ISNA

• Android Apps found to be Distributing Malware    (2012-01-29T00:08:00.000-08:00)
  A new variation of an Android malware identified by Symantec engineers has infected around one to five million downloads — "the highest distribution of any malware identified so far this year."The combined total downloads of those apps could be as high as five million. You can see the malicious apps above. Reported by Symantec official blog, Symantec has identified 13 apps on the Android Market that are all hiding Android.Counterclank, a Trojan horse that steals information. This malware could also download more files and even display ads on the device.Per symantec, "The combined download figures of all the malicious apps indicate that Android.Counterclank has the highest distribution of any malware identified so far this year."
• eIQnetworks Webinar on How to Address Advanced Persistent Threats without Increasing Budgets or Personnel    (2012-01-25T12:50:00.000-08:00)
  eIQnetworks’ Unified Situational Awareness Platform Provides Comprehensive Approach to Dealing with Increasingly Complex Cyber and Insider Threats.Acton, Mass. – Jan. 25, 2012 – eIQnetworks®, Inc., the only global provider of a unified situational awareness solution, today published a webinar entitled, “Proactive Threat Discovery and Risk Mitigation Demands Situational Awareness,” featuring leading analyst firm, Gartner. John Pescatore, vice president and research fellow in Gartner Research and John Linkous, vice president, chief security and compliance officer at eIQnetworks, discuss why unified situational awareness is critical to detecting and mitigating today’s advanced threats including advanced persistent threats (APTs) and WikiLeaks-style insider threats.“To effectively and efficiently deal with both advanced targeted threats and changing business demands, enterprises need to proactively evolve their security controls and monitoring,” commented John Pescatore, vice president in Gartner Research. “Security programs need to move from reactively monitoring log events to developing situational awareness that supports rapid reaction and threat analysis along with continuous monitoring of security status.”“We believe eIQnetworks’ SecureVue® is the only solution that delivers on all the capabilities that Gartner outlined for situational awareness in its most recent research note on the topic [“Delivering Situational Awareness” - ID# G00214313],” commented John Linkous, eIQnetworks’ vice president, chief security and compliance officer. “This is because SecureVue has been designed to deliver a more proactive approach by cross-correlating all security, threat and compliance data into one platform, rather than the limited security data analysis used by SIEM and SIEM Plus vendors that results in data gaps. The outcome is a single console, yielding a real-time, unified view of the entire enterprise’s security, risk and compliance posture.”  To view the webinar, “Proactive Threat Discovery and Risk Mitigation Demands Situational Awareness,” visit: http://www.eiqnetworks.com/resources/gartnerandeiqnetworks_webinar.php.  For more information on situational awareness, visit: http://www.eiqnetworks.com/solutions/situational_awareness.php. About eIQnetworks: eIQnetworks is the only global provider of a unified situational awareness solution, serving the largest enterprises around the world including government, financial, telecommunications, retail, pharmaceutical and healthcare. The company’s unified situational awareness platform, SecureVue®, delivers an accurate, timely and coherent view of the threat, compliance and risk posture via a single console. SecureVue provides real-time continuous security monitoring, compliance automation, configuration auditing and forensic analysis, all in a single solution. Vital to the protection of an organization’s infrastructure, SecureVue helps global enterprises proactively protect against cyber attacks, advanced persistent threats (APTs), data breaches and policy violations, so they can respond to incidents and implement security best practices. eIQnetworks is a privately held company headquartered in Acton, Mass.
