Spyware News: iPhone spyware goes on sale

Its was only a mtter of time for the iPhone and here it is

read on.....

Uh-oh... Software that logs iPhone 3G SMS and voice call records to an online server has gone on sale. Is it a legitimate monitoring tool or a sneaky violation of privacy?

Although legitimate and illegitimate spyware is the bane of computer users and jealous partners on today's traditional desktop computers, smartphones have largely been free of the malware menace.

But things are rapidly changing, with the threat now apparent that some smartphones can be too smart for their users' good. After all, the combination of local processing power plus data connectivity can turn your electronic best friend into a handheld computing tattletale.

So, what is the newest spyware threat for the amazing Apple iPhone?

The Mobile Spy software and supporting service for the iPhone 3G costs $US99.97 per year.

For that, suspicious employers, parents and spouses get to see the full text of all SMS messages sent or received, plus a list of all calls including phone number, time and duration.

The spyware works by transferring the information to an Internet server as soon as it is connected, so it remains available even if the user erases the iPhone's internal log.

The records can then be viewed on the server via a web browser, or downloaded in CSV form for use in a local database or spreadsheet.

According to vendor Retina-X Studios, "Mobile Spy runs in total stealth mode and no mentions of the program are shown inside the iPhone."

This implies that the iPhone must be jailbreaked before Mobile Spy can be installed. The company skirts around this point: the web page describing its installation on an iPhone is restricted to its customers "Due to trade secrets".

Hmmm... detailed instructions are provided for the existing versions of Mobile Spy for Windows Mobile or Symbian handsets, so there's clearly some jiggery-pokey involved.

Spyware News: The Most Dangerous Malware of 2008 Came From the Internet, According to Trend Micro Threat Research Analysis

It's no surprise -- surfing the
Internet without a security software installed brings dangerous consequences,
especially since the growth of Web threats have increased by nearly 2000
percent since 2005.  According to Trend Micro threat researchers, more than 50
percent of the top 100 malware of 2008 came from the Internet and were
accidentally downloaded by users surfing unknown or malicious Web sites.


The second highest source of infections (43 percent) is from malware
already present on a system.  Today's multi-component threats typically
download one or more pieces of malware whose sole purpose is to hide in a
specific file, then contact a remote location to retrieve the real payload
such as data stealing malware.


Finally, email attachments from unknown or malicious sources bring the
third highest source (12 percent) of infections.  Other common ways to become
infected include: clicking on links or accepting file transfers over instant
messaging applications; downloading files offered via peer-to-peer
connections; using removable drives such as thumb drives and portable/external
hard drives; and failing to patch applications found to have vulnerabilities.


Even though regional data reflects the same general trend, there are
slight variations.  North America still has the highest amount of adware and
is seeing significant growth in data-stealing malware that arrive via the
Internet.


Malware borne by removable drives (portable/external hard drives, thumb
drives, flash disks, memory cards, etc.) are at 29.31 percent in Asia and
Australia, the highest compared to other regions.  Most Asian countries have
auto-run malware (malware that spread through removable devices) as their top
infectors, the highest concentration compared to other regions.  China is one
exception -- the country has a high percentage of online gaming spyware, due
to its large online gaming population.


The top malware infecting PCs in Europe, Middle East and Africa are Trojan
downloaders, Trojans that install other malicious files to the computer system
either by downloading them from a remote computer or by dropping them directly
from a copy contained in its own code.  Infections through malicious IFrames
(Inline Frames, a popular Web design convention that enables one HTML document
to be embedded inside another HTML document) are also popular within this
region.


Latin America's top threats are varied in profile but the region is seeing
a growth in multi-component attacks.  Several malware found in PCs have in
fact been dropped by other malware already present in the PC.


The volume and sophistication of Web threats make it imperative that
multilayered, real-time protection is used to ensure online safety. The Trend
Micro(TM) Smart Protection Network, which powers most of Trend Micro's
products and solutions, correlates Web and email threat data by using
reputation technologies that compare threats against in-the-cloud threat
databases.  This unique type of cloud-client security infrastructure gives
Trend Micro customers real-time protection against the latest Internet threats,
while enjoying online activities to the fullest.


For consumers, Trend Micro(TM) Internet Security Pro checks the reputation
of Web pages, blocking access to malicious sites before users have a chance to
access them and innocently give away their personal information or download
potentially malicious code designed to steal their credit card or other
valuable information.



About Trend Micro:


Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in Internet content security,
focuses on securing the exchange of digital information for businesses and
consumers.  A pioneer and industry vanguard, Trend Micro is advancing
integrated threat management technology to protect operational continuity,
personal information, and property from malware, spam, data leaks and the
newest Web threats.  Visit TrendWatch at
http://www.trendmicro.com/go/trendwatch to learn more about the latest threats.
Trend Micro's flexible solutions, available in multiple form factors, are
supported 24/7 by threat intelligence experts around the globe.  Many of these
solutions are powered by the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network, a next
generation cloud-client content security infrastructure designed to protect
customers from Web threats.  A transnational company, with headquarters in
Tokyo, Trend Micro's trusted security solutions are sold through its business
partners worldwide.  Please visit http://www.trendmicro.com.



