Security

This is a new one: bribeware. They’ll pay you a dollar to install their product. Nice idea, but unfortunately in this case it comes bundled with malware. We detect it as C4DLMedia, a group of installers that include adware and agents that change browser home pages. It’s considered a “moderate” risk. I wonder if Microsoft considered this for VISTA. C4DL Media might have a marketing problem with the dollar bribe though. In places where a dollar is worth enough to make this worth the effort there probably isn’t any Internet connectivity.

According to the 2002 Census of the Population, 42% of the population of Ireland has the ability to speak Irish. Irish has also had official and working language status at the EU level since January 1, 2007. Recently, some examples of spam messages in Irish—the official language of the Republic of Ireland—have been observed. While the Irish translation is generally pretty good in this example, there are some anomalies between how certain phrases have been constructed. For example: ...

We recently alerted our readers to spam campaigns using the H1N1 vaccination program to prompt recipients to open the mail. And we have frequently mentioned that crooks love to take advantage of news, disasters, and other events. Now that the final draw for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa next year has taken place, it is time to remind you that sports events are no exception to the rule. I’ve already found some examples. The first is a fake lottery. In this case, the source claims the recipient has won a large sum of money from the South African Football Association. After contacting the lottery manager, the victim of the scam will be asked to pay “processing fees” or “transfer charges” so that the winnings can be distributed. Don’t expect to ever see a payment. ...

Sunbelt analyst Adam Thomas came across this ugly new social engineering technique when he analyzed the DefenceLab rogue security product. It does the usual scare-ware stuff: a fake scan and fake “Windows Security Center” alert: Then it directs the potential victim to a Microsoft Support page, but injects html code into the page in his or her browser to make it appear as though Microsoft is suggesting the purchase of the rogue. This is the real Microsoft page: ...

Conficker (also known as Downadup) has dominated security headlines for months. Today — April 1, 2009 — media coverage peaks because variant Conficker.C is programmed to check a larger set of domain names for update instructions. The worm has not melted the internet overnight, but the attention is useful if it pushes lagging patches out the door. Defense is mostly discipline, not mystery. How It Spreads Conficker exploits failures administrators have warned about for years: ...

It’s not possible to emphasise enough the importance of using sensible passwords on your network. Not just on the areas of your network that you don’t want your users to traipse through, but also on the default network shares that are present on installations of commonly used operating systems. The Windows versions Conficker targeted — NT, 2000, XP, and 2003 — are all end of life and no longer receive security updates. The lesson still applies to any machine with open shares today. ...

Treat passwords with as much care as the information they protect. For how to make them strong — and why a manager should generate them — see Passwords. These tips are about keeping secrets secret day to day. 1. Never provide your password over e-mail Phishing messages pretend to be a bank, a shop, or a social network and ask you to “confirm” your login. Legitimate services do not need your password by email. Learn how to spot phishing. ...

Communicating by using an instant messaging (IM) program has some of the same security and privacy risks as e-mail, but there are a few dangers that are unique to IM. The original 2009 version of this guide was written for desktop IM clients like AIM and MSN Messenger. The same principles apply to modern apps — WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Discord, Slack, and iMessage. 1. Never open files or links from strangers Never open pictures, download files, or click links in messages from people you don’t know. If they come from someone you do know, confirm with the sender that the message (and its attachments) is trustworthy. If it’s not, close the conversation. ...

Social networking Web sites like Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, TikTok, and Threads are services people can use to connect with others to share information like photos, videos, and personal messages. As the popularity of these social sites grows, so do the risks of using them. Hackers, spammers, virus writers, identity thieves, and other criminals follow the traffic. Read these tips to help protect yourself when you use social networks. ...

Strong passwords still matter, but the way we handle them has changed since this post first ran in 2009. The default today is simple: let a password manager create a unique random password for every site, turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever it is offered, and use a passkey when a service supports one. What actually makes a password strong Attackers guess and crack passwords with dictionaries, leaked lists, and raw computing power. Strength comes from: ...