ReadersZone » Security

Protects Your Facebook Profile With MyPageKeeper

Jay Pathak — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:30:07 +0000

A new Facebook app called MyPageKeeper, scans and monitor content posted on Facebook wall and news feed. If it suspects any content may content spam or malware, it will send you an alert and gives you the ability to remove it.

Currently this service is in beta. The app is configurable: a user can change the setting to be more or less "aggressive" in reporting suspect links.

MyPageKeeper uses advanced techniques to identify whether a piece of content is malicious, spam or related to phishing. Continuous monitoring and the latest web-based malware detection technologies allows MyPageKeeper to protect your online persona on Facebook.

Researchers from University of California, Riverside and security experts from StopTheHacker.com have joined forces to provide this as a service to the community.

The service is offered for free to the community.

Microsoft Warns Against Internet Phone Scam

Jay Pathak — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 02:30:00 +0000

Microsoft found a new kind of scam, that target English speaking people. The scam works by criminals posing as computer security engineers and calling people at home to tell them they are at risk of a computer security threat. The scammers tell their victims they are providing free security checks and add authenticity by claiming to represent legitimate companies and using telephone directories to refer to their victims by name.

Richard Saunders, director of International Public and Analyst Relations at Microsoft, Said

The security of software is improving all the time, but at the same time we are seeing cybercriminals increasingly turn to tactics of deception to trick people in order to steal from them. Criminals have proved once again that their ability to innovate new scams is matched by their ruthless pursuit of our money.

The following is Microsoft’s advice:

Be suspicious of unsolicited calls related to a security problem, even if they claim to represent a respected company.
Never provide personal information, such as credit card or bank details, to an unsolicited caller.
Do not go to a website, type anything into a computer, install software or follow any other instruction from someone who calls out of the blue.
Take the caller’s information down and pass it to the authorities.
Use up-to-date versions of Windows and application software.
Make sure security updates are installed regularly.
Use a strong password and change it regularly.
Make sure the firewall is turned on and that antivirus software is installed and up to date.
Microsoft Security Essentials is a free antivirus product and is available at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security_essentials/default.aspx.

The Microsoft survey showed that 67 percent of people who lost money were able to recover, on average, 42 percent of it. Microsoft advises anyone who thinks they may already have been a victim of a phone scam to do the following:

Change their computer’s password, change the password on their main email account and change the password for any financial accounts, especially bank and credit cards.
Scan their computer with the Microsoft Safety Scanner to find out if they have malware installed on their computer.
Contact their bank and credit card companies.

Beware of Fake Windows Update Page

Jay Pathak — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 06:46:00 +0000

Cyber criminals has come with a new distribution model of a fake antivirus which attempts to fool customers thinking into that they are downloading updates from Microsoft’s Windows update website.

The page is nearly an exact replica of the real Microsoft Update page with one major exception… It only comes up when surfing from Firefox on Windows. The real Microsoft Update requires Internet Explorer.

The same site was also hosting the traditional Windows XP explorer scanner we have seen for years, as well as a new Windows 7 scanner.

Similar to spam messages that have corrected their grammar and use correct imagery and CSS, the attackers selling fake anti-virus are getting more professional.

They use high quality graphics and are using information from our UserAgent strings that are sent by the browser to customize your malware experience

Source : sophos

Trend Micro Online Guardian for Families

Ajay Pathak — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 01:34:23 +0000

Trend Micro Online Guardian for Families helps you protect your kids against Internet dangers, including cyber-bullying and online predators, by letting you monitor their Internet activity and take action to keep them safe. In one easy-to-read report, you’ll get a clear view of what your kids are doing on websites like Facebook and MySpace, regardless of privacy settings. Trend Micro Online Guardian allows you to check your children’s browsing history, wall postings, messages, photos, chat logs, and more—anytime, from anywhere.

In addition, you can filter out adult content and other inappropriate web pages, block the sharing of personal information, and manage the time your kids spend online by setting time limits and a daily schedule. With Trend Micro Online Guardian, you’ll have the tools you need to spot a problem before your children get into trouble. Trend Micro Online Guardian will give you peace of mind whenever you kids go online.

This product focuses on the fundamental needs of the parent – Online Protection, Social networking monitoring, and Notification/Reporting.

