MANILA, Philippines - Kaspersky Lab, a developer of secure content and threat management solutions, is warning users of a Twitter worm which redirects users to a rogue anti-virus application.
The recently discovered Twitter worm takes advantage of the microblogging site's shortened links, which are obscure compared to the original uniform resource locator (URL) or link address.
Hackers are able to lure a user into their infected URLs since a user doesn't know what it contains, said Kaspersky Lab malware researcher Nicolas Brulez.
Upon clicking the link, a user will receive a warning that his computer is running "suspicious applications."
He will then be asked to "remove all threats" and download a "Security Shield" rogue anti-virus, which will then infect the computer with malicious programs.
As the Twitter worm continues to spread, Kaspersky urged Internet users, particularly those with Twitter accounts, to be more careful when clicking on truncated links and when downloading programs, even anti-virus software.
The company is also offering a "heuristic analyzer" which can help detect this kind of threat.

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition was the most widely downloaded software in 2010 according to CNET. It was downloaded over 83 million times at CNET.com last year.

It is odd that free PC security software would be more popular than products from industry leaders like McAfee and Symantec. They are, at least in the eyes of most PC protection experts, the state of the art products.

Any analysis that takes a complete look at the PC protection business knows that antivirus software, like most other software, may be affordable to consumers in developed nations. But the real growth in computer use in in places like China and other large nations in the developing and third world. It is hard to come by the money to pay for a Norton protection program. There is particularly true when one that is considered adequate is available at no cost.

The AVG download numbers show a trend that is one of the great enemies of companies which make effective and paid software. The better the free products get, the more pressure it puts on paid ones. Free software is often built by legions of programmers who communicate via e-mail and message boards. It may not make sense to large commercial enterprises but not everyone who builds a service does so for money.

As proof of the competition that free software like AVG poses, the product get an extremely high ratings from CNET. It is higher, in fact, than that of a number of the more well-regarded paid programs.

The democratization of the internet had become more and more frequently the enemy of premium content which includes both news and entertainment, and premium tools. The AVG data shows just how far the evolution of the world wide web has come.

If you have not downloaded the latest version of AVG Antivirus 2011 free edition mandatory update, it would be sure to pay attention to intercept it before the collapse of your computer system; because the AVG update released on December 1 can crash Windows 7 running on 64-bit PC completely.

The problem lies in 271.1.1/3292 (432/3292) database update progress; when the update is completed, the software will prompt to restart, then the affected computer will pop up a C0000135 error(windows 7 kernel error) and can not restart, and AVG update crashes Windows 7 running on 64-bit PC completely.

AVG has released urgent update patches to ensure that more computer is not affected by this problem. AVG also published a solution about how to disable the software, and AVG forum users also come up with a number of problem-solving skills, such as pressing F8 to enter safe mode to remove AVG update.

