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Fake antivirus on the rise

Malware posing as antivirus software is spreading fast with tens of millions of computers infected each month, according to a report to be released on July 29 from PandaLabs. PandaLabs found 1,000 samples of fake antivirus software in the first quarter of 2008. In a year, that number had grown to 111,000. And in the second quarter of 2009, it reached 374,000, the technical director of PandaLabs said in a recent interview. “We’ve created a specific team to deal with this,” he said, of the rogue antivirus software that issues false warnings of infections in order to get people to pay for software they don’t need. The programs also typically download a Trojan or other malware. PandaLabs found that 3 percent to 5 percent of all the people who scanned their PCs with Panda antivirus software were infected. Using that and worldwide computer stats from Forrester, PandaLabs estimates there could be as many as 35 million computers infected per month with rogue antivirus programs. About 3 percent of the people who see the fake warnings fall for it, forking over $50 for an annual license or $80 for a lifetime license, according to the technical director. Last September, a hacker was able to infiltrate rogue antivirus maker Baka Software and discovered that in one period an affiliate made more than $80,000 in about a week, said a PandaLabs threat researcher. A Finjan report from March estimated that fake antivirus distributors can make more than $10,000 a day

Details Here

first published week of:   08/03/2009

Faster Internet on the Road

Laboratories have developed a system that improves Internet access on the road. The system, called R2D2, uses special antennas and novel software to let users upload big chunks of information--like a video or a picture--over Wi-Fi significantly faster than other systems designed for use in vehicles.

Currently, a cell phone or computer accessing the Internet from a moving vehicle transmits to single base stations, even though the vehicle may move rapidly in and out of range. This can make Internet connections spotty, as anyone trying to access Wi-Fi on a bus knows.

Details Here

first published week of:   05/25/2009

FBI puts cyber threats in perspective

The FBI considers the cyber threat against our nation to be one of the greatest concerns of the 21st century. Despite the enormous advantages of the Internet, U.S. networked systems have a gaping and widening hole in the security posture of both our private sector and government systems. An increasing array of sophisticated state and non-state actors have the capability to steal, alter or destroy our sensitive data and, in the worst of cases, to manipulate from afar the process control systems that are meant to ensure the proper functioning of portions of our critical infrastructure. Moreover, the number of actors with the ability to utilize computers for illegal, harmful, and possibly devastating purposes continues to rise. When assessing the extent of the cyber threat, the FBI considers both the sophistication and the intent of U.S. adversaries. The most sophisticated actors have the ability to alter our hardware and software along the global supply chain route, conduct remote intrusions into our networks, establish the physical and technical presence necessary to re-route and monitor our wireless communications, and plant dangerous insiders within our private sector and government organizations. The actors that currently have all of these capabilities - which is a finding that is distinct from whether and when they are using them - include multiple nation states and likely include some organized crime groups. The FBI has not yet seen a high level of end-to-end cyber sophistication within terrorist organizations. Still, the FBI is aware of and investigating individuals who are affiliated with or sympathetic to al-Qaeda who have recognized and discussed the vulnerabilities of the U.S. infrastructure to cyber attack, who have demonstrated an interest in elevating their computer hacking skills, and who are seeking more sophisticated capabilities from outside of their close-knit circles. Should terrorists obtain such capabilities, they will be matched with destructive and deadly intent.

Details Here

first published week of:   11/30/2009

FCC Chairman wants network neutrality, wired and wireless

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski made his pitch this morning for network neutrality, and he did it in the most business-friendly language he could muster. But that didn't stop him from arguing that an open Internet must be the rule no matter how one gets on it—wired and wireless connections should both be nondiscriminatory towards content and applications.

Genachowski delivered a major address this morning at the Brookings Institution in Washington, laying out his vision of an open Internet and rehashing the many ways that an open Internet is a spur to innovation of all kinds.

Details Here

first published week of:   09/21/2009

Feds halt 45 IT projects

Federal CTO Vivek Kundra -- in his IT Dashboard blog said the Dashboard enabled officials to catch 45 over-budget or behind-schedule Veterans Affairs IT projects worth some $200 million and call a temporary halt to them. “We were able to catch these contracts, in part,” said Kundra in the blog entry, “thanks to our new tool, the  “IT Dashboard” which helped shed light on the performance of projects across the federal government.”

Details Here

first published week of:   07/20/2009

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Volume 31

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