Conficker Worm Springs Into Action

(NEWSER) - Fear of computer viruses is now one of the major reasons people are getting them in the first place, Reuters reports. According to Microsoft, seven of the 25 top threats come in the form of fake security programs, which users terrified of malware like Conficker are installing indiscriminately. Losing market share to the bugs they try to defend against has flummoxed above-board Internet security firms. More»

Experts warn megavirus could still pose a serious threat

(NEWSER) - The Conficker worm came to life on its April 1 trigger date but failed to cause any major incidents—so far, Infoworld reports. Fears that the internet itself might be affected have yet to materialize, though experts warn that the malware—estimated to be lying in wait in 10 million systems—could still wreak havoc for PC users, and that its creators may be waiting for IT managers to relax their guard. More»

Malware experts race against time to limit the program's damage

(NEWSER) - Malware experts are racing to find the authors of the Conficker C worm and limit the damage it seems poised to do beginning April Fool’s Day, CNN reports. Conficker C, the bug’s third iteration since late 2008, has infected between 5 and 10 million computers but so far has not taken action; a piece of the code indicates the worm will activate April 1. More»

Impersonators send infected files

(NEWSER) - The Syrian government is hacking into the computers of activists and secretly surveilling them by spreading malicious software through Skype, reports TechWeek Europe . Recently, an activist thought she was Skype-chatting with an ally, but she suddenly realized her friend was in jail and could not possibly be online. She received a file from the impersonator that was later identified as malware capable of spying on and controlling her computer remotely. The malware had an IP address that belonged to a company that reports to the government. More»

Malware spreading through dodgy Word document

(NEWSER) - With popularity comes some nasty bugs for the unwary: A Trojan known as "Sabpab" is the latest piece of malware infesting Macs, according to security firm Sophos. The malware is spreading through a weakness in Java and through an infected Word document purporting to be a statement from the Dalai Lama, reports MSNBC . Like others of its kind, Sabpab enables hackers to steal personal information and send remote commands to computers. More»