Dave Marcus currently serves as Director of Security Research for McAfee® Labs, focusing on bringing McAfee’s extensive security research and global threat intelligence to McAfee’s customers and the greater security community. With more than twelve years of technical experience in information security, network and host intrusion analysis and prevention, Mr. Marcus’ current focus at McAfee Labs includes advanced research, media, and thought leadership responsibilities including social media technology engagement and research. He is also co-host of AudioParasitics – The Official PodCast of McAfee Labs. Mr. Marcus also has responsibilities for all publications from McAfee Labs, such as the Labs’ journal of security vision The McAfee Security Journal as well as its Quarterly Threat Report.
Unless you have been living under a nondigital rock recently, you have probably heard of the Flashback Trojan, which attacks Macs. Around April 4 we saw reports of more than 500,000 infections by this malware. Further, McAfee Labs has recently come across a new variant making the rounds. This is no surprise: Whenever a piece Read more…
Tags: fake anti-virus software, flashback, mac/OSX, malware, trojan
The news is circulating of the recent arrests of many of LulzSec’s members. From the Fox News site: “Law enforcement agents on two continents swooped in on top members of the infamous computer hacking group LulzSec early this morning, and acting largely on evidence gathered by the organization’s brazen leader–who sources say has been secretly Read more…
Tags: Anonymous, FBI, hacking, Hacktivism, LulzSec
Today we released our Fourth Quarter 2011 Threat Report, revealing that malware surpassed the our estimate of 75 million unique malware samples last year. Although the release of new malware slowed a bit in Q4, mobile malware continued to increase and recorded its busiest year to date. Malware The overall growth of PC-based malware actually Read more…
Tags: Android, Cybercrime, data breach, Data Protection, Endpoint Protection, enterprise, facebook, global threat intelligence, identity protection, Identity thieves and cybercriminals, malware, mobile security, Network Security, Risk and Compliance, security, social networking, spam
In light of recent reports of malware surfacing on the Android Market, McAfee has compiled tips and education on the reality of mobile malware threats. A third quarter 2011 security report revealed that malware targeted toward Android smartphones continues to be on the rise, with the Android OS solidifying its lead as the primary target Read more…
Tags: Android, mcafee threat report, mobile malware, mobile safety tips, mobile threats, online safety tips, smartphone safety
This week, there has been public interest regarding some issues disclosed in McAfee products. McAfee treats security issues in our products very seriously, and so our Product Security team will explain the details around these issues. They do not affect all McAfee products, both are in a single product: SaaS for Total Protection, our hosted Read more…
Today’s infosec news focuses on several possible incidents of penetrations at water utility companies. Elinor Mills at C|Net posted a story on a potential compromise last week at a Springfield, Ill., water company that may have resulted in physical damage. Meanwhile Gareth Halfacree at thinq has a writeup on a potential South Houston water supply Read more…
Tags: hacker, hacking, ICS, SCADA, water facility, water pumps hacked, water treatment facilities hacked
One of the most disruptive attacks to deal with in today’s threat landscape is the distributed denial of service attack, often called DDoS. Using the resources of many other computers, an attacker can focus a vast amount of packets and power at a single resource and effectively knock it offline for as long a time Read more…
Tags: Brazil, DDoS, distributed denial of service, DoS, LOIC, SlowLoris
A recent poll revealed that 54% of U.S. consumers said the theft of their personal or financial information worried them more than losing their job or not having healthcare for their family members.[1] Their worry is not unfounded. As President Obama recently acknowledged, while the Internet has transformed how we communicate and do business, “it Read more…
Tags: banking fraud, mobile banking, mobile security software, online banking, online banking safely, online security, security software
McAfee Labs is pleased to announce the availability of our “Fake Alert” Stinger – an improved Stinger tool with aggressive generic content targeted at enhanced detection and remediation of fake alert based threats. In our efforts to provide the best of protection for our customers against rogue security products or fake alert type malware – Read more…
Tags: Cybercrime, Data Protection, Endpoint Protection, fake alert, fake-av, Family Safety, identity protection, identity theft, malware
Anyone who has been in information security recently knows that it has gotten easier for cybercriminals to build stealth crimeware. The malware we deal with on a regular basis grows ever more difficult to find, while high-end targeted attacks such as Stuxnet and other advanced persistent threats (APTs, the abbreviation I hate) are using ever Read more…
Tags: advanced persistent threats, APT, crimeware, Cybercrime, Data Protection, Endpoint Protection, identity protection, malware, Network Security, Operation Aurora, rootkit, Rootkits, security, Stuxnet
Posts by David Marcus