Week in review: Amateur-run botnets, Mac OS X ransomware and feds on social networks
Here’s an overview of some of last week’s most interesting news, articles, reviews and videos:
The rise of amateur-run botnets
It used to be that cyber criminals were people with a highly technical skill set, but this is not the norm anymore.
Six common virtualization security risks and how to combat them
Gartner has identified the six most common virtualization security risks together with advice on how each issue might be addressed.
FBI: Online fraud loss was $559 million in 2009
Online crime complaints increased substantially once again last year, according to a report about fraudulent activity on the Internet from the IC3.
Facebook removes “stalker” apps
A short-lived resurgence of “stalker” applications was promptly squashed by Facebook a few days ago.
Virtual PC Hypervisor vulnerability remains unpatched
Core Security issued an advisory disclosing a vulnerability that could affect large numbers of organizations and consumers using Microsoft’s Virtual PC virtualization software and leave them open to potential attack.
Mac OS X ransomware – just a matter of time?
A portent of things to come was the recent publication of a proof-of-concept Mac OS X blocker, accompanied by some lively debates on a number of online forums.
The smart grid, it’s all about security
Brian Monkman from ICSA Labs gives plausible scenarios regarding security breaches somewhere on the electrical grid.
20 critical Apple vulnerabilities to be revealed
Charlie Miller will be making public (at the CanSecWest security conference later this month) his latest research through which – he claims – he was able to find some 30 critical flaws in commonly used software.
Feds on social networks: What can they do?
Should law enforcement agents be allowed to go “undercover” on social networks and collect information about the suspects?
Lessons learned at RSA Conferences
In this video, Philippe Courtot, the Chairman and CEO of Qualys, offers insight into the past and present of the RSA Conference.
1 in 4 kids have tried hacking
Despite 78% agreeing that it is wrong, 1 in 4 of UK’s children have tried their hand at hacking into others’ Facebook accounts mostly by surreptitiously using the victims passwords.
Should major ISPs join the fight against botnets?
In time, ISPs will have to be more careful about what their customers are doing if they want to keep working.
Facebook “password reset” scam hits inboxes
Yet another “password reset” scam has been hitting the inboxes of Facebook users lately.
Keynesis Lockngo Professional 4.0
Keynesis Lockngo is a portable application that encrypts and hides your portable drive on Windows AND Mac without any installation.
11 Chrome flaws patched, browser ready to survive Pwn2Own contest?
In a bid to make Google Chrome more difficult to compromise during the Pwn2Own contest, Google has patched 11 vulnerabilities in the Windows version of its popular web browser.
Understanding social engineering
Social engineering attacks aimed at home computer users often take advantage of basic human emotions to manipulate and persuade people to fall for their ploys.