• Hacking Group hit US security firm Stratfor    (2011-12-26T03:19:00.001-08:00)
  An internet hacking group is claiming to have stolen a wealth of emails and credit-card information about clients of US-based security company Stratfor.The group, Anonymous, says the company's clients include the US defence department, army, air force, law enforcement agencies, top security contractors and technology firms such as Apple and Microsoft.The activists say they were able to obtain the information because the company did not encrypt it.In an email to its members, Stratfor said it was suspending its email and servers, and was working closely with law enforcement to identify those responsible.It also said the disclosure was "merely a list of some of the members that have purchased our publications and does not comprise a list of individuals or entities that have a relationship with Stratfor".Anonymous has been involved in scores of hacking exploits, including the recent defacing of a website of Syria's Ministry of Defence to protest against a bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters. Last year, it launched retaliatory attacks on companies perceived to be enemies of the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks.Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/94713/hackers-hit-us-security-firm
• Origins of Computer Viruses and Protecting your PC from them    (2011-12-10T10:00:00.001-08:00)
  Here's an interesting read on Electric ego about history of computer viruses and some tips to protect your computer from being infected from them. Computer viruses as we are all aware notorious for giving your a headache. They have the magical powers to snatch your peace of mind and hamper your productivity! After all, they attack where it hurts most.Turning on your computer to discover that it has been infected with a virus can be just as frustrating and upsetting as waking up to the realization that you've become really sick overnight. Computer viruses operate in much the same way as a biological virus in that they thrive on being passed from computer to computer. In other words, if you have an infected computer you're likely to pass on that infection to all of your friends' computers in the same way that you'd also pass the common cold onto them. Unlike a biological virus, however, your computer can infect the computer of a friend who isn't even in the same country as you. Virus protection software is getting more advanced each day but it is still important for users to take precautions, especially with their e-mails.Computer viruses trace their origins back to the end of the 1980s. At that time, home computers were starting to become very popular and it was common to see them in businesses and on college campuses. During these early days of home computing the computers were manufactured and shipped in the most bare bones way possible; operating systems didn't even come pre-loaded and were instead accessed by utilizing a boot up floppy disc. Although the majority of today's younger generation wouldn't even be able to recognize a floppy disc, there was a time period during which they were the most important aspect of everyone's home computer system; both the operating systems and the programs that were developed, many of which were the precursors to today's modern PC games, were very small and a large amount of them could be stored on a single floppy disc.The fact that new data could easily be written to floppy discs opened the door for programmers who had the desire to unleash chaos; they simply created a virus script and then hid it on a floppy disc before passing that disc on to someone else. It was common practice for discs to be passed around and copied which allowed the viruses to spread quickly. As is the nature of a virus, most people had no idea that they had obtained one until it was far too late to stop the damage. Early usage of the internet consisted primarily of bulletin boards. They provided users all over the world with access to a multitude of different programs and were seen by many as one of the best aspects of home computers.Read more here:- http://electricego.crinz.com/642/history-and-origins-of-computer-viruses-and-how-to-protect-your-computer-from-themInteresting Read: Most famous computer viruses and worms everComputer virus protection tips: Tips to fight off viruses
• Social Networking danger signs to your Internet Security this Holiday Season    (2011-12-05T04:10:00.001-08:00)
  Holiday season is the season for sharing, but when it comes to social networking, some people may share too much about their whereabouts and the gifts they’ll give.Facebook and Twitter are increasingly becoming a standard part of our everyday lives, but Internet safety experts say some people put too much information in cyberspace. Cyber criminals are always on the watch for people sharing too much information in their profiles. This holiday season also, they're looking for ways to compromise your internet security.Long Island resident Howard Bernstein, for example, told Carlin he checks Facebook more often this time of year, happy to see festive photos and what his friends are up to.“Cyber-savvy criminals are very savvy during Christmas time, and they’re looking for things like that,” said Hemanshu Nigam, Internet security expert. “Instead of casing the neighborhood, they’re casing the online neighborhood.”Just like you lock the doors to your home, secure your social networking profiles also. Not everyone on your list of friends needs to know you’re going out of town – and that your home will be empty for days.If you’re searching for online deals on sites like Twitter and Facebook, be wary of clicking on links. Even if forwarded by a friend, take a second look. It could appear to be the deal of the season, but scammers can create pages that look just like the real thing – and you won’t get what you bargained for.Also if you plan to give to charities this holiday season, beware of anyone who asks for money on social media sites. Most reputable charities do not solicit donations online or over the phone.Read more here.
• iPhone apps vulnerability discovered, researcher faces 1 year ban    (2011-11-09T09:56:00.000-08:00)
  Some news from smartphone security arena. iPhone is the first that comes in mind when talking about smartphone and with iPhone comes iPhone apps.Apple’s iPhone apps have always been considered the safe alternative to Android. Unlike the Android marketplace, Apple screens all its apps before posting them for use. One researcher, however, discovered a bug in their screening process that would potentially allow hackers access to your phone. And, what he gets in return is punishment from Apple!Charlie Miller, a researcher at Accuvant and one of the world's best-known Apple hackers, said,Until now, you could just blindly trust and download as many apps as you wanted and not worry about it, but until they fix this, you really should think twice about any apps you're downloading, because they could be malicious.Miller said he told Apple about the issue and the company told him that a fix was impending. He says he exposed the bug so that Apple could fix the issue before a malicious hacker started stealing information from customer’s iPhones. What did he get in return for his help? Apple banned him from the iOS developer program for a year.I think it's pretty rude. If you think about what I'm doing- I'm pointing out a flaw that would affect everybody and that the bad guys could use to install malware (malicious software). And they're not paying me, I'm just doing it to be nice.If hackers found the flaw and exploited it, the results could be disastrous.Read more here: http://electricego.crinz.com/634/iphone-bug-for-hackers
