Ryan Naraine

Security researchers have a brand-new tool to use to go digging for malicious executables on the Web: The Google SOAP Search API. Malware hunters at Websenses Security Labs have figured out a way to use the freely available Google API to find dangerous .exe files sitting on thousands of Web servers around the world. The […]

Internet security experts have discovered a new phishing scam that uses voice recordings to pilfer money from PayPal accounts. In the newest social engineering attack, identity thieves have spammed fake PayPal account compromise warnings to lure users into dialing a phone number and giving up credit card information. Unlike normal phishing e-mails, there is no […]

BitDefender has joined a growing list of security vendors testing tools for rootkit detection and cleanup. The anti-virus vendor, a division of Softwin based in Bucharest, Romania, on July 7 lifted the wraps off a new anti-rootkit utility that promises to spot and delete stealthy software programs that are used by malicious hackers to hide […]

Collaboration software specialist WebEx Communications has released a critical security update to correct a remote code execution flaw affecting its enterprise customers. The vulnerability was discovered in the ActiveX control installed by WebEx when attending or hosting a meeting and could allow an attacker to launch code execution attacks on a users workstation. The attack […]

Microsoft plans to release seven security bulletins on July 11 to cover a range of critical vulnerabilities affecting Windows and Office users. Four of the seven bulletins will include patches for flaws in the Windows operating system, while three will deal with bugs in the Microsoft Office productivity suite. /zimages/1/28571.gifeBay ends the bidding on a […]

A well-known hacker has stockpiled browser exploits and plans to release one flaw a day for the month of July to highlight the types of vulnerabilities affecting the worlds most widely used Web browsers. HD Moore, co-founder of the Metasploit Framework, has launched a new project called MoBB (Month of Browser Bugs) with daily releases […]

A security researcher with expertise in rootkits has built a working prototype of new technology that is capable of creating malware that remains “100 percent undetectable,” even on Windows Vista x64 systems. Joanna Rutkowska, a stealth malware researcher at Singapore-based IT security firm COSEINC, says the new Blue Pill concept uses AMDs SVM/Pacifica virtualization technology […]

A Microsoft security guru is pleading with Windows Vista beta testers to not turn off the User Account Control feature, regardless of how annoying it is. Jesper Johansson, a senior security strategist in the Security Technology Unit at Microsoft, admits that the current implementation of UAC presents too many privilege escalation pop-up prompts, but he […]

Microsoft has removed the controversial “phone home” notifications component from its WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage) anti-piracy tool. The software maker June 27 announced the release of an updated WGA Notifications package that will be delivered to millions of Windows XP users via Automatic Updates with one major change. In the pilot phase, a PC that […]

Internet security software provider GreenBorder Technologies on June 27 shipped a new version of its browser virtualization suite with features designed to thwart identity thieves and block malware propagation. The Mountain View, Calif., company said it rolled out GreenBorder Pro to create an “impenetrable protective barrier” that keeps all interactions with a Web site and […]

Microsoft is adding a new feature to Windows Vista to allow businesses to load ActiveX controls on systems running without admin privileges. The feature, called ActiveX Installer Service, will fit into the next public release of Vista to provide a way for enterprises to cope with the UAC (User Account Control) security mechanism. UAC, formerly […]

Allegations of “predatory pricing” are beginning to swirl around Microsofts emergence as a player in the security software space. On the heels of the software makers May 30 release of its Windows Live OneCare PC care bundle for consumers and a massive rebranding effort in the enterprise security sector, competitors are crying foul, charging that […]