VB Blog

DMARC: an imperfect solution that can make a big difference

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jul 24, 2017

US Senator Ron Wyden has asked the Department of Homeland Security to implement DMARC. Martijn Grooten looks at what difference this could make for phishing attacks impersonating the US federal governent.

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Advanced and inept persistent threats to be discussed at VB2017

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jul 20, 2017

Unsurprisingly given today's threat landscape, the VB2017 programme contains several talks on various advanced persistent threats - but also a talk on what may be the polar opposite of such threats: an inept persistent threat.

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Password security is 1% choosing a half-decent password, 99% not using it anywhere else

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jul 18, 2017

Password security advice focuses too much on password strength and too little on avoiding password reuse, Martijn Grooten argues.

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Save the dates: VB2018 to take place 3-5 October 2018

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jul 17, 2017

Though the location will remain a secret for a few more months, we are pleased to announce the dates for VB2018, the 28th Virus Bulletin International Conference.

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Review: BSides Athens 2017

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jul 10, 2017

The second edition of BSides Athens saw a great and varied programme presented in the Greek capital. VB's Martijn Grooten was pleased to attend.

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Let's not help attackers by spreading fear, uncertainty and doubt

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jul 7, 2017

Spreading 'FUD' in the wake of cyber-attacks is never a good idea. But it's even worse when this might be one of the attackers' implicit goals.

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Calling next-gen security researchers: student discount for VB2017 announced

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jul 7, 2017

For the third year in a row, we have set aside a limited number of student tickets for the Virus Bulletin conference, to allow 'next-generation' security researchers to experience one of the most important gatherings of security researchers around the world.

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Nominations opened for fourth Péter Szőr Award

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jul 4, 2017

Virus Bulletin has opened nominations for the fourth annual Péter Szőr Award, for the best piece of technical security research published between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017.

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VB2016 paper: BlackEnergy – what we really know about the notorious cyber attacks

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jul 3, 2017

According to some researchers, there is some evidence linking the recent (Not)Petya attacks with the BlackEnergy group - which became infamous for its targeted attacks against the Ukraine. At VB2016, ESET researchers Anton Cherepanov and Robert Lipovsky spoke about BlackEnergy, providing an overview of the group's attacks. Today, we publish their paper.

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Security advice in the wake of WannaCry and Not(Petya)

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jun 30, 2017

As WannaCry and (Not)Petya have shown, malware attacks can do a lot of damage. So is staying safe just a case of following good security advice?

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Search blog

Europe facing 38 billion spams a day by 2010

Research group releases report on future spam trends.
Research group releases report on future spam trends. Technology market research firm The Radicati Group has unveiled an in-depth study of likely future trends in the European… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/europe-facing-38-billion-spams-day-2010/

EU demands better spam and malware fighting

Commission report calls for smarter response to online onslaught.
Commission report calls for smarter response to online onslaught. An official statement from the European Commission has demanded a step up in the battle against spam, spyware and… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/eu-demands-better-spam-and-malware-fighting/

Vulnerability hits F-Secure gateway products

Flaw in OpenSSL could allow DoS on servers.
Flaw in OpenSSL could allow DoS on servers. A vulnerability in OpenSSL software, used to access the administration interface in some F-Secure gateway and mail protection products,… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/vulnerability-hits-f-secure-gateway-products/

Severe vulnerability hits Mac OSX

Exploit published for gaping DMG hole.
Exploit published for gaping DMG hole. A serious vulnerability found in the DMG handling on fully up-to-date installations of Apple's OSX is threatening to upset the platform's… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/severe-vulnerability-hits-mac-osx/

Spyware pushers let off fines

FTC reduces punishment for crooks 'unable to pay'.
FTC reduces punishment for crooks 'unable to pay'. Two spyware operations have settled lawsuits brought against them by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at a huge discount. The… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/spyware-pushers-let-fines/

Spammers and phishers target Christmas shoppers

Online shoppers and email users face heightened festive risks.
Online shoppers and email users face heightened festive risks. With the annual Christmas spending frenzy fast approaching, phishing is as usual on the rise, targeting inexperienced… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/spammers-and-phishers-target-christmas-shoppers/

