Stories by Erik Larkin

Microsoft Fixes Critical Windows Image Flaw

Microsoft Tuesday fixed a hole that could hand over control of your PC to an attacker if you view one poisoned image on a Web site or in an HTML e-mail. Similar flaws have been heavily targeted by online crooks in the past.

Conficker Worm Strikes Back With New Variant

The Conficker/Downadup worm managed to slither onto millions of PCs worldwide at its height, but after it initially infected a computer it only really acted to spread itself, and didn't cause further harm. Until now.

Zoho adds Google Docs-like file management

Zoho has finally added a central document management page called Zoho Docs to tie together its many useful online apps. The clean-looking, functional page looks much like the Google Docs start page, with a folder view on the left and all files - spreadsheets, documents, presentations, etc. - listed on the right.

New browsers fight the malware scourge

The latest browsers are fighting back against the never-ending assault from online crooks who want to sneak malware infections through your browser and onto your PC. Opera 9.5, and, soon, Internet Explorer 8 add new security features that block known malware sites.

Major Sites Fall Victim to Web Hijack

Security company Finjan Wednesday reported it has found more than 1,000 sites infected by an attack toolkit called "Asprox," which exploits discovered flaws in a vulnerable site's programming to add hidden attack code. The attack code in turn searches for flaws on a browser's PC, and if any such holes are found it will download malware onto the computer.

Coming: A change in tactics in malware battle

As a vast flood of new malware threatens to overwhelm antivirus software, security companies have begun changing how their programs protect PCs. To avoid being left in the dust by the crooks, companies plan to turn the tables on them by allowing only known good programs to run.

Web 2.0 sites a thriving marketplace for malware

A wiry young man with his head shaved and wearing a tank top points a handgun straight at the camera in a disturbing YouTube video. The man wears what appears to be a wedding ring, and he gazes vacantly away from the viewer.

Web attack worm infecting hapless sites

The Internet Storm Center, which tracks online threats, warns Wednesday that a worm is infecting vulnerable Web sites with a database attack. Though relatively small by Web attack standards with about 4,000 reported infected sites, the assault adds invisible code to a site that can force visitors to download malware onto their PC. Bad PR, to say the least.

Tech companies lead 'most innovative company' list

Tech icons Apple and Google top BusinessWeek's 2008 list of The World's 50 Most Innovative Companies. This year's ranking adds three financial data points - revenue, margin growth and stock returns - to survey results from company executives and senior management to decide which business belts out the brightest innovations.

Malware evolving too fast for antivirus apps

If you think that the latest security suites afford complete protection against malware attacks, think again. Today's for-profit malware pushers use dedicated test labs and other increasingly professional techniques to improve their chances of infecting your computer. And the techniques they employ to outpace security software makers appear to be working.

Symantec releases beta of Norton AntiBot software

Symantec announced late Thursday a <a href=" http://www.symantec.com/home_homeoffice/publicbeta/index.jsp" target="_blank">free public beta</a> for its new Norton AntiBot software that attempts to identify malware on a system by analyzing its behavior.

Mozilla updates Thunderbird 1.5

Mozilla recently patched and updated open-source e-mail program Thunderbird, releasing version 1.5.0.12, which improves stability and closes security holes, one of them critical.

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