Daily Bits

malware

Beware of Scareware!

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I’ve heard of malware, but scareware?  Apparently, scammers are now playing on the fears of Windows users – fear of viruses and other malware.  In order to make money, they dupe people into thinking that their system is suffering from a relentless malware attack, hence the term scareware.  As the scammers prey upon those fears, they prompt users to download security updates that can “keep users safe.”

Obviously, they will charge for these updates.  The problem is that, one, the threat is almost always fake; and two, the security updates are just as fake.  The user who falls for this trick will end up being at least $50 poorer, without having anything to show for it!

This tactic was exposed earlier this week by Parveen Vashishtha from Symantec.  In a blog post, he outlined the modus operandi of this new breed of scammers. The trick is in knowing that browsers DO NOT ask you to download security updates via malware threat warnings.  If you do see something like the image below, chances are you are the target of a scareware scam.

If you’re thinking that people who are dumb enough to fall for this trick deserve it, think again.  The truth of the matter is that the trick seems to work so well – even some experienced users fall for it.  In fact, the scareware business has already made more than $100 million, according to the FBI.  Don’t laugh just yet.

Your safest bet is NOT to click the download button, obviously.  Of course, you also ought to make sure that your OS, security software, and browser/s are updated on a regular basis.

Worried About Online Security? Go Online in Sierra Leone.

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How worried are you about your security when you go online?  AVG, one of the most recognized names in anti-virus protection and Internet security in general, recently conducted a study on the state of online security in various countries.  Involved in the study were 144 countries and 127 million systems.  AVG collected data relating to virus and malware attacks on these computers and collated their findings.

The results?

African countries did very well in the survey – seven of the 10 safest countries hail from the continent. Sierra Leone tops this list with an average of one attack per 692 users who surf the Web.  Next in line is Niger, with one attack per 442 users who surf the Web.  Other countries in the top 10 are Togo and Japan.  Here are the details for each continent (attack per number of users)

  • North America: 1  in 51
  • Europe: 1 in 72
  • Asia: 1 in 102
  • Africa: 1 in 108
  • South America: 1 in 164.

Basically, South America is the safest while North America is the most dangerous.

However, if the stats are broken down per country, the most dangerous countries are (first one being the most dangerous):

  1. Turkey (1 in 10)
  2. Russia (1 in 15)
  3. Armenia (1 in 24)
  4. Azerbaijan (1 in 39)
  5. Bangaladesh ( 1 in 41)

Roger Thompson from AVG is quick to point out, however, that this data does not exactly pinpoint which regions are completely safe from virus and malware attacks due to their nature – they are not really hindered by geographic boundaries.  He also notes that the results of the study may not be applicable in the near future as viruses and attacks do change over time.

One interesting thing that Thompson mentioned is how this data can be of use to travelers:

However, our research should also serve as a warning to all travelling abroad and using the internet. If you are travelling without your computer and use a public machine or borrow a friend or colleagues, ensure that when accessing web -based services like email, that you log out and close the browser when you have finished your session and that you don’t agree to store any passwords or log-in information on that machine.

If you are taking your laptop with you ensure you have backed up your data and removed any sensitive information from your machine.

If you don’t want the hassle of worrying about security, just take a vacation in Sierra Leone. 😉

Photo credit: highwaycharlie

The Solution For Your Security-Conscious Customers

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Unless you add extra layers of security to ensure that it remains private, email is an incredibly vulnerable form of communication, especially on a mobile device. As more and more people realize that sensitive information sent through emails is vulnerable to spying, cybercriminals and corporate espionage, they are looking for better ways to communicate safely. [Read more…] about The Solution For Your Security-Conscious Customers

Malware and Viruses: How Infected Are We?

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how infected malware
The other day, I had a very confusing day, thanks to my laptop going nuts on me. I thought for sure that I got infected by a virus or some malware. No matter what search I did on Google, I always got redirected to search results for “biometrics”.

It didn’t stop there. When creating a new post, the title field and time stamp kept reverting to specific data. It.drove.me.nuts.

And I panicked. I immediately downloaded Avast for Mac and did a full system scan, but everything was clean. [Read more…] about Malware and Viruses: How Infected Are We?

Malware Wrapper Uses Windows to Infect Android

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Malware Wrapper Uses Windows to Infect Android (via slashdot)

A bit of malware discovered by researchers at Symantec this week reverses the target-selection priorities of most malware designs by treating Windows-based PCs as a path to Android devices, rather than as the primary target. “We’ve seen Android…

[Read more…] about Malware Wrapper Uses Windows to Infect Android

Threats on the Airwaves: How to Protect Yourself From New Malware

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malware1

You are already meticulous about which links you click, you understand the warning signs of an adware infected app, and you have tight security on your computer – but, a new breed of malware can get past all of those precautions! According to Gizmodo, the new malware leaps between devices using audio signals that are undetectable by the human ear. So, how are you to prepare yourself? [Read more…] about Threats on the Airwaves: How to Protect Yourself From New Malware