SOURCE  Trend Micro Incorporated

Spyware News: The Begining of a New Era for Open Source Software...OpenSUSE 11.1

Ah...the x-men comes out to play. Seeker, jonath and bugmenot2.

Seeker, I seek not to "state" anything. I am just trying to get the message across to many other net users that are a lot
less savvy than you that the latest exploit in Internet Explorer have simply made using the software a game of Russian Roulette on the highways of the net. Especially if you use internet banking.

I find it diificult to understand why you are so staunchly defending the use of Internet Explorer when we both know that the latest vulnerabilities are not the usual second tuesday "patch" cycle issue. Microsoft itself has advised people NOT to use Internet Explorer for secure web surfing until this is fixed.

Let me ask you a question. Are you using Internet Explorer with the current vulnerabilities unpatched in full administrator mode surfing the net at random and then using the same machine and administrator user account to do internet banking with your whole life savings in the balance?

Don't be silly. Of course not, if you know anything about computer security, hackers and the actual prevalence of cybercrime that is not reported in the world. Unfortunately, that is what 90% of internet users are doing, including highly intelligent professionals like my friend, whom have been lulled into a false sense of security by giant commercial software companies like microsoft.

If it wasn’t important, I would not have posted at all. So please don't muddy the water with your techno speak. We both know that Internet Explorer have so many security holes because it doesn't conform to the international web standards as well as the use of Active X architecture. The irony is that this was done with the aim of forcing all internet surfers to use Internet Explorer or not be able to access websites which have been designed to accommodate microsoft as they do hold 90% of the world software market. It is just sheer hooliganism and extortion of the people of the world. Nothing more.

They are doing the same with Office 2007, where the documents that you create in Office 2007 can no longer be opened with any version of Office prior to 2007.That again is just sheer "legal" extortion, forcing millions of users to upgrade to Office 2007 when their 2003 or even 2000 version is perfectly usable. Microsoft even tried to arm-twist the International Standards Organisation to recognise it's proprietary Office 2007 standard as the next "Open" standard, instead of the truly open source OpenDocument standard by Open Office.

However, the release of Windows Vista was the last straw for me. All other critism aside, most software that I have purchased in the last 2 years or more becomes automatically obsolete once I installed Vista. This means forking out thousands of pounds again to get back to my baseline of functioning in the IT world. This to me is unfair and unjust coercion of the public whom have been trained to fork out billions of pounds in a mindless pavlovian cycle of upgrading Windows Operating Systems, which have been etched into our consciousness so deeply that we don’t even notice it happening anymore. We just pay and pay and pay again for the same functions. It is completely unacceptable.

This is where the Open Source movement comes in.

Yes, OpenOffice 3 is actually compatible with all Office documents, including Office 2007, has presentation, spreadsheet, database and drawing components, but is actually FREE and legal to share and distribute without spending a single penny.

By the way, did I mention that you can also CREATE PDF files too with OpenOffice? Now I have. Also you are not forced to pay again for the language packs. It's free, unlike for Microsoft Office 2003 and Office 2007.

Let's get a few things clear. Open Source is not about being "free". It is about "FREEDOM".

Freedom to:

1. Use the software legally.

2. Share the software with family, friends and colleagues legally if one finds it useful.

3. Contribute to the development of the software, not just by code but also through bug reporting, forum support, development of faqs and other documentation, mirror a download or a thousand other ways...

I agree with you completely that OpenSource software needs funds to organise itself. These funds comes from donations, like Ubuntu, which is going to be perpetually supported by a multi-million Ubuntu Foundation trust fund set up by a generous donor, or from the commercial support of enterprise version of these open source software such as Clam AV and Open SUSE.

However, you failed to point out that even the "commercial" version of these Open Source software is still open source and is essentially the same code wise as the non-commercial freely downloadable versions. The charges comes from the 24 hour technical support and other customisations of these software for large companies.

Yes, enterprise strength software, free, for the non-commercial user. How does it all work? Trust. The goodness of the human heart. The desire to be a part of something greater and to contribute to a good cause. Choose which you like

You are right. This is the new way forward. Infrastructures of the capitalistic system driven by socialist ideals. From each their own ability. For each their own need. Fascinatingly, this appears to be also the model for future political systems in the world. No more cowboys and monolithic companies dictating what is right and what is wrong to the rest of the "ignorant" world.

I am not sure what area of IT you are involved in, but you must know that because Windows run with Admin rights by default, it is just a hackers paradise. Also, Microsoft policy of non-disclosure when any vulnerabilities are found only makes the Windows OS sweeter for the hackers. Users carry on non-the wiser while their systems are hacked, like what happened to my friend. This again is not acceptable.

