viruses

The United States is responsible for the highest number of botnet servers in the world, according to new data from McAfee.

A map and a list of major countries posted by McAfee yesterday show the greatest concentration of botnet servers to be in the U.S., with 631. That's more than two and a half times higher than the second country on the list -- the British Virgin Islands with 237.

The Netherlands took third place with 154 servers, followed by Russia with 125, Germany with 95, and Korea with 81. Among the Top 10, Canada fared the best … Read more

U.S. authorities have charged three foreign nationals with creating and distributing a virus that allowed thieves to steal tens of millions of dollars from victims' bank accounts.

The three are accused of creating the Trojan virus Gozi, which infected more than 1 million computers worldwide and 40,000 in the United States, including computers belonging to NASA, according to court documents unsealed today by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in Manhattan. Nikita Kuzmin, 25, Deniss Calovskis, 27, and Mihai Ionut Paunescu, 28, are accused of creating "one of the most financially destructive computer viruses in history."

The … Read more

Microsoft isn't too happy with the results of a recent test that found fault with its antivirus software.

For the second time in a row, the company's Security Essentials failed to win certification from AV-Test, a German-based testing lab that evaluates the efficacy of antivirus products. Out of 25 programs tested, only three failed to gain AV-Test's thumb's up for certification.

Microsoft's Forefront Endpoint Protection, which is geared toward corporate customers, also failed to gain certification.

Microsoft responded to the test via a blog posted yesterday, challenging its findings.

"Our review showed that 0.… Read more

Is your Android device vulnerable to viruses and malware? Short answer: Yes. While threats to Android aren't yet on a par with Windows malware, it's a growth market, so it only makes sense to take steps to protect yourself and your device. Downloading apps only from the Play Store is probably the easiest way to keep your Android device safe from malware, but AVG Anti Virus Free for Android offers extra protection. This free app from one of the most trusted names in antivirus protection scans your Android smartphone or device for vulnerabilities such as unsecured settings and … Read more

Arguably the only thing worse than a sick Cheapskate (which I am) is a sick PC. That's why it's important to run reliable antivirus software, as the last thing you want is an infection.

There are plenty of good free utilities that will get the job done, but to my thinking, why not get the commercial-grade stuff if you can?

For a limited time, Newegg has Norton AntiVirus 2013 3-user edition for free. That's after redeeming a $45 mail-in rebate (PDF), which comes in the form of prepaid debit card.

Also available: Norton 360 Premier 2013 3-user for $9.99 … Read more

If you get a direct message on Twitter telling you to click a link to watch a video of President Barack Obama punching a guy, don't do it.

Spammers are using the idea of the president retaliating against someone for calling him the n-word to steal Twitter passwords and deliver malware to computers, security company PandaLabs noted today.

It's a scheme that uses the names of Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube for nefarious purposes, with spammers creating fake pages to dupe unsuspecting Twitter users.

The scam involves sending a Twitter direct message that reads "Check out Obama punch … Read more

Stuxnet, the sophisticated computer virus that attacked a nuclear enrichment facility in Iran two years ago, also inadvertently infected Chevron's network.

Reportedly created by the U.S. and Israel, the highly destructive worm was designed to infect Iran's Natanz nuclear facility. Rather than steal data, Stuxnet left a back door meant to be accessed remotely to allow outsiders to stealthily knock the facility offline and at least temporarily cripple Iran's nuclear program.

The oil giant discovered the malware in July 2010 after the virus escaped from its intended target, Mark Koelmel, Chevron's general manager of the … Read more

Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition is a simple-to-use antivirus and malware product for the Mac. Based on the Sophos antivirus line, Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition is free and designed for those who need coverage on their Macs, but don't want to spend a lot of time and money. Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition is a download from the publisher, not available in the App Store when we tested.

Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition lets you tailor the way it behaves to some extent. It can work quietly in the background, taking care of most … Read more

T-Mobile is aiming to fortify the Android smartphones and tablets it carries by offering users free protection against malware and viruses.

The company announced today that it is partnering with mobile security company Lookout to help T-Mobile customers protect their devices with a product called Automatic App Security. The software will come preloaded on certain devices this year, and then T-Mobile will roll it out to most Android devices in 2013.

"As we rely more on our mobile devices, for everything from business to social to banking, it is increasingly important that we protect them from threats," CEO … Read more