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Category Archives: Malware
Android Malware Has Quadrupled Over The Past Year
With 56.1% of all smartphones worldwide running Android, it’s not difficult to see why it is such a huge target, and F-Secure went on to note that the rise in malware numbers is unlikely to hit a plateau any time soon. Having recorded 10 new malware families and variants during the first quarter of last year, that number leapt to 37 for the same quarter this year.
Droid Does…get malware.
Kaspersky: Apple “10 Years” Behind Microsoft When It Comes To Security
Speaking to CBR at the Info Security 2012 conference, Kaspersky founder and CEO Eugene Kaspersky said that Apple is years behind Microsoft when it comes to security, and the company will have to change the ways it approaches updates following the recent malware attacks.
“I think they [Apple] are ten years behind Microsoft in terms of security,” Kaspersky said. [Forbes]
Well, in terms of the amount of attacks and malware available, they certainly are behind. But to say something like what this guy says is a little bit irresponsible I think. Also, when your job is to sell malware protection, I have to take whatever you say with a grain of salt as big as my Doctor will allow.
That said, Mac users have to be more careful, and stop thinking that the internet is a happy place. It is full of people who want to make a quick buck and have little or nothing to lose.
New Flashback Variant Continues Java Attack, Installs Without Password
Intego has discovered a new variant of the Flashback malware, Flashback.S, which continues to use a Java vulnerability that Apple has patched. No password is required for this variant to install, and it places its files in the user’s home folder, at the following locations:
- ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.java.update.plist
- ~/.jupdate
It then deletes all files and folders in ~/Library/Caches/Java/cache in order to delete the applet from the infected Mac, and avoid detection or sample recovery.
Update your Macs people, update. If you are freaking out, and want an antivirus for your Mac, Sophos, Avast, and ClamxAV are free options. But really, antivirus give a false sense of security and are no match to common sense and updating everything regularly, and this is true fro Mac or PC.
Thousands May Lose Internet After Hacking Scam
NBC:
The problem began when international hackers ran an online advertising scam to take control of infected computers around the world. In a highly unusual response, the FBI set up a safety net months ago using government computers to prevent Internet disruptions for those infected users. But that system is to be shut down.
The FBI is encouraging users to visit this website run by its security partner, http://www.dcwg.org, that will inform them whether they’re infected and explain how to fix the problem.
Check your PC, before it’s too late.
Number of infected Macs is still high, says DR Web
Symantec has recanted, as has Russian firm Kaspersky, in the face of new evidence from Dr. Web about the scope of the infection, reports Computerworld. The numbers that Dr. Web dropped today show that there are still around 550,000 computers that connect to the servers controlled by the botnet on a daily basis.
All of these numbers are still estimates anyway, but the important thing is to spread the word and get people to update their computers and follow the recommendations on how to prevent, detect, and get rid of the infection.
Macs infected by Flashback Trojan, down to 30,000
Kaspersky
Symantec: Flashback Cleanup Still Underway—Approximately 140,000 Infections
The statistics from our sinkhole are showing declining numbers on a daily basis. However, we had originally believed that we would have seen a greater decline in infections at this point in time, but this has proven not to be the case. Currently, it appears that the number of infected computers has tapered off, but remains around the 140,000 mark.
Update people, update. Anyway, it’s good news to see the numbers go down quickly.
New version of Mac OS X Trojan exploits Word, not Java
A second variant of the Mac OS X Trojan referred to as Backdoor.OSX.SabPub.a or SX/Sabpab-A is exploiting a Microsoft Word security hole, not the usual Java vulnerabilities used before.
…Instead, you’ll need to update Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac and Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac. Thankfully, this security vulnerability is from June 2009, so if you keep your Microsoft software patched, you should be good to go. The last parts still apply.
If you have software that hasn’t been updated in almost three years, you deserve to be hacked.
