Antivirus Software News by Mary Landesman

Mac Trojan Targets Porn Surfers
According to Intego, a provider of security software for the Mac OS, a malicious Trojan was discovered on several pornography web sites, advertised on various Mac forums. The Trojan masquerades as an installation of a video codec, but in reality changes DNS settings in order to hijack web requests and redirect users to phishing sites. Ingego warns that the Trojan continually checks to ensure its DNS server remains active, and that several different versions of the Trojan may be installed, possibly country-specific.

McAfee to Acquire Hacker Safe
Antivirus vendor McAfee has announced plans to acquire Hacker Safe, a vulnerability scanning and logo service. I have to admit, I cringe everytime I see the Hacker Safe logo on a web site.
You may have seen the Hacker Safe logo on some of the websites you've visited. The presence of the logo is intended to increase consumer confidence; the premise is that the site has been checked for remotely compromisable vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, groups such as sla.ckers have repeatedly succeeded in finding vulnerabilities on sites emblazoned with the Hacker Safe logo.
But the bigger issue isn't whether the program actually leads to better security, but rather the false sense of security the presence of the logo creates. After all, look at phishing scam email and phishing sites which duplicate the logo and other images from bank and ecommerce sites. An image is no assurance of anything - it can be easily faked.
Consider this post from a Hacker Safe logo counterfeiter, "Instead of buying their service I just made my own button. I save myself the money, and I still get all the (psychological) benefits."
On October 30, 2007, security vendor McAfee announced the intended acquisition of Hacker Safe "for approximately $51 million in cash up front and with an earn-out of up to an additional $24 million if certain performance targets are met."

Supermarkets - victims of the online scam

By Dan Goodin
Red-faced accountants from one of the biggest supermarket chains in the US are frantically trying to regain control of more than $10m lost after falling victim to online fraudsters.
Evidently, no one at Minnesota-based Supervalu bothered to confirm the authenticity of emails sent in late February. Purporting to come from two of the company's suppliers, the messages instructed Supervalu to wire all future payments to new bank accounts. One email purported to come from representatives of Frito-Lay and the other from American Greetings. Both suppliers have established relationships with the grocery chain.
The emails were phony, but within two days, Supervalu began moving money into the accounts. Over the course of a week, the company transferred $10,128941.94 in nine separate payments. One account was administered by HSBC Bank in Miami and the other by First Security Bank in Arkansas. Once Supervalu discovered the accounts were bogus, it alerted federal authorities, which quickly froze the accounts before the scammers could withdraw the money.
The sad tale was outlined in documents filed in US District Court in Idaho. Attorneys for Supervalu, which owns the Albertsons chain, are arguing that the company should recover the full amount because it was a victim, has committed no wrongdoing, and has cooperated fully with investigators. Gross gullibility is no legal deterrent to getting the money back, we gather.The story was reported earlier by Computerworld. A Supervalu spokeswoman told the site that "due to our internal controls and processes, we were able to quickly discover and report this to the FBI." Any losses are likely to be minimal, she said.

Antivirus, Firewall, and Security Software Reviews

From Mary Landesman, your guide to Antivirus Software, reviews conducted by various publishers and testing facilities.

