tagged w/ malware
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A new version of the Stuxnet worm used against Iran's centrifuge systems is in development.A new version of the Stuxnet worm used against Iran's centrifuge systems is in... more
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One security researcher discovered the password protecting the microcontroller in MacBook batteries is not unique for every notebook and is easily hackable. It could brick your battery, or worse, install malware that's nearly impossible for the average person to scrub.
According to Forbes, Charlie Miller is the man who discovered this vulnerability and he plans to present his research at the upcoming Black Hat conference.
The batteries' chips are shipped with default passwords, such that anyone who discovers that password and learns to control the chips' firmware can potentially hijack them to do anything the hacker wants. That includes permanently ruining batteries at will, and may enable nastier tricks like implanting them with hidden malware that infects the computer no matter how many times software is reinstalled or even potentially causing the batteries to heat up, catch fire or explode. "These batteries just aren't designed with the idea that people will mess with them," Miller says. "What I'm showing is that it's possible to use them to do something really bad."
Miller thinks it might even be possible to remotely blow up a battery on command, though he also says that for a hacker to gain access, they would have to discover a second vulnerability to gain initial access to a computer. Still though, scary.
http://gizmodo.com/5823997/macbook-batteries-are-totally-hackable-wait-whatOne security researcher discovered the password protecting the microcontroller in... more
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Beware, malware. The Windows AutoRun updates for Vista and XP SP3 that Microsoft released in February have so far proven successful in thwarting your file corrupting ways. Although Windows 7 was updated to disable AutoPlay within AutoRun for USB drives -- freezing the ability for a virus to exploit it -- the aforementioned versions had remained vulnerable up until right after January. Fast-forward to the period between February and May of this year, and the updates have reduced the number of incidents by 1.3 million compared to the three months prior for the supported Vista and XP builds. Amazingly, when stacked against May of last year, there was also a 68 percent decline in the amount of incidents reported across all builds of Windows using Microsoft's Malicious Software Remove Tool. There's another fancy graph after the break to help illustrate, and you'll find two more along with a full breakdown by hitting the source link down under.Beware, malware. The Windows AutoRun updates for Vista and XP SP3 that Microsoft... more
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With the biggest news in a decade dominating the Internet, it didn't take long for rogue viruses, Trojans and other malware to mess with computers given the chance.
Web searches and links to a variety of stories — real and fake — about the death of Osama bin Laden are sprouting with all kinds of malicious software as cybercriminals look for a big payday tied to the appetite for news about the Al-Qaida leader's demise.
(more at link)With the biggest news in a decade dominating the Internet, it didn't take long... more
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E-Mails Containing Malware Sent to Businesses Concerning Their Online Job Postings
01/19/2011—Recent FBI analysis reveals that cyber criminals engaging in ACH/wire transfer fraud have targeted businesses by responding via e-mail to employment opportunities posted online.
Recently, more than $150,000 was stolen from a U.S. business via unauthorized wire transfer as a result of an e-mail the business received that contained malware. The malware was embedded in an e-mail response to a job posting the business placed on an employment website and allowed the attacker to obtain the online banking credentials of the person who was authorized to conduct financial transactions within the company. The malicious actor changed the account settings to allow the sending of wire transfers, one to the Ukraine and two to domestic accounts. The malware was identified as a Bredolab variant, svrwsc.exe. This malware was connected to the ZeuS/Zbot Trojan, which is commonly used by cyber criminals to defraud U.S. businesses.
http://ramanan50.wordpress.com/2011/04/10/new-e-scams-and-warnings-fbi/E-Mails Containing Malware Sent to Businesses Concerning Their Online Job Postings... more
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Cyber security threats can pose major risks to small businesses. Learn from internet expert, David Perry, what concerns should be at the top of your list and what can be done to prevent them. Video provided by Trend Micro.Cyber security threats can pose major risks to small businesses. Learn from internet... more
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Antivirus programs are a boon to the PC user. Sometimes though, you might want to turn them off. You might want to troubleshoot something. Or you're playing your favorite games on a mid-end PC that's struggling to run the game. Squeeze out your PC's performance by reading this guide on how Avast 5.0 antivirus can be temporarily disabled in five easy steps.Antivirus programs are a boon to the PC user. Sometimes though, you might want to turn... more
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Security software manufacturer BitDefender today released some statistics gleaned from Safego, a Facebook application that it offers to users of the social-network to keep an eye on their vulnerability to malware. The big finding: 20 percent of Facebook users are exposed to malicious posts in their "news feeds" of friends' activity, generally defined as posts that, when clicked on, result in "the user's account being hijacked and in malware being automatically posted on the walls of the respective user's friends."
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-20023626-36.html?tag=TOCmoreStories.0Security software manufacturer BitDefender today released some statistics gleaned from... more
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David Perry, from Trend Micro discusses threats to your computer and how you can improve your Internet Security. Video from Trend Micro.David Perry, from Trend Micro discusses threats to your computer and how you can... more
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A malware-laden flash drive inserted in a laptop at a U.S. military base in the Middle East in 2008 led to the "most significant breach of" the nation's military computers ever. The malicious code on the flash drive was placed there by a "foreign intelligence agency." http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/free-stuff/3426-bad-flash-driveA malware-laden flash drive inserted in a laptop at a U.S. military base in the Middle... more
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worrg
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added this
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1 year ago
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Authorities investigating the 2008 crash of Spanair flight 5022 have discovered a central computer system used to monitor technical problems in the aircraft was infected with malware.
An internal report issued by the airline revealed the infected computer failed to detect three technical problems with the aircraft, which if detected, may have prevented the plane from taking off, according to reports in the Spanish newspaper, El Pais.
Flight 5022 crashed just after takeoff from Madrid-Barajas International Airport two years ago today, killing 154 and leaving only 18 survivors.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board reported in a preliminary investigation that the plane had taken off with its flaps and slats retracted — and that no audible alarm had been heard to warn of this because the systems delivering power to the take-off warning system failed. Two earlier events had not been reported by the automated system.
The malware on the Spanair computer has been identified as a type of Trojan horse. It could have entered the airline's system in a number of ways, according to Jamz Yaneeza, head threat researcher at Trend Micro.
Some of the most likely ways are through third party devices such as USB sticks, Yaneeza said, which were responsible for the International Space Station virus infection in 2008, or through a remote VPN connection that may not have the same protection as a computer within the enterprise network. Opening just one malicious file on a single computer is all it takes to infect an entire system.
"Any computer that is connected to a network is vulnerable to a malware infection," O. Sami Saydjari, president of Cyber Defense Agency, told TechNewsDaily. "Standards have not been set to protect critical infrastructure."
An incident like this could happen again, and most likely will, according to Saydjari.
A judge has ordered Spanair to provide all of the computer's logs from the days before and after the crash.The final report from crash investigators is not due to be presented until December.Authorities investigating the 2008 crash of Spanair flight 5022 have discovered a... more
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