Tag: SECURITY

As security firms have been warning for some time, malware attacks are now more frequently focused on social networks and mobile devices. In Symantec's latest Internet Security Threat Report, the company noted that the number of malware attacks delivered through the Web practically doubled from 2009, with 65-percent of malicious links on Facebook arriving in the form of shortened URLs. The ...

It looks like Russia won't be banning Skype or Gmail, after all. The Kremlin was reportedly considering blocking both services, along with Hotmail, in response to a major cyberattack that crippled the country's most popular blog and an independent news site. Some within the Kremlin had believed the services posed a major threat to national security, but some critics had thought the government may ...

The hacker who orchestrated the biggest computer crime operation in U.S. history is alleging that the American government authorized him to do so. Last year, 29-year-old Albert Gonzalez pleaded guilty to hacking into computer systems at TJX, Office Max, Dave & Busters, Heartland Payment Systems and other companies, in order to steal some 130 million credit card numbers. He received a ...

Haven't you ever heard the old adage, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is"? Well it doesn't just apply to things that are "good" -- it works for just about anything that sounds a bit unbelievable, like that Facebook is going to close all user accounts. It's not gonna happen. That hasn't stopped a new scam from spreading via a rogue app that posts the following message to your ...

A former Gucci IT worker is facing a 50 count indictment and a wide range of charges (including computer tampering, identity theft, falsifying business records, computer trespass and unauthorized use of a computer) after he broke into the company's systems and wreaked havoc. While an employee at Gucci, Sam Chihlung Yin created an account with a remote-access security token for a fictional ...

Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, the man suspected of supplying WikiLeaks with thousands of confidential military documents, used unauthorized data-mining software to obtain the information, according to the Army. The Army alleges that Manning installed the software on computers connected to the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRN), which is believed to be the source of the 250,000 ...

Share Clicking on Facebook links is dangerous business. At least a few of aren't aware of this sad fact; otherwise, the latest scam Facebook app wouldn't be spreading at the alarming rate of almost 90,000 clicks per hour. M86 Security labs reported the latest link hoax, which spreads quickly via Facebook Chat. It starts with a message from a friend that reads, "hey, I just made a photoshop ...

A cyber-attack on an online marketing firm has impacted a wide array of companies and customers in what could be the largest data breach in U.S. history. The online marketer, Epsilon, sends out more than 40 billion email ads and offers each year, typically to users who register with a company's website, or give their email addresses while shopping online. On Friday, Epsilon announced that a ...

Twitter has issued a warning to all UberSocial and Twitroyd users after discovering that some direct messages sent via the apps have become publicly visible. Twitter's Trust and Safety Team confirmed the vulnerability yesterday, explaining that it could affect any direct messages exceeding 140 characters in length, sent via "d username." Twitter says it has notified the apps' developer and is ...

These days, would-be thieves steal gadgets at their own risk. While yesteryear's TVs and stereos resulted in big money, today's laptops and smartphones -- what with their GPS tracking and Web connectivity -- typically result in quick arrests. And, thanks to a new program called Witness (which turns your Mac into an Internet-connected security camera), you can watch somebody stealing the ...

Today is World Backup Day, another awareness-raising holiday that urges you to do something you should already be doing. Tonight, backup your data before something terrible happens (e.g., flood, fire, Rapture) and it's lost forever. Use Dropbox, Time Machine, or an external hard drive -- doesn't matter. Just do it now. After all, tomorrow is April Fool's Day and someone might think it's ...

Ever wonder how easy it would be for someone to track your every move? You can now find out with a new app called 'Creepy.' Created by 26-year-old Yiannis Kakavas, 'Creepy' is a software package that allows users to pinpoint anyone's location, using geographic data embedded within shared photos. All you have to do is type in a person's Twitter or Flickr username, and hit the 'Geolocate ...

You might have heard yesterday that Samsung was installing keyloggers on its laptops, triggering a massive outcry from the blogosphere. Turns out it's not true. The software used to detect the keylogger was fooled by a language-support folder related to Microsoft's Live apps. The detector, VIPRE, was triggered by an empty folder folder called "SL" in the Windows directory. We think the Internet ...

Android users should be on the lookout for a malicious little app that's circulating around some file-sharing sites. The app, called 'Walk and Text,' advertises itself as a legitimate app of the same name, which uses a smartphone's camera to help guide texters as they walk. Unlike the real 'Walk and Text,' though, the fake app is available for free, and offers version 1.3.7 (which doesn't ...

After an increasing number of "likejackings," Facebook has finally started to address the problem. But the solution is haphazard at best, say security experts. Likejacking -- the process spammers use to make users click a "like" button hidden beneath some especially tantalizing linkbait -- has become more prevalent. If your Facebook friends seem to be "liking" far too many embarrassing things of ...