McAfee in anti-phishing confusion

Latest study rates all filters poorly, slates SiteAdvisor.
Latest study rates all filters poorly, slates SiteAdvisor. In two recent studies of anti-phishing technologies, one (sponsored by Microsoft) rated Internet Explorer highest, while… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/mcafee-anti-phishing-confusion/

ISS to integrate BitDefender

Big Blue adds anti-virus and anti-spyware to desktop security product.
Big Blue adds anti-virus and anti-spyware to desktop security product.IBM announced yesterday that its Internet Security Systems (ISS) subsidiary will be including anti-virus and… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/iss-integrate-bitdefender/

Zango still in spyware game

Dodgy tactics continue despite ruling.
Dodgy tactics continue despite ruling. Several researchers have complained that adware-fuelled media company Zango continues to use deceptive practices, despite the recent case… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/zango-still-spyware-game/

UK toughens law against DoS, tools

New law ups penalties for hacking, but could threaten security research.
New law ups penalties for hacking, but could threaten security research. The UK 'Police and Justice Bill 2006', introduced into UK law this month, has drawn some approval for its… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/uk-toughens-law-against-dos-tools/

Trojan planted on Chinese banking site

Backdoor dropper sneaked onto bank card operator's servers.
Backdoor dropper sneaked onto bank card operator's servers. News sources in China are reporting that the website of China UnionPay, a China-wide cross-bank credit card service used… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/trojan-planted-chinese-banking-site/

Patch Tuesday vulnerability exploited

Attack developed within two days of disclosure.
Attack developed within two days of disclosure. The Workstation Service flaw announced and patched on Tuesday, one of the most critical vulnerabilities covered by Microsoft's… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/patch-tuesday-vulnerability-exploited/

Worm targets Real Media files

McAfee warns of dangerous movies and music.
McAfee warns of dangerous movies and music. Researchers at McAfee's Avert Labs have warned of a new worm, dubbed 'W32/Realor', which doctors the contents of Real Media files… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/worm-targets-real-media-files/

Firefox anti-phishing better, says Mozilla

Browser phishing filters battle for supremacy.
Browser phishing filters battle for supremacy.Mozilla has released results of an independently run test of phishing filters, in which its latest product, Firefox 2.0, is compared… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/firefox-anti-phishing-better-says-mozilla/

Panda vulnerabilities revealed

ActiveScan remote access holes patched, details disclosed.
ActiveScan remote access holes patched, details disclosed. Several vulnerabilites have been found in Panda Software's ActiveScan product. The problems could be used to initiate a… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/panda-vulnerabilities-revealed/

Mobile firewalls released

Trend, F-Secure add extra layer to smartphone security.
Trend, F-Secure add extra layer to smartphone security. Two new products have been unveiled this week offering firewall protection for smartphones and PDAs, with both Trend Micro… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/mobile-firewalls-released/

AVG, F-PROT suffer vulnerabilities

Reports of buffer overflows and other problems.
Reports of buffer overflows and other problems. A series of vulnerabilities have been discovered and patched in Grisoft's AVG Antivirus. Several issues with archive handling could… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/avg-f-prot-suffer-vulnerabilities/

Courts shut down spyware pushers

Media Motor operation frozen by FTC case.
Media Motor operation frozen by FTC case. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has brought a case against the spyware operation Media Motor, with the company and its affiliates… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/courts-shut-down-spyware-pushers/

Russians dominate spammer top ten

Half of ten worst spammers from former USSR.
Half of ten worst spammers from former USSR. This week's list of the top ten 'worst spammers and spam gangs', released by spam fighters Spamhaus, is dominated by eastern Europeans,… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/russians-dominate-spammer-top-ten/

Forefront Client reaches beta

Microsoft corporate security product goes into public test.
Microsoft corporate security product goes into public test.Microsoft's long-awaited corporate security suite, Forefront Client Security, has been released to public beta. The new… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/forefront-client-reaches-beta/

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