Features

• Mobile malware: Beware drive-by downloads on your smartphone

  By Meridith Levinson | 23 March, 2012 07:39

  While Jeff Schmidt, the CEO of JAS Global Advisors, was surfing the Web on his new Android smartphone (his first Android phone) earlier this year, what appeared to be an ad popped up on his screen. The "ad" looked like the prompt that appears when his phone rings. He clicked the button on the ad to pick up the putative call, and the ad began downloading a binary file - malware - onto his Android phone. Schmidt had been hit by a drive-by download, a program that automatically installs malicious software on end-users' computers--and increasingly, smartphones--without them knowing.

• Mobile threats: the top 12 scams of Christmas list

  By Eric Mack | 10 November, 2011 05:02

  Malware targeting Android-powered mobile devices and Apple computers top a list scams and security threats the people need to guard against this holiday shopping season.

• PDF files most trusted...and most targeted

  By Tony Bradley | 09 March, 2011 06:06

  PDF files are one of the most common, and most trusted document formats out there. However, that trust, combined with the cross-platform use of PDFs makes the Adobe file format one of the most targeted and exploited by malicious attacks as well.

• Massive Mac OS X update shatters illusion of security

  By Tony Bradley | 12 November, 2010 02:15

  Perhaps you've heard that the Apple Mac OS X operating system is simply more secure by design and not prone to the security flaws and vulnerabilities that plague the dominant Microsoft Windows operating system? Well, don't believe the hype. Apple unleashed an update for Mac OS X this week which fixes a massive 134 vulnerabilities.

• The low-down on low-level rootkits

  By Erik Larkin | 08 January, 2010 09:41

  Rootkits, a type of stealth technology used by malware malefactors, attempt to hide in the dark corners of an infected PC and evade detection. A new post out today from the Microsoft Malware Protection Center shines the spotlight on the evil tools.

• Mobile malware will test Android and iPhone

  By Andreas M. Antonopoulos | 13 January, 2010 07:59

  2009 ushered in mobile malware with the first (and second) iPhone worm appearing just before Christmas.

• Latest malware trick: outsourcing quality assurance

  By Tim Greene | 15 July, 2009 10:02

  Creators of Waledac malware enlisted the Conficker botnet as a tool to spread malware of their own, marking the first time Conficker was made available for hire, according to Cisco's mid-year security report.This was symptomatic of a wider trend Cisco noted of malware purveyors using established business practices to expand their illegal enterprises. Cisco likened the arrangement between Waledac and Conficker to a partner ecosystem, a term Cisco uses to describe its collaboration with other vendors.

• How to beat 22 Web security threats

  By Andrew Brandt, Rosemary Hattersley, Robert McMillan and JR Raphael | 06 May, 2009 13:37

  Forewarned is forearmed. We investigate the latest and most deadly tech dangers, and explain how to fight back.

• McColo takedown: Internet self policing or vigilantism

  By Jaikumar Vijayan | 02 December, 2008 09:01

  Few tears were shed when McColo, a US-based company that allegedly hosted systems for prolific purveyors of spam, malware and child pornography, was suddenly taken offline by its upstream service providers on November 11.

• A sneaky security problem, ignored by the bad guys

  By Robert McMillan | 17 November, 2008 08:51

  Frank Boldewin had seen a lot of malicious software in his time, but never anything like Rustock.C.