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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: computer virus

computer virus stories: 38 news summaries

1 - 20 of 38 Stories | 1 2 Next >>

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 Your PC May Be 
 Rife With Kid Porn 

Victims face tough fight to clear names

Nov 10, 09 7:25 AM CST
(Newser) - Pedophiles troll the darkest corners of the Internet for abhorrent images—images that PC viruses let them download, store, and access on your computer until the police come knocking on your door. Lives and reputations are being ruined as unwitting users take the fall for images they were unaware of,... More »

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pornography • computer virus • child pornography • antivirus

 Twitter Overflows With Malware 

One in 500 tweets links to malicious software, experts say

Oct 30, 09 3:35 PM CDT
(Newser) - Twitter is the perfect malware delivery system, enabling cybercriminals to lure users with a quick tweet on a hot topic and a shortened URL that hides a shady website’s identity. One in 500 URLs posted on Twitter links to live malware, says Kaspersky international, which make a program that... More »

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social networking • computer virus • malware • Twitter • tweet • social media • Kaspersky International

Virus 'Scareware'
Scams Millions

Alarming virus warnings part of major rip off

Oct 19, 09 5:07 AM CDT
(Newser) - Alarming warnings that internet surfers' computers are being invaded by a devastating virus are almost always scams used to either hack into computers or rip off consumers for phony protective software. More than 40 million people have fallen victim to the "scareware" scam in the past year. Experts have... More »

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Internet • hacker • computer virus • scam • computer • antivirus • scareware

Tech Review

Microsoft's Free Antivirus Software Actually Works!

Program performs well in stress test

Oct 1, 09 1:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - Want a great, free antivirus program from a big software brand? OK, it’s from Microsoft, and … wait! Come back! Believe it or not, Microsoft’s new Security Essentials software is pretty darn good. AV-Test.org ran it through a bevy of tests and found the freebie performed admirably.... More »

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Microsoft • Windows • computer virus • spyware • computer security • malware • antivirus • Security Essentials

 New Trojan Horse 
 Virus Stalks 
 Online Banking 

Infected computers provide secret log-ins to hackers

Sep 21, 09 4:43 AM CDT
(Newser) - A complex new Trojan horse virus called Clampi is stealing online banking log-in codes from infected computers and broadcasting them to hackers who can then empty the victim's bank account, reports the Times of London. The virus spreads via websites laced with the malicious code, including banks, credit card companies,... More »

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computer virus • Trojan horse • Clampi



 Jessica Biel Is 
 Most Dangerous 
 Celeb Online 

Searches for actress yield most viruses, spyware: McAfee

Aug 25, 09 10:01 AM CDT
(AP) - Jessica Biel is the most dangerous celebrity on the web, says a security tech firm. McAfee reported that searches for the 27-year-old actress are more likely to lead to online threats such as spyware and viruses than searches for any other celebrity. Fans searching for the actress have a one-in-five... More »

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Internet • celebrity • computer virus • spyware • McAfee • Jessica Biel

'Every iPhone
in the World' at Risk Tomorrow

Text-messaging flaw could let hackers take over your mobile

Jul 29, 09 1:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - The iPhone’s text-messaging system has a dangerous flaw that hackers could exploit to take control of your phone, researchers say. They’ll reveal the trouble at a conference tomorrow, Forbes reports. So if you get a text with a “single square character,” turn off your phone right... More »

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iPhone • hacker • computer virus • bug • text message • computer security • Google Android • Windows Mobile • SMS

(Newser) - An April Fools information apocalypse did not occur, but the widespread Conficker virus that caused so much fear of is still out there, CNN reports. Experts are puzzled over the lack of an attack, but the sheer size of the Conficker infection—5 million computers—yields a clue. “The... More »

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Internet • computer virus • hackers • computer security • botnet • Conficker • worm

(Newser) - With Predator drones bombing villages and robots plugging themselves in, is Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey around the corner? Leading researchers met recently in Monterery Bay, Calif., to address such fears. Runaway superintelligence seems unlikely, they concluded, but speech synthesis technology could aid data-hunting crooks, and autonomous robotic... More »