Online Protection: Allows a safer Internet experience through protection from the threats found on the Internet. The web filtering technology protects kids and parents from more than 220,000 unique web threats a day and also abides by the settings for each person in the household.
Social networking protection and visibility :Facebook and MySpace are the top social networking sites used globally, and with the new Trend Micro Online Guardian for Families, parents have visibility into what their kids are doing while on these sites. Social networking isn’t just about Facebook and MySpace anymore, so reporting on YouTube, Flickr, Twitter and Instant Messaging chat sessions are also included in the reports for parents.
Notification and Reporting : Notifying parents on key words typed by children or the searches children perform can help parents protect their kids against Internet dangers, including online predators and cyber-bullying. Trend Micro Online Guardian for Families can help provide peace of mind by helping the parent monitor their child’s Internet activity and take action to keep them safe. In one easy-to-read report, parents get a clear view of what their kids are doing, and can take action if necessary.

Key Features

Centralized online management console to manage and report events
Social Networking monitoring, protection and reporting (ex: Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, etc.)
URL filtering and time management
Instant Messaging/chat monitoring with Data Loss Protection
Password override capabilities
Report on use of online medias (ex: Flickr and YouTube, etc.)
Support installation for Windows OS
Keyword search monitoring and reporting
Common Sense Media forum integration
Web crawler (generate report on –limited- social medias used)

Major Capabilities

Parents-only website provides extensive reports about what their kids do online, including what sites they visit, what terms they search, which videos they watch on YouTube, what key words they might be typing that are not allowed by parents, and what photos, emails, and comments they are making on social networking sites
Detailed report on your child that include what images were uploaded or tagged, emails sent and received (even if they are deleted), comments made on their pages and the pages of their acquaintance for the major social networking websites used (including Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube)
Website filtering blocks entire categories of websites based on the age of each child or parent preferences of what is most age appropriate for their child to be viewing
Web access schedule allows a parent to set the time the child is allowed to be on the Internet and update it in real-time via the web-based console in the event that the child needs more time
Records what your children chat about during instant messaging conversations
Prevents children from sending credit card numbers, passwords, email addresses, and other sensitive data over the Internet
Parents-only, password-override option, so the parent can use the Internet without being monitored
Tracks keywords used for online searches
Supports Common Sense Media for technology questions

Availability

All Trend Micro consumer products are available through traditional channels, including online stores, box retailers, resellers, and direct from www.trendmicro.com. Trend Micro Online Guardian for Families 1.0 is available from March 7, 2011.

North American Pricing

Trend Micro Online Guardian for Families can be purchased on a subscription basis for $49.95 SRP per year, covering unlimited PCs in a household, and up to 5 children per household. A subscription entitles customers to upgrades and updates during the term of their valid active subscription. Additional multi-year subscriptions are also available. Customers can renew their expiring subscriptions online with a discount off of the SRP.

How a computer virus works!

Jay Pathak — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:37:55 +0000

Computer viruses are usually strange and grasp our attention. On the one hand, viruses show us how defenseless we are. A properly engineered virus can have an remarkable effect on the worldwide Internet. On the other hand, they show how complicated and consistent human beings have become.
For example, the main thing which is making big news right now is the Mydoom worm, which specialists estimate infected approximately a quarter-million computers in a single day (Times Online). Way back in March 1999, the Melissa virus was very powerful that it forced Microsoft and a number of other very great companies to completely turn off their e-mail systems until the virus could be contained. The ILOVEYOU virus in 2000 had a correspondingly demoralizing effect. That’s pretty remarkable when you consider that the Melissa and ILOVEYOU viruses are unbelievably simple.
In this article, we will discuss viruses — both "traditional" viruses and the newer e-mail viruses — so that you can find out how they work and also be aware of how to protect yourself. Viruses in general are on the decrease, but rarely a person finds a new way to create one, and that’s when they make the news.

Sequence of steps that occurs when a user attempts to open a file using Word 2010, Excel 2010 or PowerPoint 2010

Jay Pathak — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 02:39:32 +0000

A good way of understanding how Office 2010 defense in depth security helps protect a user’s computer is to examine what happens when a user interacts with an Office application. The below figure shows some of the key checks performed and actions taken to help mitigate potential exploits whenever a document is opened using Word 2010. A similar sequence of steps occurs when opening files using either Excel 2010 or PowerPoint 2010 while a subset of these steps happens when opening files using other Office 2010 applications. The sections below also provide details concerning Office 2010 security improvements for mitigating exploits and include links to where additional information can be found on Microsoft TechNet.

