MessageLabs, who track this sort of thing, say that spam and viruses hit all time highs in 2003. Not surprising, but the figures are pretty shocking, revealing the symbiotic relationship between spam and viruses — what I called in a recent WSJ/FEER column The Spiral Of Evil (no, it doesn’t seem to have caught on).… Read More »
A rose by any other name? CNET reports that Gator, the controversial advertising software and e-wallet company, has “changed its name to better reflect its business in behavioral marketing”. The change, CNET says, distances the company from a name that has become synonymous with “spyware”–that is, ad-tracking software that can be installed surreptitiously. Despite… Read More »
All you need to do to be infected by this virus is visit the homepage of Web hosting provider FortuneCity.com. CNET reports that a malicious program, dubbed QHosts, infects PCs using a recent flaw in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer to take control of how computers look up Internet addresses. The program takes advantage of a critical flaw… Read More »
From the About Time Dept comes news that Microsoft realises the whole ‘issue a patch to cover a hole, knowing only a few people actually download it’ approach may be, er, flawed. CNET reports that Microsoft plans next week to outline a new security effort focused on what the company calls “securing the perimeter”. Details… Read More »
This from Graham Holliday, a Mac user, on some Mac alternatives to what I’ve been discussing in previous weeks: Owning a Mac really is the first step for any serious antivirus activist it would seem…. “Mac users face just 50 recognized viruses today, while PC users have 85,000 threats to their security. London-based firm mi2g says:… Read More »