• Show Password Bookmarklet    (2011-04-03T13:12:00.001-07:00)
  This time I have a little bookmarklet for your that reveals passwords hidden behind asterisks in browsers. Very handy if you have forgotten your saved password and want to find it quickly. Show Password Bookmarklet will uncover all the passwords that are masked in firefox or chrome or any other browser that supports bookmarklets. All you have to do is drag the link below to your browsers' bookmarks toolbar. Tested fine to work on Firefox and Chrome. ShowPass
• Best Internet Security Software to tackle online security threats    (2011-03-31T12:14:00.001-07:00)
  We are fortunate to live in the cyber age where Internet is prevalent to the present society. The Internet, which is initially a valuable information resource tool, offered several benefits to a wire array of domains. The operation of different national governments around the world has never been easy without the Internet. The traditional courier services are now replaced by most fast and reliable electronic mail, or the famous email services. Banking is not just confined within the four walls of a bank; you can now monitor your deposits as well as make transactions using your bank account with their online banking services. Business became alive in the wee hours of the evening—thanks to the Internet for making it possible. There are more and more people who take advantage of the benefits offered by the Internet. It is not just the most versatile communication tool nowadays, but also one of the best business opportunities to start with. However, because of the popularity and wide availability of the Internet, the online threat became one of the major problems for Internet users. In fact, various “cyber criminals” are starting to create chaos, shutting down computer systems one by one, creating virus programs with the intent to destroy major network connections, and spyware that will sneak in various personal transactions on the Internet. The ratio of Internet crimes committe like identity theft (the use or rathe misuse of other’s identity), email scams, and others are plaguing the Internet community and making internet a dangerous place for the netizens. Because of these problems, Internet security suddenly became a big concern for all Internet users. Such problems must be addressed effectively, thus a lot of people want to have the best Internet security software for their protection. To counteract it, internet security programs are being actively developed and the numbers are growing. One of the best Internet security software programs available in the market as well as on the Web for downloading is the web-filtering software. Furthermore, it also blocks specific websites, such as pornographic sites, which is believed to contain viruses and spyware programs. Other best Internet security software include Firewalls, antivirus and antispyware scanners. These provide eminent virus and spyware protection from viruses (especially those advanced ones), hackers, and other forms of online threats. It also protects your online data against data thieves and hackers, who are using special programs to decode your passwords and gain access of useful information, such as the numbers of your driver's license and bank account information, which could be used for identity theft crime. These security software programs scan these viruses and spyware before its perpetrators could gain access to your personal information on the Internet. Getting the best Internet security software is the pre-requisite to keeping yourself safe online. As long as smart cyber criminals are on the loose, you gotta keep yourself protected. Better to be safe than sorry.
• How to secure your network from Malware    (2011-03-30T13:32:00.001-07:00)
  Network security is a vast topic in itself.  There is a constant fight of supremacy between hackers, crackers and network security specislists. Network administrators are always watchful of any suspicious activity on their networks. One of the most significant threats to the security of a network, and the leading cause of data loss, is malware. Whether that malware comes in the form of a worm probing your external addresses for a vulnerable service, a Trojan horse program embedded inside of a download, an infected document received via email from a customer, or some other source, malware infections present a significant risk to your network. Protecting your systems and data from malware is an ongoing process that requires attention, consistency and diligence. While that sounds like a lot of work, it is really quite easy if you include these six areas in your regular system upkeep. It will also be significantly less work, than cleaning up after a malware incident. The following five tips will help you secure your network from malware and increase internet security of individual machines on the network.Schedule regular scanning, virus definition download Use a security scanner to identify vulnerabilitiesUse a patch management solution to update systemsUse an antimalware solution to secure systemsEducate your usersAdditionally firewalls are also very effective against malware on the network as they can prevent the spyware, virus, worm or trojan from phoning home. Invest in a good firewall system.For more information on securing your network, visit: http://www.net-security.org/article.php?id=1574
• How helpful are Internet Security software Reviews    (2011-03-29T12:42:00.001-07:00)
  Internet security software is no doubt necessary in combating the security threats online. Growth of ecommerce has also spelled the increase in fradulent activities like credit card fraud. Crackers and cyber criminals are always on the look out for a new victim waiting to grab his personal and financial data. To combat people with malicious intent, it is important to keep your eyes open and follow certain security precautions when you're online. The other thing important thing is to install an internet security suite. Something robust, credible, easy to use and actually effective.A staggering number of options are available in security software market these days leading to confusion as to which one to purchase. Since all of the companies call themselves best in the business, it can be very confusing for you to decide whether a particular security software choice will really fit your needs. In order for you to at least have an idea on which software is the best, read a couple of security software reviews to get the picture clear. This will also help you decide which internet security program will best fit your needs. Of course everyone wants to purchase best internet security software and every vendor you come across claims of selling one.Reading user reviews also helps in getting to know the software better. Besides, who else would have better knowledge about the software than the people who have used the software before? User opinions give you clues about the merits and demerits of a internet security solution. If you are having trouble in finding a good pc security program or other security suite for your needs, you can always visit computer security forums ask your questions. PC Security Forum is one such forum.