malware

Though it has struggled to gain the attention of many computer users set in their XP ways, Windows Vista is considered to be relatively safer from malware than its predecessor. Unfortunately, according to one prominent security company, that's about ... to change. In a recent report by well-known software developer McAfee Inc., Vista is labeled as a targeted system for calendar 2008. That will certainly change the current state of affairs, where hackers have bypassed the new Vista in continuing to attack old XP users. "Most of the current malware has ignored Vista," admitted McAfee researcher ... (view more)

Tucked away behind that Iron Curtain, for a long time we didn't hear much from Eastern Europe. With the fall of the Soviet Union less than twenty years ago, travelers began to uncover more than just the area's brooding discontent. Unfortunately for ... the web's security companies Russia remains a bit wild; in fact, some might consider it a hacker haven. That's certainly the impression after the discovery of a new website that uses an impressive botnet to infect vulnerable PCs -- on demand. Although the website itself hasn't been bookmarked for immediately filling a visitor's system with malware ... (view more)

The past few weeks, I started following a news story that raises my ire! No, it isn't about Microsoft and Vista -- it's about a substitute school teacher that has been caught in what is termed a ... well, we'll call it an adult-oriented Pop-up Trap ... (if you know what I mean). To begin with, a 'Pop-up' Trap (or a 'Mouse' Trap) is when an Internet surfer clicks on a web site and is treated to a cascade of pop-ups, usually advertising offensive material geared toward twisted individuals. These ads come in at such a high rate of speed, the user cannot keep up with them. The content is also rather ... (view more)

The past few weeks, I started following a news story that raises my ire! No, it isn't about Microsoft and Vista -- it's about a substitute school teacher that has been caught in what is termed a ... well, we'll call it an adult-oriented Pop-up Trap ... (if you know what I mean). To begin with, a 'Pop-up' Trap (or a 'Mouse' Trap) is when an Internet surfer clicks on a web site and is treated to a cascade of pop-ups, usually advertising offensive material geared toward twisted individuals. These ads come in at such a high rate of speed, the user cannot keep up with them. The content is also rather ... (view more)

One of my old Internet friends, Steven Burn , wrote me about finding malware in a program called Kiwi Alpha, which is a peer to peer file sharing client. He found it at Download.com. He also knows I've had bad experiences at Download.com in the ... past. Steven sent me a link to a thread at SpywareWarrior's forums where he had posted his analysis of Kiwi Alpha. It looked bad, but naturally I had to try it for myself. Preparation I created a clean Windows 98 virtual machine using Microsoft's free Virtual PC program. Then I googled for the page at Download.com. I found Kiwi Alpha and installed it ... (view more)

You might hear security experts say that a good defense against malware is to add multiple layers of defense, keep them updated, and use them often. If you'd like an additional way to scan your PC for malware like Trojans, dialers, worms, and ... Spyware, you might want to give "a-squared Free" a try. Currently, a-squared has more than 200,000 malware signatures that it scans for. My wife and I have been using this program as an extra layer of defense for nearly two years now. It is often updated and rock solid stable. The a-squared Free scanner may not be the very best scanner ... (view more)

Some users feel a little is not enough when it comes to Spyware prevention. And to a certain degree they are correct. That being said: enforcing the perimeter of your Operating System (OS) can be achieved with the following tools I recommend. The ... Host File Defense Strategy I have briefly discussed the Hosts file when it comes to malware infection [with respect to browser hijacking]; however, when managed properly, the Hosts file can also be used to fight against potential infections. Let me explain. The Hosts file is like an address book. When you type an address like www.yahoo.com into a web ... (view more)

Below you will find some of the most common indicators of malware infection. Should you be experiencing any of these symptoms, I strongly suggest you run your anti-virus scanner, along with your anti-spyware scanners. A combination of more than 2-3 ... of any of these symptoms could mean a major clean up is in order. -The homepage of your browser is changed suddenly, and you have no clue as to how it happened. This is commonly called a browser hijack , and one of the most notorious of these infections is CoolWebSearch. -You suddenly notice an 'extra' toolbar on IE and once again you didn't ... (view more)

Malware Malware , or "malicious software" is a generic term used to describe various types of malevolent programs. Below are some of the most common forms of malware. Virus Viruses have used many sorts of hosts. When computer viruses first ... originated, common targets were executable files that are part of application programs and the boot sectors of floppy disks. More recently, most viruses have embedded themselves in e-mail as Email attachments, depending on a curious user opening the viral attachment. In the case of executable files, the infection routine of the virus arranges that ... (view more)