The checks in this diagram are performed by Word 2010 when a document is opened directly by the user, via a command script, or by any other method. Note that the diagram does not show all of the security checks performed by Office 2010 applications. For example,Data Execution Prevention (DEP) is also used by Office 2010 to help mitigate potential exploits, but DEP is built into the underlying Windows operating system and not Office itself.

Get Cash Rewards for Finding Vulnerabilities in Google’s Web Properties

Jay Pathak — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 01:20:56 +0000

Google has announced an experimental reward program aiming to improve security in Google programs. Instead of punishing hackers Google will give cold or hard cash to anyone who report security flaws in Google web programs. Google encourage hackers/researchers to look into Google’s web property which display or manage highly sensitive authenticated user data or accounts may be in scope. Some examples could include :

*.google.com, *.youtube.com, *.blogger.com and *.orkut.com. For the moment Google’s client applications (e.g. Android, Picasa, Google Desktop, etc) are not in scope.Rewards for reporting a flaw will range from $500 up to $3,1337 for a particularly serious flaw.

Google also believed that handling vulnerabilities responsibly is a two-way street. Company Said “It’s our job to fix serious bugs within a reasonable time frame, and we in turn request advance, private notice of any issues that are uncovered. Vulnerabilities that are disclosed to any party other than Google, except for the purposes of resolving the vulnerability (for example, an issue affecting multiple vendors), will usually not qualify. This includes both full public disclosure and limited private release.”

Reporting security issues

If you are a Google user and have a security issue to report regarding your personal Google account, please visit Google’s contact page. This includes password problems, login issues, spam reports, suspected fraud and account abuse issues.

If you believe you have discovered a vulnerability in a Google product or have a security incident to report, email security@google.com. Please include a detailed summary of the issue, including the name of the product (e.g., Gmail) and the nature of the issue you discovered. Be sure to include an email address where Google team can reach you in case we need more information. Upon receipt of your message Google will send an automated reply that includes a tracking identifier. If you feel the need, please use our public key to encrypt your communications with Google when sending email to security@google.com.

Panda Antivirus for Mac

Jay Pathak — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 02:49:49 +0000

Panda security launched an antivirus software for Mac operating system. Panda antivirus will offer a complete protection against viruses, spyware, adware, and other forms of malware. With this Panda Antivirus Mac users can also scan iPhones, iPads and iPod touch for malware.

Download Panda Antivirus for Mac for $49.95 or get a free trial software. Requires Mac OS X 10.5 or later. Panda Security Extended Download Service lets you re-download your software from the date of purchase by going to the Panda Downloads for Clients Area for additional $8.95. There is also an option to purchase the Backup CD, which will be customized with your product activation code number printed directly on the disc, and shipped to your address.

Panda Antivirus for Mac protects Mac OS X users from malware, detecting and eliminating all types of threats:

Mac viruses
Windows and Unix viruses, which Mac users may unwittingly pass on to friends or colleagues
Trojans that disguise their damaging effects behind useful functions
Macro viruses in Microsoft Word and Excel files
Worms that use your computer as a platform for damaging others across a network
Spyware and keyloggers that secretly monitor your actions and can steal valuable information including passwords and credit-card numbers
Adware, which continuously displays adverts on your computer
Hacking tools that allow criminals to gain access to your computer
Dialers that rack up your phone bill by making unauthorized connections
Scareware, which holds your computer hostage until you pay a clean-up fee

Gmail Security Checklist

Jay Pathak — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 02:19:10 +0000

Gmail team had released a security checklist , this checklist will help users to ensure that their PC including MAC or Windows are safe and secure and at the same time their Gmail accounts are also safe. Gmail security checklist has a total of 18 items.

Security checklist for your Computer

Check for Viruses and Malware : While no virus scanner can catch 100% of infections, it is still important to run a scan on your computer with a trusted anti-virus software (or install a program that runs in the background and scans continuously). If the scan detects any suspicious programs or applications, remove them immediately. Find virus scanners here.
Make sure your operating system is up to date : Operating systems release patches to repair security vulnerabilities. Whether you use Windows or Mac OS, protect your computer by enabling your automatic update setting, and updating when you get a notification.
Make Sure to Perform regular software update : Some software updates aren’t included in your operating system updates, but they are just as important. Software such as Adobe Flash, Adobe Reader, and Java release regular updates that may include repairs for security vulnerabilities

Security checklist for your Browser

Make Sure your Browser is up to date : To check for browser updates in Internet Explorer, select the Tools tab and click Windows Update. In Firefox, just click the Help tab and select Check for Updates. Google Chrome automatically updates when a new version is released. Opera let you know as and when a new update is available for download.
Check your browser for plug-ins, extensions, and third-party programs/tools that require access to your Google Account credentials : Plug-ins and extensions are downloadable computer programs that work with your browser to perform specific tasks. For example, you may have downloaded a plug-in or extension that checks your Gmail inbox for new messages. Google can’t guarantee the security of these third party services. If those services are compromised, so is your Gmail password.