Almost everyone has a computer, but if you haven't taken steps to secure it, you could be living in some serious Internet danger.
Did you know your wireless access signal on your home computer can extend beyond your house?
Alnori Frattarelli of Green Hills didn't.
Recent incidents underscore need for protecting against hit and run style WiFi attacks.
The technology sure makes your life easier but it's also giving cyber crooks a whole new way to hack into your private information.
"Everybody else, all my neighbors have their own wireless. Why in the world would they need to use mine," said Frattarelli. "Hackers and things like that, they didn't occur to me but in the back of my mind. It's sort of like going to work and leaving one door open. You knew it when you left home, but you felt like who is going to bother."
If the wireless signal to your router is not password protected, you are at risk.
"Computer security is a big issue not only for consumers, but for businesses," said Apolonio "Apps" Garcia, President of U.S. HealthGuard. "Everyday thousands and thousands of identities are stolen. Computers are hacked and its an on-going battle."
In a cybercrime survey of just over 7,000 Internet users in 14 countries, researchers found that 65 percent of Internet users worldwide have already been victims of wireless hacking.
"Anytime you have an open portal, any time you have the ability to get into a system remotely, that's another vulnerability," said Agent Rick Harlow with the U.S. Secret Service.
In the U.S., it's 73 percent, according to Symantic.
"In some cases you're going to find it even more unencripted wireless networks," said Garcia.
WiFi Security Risks for Home Users
- Hackers can use your unsecured WiFi home connection to send malicious e-mails, hacking into other sensitive networks is possible through your home WiFi
- Downloading of illegal content is possible through your home WiFi connection
- Forensic investigations into hacking incidents will lead to your doorstep while the actual perpetrators will remain untraceable
- Your personal data (for example, bank accounts) can be hacked
- Other misuses are also possible while you pay for the hacker's use of Internet access.
Garcia and his team put Frattarelli's computer safety to the test. After five minutes in her neighborhood, Garcia and his team got a ton of access into what you would think is private information.
"There are about 15 different networks that I see from where we're sitting right here and that is without any special equipment," said Nate Hausrath with HealthGuard.
Of the 15 networks, five were open.
"Right now I see several different wireless networks," said Hausrath. "I can pick one of them, tell my computer to listen to that one specifically, and we can see everything that occurs on that network."
Hausrath's software can sniff and analyze information being sent between Frattarelli's computer and her router/modem. Eventually he could crack several usernames and passwords to some vital information.
"Banking transaction, it could be logging into Facebook and Twitter and we can use that information however we choose," said Hausrath.
Believe it or not, it's easy to do.
"This is a program you can download for free over the Internet. Its an open source program. You can run it on just about any type of machine," said Hausrath.
Identity theft shouldn't be the only thing you're worried about.
In Florence, police raided Gary Thomas' home for child porn, and in that case, several years ago, Thomas was actually using his neighbors Wi-Fi signal to run an international child porn ring.
"I live with that everyday knowing that it doesn't have a password," said Frattarelli. "And hopefully no one will attempt to do anything."
Here are some tips to keep yourself protected.
• 1 Use a router for any internet connection (other than dialup). Be sure to keep updated the firmware on your router to the latest from the manufacturer. A router uses something called NAT (Network Address Translation) that works fairly similar to a firewall - however this is more like a firewall. NAT in most cases will not allow ports to be scanned & forwarded behind it. Also, the router will be your external IP address leaving your computer on an internal IP address. If ports on your router are not forwarded to your internal IP addresses (usually 192.168.*.* type of address) then a hacker on the internet will have a lot of difficulty scanning your computer. They will merely scan a router which in most cases is rather "stupid" and very hard to attack.
• 2 Keep your operating system updated. For Windows, Mac, Linux, and Unix users, always install the latest updates.
• 3 A soft firewall is always recommended. This would be considered a firewall on the system you use. This is where you computer is basically asking you permission to install certain pieces of software along with asking if you want to allow certain connections on your computer. Again, a router will help you avoid a ton of mischief from hackers. This is more or less fail safe.
4 Make all of your passwords HARD, with letters, numbers and symbols. Make them at least 20 characters long. Do not include the names of your kids, dogs. Never make them just common words. A good example would be: MrTsayshackersarefools33@3
5 If you run a wireless network, always use WPA or WPA2 security. Again, make your password at least 20 characters including letters, numbers, and symbols. DO NOT SKIMP on wifi passwords.
6 Install a good virus scanner and spyware scanner if running any type of Windows. It is also wise to install virus and spyware scanners on Macs. Linux and Unix systems typically do not get spyware or viruses. Remember, a virus/spyware scanner will do you NO good if you do not update it frequently. Viruses and spyware are literally released daily.
7 Using web access email is always the safest. Free email accounts such as Yahoo, Gmail, or Hotmail always keep high levels of security on their sites. Also, always be very weary of any email you get that tells you to click links (Paypal for example). Hackers can make very good copies of websites like Paypal (including logos & design) and spam you. You click thinking you are at Paypal, put in your user name and password, and the hacker then has your user name & password. If you get an email from sources like your bank account, Paypal, Ebay etc., open a clean browser go directly to the site, and log in.
8 Do not keep entire hard drives open to sharing especially on networks that have several people. If its a simple home network where everybody is trusted, it's great to just have a folder available to share just in case you are compromised from the outside.

Following these steps will keep your computer and network safe and incredibly less vulnerable to hackers.