Security by obscurity.

It is like trying to hide an open door with a curtain and hope that thieves don't see the gapping hole to your home theatre set when the wind blows. Hackers are not ignorant. Millions of common users are. Why, they already knew about the latest vulnerabilities two weeks before Microsoft decided to announced it, and that's only because Richmond could see on their giant monitors how many computers were being compromised every minute due to this zero day exploit.

Just stop and think. 1 in 500 computers may be hacked with this exploit. You must be crazy not to pay some attention to this.

It's a bit like the titanic sinking and shouting on the deck that "don't panic, the titanic can't sink".

Seeker, you clearly do not use any Linux based operating software or you would not have said that it's as insecure as windows.

For one, you need to have root access before you can install anything. Second, there are security features built-in into the OS such as AppArmor. Finally, Linux OS such as OpenSUSE have the Security Enchanced architecture built-in which makes it almost impossible for accidental installation of trojans and other malware via daily web surfing or emails by the inexperienced or non-tech savvy user like most of us are. Finally, Clam AV has matured to a enterprise level and on-demand access scanning is now possible with the Dazuko interface. If you wish, you can also purchase commercial antivirus software for linux from the likes of F-Secure.

Your claims are just not substantiated at all in the real world.

When people don't want you learn about something new, they will always potray the new world as a "scary place". The truth is, there is no need to be scared of open source software.

There's three ways of doing it.

For beginners, you can have your first taste of freedom by downloading single applications and installing them on your windows desktop. It's the simplest fail-safe method. If you don't like it, just uninstall. No funny trojans or backdoors left behind like with "freeware", where the "free" is just a ploy to get you to install trojans and adware on your system.

Try:

OpenOffice (full office productivity suite by SUN Computer Systems)

http://www.openoffice.org/

Clamwin Antivirus (adaptation of the Clam AV engince for windows, does not have on demand access scanning)

http://www.clamwin.com/

Audacity (full audio editing software suite)

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

For those of you more adventurous, try the "LiveCD" or "LiveDVD", depending on your bandwidth and connection speed. The Live CD is about 700 MB while the Live DVD, 4.3 GB. I recommend "Knoppix", as it allows you to boot into a full Linux environment based on the user friendly KDE desktop user interface. It has the following pre-installed and ready to be used straight from boot-up:

1. OpenOffice
2. Web Browsers
3. CD/DVD burning software
4. Audio players and editors
5. free games like bubble-bubble and tron
6. many many more educational and interesting software

Download the ISO images. Burn them to a CD or DVD. Change the BIOS settings of your laptops or desktops to first boot from the CD/DVD drive and put the cd/DVD into the drive. Restart and away you go. Everything is run off the CD/DVD, a swap file and the RAM.

When you are finished experimenting with the linux operating system, just shut down as you would with windows from the
taskbar on the bottom left. The CD/DVD will be automatically ejected and you can reboot into your original windows system again.

Nothing will be left on your system, so you must remember to save any work or files that you may have downloaded onto a memory stick or floppy disk!!!

Knoppix Live CD/DVD

http://www.knoppix.org/

For those of you in the multi-media industry, try this:

Musix

http://www.musix.org.ar/wiki/index.php/Musix1.0r4Stable-announce

For the ultimate freedom, you can install the full linux based operating system onto a internal or external hard disk.

Yes, you can actually install the whole operating syytem onto a external hardisk by selecting the "Boot from root partition" and making a small change in the boot-up configuration setting at the end of the installation process.

This means you can take your favourite Linux OS with you anywhere you go, on a portable external hardrive.

And by the way, it is much much easier and faster to install some Linux OS like OpenSUSE. Try it and you will be very surprised. All peripherals are automatically detected and the appropriate drivers installed without any user intervention.

By now, if you tried any of the above options, you will be "shocked" at how advanced the user interface is for Linux, and not the "command-line" nightmare scenario that is so often used to scare-off potential Linux users. In fact, OpenSUSE KDE 4 desktop is as sleek, if not sleeker than the Mac OS X desktop.

I have installed and "sampled" the following DISTROS:

1. Ubuntu
2. OpenSUSE
3. Fedora
4. Debian
5. Mandriva

I will only recommend OpenSUSE as it is the most user-friendly, polished and stable Linux OS from personal experience. The software management system takes installing, updating and uninstalling software to new heights of stability and simplicity.

Once installed, you'll have office suites, personal information managers, web browsers, messaging clients, multimedia players and editors, cd/dvd burning sofware all ready to go at no added cost.

Here's the link to the latest release of OpenSUSE with OpenOffice 3. The launch date is...today!!!

OpenSUSE 11.1

http://en.opensuse.org/OpenSUSE_11.1

The world is about to experience its second renaissance, in the cyber world. Where true freedom will be a right for all, rather than privilege for a few.

Do much much more and spend nothing. A new cyber-world is about to begin.

Open source. Do you dare to embrace it?

Hidup Malaysiaku!!!