneCare, the Redmond-based company's first foray into the preventative software market. In terms outlined by the media, Symantec Chairman and CEO John Thompson called Microsoft's low-ball pricing "monopolistic." In exact terms, Thompson was quoted to have said, "I don't want to say it was monopolistic, but it looked that way to some of us ... (view more)

Just how convenient is a USB memory stick? Very. Just how likely is it that your computer could be infected if you use one? Depends on the maker. Not so long ago, 2005 in fact, Sony faced a mountain of controversy when it reportedly used rootkit ... software to spy on users. That case involved the prevention of music piracy, with Sony halting the resale of its artists' discs by secretly installing copy protection programs on CDs sold to the public. Although there might be a few in the music industry capable of defending such a tactic, few will appreciate this news. According to researchers at a ... (view more)

Doesn't it make you feel good when a friend (or perhaps love interest) sends you a cheery, heart-felt e-card? In a world where Hallmark demands $5 or more for syrupy sympathy quotes, it's nice that there's a safe, electronic alternative. But, how ... safe are e-cards? According to one recent report, not very. Fake greetings are now making their way to unsuspecting victims via email, and it's unloading a plethora of new and nasty viruses on the computer of Joe Public. (Source: sj-r.com ) Although e-card viruses and Trojan threats are nothing new, this new form of greeting appears especially ... (view more)

We here at Infopackets have taken a few good looks at the 'Storm' Trojan virus , a bug that has been infecting unfortunate PC owners since the beginning of 2007. Now, speculation is that the Storm will take advantage of, well, the storm, ... capitalizing upon the public's interest in Hurricane Dean. This is fair warning. Although Dean is now tailing off in power as it ravages Mexico, it nonetheless remains a fairly popular news story. Its line of destruction in crossing the Caribbean captivated many of us, perhaps because of family links or vacation destinations. Regardless, we care, and it's ... (view more)