McColo reconnect highlights network security gap

The ongoing battle against malware-friendly, child pornography-distributing ISP McColo hit a snag over the weekend when the ISP activated an emergency connection agreement and hopped back online. McColo's access was cut once again within hours of the reconnect, but the event raises security concerns over how such emergency contracts are negotiated.

November 19, 2008 - 01:30PM CT - by Joel Hruska

Another variant of RSPlug trojan for Mac pops up

Intego warns about OSX.RSPlug.D, a new variant of the RSPlug trojan that surfaced last November. Though the company is taking the chance to plug its anti-virus software, safe computing practices and/or not surfing for porn can help you avoid infecting your Mac in the first place.

November 19, 2008 - 09:15AM CT - by Chris Foresman

Study: Storm botnet brought in daily profits of up to $9,500

It's common knowledge that spam response rates are low, but new research, conducted from within the Storm botnet, suggests it's downright minuscule. If true, it explains why spam botnets have to be the size they are, and suggests the malware industry could be targeted economically.

November 10, 2008 - 01:45PM CT - by Joel Hruska

Researcher: ARM a safer bet than x86 chips

Recent comments by a security researcher at the Hack in the Box conference imply that Intel's x86 architecture is inherently less secure than ARM, but the argument rests mainly on ARM's relative obscurity.

November 02, 2008 - 08:58PM CT - by Joel Hruska

Malware writers ratchet up attacks as stock market tanks

The malware industry, it seems, is just as concerned about the possibility of a prolonged economic downturn as anyone else, and is moving away from the pharmacy, porn, and herbal business. If you've just been dying to pick up a copy of XP Antivirus 2009, you're in luck, as many of the new attacks involve the sale of such badware.

October 23, 2008 - 02:25PM CT - by Joel Hruska

Mac malware program MacGuard masquerades as antivirus app

A new Mac antivirus program called MacGuard is actually a piece of malware, it turns out. It may be harvesting credit card numbers, among other nefarious activities.

October 20, 2008 - 09:20AM CT - by Justin Berka

Employees, not hackers, cause most corporate data loss

Much security coverage focuses on malware, hackers, and the dangers both pose to unwary companies, but there's evidence to suggest the problem lies a good deal closer to home. How close? Try one cubicle over.

October 12, 2008 - 01:30PM CT - by Joel Hruska

Fake popup study sadly confirms most users are idiots

Researchers find that, in their haste to get rid of annoying popup alerts, most users don't bother to examine popups for the telltale signs of browser-based malware.

September 23, 2008 - 05:15AM CT - by John Timmer

Fake celebrity websites infecting the unwary with malware

They may not be the cutting edge of malware vectors, but phony Brad Pitt and Beyonce websites are still scoring marks. Here's the Ars update.

September 22, 2008 - 08:30AM CT - by Joel Hruska

McAfee looks to the cloud for antivirus protection

With malware infections and variant versions both increasing every month, the resulting load could one day topple even the best efforts of security vendors. McAfee believes it has found the solution to that problem, and wants to move your AV protection into the cloud.

September 09, 2008 - 05:15PM CT - by Joel Hruska

Spammers target P2P users with fake infringement notices

Botnet authors have come up with a rather ingenious idea for snaring new victims. They've hit on posing as Media Defender and telling unwary users they have evidence of P2P malfeasance.

September 09, 2008 - 07:05AM CT - by Joel Hruska

Shadow investigation spreads to Big Easy with botnet arrest

Botnet creators may pride themselves on operating from the shadows, but the feds apparently take notice when you try to sell one to the tune of 25 million Euros. In New Orleans, a federal grand jury has indicted Brazilian Leni de Abreu Neto as part of the Shadow botnet takedown.

August 24, 2008 - 04:00PM CT - by Joel Hruska

Outsourcing AV: researchers move antivirus scan to the cloud

Researchers develop a method that allows networked computers to ship executable files to a server for parallel scanning by multiple antivirus applications. The best antivirus scanner, it turns out, is all of them.

August 07, 2008 - 06:25PM CT - by John Timmer

Report: size doesn't matter when it comes to cybercriminals

A new report from McAfee suggests small and medium-size businesses neglect IT security because they think they're too small to be viable targets for cybercrooks. They're wrong.

July 25, 2008 - 10:39AM CT - by Emil Protalinski

PageRank-like algorithm creates predictive malware blacklist

Researchers find that malware attacks have a clustering that mimics the pattern of links among web pages that's used by search algorithms. Using firewall logs, the researchers crafted a predictive blacklist that's tailored to specific servers.

July 25, 2008 - 09:45AM CT - by John Timmer

Malware bad guys tout new trojan guaranteed to evade filters

A new Trojan making the rounds could potentially cause problems for security vendors if its guarantee of undetectable operation hold up under fire. Hackers are now offering customized versions of the Limbo 2 trojan for sale—and guaranteeing the result.

July 18, 2008 - 01:15PM CT - by Joel Hruska

Spam uses Angelina Jolie's name and fame to spread malware

According to BitDefender messages, spammers are using Angelina Jolie's fame to trick users into downloading Trojan.Agent.AGGZ. This isn't the first time the star's name was used for malware; Trojan.Downloader.Exchanger.Gen.1 did the same thing.

July 17, 2008 - 03:52PM CT - by Emil Protalinski

Zombie botnets continue to defy containment attempts

The battle between malware authors and anti-malware providers goes on as always, but at least one company has suggested that the war against botnets may simply not be winnable given current tactics.

July 10, 2008 - 08:48AM CT - by Joel Hruska

Report: majority of world's malware originates from China

Stopbadware.org has released its latest findings on the prevalence of what it refers to as "badware," and the upward trend is not surprising. What is a bit startling, however, is how much of it flows from just one nation.

June 25, 2008 - 06:35PM CT - by Joel Hruska

OECD on malware: it's all about the economics

OECD has released a comprehensive report on the modern malware industry, its development trends, and the economics of the business as a whole. It's one of the better overall analyses on the topic, with some startling information on just how much a botnet costs.

June 02, 2008 - 09:54PM CT - by Joel Hruska