October was a scary month for IT administrators in charge of filtering spam, according to a pair of reports from messaging security firms. Research from St. Bernard Software showed a 33 percent hike in spam and virus activity compared to September. The San Diego-based company, citing its October Threat Center results, attributed the rise to the beginning of the school year and an increase in the victimization of college students’ computers.
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Google’s long-anticipated mobile plans finally emerged this week in the form of Android, the company’s mobile Linux platform. However, despite the short time that has elapsed since the platform’s announcement, a debate has already been sparked around the security of its development. Can the open-source model produce secure code? Will phones based on Android, dubbed “Gphones” by many, be more or less secure than Apple’s iPhone, which has been developed using proprietary software? What will Android’s developers be able to do to stop authors of malicious code for mobile devices capitalising on its openness?
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A hacker faces 60 years in prison and a $1.75m fine after pleading guilty to infecting hundreds of thousands of computers with malware in order to steal money from Paypal accounts. John Schiefer, 26, admitted that he and some associates developed malware that allowed them to create botnet armies of as many as 250,000 computers. Schiefer was able to collect information sent from the infected computers, including usernames and passwords for Paypal accounts. He and his associates were then able to make purchases using the Paypal accounts. They also shared the password information with others.
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Antivirus specialist Symantec has joined a security organisation alongside Microsoft, despite having previously come to very public blows with the software giant over its willingness to share security information on Vista. Announced at the RSA Conference Europe 2007 on Tuesday, Symantec and Microsoft will join the Software Assurance Forum for Excellence in Code (SafeCode), which claims to be a not-for-profit organisation aimed at increasing trust around IT. Other members include EMC, SAP and Juniper Networks.
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A hacker has pleaded guilty to infecting hundreds of thousands of computers with malware in order to steal money from Paypal accounts. He could spend 60 years in prison and face a US$1.75 million fine. John Schiefer, 26, admitted that he and some associates developed malware that allowed them to create botnet armies of as many as 250,000 computers. Schiefer was able to collect information sent from the infected computers, including usernames and passwords for Paypal accounts. He and his associates were then able to make purchases using the Paypal accounts. They also shared the password information with others.
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It seems unlikely to think about a prowler trying to sneak into Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. But every day, people try to gain unseen entrance to the base by remotely probing its computer network, sometimes by accident and others times with nefarious intent. It happens 2.8 million times a day, the near equivalent of every Chicago resident trying once daily.
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New York (NY) – Myspace appears to be a popular new vehicle for spreading malware, as professional artists find their profile pages being hacked. Exploit Prevention Labs has released a report, claiming that hackers have gained access to the Myspace pages of French funk band Freements of Fortune, Irish rock band Dykeenies, and US R&B singer Alicia Keys.
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A Los Angeles man is facing up to 60 years in prison and fines of up to $1.75m (ÂŁ839,000) after admitting to infecting at least 250,000 PCs with information-stealing malware. By day, 26-year-old John Kenneth Schiefer worked as a security consultant for the company 3G Communications. By night he operated a 250,000 PC botnet, which US federal prosecutors are claiming he used to steal information and money from users of eBay’s online banking service, PayPal.
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A strain of malware disguised as anti-spyware has become the latest double-agent in multi-step “convergence” crime online. The scam, which prompts users to download malware by posing as an anti-spyware demo, has proliferated dramatically. Reported incidences of its distribution have increased by 1,000 percent in the last month, according to Don Jackson, senior analyst at SecureWorks.
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A convicted AOL junk mailer, who tried to strike a spam business deal over instant messenger with a confidential informant, was sentenced on Friday to 27 months in prison. Todd Moeller, 28, of New Jersey was found guilty of helping to send spam to more than 1.2 million AOL subscribers. His accomplice, 26-year-old Adam Vitale of Brooklyn, pleaded guilty in June and faces up to 11 years in prison when he is sentenced next week. The two men delivered spam to more than 1.27 million AOL subscribers between Aug. 17 and Aug. 23, 2005, authorities said.
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