Archive for the ‘Anti-virus software’ Category

ID Theft Is Lurking In Your Computer

Monday, June 7th, 2010

Personal computing guru Steve Bass recently shared some rather eye-opening statistics in his value-packed newsletter,  Techbite.

Security vendor PC Pitstop Research analyzed just over 50, 000 computers for evidence of security threats, vulnerabilities, viruses and protection tools. Immediately, some interesting results emerged.

Can you guess what percentage of computer users have absolutely no security software installed on their machines? The answer is that a shocking 23% of us are flying through cyberspace as naked as  jay birds!

The PC Pitstop  study was looking for evidence of threats which we should all be on the lookout for such as Spyware, Malware / Rogueware and Keyloggers.

For clarity, the article defined its terms,  so there would be  no confusion about the nature or intent of each of these threats.

According to the report:

” We define spyware as the software that is unintentionally installed on the target computer. … A new growing segment of malware is rogue or phony security software.… Keyloggers are a category of software that is intended to monitor the activity of a target computer. This is a rather dangerous category since this form of malware can be used for identity theft, stalking and other ugly criminal activity.”

The good news is that Symantec, Trend Micro, Kaspersky and other leading providers are very effective in their own areas of strength,  at delivering protection from many of the most common  threats:

  • Kaspersky was rated best against rogue software
  • Symantec was best in the fight against spyware
  • Trend Micro was best against keyloggers
  • Kaspersky was best against viruses

One of the takeaways here is that not all threats can be stopped with just one form of security. Redundancy in various computer security software programs is the best way to keep the multiplying strains of threats at bay.

The underlying theme from this study is that ” no one security provider is good at protecting against all aspects of security. As the analysis suggests, each vendor has some strengths and weaknesses.”

The reality that a given threat could progress  from mischievous to menacing to malicious, is a real possibility in our data-rich daily lives.

Protect your data and assets accordingly.

Posted in Anti-virus software, Computer safety, Data security, Personal privacy | No Comments »

Microsoft Trend May Impact Data Security

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

Microsoft  recently announced that it has adapted its internal software development model to accommodate something called Agile Development.

What that means to you and me is that the next generation of Microsoft products for the web, may not be developed with the giant’s historical approach regarding security.

Agile development leans toward the collaborative approach to software development, similar to the processes made popular by Six Sigma and the Toyota 5S methodology.

Network World reports:  “This makes sense as Agile’s focus on teamwork and communication leaves plenty of room for improvisation….While Agile development has demonstrated its ROI value, the emphasis was always on rapid application and not necessarily security.”

We all know that there are plenty of cyber-kooks lurking out there and waiting to get us. These looming threats have never been worse. The good news is that the selection of security suites we can purchase to keep our systems safe has never been better.

This is why everyone needs an anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall protection plan.  Any program you purchase from any vendor could leave you vulnerable to attack.

If you suspect a rogue program, Microsoft’s security site can probably give you the peace of mind that all weary web travelers need from time to time.



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Universities Pummeled by Data Thefts

Friday, April 25th, 2008

Massive data spill leaves thousands of students out in the cold.

The combined number of people victimized in two separate incidents at the Universities of Virginia and Miami totals over 50,000.

Nearly every imaginable piece of private information was stolen; including names, addresses, credit card data and highly- prized social security numbers.

These giant leaks aren’t supposed to occur, but the fact is that the portability of laptops and backup tapes makes the crime more common than casual observers may notice.

In the Florida case, the records were being shipped off to a private off site storage facility. This practice is usually designed to safeguard the data off campus, but this time the stagecoach was robbed.

This isn’t the first time the University of Virginia has dealt with this crime. Last year the F.B.I. was called in to investigate the theft of data belonging to 5735 University faculty members.

Techweb Media reported this story last week and also disclosed new research from analysts at AMI Partners. The research indicates that a staggering 86 percent of mid-sized U.S. business reported some sort of security breach or data loss in the last 12 months!

What can you do to ward off the grim IDENTITY GRIM REAPER?

1. Back up your data. A backup allows you to restore missing, corrupted or stolen files quickly. A backup will also allow you to continue your work while your computer is being located, repaired or restored.

2. Download updates to your OS and software regularly. Security patches and “bug fixes” can help you keep your privacy armor polished.

3. Be on guard for viruses and worms. Fight these cyber-security threats by installing a good anti-virus software program.

4. Fight off malicious Ad-ware and Spy-ware. Everyone using the web, instant messaging or file-sharing is vulnerable. Install protective software to fight off malicious mal-ware and update it regularly.

5. What do you mean you don’t have a firewall? Install one immediately to protect your computer from intrusion. Purchase a firewall “box” or get the software version from a company like Norton or McAfee.

6. Use stronger-longer passwords. The longer and stranger looking they are, the better. Recent studies indicate that most computer users utilize the same password for everything. Create long and unusual alpha-numeric passwords that don’t contain easy clues like your dog’s name or the street you grew up on.

7. Lock your computer down! The trunk of your car doesn’t count. Visit a local retailer to purchase a computer locking cable device. Turning your back on your computer for even a moment at home, at the library or at Starbucks is just asking for trouble with a capital T.

Posted in Anti-virus software, Computer safety, Data Breaches, Data security, Personal privacy | No Comments »

The Next Wave of Attacks

Tuesday, March 18th, 2008

If the gatekeepers are concerned, we should be too!

If you haven’t seen reports of  the latest Identity Theft attacks plaguing our country, you haven’t been reading much news lately. Where have you been?

Even the U.S. Air Force has waged an ad campaign designed to capture the imagination of a new crop of tech savvy young recruits to help fight the current “cyber-war”. This war is not imagined or “virtual”, it is very real indeed.  

The battle is raging on many fronts. In addition to the constant daily threat from foreign governments, bored adolescent hackers and low level organized criminals, there is a new enemy emerging.

Symantec Corporation is losing sleep due to concerns about the next virulent strain of Trojan horse programs.  According to the April 2008 issue of PC Magazine, the Trojan.Silentbanker program can perform “man in the middle” attacks between users and more than 400 banks.

This Trojan monitors usage patterns on the web, while looking for bank data that it can manipulate. This program can actually re-route the account destination of banking customer transfers. Apparently, the Trojan.Silentbanker can even overcome the “safeguard” of two -factor authentication.

The article correctly distinguishes between a single bank target like those that are cloned by realistic looking “phishing” sites and the multiple bank sites susceptible to this Trojan program.

Symantec’s well known suite of anti-virus and personal firewall products are designed to protect from these threats. If you are not in the habit of updating yours, you are headed for a hard fall someday. PC Magazine also reminds never to run executables we get from strangers.

Thank goodness for warriors like our Air Force and Symantec who “sit on the wall” for us and fight evil at every turn, keeping us from losing more than just our shirts.

Posted in Anti-virus software, Computer safety, Cyberwar, Data security | No Comments »