Cybersecurity stimulus: $355 million
February 27, 2009
In moves that should help stimulate the economy, the Obama Administration this week took two big steps toward slowing, and perhaps ultimately reversing, the rapid growth of cybercrime. On Wednesday, Admiral Dennis Blair, Director of National Intelligence, told Congress that he will assume a greater role in cybersecurity. Then on Thursday, the President released his proposed fiscal 2010 budget, which included $355 million in funding to make …More
Banking trojans infest Internet
February 22, 2009
Banking trojans are inundating the Internet.
These malicious programs lay in wait on your hard drive for an opportune moment to crack your online banking account — usually just as you log on. You can get them by clicking on a viral link to a greeting card or video that arrives in e-mail spam. Or by clicking to a web page that’s been corrupted by hackers.
By now, most Internet users are savvy …More
Instilling proper cyber consciousness in school-aged children
February 19, 2009
You’ve heard of the Three Rs: readin’, ‘riting, ‘rithmetic. How about teaching our kids the Three Cs: cyberethics, cybersafety and cybersecurity?
That’s exactly what the National Cyber Security Alliance has set out to do. It’s kind of like teaching a kid to look both ways before crossing the street, says Michael Kaiser, executive director of NCSA, whom I had breakfast with this morning. We don’t …More
Cisco and Trend Micro offer router-level protection
February 18, 2009
Cisco Systems and Trend Micro have come up with a nifty way for home owners and small businesses to centrally deploy antivirus protection to a network of devices – just like a big corporation. The two companies announced a partnership to imbed Trend’s antivirus suite in two models of Linksys by Cisco Wireless-N routers.
The concept, called Home Network Defender, makes a lot of sense. It makes it a breeze for …More
All eyes on consultant advising Obama on cybersecurity engagement
February 16, 2009
All eyes in the Washington D.C. security and intelligence communities are riveted on Melissa Hathaway. Tech company executives, military leaders, lawmakers and senior White House officials who track cybersecurity matters are anxious to find out what the bright, young management consultant will advise President Obama to do about making the Internet safer.
“Protecting the public Internet … is a vital part of protecting America’s national security,” says Mike McCurry, co-chair of …More
$250,000 reward for Conficker controllers’ scalps
February 16, 2009
That $250,000 bounty Microsoft has put up for the scalps of the controllers of the globe-spanning Conficker worm seems about right. Conficker, aka Downadup, has now infected the German military, as well as networks of the UK and French Air Forces and England’s Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. After several weeks of informal collaborations, the world’s top virus hunters have formed an official posse to hunt …More
Beware of viral Valentine’s Day spam and other scams
February 13, 2009
Cyber criminals have begun inundating the Internet with Valentine’s Day-themed spam, bogus web deals and even blackmail.
PC Tools has uncovered one of the more innovative variants: an email offer for a “Valentine Devkit” you supposedly can use to custom design a nifty online Valentine’s card for your sweetheart. Do not click, no matter how cute you think these puppies are!
Other viral Valentine’s spam coming from operators of the Waledec botnet, …More