Week in review: Google and Adobe hacked by China, threats 2.0 and rogue Android applications

Here’s an overview of some of last week’s most interesting news and articles:

Pay by password
Verotel announced Verotel QuickCharge – a new tool for Internet users to quickly pay online for online entertainment without typing in full personal details over and over again.

Job seekers targeted by online scams
It’s hard times for job seekers around the world, made even harder by the fact that they have been heavily targeted by those who don’t have qualms about taking advantage of their hopelessness.

IRS spam campaign delivers malware
TrendLabs warn about the latest spamming campaign delivering malware – emails with the subject “W-2 Form update”, supposedly coming from the IRS.

Fake Amazon email ships malware
The image of an open Amazon delivery box has a prominent place in the latest spam campaign that aims to trick users into downloading an alleged order update coming from the dot com giant.

Rogue Android banking applications
A big brouhaha was raised about some mobile banking applications for Android-based mobile devices that seem to have been developed with the intention of phishing account and login information.

Secret DNA database in danger of breach
The Children’s University hospital in Temple Street, Dublin, has been the target of a theft of two computer servers back in 2007. This incident would have remained hidden from the general public had it not been for another security issue that is currently being debated.

Twitter plans to tighten security
Twitter’s security team will be gaining fresh blood because the company is eager to avoid situations such as the DNS hijacking that occurred in December.

Microsoft patches critical security issue
This month’s Microsoft Patch Tuesday delivers one bulletin that fixes a vulnerability targeting Windows that could allow remote code execution.

Cybercriminals target school districts
Local school districts across the United States have emerged as a prime target for cybercriminals.

Software testing firm says no to responsible disclosure
One of the most debated issues in the world of computer security will soon experience a moment of clarity that will prove one of the sides right. But which?

Google hacked, plans to leave China
Although it does face a variety of cyber attacks on a regular basis, Google recently acknowledged the theft of intellectual property following a sophisticated attack on their infrastructure originating from China.

Adobe hacked, China to blame
In what seems to be normal news this week, Adobe became a victim of what the company is calling “a sophisticated, coordinated attack” and is actively investigating the incident.

Threats 2.0: A glimpse into the near future
Collaboration and socializing, flexible and movable content, interoperability – these are all things that made Web 2.0 the answer to our needs. New technologies to sustain this evolution are introduced almost daily, but we should not be so naive to think that attackers won’t be able to find ways to compromise and take advantage of them and us.

Mobile security market to exceed $4 billion by 2014
According to a study by ABI Research, the number of smartphones protected by advanced security software will increase fivefold over the next five years.

Attackers exploiting unpatched vulnerability in Internet Explorer
Microsoft is investigating a report of a publicly exploited vulnerability that exists as an invalid pointer reference within Internet Explorer.

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