Blogs

Do Macs need security software?

November 11, 2009

AppleActually, the question should be: when will Macs start to need security software? It's going to happen sometime, Macfans, and you might as well get used to that fact.

Geoff, the revered IT admin here at PC Advisor Towers, would say 'right now', and insists that all the Macs in the office have up-to-date antivirus, firewalls and the rest. But the key industry journalist sitting in my chair has been running a web-connected, AV-free Powerbook G4 for more than five years, with no discernible downside. And I'm not going to be shelling out any time soon.

Matt Egan | Read more...


Android vs iPhone: security nightmare

November 6, 2009

iPhone smartphoneHere's an ad you'll never see: "The new Vodafone (or T-Mobile or O2 or Orange) smartphone: Your IT department's best friend."

After all, the smartphone wars have been about the consumer for some time now, promising more features, more fun, more glitz.

Bill Snyder | Read more...


Why Google wants you to use a single password

November 4, 2009

securityIt's one of the basic tenets of online security: never use the same password/username combo for every website that requires one. The logic is sound, of course. A single security breach could expose your most private information - such as banking and credit card numbers - to the bad guys.

Problem is, who can remember multiple passwords and usernames? Many times I've signed up for a service, returned to the site a few weeks later, and quickly realised that I couldn't remember my login details.

Jeff Bertolucci | Read more...


Microsoft faces a tough fight with 'malvertisers'

September 21, 2009

PC securityMicrosoft is filing lawsuits that it hopes will hold to account the people who have disguised malware as advertising. The problem is that no one knows the identity or whereabouts of the culprits.

The software company, which is filing five civil lawsuits against businesses that have taken up ads designed to transmit viruses and other harmful material, faces an uphill battle.

JR Raphael | Read more...


Norton 2010 security software

September 10, 2009

Protection is the priority for Symantec this year, in the annual roll-out of updates for its Norton range of security software. (See: Symantec Norton Internet Security 2010 review.)

While last year's Norton AntiVirus 2009 and Norton Internet Security 2009 were designed to address the long-running problem of performance - that is the slowdown of a Windows PC after Norton was installed - Symantec is now focusing on catching the remainder of online threats that still bypass all anti-malware software products.

Andrew Harrison | Read more...


Lessons to learn from Twitter security breach

July 20, 2009

PC securityI can't help but feel sorry for Twitter. It's been revealed that the French hacker who broke into Twitter's internal systems a couple of months ago has been up to mischief again, creating more embarrassment for the micro-blogging network.

Last time Hacker Croll gained access to the Twitter administration console, giving him access to the accounts of millions of Twitter users. He posted screenshots revealing that he'd been able to access private information regarding the accounts of the likes of Barack Obama, Britney Spears, Ashton Kutcher and Lily Allen.

Graham Cluley | Read more...


Zero-day attack concern for Internet Explorer users

July 14, 2009

PC securityMicrosoft has warned of a serious security vulnerability in a Spreadsheet ActiveX control that could allow for a drive-by-download attack against vulnerable PCs.

The news means there are now two critical, unpatched holes involving flawed ActiveX controls (the first was disclosed last week) that could make Internet Explorer users vulnerable to drive-by-download attacks if they simply view a poisoned web page. Microsoft's advisory doesn't specify whether IE 8.0 might mitigate the new threat, but it does list these software components as installing the flawed ActiveX:

Erik Larkin | Read more...


The one essential truth of computer security

July 6, 2009

Stop malwareWho doesn't love that scene in "A Few Good Men" in which Jack Nicholson's character tells Tom Cruise's character, "You can't handle the truth. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said 'Thank you' and went on your way."

I often feel like I'm acting out that scenario when speaking to CIOs and senior security leaders. They want me to tell them how to stop hackers and malware from invading their environments. Usually I'm consulting on some multitiered firewall/proxy/security solution aimed at protecting back-end databases. We talk about packet-inspecting firewalls, intrusion detection, two-factor authentication, and all sorts of high-tech defensive solutions that add several layers to their defence-in-depth protection.

Roger Grimes | Read more...


How to secure your PC: pile on the layers

July 1, 2009

PC SecurityIt used to be so simple. To secure your PC, you simply shelled out 30 or 40 notes for an internet security suite, it checked your system's files against a database of known malware, and then removed any that matched up. Safe.

Actually, it was never that straightforward. Take a quick glance through PC Advisor's reviews of security products, and you'll see that even the best miss some things. In the world of the zero-day threat, that's not good enough.

Matt Egan | Read more...


Microsoft Security Essentials is a no brainer

June 26, 2009

PC securityPeople often turn to me for advice regarding what anti-virus package to get. Usually I recommend McAfee or AVG, but Security Essentials will be my go-to anti-malware package once it's released from beta. For small-business and home users, the price, performance, and ease-of-use of MSE can't be beat.

