VB Blog

WordPress users urged to manually update to fix bug that prevents automatic updating

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Feb 8, 2018

Users of the popular WordPress content management system are urged to manually update their installation to version 4.9.4, as a bug in the previous version broke the ability to automatically install updates.

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New paper: A review of the evolution of Andromeda over the years

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Feb 7, 2018

The Andromeda botnet (aka Gamarue or Wauchos) has plagued Internet users for more than half a decade but, following a takedown effort and the arrest of the suspected botnet owner in December 2017, it is likely we have seen the end of it. In a new paper by Fortinet researchers Bahare Sabouri and He Xu, we look back at the evolution of Andromeda from version 2.06 to 2.10 and demonstrate both how it improved its loader to evade automatic analysis/detection and how the payload varied among the different versions.

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There is no evidence in-the-wild malware is using Meltdown or Spectre

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Feb 2, 2018

Reports of malware using the Meltdown or Spectre attacks are likely based on proof-of-concept code rather than files written for a malicious purpose.

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Throwback Thursday: Malware taking a bit(coin) more than we bargained for

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Feb 1, 2018

This Throwback Thursday, we republish the VB2012 paper by Microsoft researcher Amir Fouda, one of the earliest papers to look at malware targeting Bitcoin.

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First time speaker? Don't be afraid of submitting to the VB2018 CFP

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 31, 2018

We especially encourage those less experienced in speaking in public to submit to the call for papers for VB2018, where we aim to provide a friendly and welcoming environment in which people can both present their own research and learn from what others have been working on.

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VB2017 paper: VirusTotal tips, tricks and myths

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 25, 2018

At VB2017 in Madrid, security researcher Randy Abrams presented an overview of the VirusTotal service and then went on to bust several of the persistent myths that surround it. Today we publish both Randy's paper and the recording of his presentation.

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Healthcare CERTs highlight the need for security guidance for specific sectors

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 24, 2018

A new computer emergency response team has been launched in the Netherlands to provide guidance specifically tailored to the healthcare sector. Martijn Grooten welcomes the development.

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VB2018 call for papers now open!

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 23, 2018

Have you analysed a new online threat? Do you know a new way to defend against such threats? Are you tasked with securing systems and fending off attacks? The call for papers for VB2018 is now open and we want to hear from you!

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Book review: Serious Cryptography

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 22, 2018

VB Editor Martijn Grooten recommends Jean-Philippe Aumasson's 'Serious Cryptography' as a very solid but practically focused introduction to cryptography.

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Necurs pump-and-dump spam campaign pushes obscure cryptocurrency

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 16, 2018

A Necurs pump-and-dump spam campaign pushing the lesser known Swisscoin botnet is mostly background noise for the Internet.

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Search blog

April

Anti-virus and security related news provided by independent anti-virus advisors, Virus Bulletin
https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/04/

New sentencing, new legislation

United States Sentencing Commission gets busy...
United States Sentencing Commission gets busy... The United States Sentencing Commission (USSC) — the body tasked with refining the sentencing portions of new legislation — met… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/04/new-sentencing-new-legislation/

Shrinking violets

Consolidation in the anti-spam industry
Consolidation in the anti-spam industry A report released by Gartner last month predicts consolidation in the anti-spam industry and a rapid contraction of the pool of anti-spam… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/04/shrinking-violets/

Patent for Postini

Postini wins U.S. patent for email filtering
Postini wins U.S. patent for email filtering Managed email security company Postini has been granted a U.S. patent for email filtering technology.According to the patent, any… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/03/patent-postini/

Roll up, roll up

AOL raffles spammer's Porsche
AOL raffles spammer's Porsche Taking a new angle on hitting spammers where it hurts, AOL is offering its members the opportunity to win a luxury car seized as part of a court… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/03/roll-roll/

New kid on the certification block

CheckVir starts certification program
CheckVir starts certification program At the start of this year, CheckVir became the latest independent organisation to offer certification for anti-virus products, when the… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/03/new-kid-certification-block/

A bit of R&R

Man. Loves. His. Spam. No really.
Man. Loves. His. Spam. No really. Some choose Yoga, others choose a glass of wine and a soak in a hot bath, and some, apparently, choose reading spam as their preferred method of… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/03/bit-r-amp-r/

News summary

AMD introduces hardware-level AV protection
AMD introduces hardware-level AV protection AMD has launched its new Athlon 64 FX processor at the CeBIT trade show in Hanover, Germany. Aimed primarily at the PC gamer market,… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/03/news-summary/

ISPs refile lawsuits

AOL and EarthLink refile suits against spammers
AOL and EarthLink refile suits against spammers US Internet service providers AOL and EarthLink have each refiled lawsuits against prolific spammers. A Florida man and married… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/03/isps-refile-lawsuits/

March

Anti-virus and security related news provided by independent anti-virus advisors, Virus Bulletin
https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/03/

Fine for dialler spam

UK watchdog fines US company for sending spam
UK watchdog fines US company for sending spam A UK watchdog has fined a US company for sending spam. The fine was imposed by the UK's regulatory body for the premium rate… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/03/fine-dialler-spam/

SMS spam goes down Down Under

Anti-spam code of conduct proves successful
Anti-spam code of conduct proves successful Australia's Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman reports that a code of conduct aimed at preventing SMS spam has been highly… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/03/sms-spam-goes-down-down-under/

Errata: Windows NT comparative review

After re-testing, Alwil's AVAST! product gains a VB 100% award.
After re-testing, Alwil's AVAST! product gains a VB 100% award. The results were reviewed for two products in the Windows NT comparative review (VB February 2004, p.12), with the… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/02/errata-windows-nt-comparative-review/

China sets deadline for spammers

China blacklists offending IP addresses
China blacklists offending IP addresses The Internet Society of China's Anti-Spam Coordination Team (ASCT) has published a blacklist of mail servers sending spam. The list… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/02/china-sets-deadline-spammers/

Plans, acquisitions and royalty

NAI makes plans, Symantec acquires software manufacturer, Sophos receives royal visitors
NAI makes plans, Symantec acquires software manufacturer, Sophos receives royal visitors Network Associates Inc. (NAI) has unveiled plans to provide its customers with information… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/02/plans-acquisitions-and-royalty/

Gigabyte arrested

Well known female virus writer arrested. Finally.
Well known female virus writer arrested. Finally. Last month the Belgian Federal Crime Unit reported that they had arrested and questioned the virus writer known as 'Gigabyte'.… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/02/gigabyte-arrested/

More core wars

Virus vs virus - new Welchia variant seeks to destroy Mydoom.
Virus vs virus - new Welchia variant seeks to destroy Mydoom. Today we can say our goodbyes to Mydoom.A - which is programmed to stop spreading on today's date, 12 February 2004.… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/02/more-core-wars/

News summary

Why technical writing is best left to technical journalists, Netcraft monitors SCO, and February's VB magazine
Why technical writing is best left to technical journalists, Netcraft monitors SCO, and February's VB magazine There is yet another great rant on the ZDNet website. Josh Mehlman… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/02/news-summary/

February

Anti-virus and security related news provided by independent anti-virus advisors, Virus Bulletin
https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/02/

Congressional attack on inboxes

US Congressional representatives send bulk email
US Congressional representatives send bulk email While congratulating themselves for (supposedly) stemming the flow of spam with the passage of the CAN-SPAM anti-spam… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/01/congressional-attack-inboxes/

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