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artificial intelligence • computer virus • robot • Artificial Intelligence Conference • computers

analysis

Sorry Folks, No 'Twitpocalypse' Tonight


Jun 12, 09 7:09 PM CDT
(Newser) - Rumors of a Y2K-style Twitter bug crashing the microblogging site tonight are mere tweeter-tattle, Ryan Paul writes on Ars Technica. True, Twitter assigns each missive with a numerical ID, and their total will soon exceed 2,147,483,647—the most a 32-bit assigned interger can fit. But the site,... More »

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social networking • computer virus • bug • Twitter

(Newser) - Microsoft is developing free anti-virus software to compete with subscription services from Symantec and McAfee, Reuters reports. The program, codenamed Morro, will be released in beta “soon” and will likely have similar features to other companies’ entry-level products that cost about $40 a year. Microsoft made an attempt to... More »

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Internet • Microsoft • software • computer virus • free • Symantec • McAfee • Morro • program

(Newser) - Weeks after causing an April Fool's scare, the Conficker bug has come to life and used some personal computers to send out spam, Reuters reports. The computer virus, which has infected millions of PCs, downloaded the spam software onto a small percentage of them in recent weeks. One expert warns... More »

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spam • computer virus • Symantec • Conficker

 Conficker 
 Worm Springs 
 Into Action 

Mysterious update begins to spread; millions vulnerable

Apr 9, 09 7:04 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Conficker worm is showing signs of life a week later than expected, but experts aren’t quite sure what it’s doing, the BBC reports. The program, believed to be on millions of PCs worldwide, began updating itself last night, downloading encrypted software, researchers at Trend Micro found. The... More »

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computer virus • malware • computer • Conficker

(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... More »

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Microsoft • computer virus • Symantec • Internet security • malware • McAfee • Conficker • bogus

ANALYSIS

 Conficker Worm Threat Lingers 

27 tech giants have banded together to fight it

Apr 2, 09 11:58 AM CDT
(Newser) - April Fools’ Day passed without major incident, but the Conficker computer worm is still contacting 500 websites daily from millions of infected computers, reports PC World. A conglomerate of 27 tech heavyweights—including Microsoft, Facebook, and AOL—have managed to limit the peer-to-peer worm’s communicability. But Conficker is still... More »

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technology • file sharing • computer virus • hackers • peer-to-peer • antivirus • Conficker

Conficker Worm Date Passes Quietly—So Far

Experts warn megavirus could still pose a
serious threat

Apr 1, 09 1:57 AM CDT
(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... More »

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computer virus • virus protection • malware • botnet • Conficker

 How to Find, Kill 
 the Conficker Worm 

Computer invader may cause trouble tomorrow

Mar 31, 09 2:12 PM CDT
(Newser) - Millions of PCs have been infected with the Conficker worm, and word has it the program may cause mischief tomorrow—April Fool’s Day. But routing it out needn’t be difficult, the AP reports. Here’s how:
  • The worm blocks access to Microsoft and antivirus vendor sites, which
... More »

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computer virus • virus protection • antivirus • Conficker

Worm Set to Unleash Massive April Fool's Prank

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

Mar 24, 09 2:53 PM CDT
(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... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Microsoft • software • computer virus • computer security • malware • botnet • botnets • Conficker

(Newser) - Microsoft has offered a $250,000 bounty for the creators of the dreaded Conficker worm, which has infected 10 million computers worldwide, PC Magazine reports. The software giant is working with security firms and domain name administrator ICANN to find the culprits, whose virus exploits a vulnerability in Windows.... More »

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Microsoft • computer virus • ICANN • cybercrime • reward • Conficker • bounty

 Computer Virus Targets 
 Gullible Lovebirds 

Clicking on heart images in email could turn your machine into spambot

Jan 30, 09 4:55 PM CST
(Newser) - A Valentine-themed spam campaign is underway, with a side dish of coercion and extortion, Computer Weekly reports. Users receive an email, ostensibly from a secret admirer, with a link to a website that downloads a bot called Waledec. Not only does Waledec co-opt the user’s address list and start... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Internet • email • spam • computer virus • coercion • Valentine's Day • Internet crime • Waledec

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