Of course, this is all meaningless if the product isn't effective. Fortunately, preliminary Microsoft Security Essentials tests show it to be very effective.

Michael Scalisi | Read more...


Panda security software

June 25, 2009

Panda security softwarePanda Security has unveiled four new security programs Panda Antivirus for Netbooks, Panda Antivirus Pro 2010 and Panda Internet Security 2010, and Panda Global Protection 2010.

The security firm said its AntiVirus for Netbooks was specifically designed for the small low-powered laptops and offers anti-spyware, anti-phishing and anti-rootkit technology along with a firewall and an identity protection function.

Carrie-Ann Skinner | Read more...


McAfee and Symantec automatic renewals a disgrace

June 15, 2009

PC securityBack in the 1980s and 90s, many people believed that antivirus vendors were writing and distributing viruses to create a need for their products.

I cannot say unequivocally that there was no truth to that - a lot of companies were trying to enter the market, and many disappeared quickly without a trace. But a conspiracy as big as imagined in the rumour mills would have been uncovered in the past 20 years.

Ira Winkler | Read more...


Remove sensitive data before you sell an old PC

June 13, 2009

PC securityIt's vital to consider the security implications before passing on an old PC. Will the new owner be able to access secure data left in the hard drive?

Anyone with a cheap data recovery program can recover your recently deleted files - even if you've emptied the recycle bin. They can also get files off a freshly formatted hard drive. So if you want to be absolutely certain that your old PC's new owner won't get your private information, you need to wipe the sensitive files by overwriting them with new 1s and 0s.

Lincoln Spector | Read more...


Is Microsoft's free Morro antivirus any good?

June 12, 2009

PC securityMicrosoft is getting ready to offer Windows users a free antivirus product, code-named Morro. It's something Microsoft should have built into one of its operating systems a long time ago, but will it be any good?

The company's goal is to offer the antivirus product as a hosted service, which is very different from what users have come to expect, especially when the word "free" is attached to "antivirus". After all, Grisoft and Avast have offered free versions of their antivirus products to PC users, and those free products are of the traditional download-and-install nature.

Frank Ohlhorst | Read more...


Security spotlight: Kido'Z child-safety browser

May 22, 2009

Internet & BroadbandThe web browser is a potentially confusing environment for kids, and a gateway to the web's seamy underbelly. Here's a way to keep them safe.

For most kids under the age of 10, the main attractions of a computer are games, videos and websites. Kido'Z is a specialised browser that serves up exactly those items, all within a safe, colourful, child-friendly interface.

Rick Broida | Read more...


Security blog: The importance of strong passwords

May 14, 2009

A good password can mean the difference between identity safety and identity theft. Unfortunately, too many otherwise intelligent people rely on weak passwords – the kind that make hackers rub their hands with glee. That's bad security, people.

If you're not certain about the strength of your password(s), head to Microsoft's password checker. This free tool couldn't be simpler to use: just type in your password and get an instant strength rating: Weak, Medium, Strong or Best.

Rick Broida | Read more...


Infosec: Security sells

April 29, 2009

The first casualty of war is truth. Come the recession, the marketing budget is first out the door. But, unlike moribund tradeshows such as March's CeBIT, the UK's very own Infosec show is doing a lively trade in London this week.

Occupying a niche as it does, Infosec's never been the greatest show on earth. And, anecdotally at least, it's been bigger in the past. But all the major players seem to be there (albeit with marginally smaller stands than they take to the big shows), and the likes of Symantec, Kaspersky and Trend Micro tell PC Advisor that footfall is pretty good.

Matt Egan | Read more...


Trend Smart Surfing for Mac, iPhone & iPod touch

April 29, 2009

Trend Micro has launched products to help protect Mac, Apple iPhone and iPod touch users when they are surfing the web.

According to the company, Trend Smart Surfing utilises Trend Micro's existing anti-malware and web-threat protection technologies to protect a user's identity and personal data while they shop, bank and surf online.

Matt Egan | Read more...


Web of deceit

April 2, 2009

It was news to us: a review on the PC Advisor website no one in the office had seen before, praising an application we knew to be malware, and with our own star ratings awarding the software full marks.

But after looking at the evidence in detail - a screenshot we were presented with by a security researcher - it was clear the website address was not PC Advisor's and the words on the screen had been doctored. Welcome to the world of fake software reviews.

Paul Trotter | Read more...


Symantec uses heroes to push security message

April 1, 2009

How do you convince normal people to worry about internet security?

For most people, the only time they ever consider buying internet security software is when something goes wrong, or at the point of purchase when some spotty 'erbert in PC World or Currys tries to upsell them to whichever security suite he is incentivised to punt that day.

Megan Burger | Read more...


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