In September we added 1.6 million malware to our database. With these new entries, our malware collection surpassed 70 million samples. The five million new samples in the third quarter represent approximately 55,000 samples per day, 2,300 per hour, or 38 per minute. To get a sense of these threats, I examined one day at Read more…
Fake-alert Trojans, also known as scareware, fool consumers by claiming imaginary threats, and insisting its victims purchase a product to repair the “infected” systems. They exist in Windows and Macintosh environments. In my recent report explaining this threat, I included a table showing the approximate number of scareware products with their known release dates: After Read more…
Tags: fake anti-virus software, scams, trojans, web threats
When most people think about a virus, they think of a fever, chills, and maybe a potential pandemic. But when they think about a computer virus, they think of a headache, or worse, identity theft. Unusually, one report claims that a computer virus played a role in the deadliest air disaster in Spanish history. Others Read more…
Tags: data breach, malicious software, security, trojans, USB drives, Viruses
McAfee has issued a Consumer Threat Alert warning you about cybercriminals using Twitter to infect your computer with spyware, password stealing Trojans and other malicious software. The problem is when you are forced to limit a “Tweet” to 140 characters, long web addresses take up valuable character real estate. The bad guys have been taking Read more…
Tags: cybercriminal, malware, trending topics, trojans, twitter
No, it’s not last Sunday’s Dr Who episode! I’m talking about some of the really nasty stuff that can happen to your family’s computer. As a kid I was petrified of the Daleks, but as an adult this kind of stuff is just as scary, particularly if you don’t understand the “lingo” so here’s Cybermum’s Read more…
Tags: Family Safety, Spyware, trojans, Worms, zombies
On All Hallows Eve, spooky tricks and treats are abound. You will see all sorts of ghouls (princesses too!). But watch out for more than just ghosts and goblins this Halloween. If you live in Rio, New York City or Toronto, there’s a high chance you have zombies in your neighborhood. Zombie computers that is! Read more…
Tags: Cyber Security Mom, trojans, zombies
As I was recently asked about botnet figures, I revisited our collections to establish some trends in this area. In 2004 and 2005, bots were placed in a separate group of their own, separate from viruses and Trojans. Their names often ended with « bot » (W32/Sdbot, W32/Spybot, W32/Gaobot”¦). Based on the number of separate Read more…
Posts tagged under trojans