security experts

A group of security experts have failed in their bid to disable the dreaded CryptoLocker malware . That means the crooks behind CryptoLocker continue to use the ransomware scheme to demand hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars in bitcoins from ... their victims. The security group 'Malware Must Die' attempted to disable CryptoLocker by taking down a list of domains known to be associated with the cybercriminals behind the scam. Malware Must Die reportedly started its offensive last weekend. New reports suggest the campaign was successful in suspending an estimated 138 domains associated with ... (view more)

Hackers have reportedly initiated a widespread attack on sites that use the WordPress publishing platform. Hosts using particularly weak passwords are being told to change those passwords or risk having their sites taken over. The hacking campaign ... reportedly uses a "brute force" strategy, meaning hackers use the login name "admin" and then try thousands of typical passwords to bypass security. Hackers Hoping to Create a "Beefy" Botnet The goal, according to security experts, is to build a huge and powerful botnet. "One of the concerns of an attack like this is that the attacker is ... (view more)

A newly-unveiled password-cracking system can reportedly guess billions of unique passwords every second. At that rate, it's entirely practical to have the device attempt every possible eight-character Windows password. The password-cracking system ... is a Linux-based graphical processing unit (GPU) 'cluster' that uses a special type of virtualization software which allows it to use not one, not two, but 25 Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Radeon graphics cards. 350 Billion Passwords Guessed Each Second That kind of GPU power enables the cluster to guess passwords at an astonishing rate: 350 billion ... (view more)

According to recent reports, the number of 'ransomware' scams being used to scare computer users into giving up some of their money is increasing. Security experts believe at least sixteen different organizations are using sophisticated schemes like ... this to extort money from people in Europe. The number of groups trying the same basic scam stateside also appears to be growing. A ransomware scam involves installing malicious software on a targeted computer and then blocking access to that computer until the victim agrees to pay a substantial sum of money. In many cases, victimized PC users ... (view more)

If you missed out on the big deals offered this past Black Friday , then there's a good chance you're looking forward to doing some online shopping today, better known as Cyber Monday. Security experts, however, believe this year could offer an ... unprecedented amount of trouble for online consumers who don't take the proper precautions when shopping online for bargains. "Even more holiday shopping will happen online this year than last, and that means more scammers will be looking to do some shopping of their own -- possibly at your expense," said security expert, Stephen Cobb. (Source: ... (view more)

There's no doubt that many are curious to know more details of Osama Bin Laden's recent demise . Security experts, however, are warning that clicking on some links related to that subject may end up getting your PC infected with malware. "I suppose ... this was just inevitable," said McAfee Labs' director of security research, Dave Marcus. "The reported death of Osama Bin Laden is just too good a lure for cybercriminals and scammers to pass up." (Source: chicagotribune.com ) Emails, Google, Facebook Tainted with Infected Links Lucas was referring to a number of emails now circulating the web that ... (view more)

A group of cyber-security experts told US lawmakers Wednesday that American facilities could be the next target of the Stuxnet virus . The Stuxnet virus made headlines this past summer when it infected USB memory sticks and attacked Siemens ... industrial automation systems. Security experts believe that the virus went beyond the work of an individual prankster and was instead a sinister "game changer". That's because unlike most viruses, which aim either to merely cause disruption or to make money through stealing data or by redirecting web browsers to pay-per-click ads, Stuxnet is ... (view more)