Security experts have warned users to beware a new version of the prolific W32/Netsky virus.
According to McAfee's Avert antivirus research team, the Netsky.ag variant is a prolific mass-mailing worm that spreads via email, sending itself to addresses found on the victim's machine.
The company said last week that, due to an increase in prevalence, it had raised its risk assessment of the virus to 'medium'.
Worm writers have threatened to attack antivirus companies F-Secure, Symantec, Trend Micro and McAfee.
In the latest version of MyDoom – MyDoom.AE – the authors embedded a message ridiculing rival worm NetSky and promising to attack the antivirus companies.
The message has left antivirus companies unsure of what to expect.
Security experts at Sophos Canada have warned that a file posing as a home movie of pop star Michael Jackson is infected by a malicious Trojan. Thousands of messages posted to Internet newsgroups Since Wednesday are encouraging computer users to download a file supposedly containing pictures of Mr. Jackson abusing a young boy. In reality, no such photographs are present but the file can open computers up to attack from hackers.
Windows XP Service Pack 2 incorporates many enhancements to try to better protect systems from malware and other forms of attacks. One of those layers of protection is the Windows XP SP2 Firewall. One of the features of this Firewall is the ability to allow users to decide what applications can listen on the network. By allowing users to control what applications can communicate on the network, Microsoft believes that systems will be protected against threats such as Trojans.
In the latest example of hackers using social engineering techniques, a malicious message that claims to contain pictures of David Beckham in a compromising position has hit the Internet
A new attempt to entice users to fall victim to a Trojan horse has been discovered by antivirus firm Sophos, after it was posted on a swathe of Internet news groups over the weekend.
Recently we were the first to provide a detailed analysis and fix for WinCE4.Dust, the inaugural Pocket PC virus. We also gave the first detailed analysis of Mosquito, the inaugural Symbian Trojan horse. Now we're going to present a detailed analysis of Brador, the inaugural Trojan horse for the Windows Mobile operating system.
Symantec is warning Internet users of a Trojan horse that removes spyware but alters the security settings in computers.
While Downloader.Lunii eliminates a variety of adware programs -- often known as spyware -- the Trojan also tries to maliciously change the setup of Windows PCs and then downloads files from unknown Web sites.
"It's common that a Trojan will try to change as much security as possible," said Nigel Beighton, Symantec's director of enterprise strategy. "They often try to change Microsoft, Symantec and McAfee software. But so far we've hardly seen it."
There are so many vulnerability scanners and penetration testing services or utilities available that many organizations use at least one of them gauge their security posture. Each tool has its own strengths and weaknesses and generally does a fair job at assessing an organization's network defense.
A new version of the MyDoom worm uses subject headings that deny the Holocaust ever happened and launches a denial-of-service (DoS) attack against a Web site that dedicates pages examining the motives of deniers such as British writer David Irving.
Dubbed MyDoom.ac by Symantec, the variant is a standard MyDoom copy-cat. It arrives as an e-mail message with an attached file which when opened, propagates by hijacking addresses from the compromised PC. It can also spread via file-sharing software such as Kazaa, Morpheus, eDonkey, and Limewire.
AV FIRM Sophos released figures for September that show the top 10 viruses it has recorded worldwide, and the top ten "hoaxes" this month.
Carole Theriault, a security consultant at the firm, said: "It's disheartening that the same old viruses are continuing to cause trouble for computer users the world over. Keeping your defences up to date to prevent infections is the only way we will see the back of these nasties".
