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

An end to 419 spam?

Nigerian government takes action.
Nigerian government takes action. Fed up of the stigma that 419 email scammers bring to Nigeria's reputation and keen to build investor confidence in the country, Nigeria's… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/01/end-419-spam/

MyDoom, YourDoom, OurDoom

SCO offers a bounty for the arrest of the MyDoom author, Bruce Perens offers a conspiracy theory...
SCO offers a bounty for the arrest of the MyDoom author, Bruce Perens offers a conspiracy theory... SCO is offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of the author… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/01/mydoom-yourdoom-ourdoom/

Divine intervention

AV on a spiritual level
AV on a spiritual level We all know how quickly time flies when we're having fun, or when there's a deadline looming, but a recent news report on the Asian news website Channel… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/01/divine-intervention/

Waiting, reflecting and removing

Microsoft reports success of Blaster removal tool
Microsoft reports success of Blaster removal tool While young Romanian virus author Dan Dumitru Ciobanu awaited trial by a Romanian court last month for releasing a variant of… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/01/waiting-reflecting-and-removing/

News summary...

Blaster (variant) author charged, AhnLab warns against complacency, India launches CERT-In, more on monoculture, and what's new in the spam world...
Blaster (variant) author charged, AhnLab warns against complacency, India launches CERT-In, more on monoculture, and what's new in the spam world... In much the same way that the… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/01/news-summary/

Email coaching for marketers

DMA releases quick-glance reference guide for email marketers.
DMA releases quick-glance reference guide for email marketers. The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has released a quick-glance reference guide for marketers entitled 'The CAN… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/01/email-coaching-marketers/

Ahnlab partners with Sina.com

Ahnlab gets major ASP deal in China.
Ahnlab gets major ASP deal in China. Ahnlab has acquired a major stepping-stone into the Chinese domestic market, according to an article published by the Korea Herald, by… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/01/ahnlab-partners-sina-com/

Weekend round-up

Narrowband blues, 2004 predictions, VeriSign scuttles Symantec, Dloader/Xombie
Narrowband blues, 2004 predictions, VeriSign scuttles Symantec, Dloader/Xombie It's been a busy few days as 2004 starts to get into full swing. VB has a roundup of the weekend's… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/01/weekend-round/

Security-conscious processors

AMD and Intel prep technology to prevent buffer overflows at the hardware level.
AMD and Intel prep technology to prevent buffer overflows at the hardware level. IT news site Silicon.com has published an article about hardware security in CPUs to prevent… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/01/security-conscious-processors/

2004

Latest news from the anti-virus industry provided by independent anti-virus advisors, Virus Bulletin
NewsJanuary issue released The Virus Bulletin January 2005 issue is on its way. 23 December 2004Latest VGrep The latest version of the virus name lookup tool - VGrep, is now… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/

January

Anti-virus and security related news provided by independent anti-virus advisors, Virus Bulletin
https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2004/01/

US and UK spam legislation in place

Anti-spam legislation in place.
Anti-spam legislation in place. While the 'CAN-SPAM Act' is expected to have been signed into US law by 1 January 2004, December 2003 saw the introduction of anti-spam… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2003/12/us-and-uk-spam-legislation-place/

Number crunching

Calculating the average cost of a virus attack - estimates or guesstimates?
Calculating the average cost of a virus attack - estimates or guesstimates? This month has seen a flurry of the traditional end-of-year predictions for the security challenges in… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2003/12/number-crunching/

SAS - the SysAsmin Service?

Computer security experts prepare to become special constables.
Computer security experts prepare to become special constables. A set of proposals for tackling computer crime has been published by UK Parliamentary lobby group EURIM and the… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2003/12/sas-sysasmin-service/

Seasonal spamming

Increase in spam in lead up to holiday season.
Increase in spam in lead up to holiday season. A recent study carried out by Corvigo, suggests that the volume of spam in our inboxes showed a marked increase over the lead up to… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2003/12/seasonal-spamming/

December

Anti-virus and security related news provided by independent anti-virus advisors, Virus Bulletin
https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2003/12/

SpamCop snapped up

IronPort Systems to purchase SpamCop
IronPort Systems to purchase SpamCop According to the IDG News Service, email security hardware manufacturer IronPort Systems Inc. is set to announce its purchase of anti-spam… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2003/12/spamcop-snapped/

VB2004 call for papers

Virus Bulletin calls for all speakers papers.
Virus Bulletin calls for all speakers papers. full article Posted on 05 January 2004 by Virus Bulletin https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2003/11/call-papers/

The menace within

Is BitDefender really staffed by Romanian vampire hackers...?
Is BitDefender really staffed by Romanian vampire hackers...? A recent report by the Associated Press claims that 'computer-savvy Romanians are fast emerging as a bold menace in… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2003/11/menace-within/

November

Anti-virus and security related news provided by independent anti-virus advisors, Virus Bulletin
https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2003/11/

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