malware

Two years after Trend Micro's big consumer suite overhaul, Titanium continues to improve. This year, there's a big change to which features are available in the different suites to make the suite structure easier to understand.

All "basic" security features have been moved to the entry-level Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus Plus ($39.95 for one computer), while multiple computer and multiple device support, as well as some extra features, are available only in the significantly more expensive Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security ($79.95), Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security ($89.95), and Trend Micro Titanium Premium … Read more

A new piece of Mac malware has been discovered on a Web site linked to the Dalai Lama, using a well-documented Java exploit to install a Trojan on visitors' computers and steal personal information.

Dubbed "Dockster," the malware was found lurking on Gyalwarinpoche.com, according to security research firm F-Secure. The malware takes advantage of the same vulnerability exploited by the "Flashback" malware to install a basic backdoor that allows the attacker to download files and log keystrokes.

(For more technical information about how the malware operates, see this report by my colleague Topher Kessler.)

Although &… Read more

Security company Intego is reporting the discovery of a new malware package for OS X. The package is a Trojan horse called OSX/Dockster.A, that appears to have keylogging features to record what is being typed on an infected system in addition to remote-access features for backdoor access into the system. When installed, the Trojan attempts to contact the server "itsec.eicp.net," likely to receive instructions for allowing remote access to the system.

As with other recent malware for OS X, Dockster is a Java-based threat that will not run unless you have Java installed on … Read more

Updated Monday, December 3, 2012, at 11:45 a.m. PDT with comment from Microsoft.

Updated Friday, November 30, 2012, at 1:00 p.m. PDT with comment from AV-Test.org.

In a month of uneven Windows 8 news and reviews, Microsoft is taking another hit. This time, its freeware Security Essentials finds itself in the crosshairs.

Independent German security suite evaluators AV-Test.org publish bimonthly tests that rate the effectiveness of the biggest Windows security suites out there, and the recently published results showed that MSE failed to earn certification on the most recent test. MSE was the only … Read more

Be sure to double check that Groupon you received in your e-mail -- spammers are using the popularity of e-mailed advertisements for group discount deals to send more malware.

The rise of malware through fake e-mail advertisements and notifications are on the rise, according to a study released today by security firm Kaspersky Lab.

"They are primarily doing so by sending out malicious e-mails designed to look like official notifications. Kaspersky Lab is seeing more and more malicious spam designed to look like coupon service notifications," the report said.

The firm said it also noted these coupon spam … 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

Cybercriminals gangs are creating a surge in ransomware, says a new report from Symantec.

Ransomware is a type of malware best described as an online extortion racket. Malware locks or disables your PC in some way and then demands payment in the form of a "fine" to render your PC usable again. Like most scams, the ransomware message claims to come from a legitimate organization, such as the government or a public corporation, to try to convince victims that they did something wrong to incur the fine.

But paying the fine does nothing since the initial malware remains … Read more

Windows 8 and Windows RT will receive their first security fixes when next week's Patch Tuesday rolls around from Microsoft.

The patches are designed to prevent "remote code execution," which means they'll plug holes in the OS that could let someone remotely run malicious code on a PC.

Beyond securing Windows 8, the fixes cover just about every other version of Windows, including XP, Vista, and Windows 7 as well as Server 2003, 2008, and 2012.

The rollout includes six security patches, four of which are considered critical, one important, and one moderate. Most of the … Read more