Paul F. Roberts

A new version of the Netscape Web browser is being criticized by spyware experts for failing to notify Web surfers when theyre visiting Web sites that distribute the noxious monitoring programs. Netscape 8s Trust Rating System, which warns users about insecure Web sites, gives a “green light” to Web sites that download spyware onto users […]

Recent reports of embarrassing data breaches, coupled with stringent data privacy regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and Sarbanes-Oxley Act, are softening long-standing reluctance by the private sector to adopt encryption technology, industry executives say. But experts advise organizations to plan carefully before introducing encryption and warn that the technology may […]

A new security appliance from Reconnex Corp. will protect small financial services and health care companies from information leaks by insiders using e-mail, instant messaging, the Web and other online channels. The iGuard 1300 is a dedicated network appliance that captures and analyzes network traffic for information leaks that could be used in identity theft […]

The Federal Trade Commission is urging ISPs to take a tougher stance on compromised computers known as “spam zombies,” including cutting off Internet access for the machines, which experts believe are responsible for sending out huge volumes of unsolicited e-mail messages. The FTC joined with government agencies from 20 countries announcing Operation Spam Zombies in […]

Security experts are warning Internet users about a new piece of software that poses as a spyware-removal tool but is actually being used to persuade unsuspecting Internet users to download spyware programs and Trojans. The program, SpywareNo, is installed on Internet users computers without warning, can be difficult to remove and may be accompanied by […]

Bank of America will protect 13.2 million online banking customers with a new authentication service it calls “SiteKey,” the company said in a statement. The free service will be launched in Tennessee in June and will eventually be rolled out nationwide. SiteKey uses a combination of an image, user-created phrase and three challenge questions to […]

A new analysis of last years Witty worm by three university researchers documents the worms spread and claims that U.S. military computers and inside knowledge about vulnerable systems were an early propellant for the worm. The report, which was published by Abishek Kumar, a student at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), claims to […]

The FBI is investigating a security breach on a computer system at Stanford Universitys Career Development Center, according to a statement posted on the universitys Web site. The May 11 breach occurred from outside Stanfords network. Data on 9,600 clients and 300 recruiters, dating to 1995, were stored on the system. The data included names, […]

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission plans to issue a statement Tuesday urging ISPs to take a tougher stance on compromised computers known as “spam zombies,” which could include cutting off Internet access for the machines, which experts believe are responsible for sending out huge volumes of unsolicited e-mail messages. The FTC will join with government […]

Computer viruses and remote control programs called bots are adopting features from stealthy programs called rootkits to avoid detection, security experts say. New versions of Rbot, a ubiquitous and malicious remote control program, copy and paste features from a well-known open-source rootkit called Fu. The new features make Rbot invisible to system-monitoring tools and are […]

The recent appearance of the Oscabot-F IM worm is the latest in a series of increasingly serious attacks affecting instant messaging networks, a trend that is forcing IT managers to choose between banning the popular chat technology and opening their networks to a host of IM-borne worms and viruses. Attacks against major IM networks rose […]

A software update will allow XML gateways from Reactivity to handle large attachments to XML messages securely, the company said. The Belmont, Calif., company plans to announce the Multi-Mode Messaging update for its Adaptive Message Architecture on Monday. The new feature allows organizations to scan large message attachments for formatting consistency, message integrity and malicious […]