January issue of VB published

Posted by   Virus Bulletin on   Jan 1, 2012

The January issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to download.

The January 2012 issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to browse online or download in PDF or PRC (Kindle) format.

Some of the things this month's issue has in store are:

• MUTE: the rebirth of centralized sharing: 'The ability to exchange URLs in real time is a particular advantage ... since malicious URLs are usually a time-critical issue.' Philipp Wolf, Avira.

• This Sig doesn't run: Some virus writers like to brag about themselves via their choice of virus name. It's rare that the content justifies the bragging though, since many contain bugs. The author of W64/Svafa named it 'Sigrun', which is Old Norse for 'victory rune'. However, there is little to be victorious about as the virus doesn't work. Peter Ferrie has the details.

• Dissecting the NGR bot framework: IRC botnets die hard: The latest variants of IRC-based botnets, such as the NGR botnet, are designed to steal sensitive information by exploiting browser processes and acting as backdoors. Aditya Sood and colleagues discuss the framework of the NGR bot version 1.1.0.0, which is growing in prominence in the malware world.

• The top 10 spam, malware and cybersecurity stories of 2011: 2011 was filled with plenty of security stories involving spam, malware, hacking and more. Terry Zink picks out his top ten newsmakers.

• Challenges for the London Action Plan: In 2004, the US Federal Trade Commission and the UK's Office of Fair Trading organized a workshop in London in which 27 international organizations participated. They established an informal cooperation network: the London Action Plan (LAP). Wout de Natris describes some of LAP's early successes and the challenges it now faces.

Note: The January 2012 VBSpam comparative review will be published as standalone article later in January. As with all new VB100 and VBSpam reviews, the report will be available for non-subscribers to purchase as a standalone item (Virus Bulletin subscribers will be notified by email when the comparative is available to download). Non-subscribers can purchase VB100 reports here and VBSpam reports here.

Subscribers click here to access the issue.

If you are not already a subscriber why not take the chance to subscribe now.

Posted on 4 January 2012 by Virus Bulletin

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