TechBlog

I was just looking at Facebook to check for spam and scams when I found this: I’ve blurred out a few things for privacy, and, most crucially, safety. The point of this post is the domain name. The spaces around the dot and the zero in “C0M” are just as they were in the original spam message. If spammers are going to the trouble to obfuscate their messages, it seems to show that Facebook’s spam filters are having some effect. Malformed links mean that you have to make an serious effort to actually go and visit the spammer site. And consequently, if someone’s going to go through all that trouble, they’re more likely to buy into whatever scam is at the other end. Click on the link, and you immediately get redirected, even though you won’t notice: ...

I ran into a few strange IMs over the weekend. When I was not shoveling out my driveway from the 15 inches of snow that covered it I was logged into Facebook telling people about it…. It was then that I started receiving some VERY interesting IMs from a friend extolling the virtues of a clean colon (yep – you read that right): This lead to the following questionable site, which had some very interesting comments on McAfee SiteAdvisor site: ...

Just a quick note – the sudden death of Hollywood celebrity Brittany Murphy last Sunday (BBC report here) has prompted a spike in searches on the subject – and of course, an SEO attack. Users who click on a poisoned search result link will be redirected to a website that will display a scare message trying to panic users into downloading rogue AV software: Screenshots of the rogue AV: ...

Well, it didn’t take long for the Christmas E-Card scams to start. Recently we have seen email messages pretending to be from Hallmark, suggesting that you have received an E-card from a friend. The complete email message looks like this:You have recieved a Hallmark E-Card from your friend. To see it, check the link below: http://www.hallmark.com/webapp/wcs/stores/Occasion/ChristmasE-CardsThere’s something special about that E-Card feeling. We invite you to make a friend’s day and send one.Hope to see you soon, Your friends at Hallmark ...

ProtectPC’s is a nasty rogue antivirus program, or phony security software, used to scam people out of their money. If your PC is infected with ProtectPC’s you should remove it immediately. ProtecPC’s poses a serious security risk for all PC users. Symptoms of a ProtecPC infection can include: Web Browser redirecting spontaneously System scans that result in reports showing multiple infections Pop-Ups and system alerts stating the PC is infected Programs being shut down or unable to open Click Here to learn how to remove these kind of malware.

Malware Defense is a rogue security program, designed to look like legitimate security software. If Malware Defense has been installed on your PC more than likely you did not intentionally download it, it just appeared one day. Malware Defense usually infects a computer system with help from malicious advertising or a trojan found on a shady website. Malware Defense usually infects unsuspecting users PC’s without permission. Malware Defense is a scam, do not buy this software, it should be removed from infected computers immediately. ...

The holidays are nearly here! If you’re still searching for the final perfect present, and are thinking of buying online, here’s a few practical tips to help keep your last-minute purchases secure: Keep your Internet Security solution updated, not just to the day but to the hour! They release frequent updates to make sure you’re protected from the very newest malware. Scan your system before you start shopping. Don’t shop from public WiFi networks which aren’t secured using WPA2. These networks can be easily hijacked by cybercriminals, and your sensitive financial data could be compromised. ...

System Adware Scanner 2010 is phony security software, made to look and act like legitimate security software. System Adware Scanner 2010 is a potentially very dangerous PC infection that should be removed from infected systems immediately. System Adware Scanner 2010 usually uses false security warnings and alerts to frighten people into buying the software. System Adware Scan 2010 will run system scans and report numerous infections to the user, which are false. System Adware Scanner 2010 will then request payment to remove the supposed infections. ...

Those looking to see the latest 3D blockbuster movie, The Avatar, on the cheap will have to take great care in what they search for. We have become aware of at least one site that has been rigged to redirect users to a page that presents the now-familiar “play video/need codec” screen. In an unusual twist, this time it is offering a new ActiveX update rather than the usual codec or Flash player updates. ...

Data Doctor 2010, an encryption trojan via our old “friends” iframedollars. It encrypts the files on your hard drive very rapidly if you’re unfortunate enough to be victimized by it. It arrives through drive by downloads from malicious web sites. It’s also packaged with other malware. The victim receives a message that the system is shutting down due to “Unrecognized disk driver command.” His system is then re-booted to safe mode and a message is displayed: “Windows has recovered from a serious error. Some files can be corrupted. Disk checking is strongly recommended.” ...