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Blogs

Open-source security gets a boost

May 7, 2008

IT managers often assume that open-source software is more secure than proprietary commercial software.

Anyone who uses open source can examine the original code to spot any lurking vulnerabilities, and potentially even fix the vulnerabilities themselves. With proprietary software, you have to trust the vendor to do it all for you.

Neil McAllister | Read more...


Security through obscurity is plain dumb

May 7, 2008

If there is one security technique that has proven to be as effective and realistic as keeping diamonds safe in a paper bag it is security through obscurity.

The idea of security through obscurity is an old one: In the desk there's the hidden compartment for the property deeds. Or there's the secret door that looks like a bookcase that leads to the vault and the key to the vault is hidden in the suit of armour.

Mark Gibbs | Read more...


'Top threat malware lists are worthless'

April 15, 2008

Not my words, you understand, but those of Aussie security firm PC Tools. PC Tools today dismissed the 'top threat' lists distributed by many of its rivals as being too one-dimensional. And infrequent. And, you know, rubbish.

PC Tools's CEO Simon Clausen said that such lists are ill-conceived, inaccurate and over-simple. His argument is that compiling lists of threats ranked by volume alone has little relevance to the man on the street. And as a consequence, they can be counterproductive.

Matt Egan | Read more...


The great Government paedo hunt

April 4, 2008

Today's Government proposals to protect web-surfing kids are a peculiar brand of headline-seeking, paranoid ignorance that affects all governments from time to time.

For those still blissfully unaware of the Government's latest anti-pervert panacea, it goes a little something like this:

Matt Egan | Read more...


DriveSentry GoAnywhere antivirus software

April 3, 2008

DriveSentry has launched GoAnywhere - antivirus software designed to protect data on removable storage devices such as mobile phones, MP3 players and memory sticks.

The software protects removable devices from being infected with malware and other viruses, regardless of the operating system they're connected to. GoAnywhere does this by connecting to an advisor server that holds the identity of more than a million whitelisted, blacklisted and community-based files.

Carrie-Ann Skinner | Read more...


The kids are alright

March 31, 2008

The generation gap isn’t as wide as it can sometimes seem. According to a survey by Global Security Systems (GSS), some fifty percent of kids will have spent their time at school today interacting on Facebook and Bebo rather than in the playground.

And we adults are no better: another survey conducted by GSS in tandem with the Infosecurity Europe trade show, found that the recent popularity of social networking sites, such as Facebook, MySpace and Bebo , is costing UK corporations close to £6.5 billion annually in lost productivity.

Rosemary Haworth | Read more...


Bullguard Backup 8.0 backup software

March 18, 2008

BullGuard has released an updated version of its standalone backup software with enhanced encryption and a larger online vault.

BullGuard Backup 8.0 now features 10GB of online backup space while also supporting backups to local media and email backups for Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Mail and Thunderbird email clients.

Carrie-Ann Skinner | Read more...


Symantec Norton Smartphone Security software

March 13, 2008

Symantec is launching a security program specifically designed for mobile phones. Norton Smartphone Security costs £20.

Sadly, it won't stop some chancer snatching your sleek handset off you while you're nattering to your friends, though.

Carrie-Ann Skinner | Read more...


Symantec Norton 360 version 2.0 security software

March 11, 2008

Symantec has updated its Norton 360 all-in-one security suite. Available from April, version 2.0 costs £59 including VAT for a one-year three-user licence. Symantec Norton 360 2.0 review - click here.

Norton 360 version 2.0 now includes Norton Parental Controls as an optional free add-on. Norton Parental Control allows individual settings regarding the websites that can be accessed to be defined for existing Windows User Accounts.

Carrie-Ann Skinner | Read more...


Art attack

March 7, 2008

Like viruses that threaten human health, the viruses and assorted malware encountered in the PC world are not exactly visible to the naked eye.

Sure, there’s the ‘physical’ presence of an unsolicited email in your inbox offering sleazy services in badly written English. Or there’s the insidious cargo of a viewable attachment that, once opened, can wreak havoc behind the scenes of a Windows PC… but what do these malignant computer viruses look like?

Andrew Harrison | Read more...


Does your PC's security software keep you private?

February 28, 2008

Privacy control. Personal-information protection. Identity control. All are great-sounding names for features you may have seen in your PC's security suite. But what do they actually do?