Antivirus for GamersMost everyone realizes that antivirus and firewalls are must-have protection. But when protection interferes with online gaming, it can be sorely tempting to disable that protection in favor of uninterrupted play. These antivirus scanners tackle the unique problems of gamers so you can play without sacrificing performance or protection.
Bots, Botnets, and Norton AntiBotSymantec's Norton AntiBot confronts the growing threat of bots and botnets. Norton AntiBot works alongside existing antivirus (from any vendor), using behavior-based analysis to monitor processes, files, and other active components
McAfee SiteAdvisorMcAfee SiteAdvisor is the virtual equivalent of the school crossing guard, helping to ensure safe navigation of the web.
Secunia Software InspectorSecunia Software Inspector is free, fast, and so intuitive to use there's simply no excuse for not keeping patches up to date.
Gifts for Geeks and Gamers
Gifts for geeks, gamers, techies, and even moms and dads.
AVG Rescue CD: Antivirus ReviewAVG Rescue CD: Antivirus software review
Antivirus Software Review: McAfee VirusScan 2006McAfee VirusScan 2006 now offers daily virus signature updates and robust adware/spyware detection and removal.
Antivirus Software Review: AVG Free EditionAVG Free Edition provides free antivirus protection for Windows XP/2000/NT/ME/98
Antivirus Software Review: AVAST 4 Home EditionAVAST 4 Home Edition provides free antivirus protection for Windows XP/2000/NT/ME/98
Antivirus Software Review: Free Antivirus SoftwareFree antivirus software may be the only option for those on a limited budget. The question, of course, is how well free antivirus software protects your PC, how easy is it to use, and if something goes wrong will you be left out in the cold? The answers may surprise you. This review looks at three free antivirus solutions: AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic, AVAST 4 Home Edition, and AVG Free Edition.
Antivirus Software Review: AntiVir PersonalEdition ClassicAntiVir PersonalEdition Classic provides free antivirus protection for Windows XP/2000/NT/ME/98
USB Antivirus Software: Is it right for you?USB-installed antivirus makes a lot of sense, combining a viable storage option with the ability to efficiently scan a system that's had its antivirus disabled, or has antivirus that cannot remove a particular threat. Two products to look at: Verbatim Store 'n' Go U3 Smart Drive and SanDisk's Cruzer Titanium USB drive.
Norton Internet Security 2005 AntiSpyware EditionAt $80, Norton Internet Security 2005 AntiSpyware Edition doesn't offer the ease-of-use or the protection of some competing products.
AVG Anti-Virus plus Firewall Edition AVG Anti-Virus plus Firewall Edition is light on resources, heavy on protection. The firewall provides permission-based access control reminiscent of the popular ZoneAlarm firewall. The high level of control and customization will appeal to the most advanced users, while less savvy users will find the Basic interface simple to understand and use.
Top Spyware ScannersSpyware surreptitiously monitors your computer and Internet use, while adware can bombard your PC with unwanted advertising. Both pose a drain on your bandwidth and can lead to loss of security.
G Data AntiVirusKit (AVK) 2005: antivirus software reviewG DATA AntiVirusKit 2005 (AVK) provides a double layer of protection, bundling both the Kaspersky and BitDefender antivirus engines under a single, easy-to-use console. The use of these engines offers an important advantage to AVK.
Microsoft AntiSpyware screenshotsMicrosoft AntiSpyware screenshots
Review: Microsoft AntiSpyware (beta1)We tested the Microsoft AntiSpyware beta against some of the most common adware and spyware. How well did it measure up?
PC-cillin antivirus screenshotsTrend Micro's PC-cillin Internet Security 2005 builds on an already solid foundation. Here are screenshots of features we like best.
Antivirus software review: PC-cillin Internet Security 2005Trend Micro's PC-cillin Internet Security 2005 continues to keep a leg up on the competition.
Choosing the right antivirus software for your desktop PCChoosing the right antivirus software to protect your system from viruses need not be a daunting tasks. Follow these tips to select the antivirus software that best meets your unique virus protection needs.
ZoneAlarmWith today's increasingly sophisticated viral threats, many packing backdoor access Trojans designed to compromise your computer's security, a product such as ZoneAlarm does more than protect. It's a must-have in your "peace of mind" arsenal.
Adjunct to antivirusIt takes more than just antivirus software to prevent infection. Fortunately, following the few simple steps outlined below can provide a good measure of security in very little time.
Norton AntiVirus 2002 Norton AntiVirus 2002 is effective protection, sports an attractive interface but has extensive system requirements.
Norton AntiVirus 2002Norton AntiVirus 2002 is effective protection, sports an attractive interface but has extensive system requirements.
McAfee ad labels BitDefender as 'virus'In what can only be described as one of the most egregious abuses of the Google AdSense program, antivirus vendor McAfee has hijacked the good name of BitDefender. Insult is then added to injury - the BitDefender antivirus software is called a "virus" in the advertisement
Antivirus Software for Desktop PCsBefore you buy antivirus software for your Windows PC, consult this article to determine what features you should be looking for and which products meet the criteria.
Macintosh antivirus reviewsAntivirus protection for the Macintosh is in limited supply. Thankfully, so are the viruses affecting the Mac platform. This review provides a quick snapshot of available protection.
Top online scannersFree online scanners provide a quick, easy way to get a second opinion scans. But how well do they really work?
Bigger Threats, Better DefensePC World magazine tests 16 security tools - firewalls, antivirus software, and anti-spyware programs - to determine which is best suited to foil worms, viruses, spies, and hackers.
AV-Test.orgAndreas Marx, CEO of AV-Test.org, goes way beyond simple 'wildlist' testing and pits the scanners against a malware collection of nearly 100,000 to see how they'll perform in the real world.
What to look for when buying antivirus softwareWhat criteria should you look at when deciding on antivirus software? Take a walk with us through 31 products tested to see how the cuts are decided.
Essential add-ons for layered securityScanners are wonderful at preventing known viruses but sometimes they need a little help to catch the newly released threat. These essential add-ons shore up your defenses.
F-Prot Antivirus for WindowsDetecting 100% of ITW viruses and 96.34% of Zoo viruses, F-Prot Antivirus for Windows also includes the DOS commandline scanner and an integrity checker.
NOD32Eset Software's NOD32 provides a standalone module for use with MS DOS and Windows 3.x and can be executed from a diskette. Choose Download from the menu.
NOD32 Antivirus System v2.0NOD32 is a solid performer, easy to use and with little impact on system resources. Version 2 builds on the product's past accomplishments, remaining true to a singular theme - virus detection.
Norton AntiVirus 2002If your system can handle it (NAV 2002 is one big program), the features and detection rates are very impressive.Panda Antivirus PlatinumFeature-rich Panda Antivirus Platinum provides solid protection and a host of options.