We’ve been hearing it for years: antivirus software is dead. But is it true? If so, it seems to have more lives than Richard Nixon.
Rather than being the industry’s swan song, mobile devices could be its redemption opportunity.
The antivirus industry is in major transition as threats have evolved from being just the viruses and worms written to exploit holes in Windows that plagued computers in the 1990s to the exploits that target vulnerabilities in Web applications and end user gullibility today.
Many consumers fork over at least $40 for Norton AntiVirus or something similar, many more are turning to free antivirus from AVG or Avast, and yet millions of computers are still getting hit with infections daily.
While no antivirus software is perfect, the perception that AV often isn’t doing a good enough job is backed by studies. Recent benchmark tests pegged the average detection rate among major antivirus products at about 75 percent. (In one test, three out of 10 products stopped all of the original exploits, but the vendors are not named. However, the tests are to be taken with a grain of salt given the variances in testing standards.)
Antispyware and antispam have become standard in most AV, or antimalware, products as vendors have expanded their software into endpoint protection suites. And many have begun placing as much emphasis on heuristic technologies that look at the behavior or reputation of a piece of software as well as matching it to a database of malware signatures. But malware writers are adept at testing their code against the antivirus software and tweaking it until it passes through undetected.
As an alternative, some people are turning to whitelisting technologies that allow only approved programs to run on a computer. Whitelisting is akin to the closed environment of the iPhone where Apple vets every app and is largely effective in protecting the devices, said Gartner analyst John Pescatore.

While malware threats for the Mac may still be limited, there are plethora of other nasty to watch out for online. That’s why McAfee has released a pair of its popular protection products for the Mac: McAfee Internet Security and McAfee Family Protection. These products permit Mac users to surf the Internet safely.
If you’re just looking to keep your own surfing habits from getting you into trouble, McAfee Internet Security can protect you from dangerous Web sites telling you if a particular online shopping site has been checked over by McAfee. It can also scan e-mail and IM attachments from Mail and iChat to make sure nobody tries to slip you a mickey while online, and can repair many files without damaging the contents.
In addition, a dedicated Secure Search tool allows you to make sure that phishing sites don’t find their way into your results; a two-way firewall keeps an eye on all the traffic entering or leaving your PC as well as locking down outside access to protect from hackers; and all the while McAfee Internet Security can scan for both Windows and Mac malware.
McAfee Internet Security runs $80 and covers one Mac for one year—after that, you’ll need to buy a new copy as there's currently no upgrade pricing available.
That’s good for your own personal Web surfing, but if you’re more worried about what your kids might be getting up to, there’s McAfee Family Protection (also available for the iPhone and iPod touch).
McAfee Family Protection covers up to three Macs for a year for $40. As with Internet Security, you’ll need to shell out for a new copy after that due to any lack of upgrade pricing at present.
These products available now and require Mac OS X 10.5 or later. They also come with a 30-day money-back guarantee and 30 days of free tech support.

Kaspersky Lab has welcomed latest moves by Facebook and CEOP (the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Service) to provide users of the social networking site a panic button app.
The app, which is designed to protect children who use the Facebook social networking site, is a good move says the IT security vendor, but there needs to be more education and vigilance in order to keep young people safe online.

Ram Herkanaidu, a member of Kaspersky's global research and analysis team, says that having a panic button is an important step, but it needs to be part of a wider education for both adults and children on how to keep them safe online. "It can be difficult for anyone, child or teenager, to know who online strangers really are, so it is important to understand the techniques used to attract young people and how to combat them", he said.

Against this backdrop, Kaspersky suggests all online users have a good internet security suite installed on their computer, with parental controls that can monitor youngsters' social networking interactions. And, says the IT security vendor, if need be, users should block messaging to certain users, as well as confidential information like the home address, phone numbers and other sensitive private data.

Parents, says Kaspersky, should always be attentive of how much your children use the internet and to whom they are speaking to and when. And parents, the IT security firm adds, should always investigate any new contacts, if they approach your child first.
Finally, says Herkanaidu, if your internet security has parental controls, you should make full use of them to examine your children's online activity and stop them from being groomed into giving personal information that could potentially put them in danger. Social networking websites, he says, are a modern cultural phenomenon. Facebook alone, for example, currently has over 300 million active users, 150 million of which log-on at least once a day.