To find out, I dug into the privacy features of the top suites from our most recent security suite software reviews: Symantec Norton Internet Security 2008's Privacy Control (part of its free Norton Add-on Pack), Kaspersky Internet Security 7.0's Privacy Control, McAfee Internet Security Suite's Personal Information Protection, and BitDefender Internet Security Suite 2008's Identity Control.

Erik Larkin | Read more...


AVG Internet Security 8.0 software

February 27, 2008

AVG has announced a new version of its Internet Security Suite. AVG Internet Security 8.0 costs £39 for both the home user and business editions for a single user licence.

AVG Internet Security 8.0 includes a feature known as LinkScanner. This scans search results, web links and web pages in real-time to ensure they are safe. Unwittingly clicking on web links that aren't what they purport to be is a popular way for scammers to fool consumers into visiting websites where they may be exposed to viruses and from which their PCs may be infected by software downloading and installing itself without permission.

Carrie-Ann Skinner | Read more...


Security system will wipe data from stolen laptops

February 20, 2008

A UK firm has produced a laptop-protection system that will automatically wipe hard disk data on stolen notebooks.

Virtuity’s BackStopp server monitors a protected laptop using any medium available, including the internet, or locally using Wi-Fi or GSM. If a laptop is reported stolen – or even just moved from a designated space - the system can reach out and execute a file deletion routine that clears the laptop of all important data.

John E Dunn | Read more...


5,000 patient records on stolen hospital laptop

February 15, 2008

A laptop which held the private records of more than 5,000 hospital patients has been stolen. And no, you haven't read this story before. That was an MoD laptop with 200 soldiers' details. Keep up.

The Fujitsu Siemens Lifebook went missing from the Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, in early January. All 5,123 anticoagulation patients have since received letters saying: "Er, sorry, we seem to have lost your private data. Sorry. Sorry." I paraphrase, of course.

Matt Egan | Read more...


MoD goon leaves secret data laptop in pub

February 13, 2008

Stop me if you've heard this before: an MoD laptop with top secret, unencrypted data about the movements of British troops has been found in a London pub.

See also:

Matt Egan | Read more...


AVG aims to make web surfing safe again

January 29, 2008

As well as the usual antivirus, antispyware and firewall protection, AVG 8.0 - the upcoming internet security suite from AVG - aims to make browsing the internet secure. If it works, it may even protect users from themselves. (I know, it sounds far fetched.)

I was speaking this morning to Larry Bridwell, AVG’s global security strategist. Bridwell was outlining the upcoming AVG 8.0 release, and in particular pointing my scoop-hungry nose in the direction of two new features.

Matt Egan | Read more...


Skype kills video feature following IE bug

January 23, 2008

Skype has been forced to turn off a video-sharing feature in its software because it could be misused to launch a self-copying worm attack against Skype users, according to security researchers.

A bug in the software, which was first reported last week, stems from the way Skype uses an Internet Explorer component to render HTML.

Robert McMillan | Read more...


Online passwords 'too much for modern minds'

January 17, 2008

Another day, another survey about how bloomin' stupid we all are at basic computer security.

Today it's the turn of wackily named financial advertising agency @www, who are slapping our wrists for writing all our passwords down in marker pen on our hands or on little PostIt notes on our monitors.

Simon Jary | Read more...


Security: the human factor

January 17, 2008

Malware writers’ tactics have developed significantly in recent years. Protecting your PC online is no longer a one-click fix.

Whether you realise it or not, it’s likely that your approach to PC security has changed significantly over the past few years. Even though advances in security software may have encouraged you to install a security suite and then leave it to do its job, people have come to appreciate that software alone is no longer sufficient to keep viruses, spyware and other malware away from their hard drives. The human factor has taken on increased importance, and most PC users now know not to visit the sites promoted in spam emails or click on banner adverts offering implausible discounts.

Paul Trotter | Read more...


Yoggie Firestick Pico

January 9, 2008

Following last year’s launch of the Pico – a complete security suite on a stick – Yoggie has come up with another useful safeguard. The Yoggie Firestick Pico is a portable firewall that you plug in to a USB port and that protects your laptop from harm.

Such a device should prove especially useful for anyone using Wi-Fi since it can prevent people accessing your machine and ‘slurping’ your data. According to the Yoggie spokeswoman we quizzed on the matter, the Firestick was developed in response to customer demand.

Rosemary Haworth | Read more...


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