In a report overseen by Microsoft, the Windows XP operating system was found to be more than five times as vulnerable to viruses as Windows 8 is. Out of every 1,000 computers scanned, 9.1 Windows XP SP3 systems were infected with a virus, while only 1.6 Windows 8 RTM machines had to be cleaned. The […]
FBI-themed ransomware has been around for a long time, scaring non-tech savvy computer users into believing the government agency had identified them as violating various laws, threatening jail time if a “fine” isn’t paid immediately. While many have fallen prey to the scam, never before have users been so vulnerable towards believing the nature of […]
These are the most malicious plushies you’ll ever see. They’re the Computer Virus Dolls and they might rub you off the wrong way, especially if you’re into IT and have to deal with problems that are caused by them on a daily basis.
Each and every one of the plushies in the series are inspired by a bevy of the most common malicious software that infects computers worldwide on a daily basis.
The Drew Oliver Company is behind the unusual series, which includes Virus, Worm, Trojan, and Malware-inspired plushies, going by the name of the malicious program that it was created after.
Each of the plushies come with a pop-up window tag and a ribbon that spells out the name of the doll in binary. Expect more unusual plushies from the group, as stuffed bugs, bots, and zombies are said to be coming soon.
[via Laughing Squid]
There are always those greedy people who would wish for more wishes from a genie. They’re what’s wrong with this whole internet fairy tale. And now they’re using malware developed for pilfering credit card numbers to give out likes and followers on Instagram. For a price, of course.
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Linux users have enjoyed a veritable lack of malware that targets the everyday user for quite a long time, yet those days are very slowly coming to an end, with more trojans and such that target the operating system showing up. One such bit of malicious software is called “Hand of Thief,” the brainchild of […]
Everyone has had to deal with malware of some sort at one point or another, with some being unlucky enough to come across the FBI-themed “ransomware” variety that presents itself as being a government threat of criminal charges should one refuse to pay a fine. This kind of malware has typically been the domain of Windows users, but has made its way to OS X.
The information comes from Malwarebytes, an anti-malware company. According to the rundown they’ve provided, the FBI ransomware is presenting users with a page that, at a quick glance, looks official enough: the beginning of the URL starts with fbi.gov.id, and and it harbors the real FBI logo, as well as a fake logo stating “The FBI” cyber department has targeted the user.
The trojan targets the users by using the “restore from crash” feature in the browser, which prevents the user from getting rid of the page. Attempting to close the tab results in a popup stating “YOUR BROWSER HAS BEEN LOCKED. All PC data will be detained and criminal procedures will be initiated against you if the fine will not be paid.” The “fine” in question? $300.
Aside from the threats of criminal procedures and other such nonsense, the ransomware tries to scare the user into paying the amount by specifying specific criminal activities it accuses the user of committing, such as violating copyright laws regarding music, video, and software, as well as viewing “prohibited pornographic content.”
Causing Safari to force quit won’t do any good for the user, with the ransomware page reappearing the next time the browser is fired up. Fortunately, the issue is pretty easy to get rid of by simply resetting Safari, which can be done by clicking “Safari” from the menu. All the items must be checked under the reset options.
SOURCE: Malwarebytes
FBI-themed ransomware now affecting OS X users is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
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A team of security researchers claim to have identified a four-year-old Android bug that can allow malicious trojans to appear as verified apps, infecting devices with malware while users remain unaware of its presence.
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Google’s Transparency Report has long warned us about the dangers of government overreach, but that’s not the only threat online — there’s plenty of malware to go around. Accordingly, Google is expanding its report to show the volumes of virus-infected and phishing sites found through the company’s Safe Browsing technology. The data includes both attacking and victim pages, and it shows how well web hosts cope with successful infections. Combined, the new information doesn’t paint a pretty picture. Google spotted a total of 67,909 compromised sites just in mid-June, and it still takes over a month for most affected webmasters to scrub their servers clean. The Safe Browsing data isn’t very reassuring, then, but it is a friendly reminder to be careful on the web.
Via: Google Online Security Blog
Source: Google Transparency Report
Viruses usually have to be rendered inert to work in humanity’s favor, as anyone who has received a flu shot can attest. Auburn University has bucked that trend by discovering a way to put active viruses to work in not only diagnosing sickness, but in preventing it in the first place. It’s using bacteria-hating (and thankfully harmless) viruses as biosensors to quickly identify superbugs, or antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can sometimes prove fatal. As the viruses change color once they’ve reached impervious bacterial strains, in this case variants on Staphylococcus, they can reveal superbugs within 10 to 12 minutes — a potentially lifesaving interval when current purification-driven methods can take hours. Auburn would like to eventually use what it has learned to develop more effective antibacterial glass and similar surfaces. If successfully put into practice, either breakthrough could mitigate what’s already a major medical crisis.
[Image credit: Bob Blaylock, Wikipedia]
Via: The Verge
Source: JoVE
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