Security checklist for your Google Account

Change your Password : If your account has been recently compromised, you should update your password now. In general we suggest you change it twice a year, following these guidelines:
- Pick a unique password that you haven’t previously used on other sites or on Gmail. Just changing one character or number still counts as reusing your password.
- Don’t use a dictionary word or a common word that’s easily guessable. Use a combination of numbers, characters, and case-sensitive letters.
Check the list of websites that are authorized to access your Google Account data : Make sure that the list of authorized websites are accurate and ones that you have chosen. If your Google Account has been compromised recently, it’s possible that the bad guys could have authorized their own websites to access your account data. This may allow them to access your Google Account after you have changed your password.To edit the list of authorized websites:
1. Sign in on the Google Accounts homepage.
2. Click the My Account link displayed at the top right of the page.
3. Click Change authorized websites. This page will list all third-party sites you’ve granted access to.
4. Click the Revoke Access link to disable access for a site.
Update your account recovery options : We all may forget our passwords at some point, so we strongly encourage that you update your account recovery options. To update these options, sign in to your Google Account by going to https://www.google.com/accounts and click Change password recovery options.
- Recovery Email Address
- SMS
- Secret Question

Security checklist for your Gmail Account

Use a Secure connection to sign-in : In your Gmail settings, select ‘Always use HTTPS.’ This setting protects your information from being stolen when you’re signing in to Gmail on a public wireless network, like at a cafe or hotel. Read more.
Check for any strange recent activity on your account: Click the Details link next to the ‘Last Account Activity‘ entry at the bottom of your account to see the time, date, IP address and the associated location of recent access to your account.
Confirm the accuracy of your mail settings to ensure that your mail stays and goes where you want it to. Sign in to your account and click on the Settings link at the top to check the following tabs:
- General: Check Signature, Vacation Responder, and/or canned responses for spammy content
- Accounts: Verify your Send Mail As, Get mail from other accounts, and Grant access to your account are all accurate.
- Filters: Check that no filters are sending your mail to Trash, Spam, or forwarding to an unknown account.
- Forwarding and POP/IMAP: Ensure your mail isn’t sent to an unknown account or mail client.

Final Reminders

Watch out for messages that ask for your user name and/or password. Gmail will never ask for this information.
Never give out your password after following a link sent to you in a message, even if it looks like Gmail’s sign-in page. Access Gmail directly by typing https://mail.google.com in your browser’s address bar.
Don’t share your password with other websites – Google can’t guarantee the security of other websites and your Gmail password could be compromised.
Keep secrets! Never tell anyone your password, or your secret question and answer; if you do tell someone, change it as soon as possible.
Clear forms, passwords, cache and cookies in your browser on a regular basis – especially on a public computer.
Only select ‘Stay signed in’ if you’re signing in from a personal computer.
Always sign out when you’ve finished reading your mail.

Download Fix for ASP.NET Vulnerability That Could Allow Information Disclosure

Jay Pathak — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 03:26:04 +0000

Today Microsoft releasing out of band security update to address the security vulnerability found in ASP.NET that could allow information disclosure. The update is scheduled for release tomorrow, Tuesday, September 28, 2010 at approximately 10:00 AM PDT.

The security update is fully tested and ready for release, but will be made available initially only on the Microsoft Download Center. This enables us to get the update out as quickly as possible, allowing administrators with enterprise installations, or end users who want to install this security update manually, the ability to test and update their systems immediately. We strongly encourage these customers to visit the Download Center, download the update, test it in their environment and deploy it as soon as possible.

The update will also be released through Windows Update and Windows Server Update Services within the next few days as we test to make sure distribution will be successful through these channels. This approach allows us to release sooner to customers who may choose to deploy it manually without delaying for broader distribution.

ReadersZone » Security

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