VB has issued a call for submissions for the next VB100 comparative, to be run next month on Microsoft’s much-anticipated new version of Windows, Windows 7, with a deadline for submissions less than a week after the scheduled public release date for the new platform. Read the rest of this entry »

Independent testing body AV-Comparatives have released the results of their latest round of on demand anti-malware scanning tests, produced twice a year and featuring a selection of leading products. Read the rest of this entry »

Microsoft’s release of its free Security Essentials product this week sparked the expected barrage of views and opinions from all angles, from those hailing the release as the end of the AV industry to those slating the free product as inadequate and pointless. Read the rest of this entry »

The co-founder of security firm Webroot Software has apparently gone missing in Hawaii.

Steven Thomas reportedly vanished from his hotel room in Waikiki on 30 June. Family and authorities fear that Thomas, who is bipolar, may have been delusional or suicidal at the time of his disappearance.

Thomas co-founded WebRoot in 1997 in Boulder, Colorado. The company became famous for its SpySweeper anti-spyware tools and was most recently credited with a 26.8 per cent share of the retail security market.

Thomas sold the company to a group of investors for $108m in 2004.

According to the Honolulu Star Bulletin, the 36 year-old was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder earlier this year, but had refused medication.

Family members told the paper that, in the days leading up to his disappearance, Thomas appeared to be suicidal and in a state of extremely fearful delusion.

Anyone on the island with information is being asked to contact the authorities.

Source: vnunet.com

Security site Check Point has issued a set of updates which correct a compatibility issue with the latest Microsoft security update.

The company has posted updated versions of its ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite, Pro, Antivirus, Anti-Spyware and Basic Firewall offerings.

The updates correct an error caused by the latest Microsoft security update. One of the four bulletins addressed a flaw in the Windows DNS component, but also resulted in an error which prevented ZoneAlarm users from accessing the internet.

Many ZoneAlarm customers, were left unable to connect to the internet and were forced to either uninstall the security update or temporarily lower the security level on their ZoneAlarm applications.

By Thursday UK time, the company promised that a patch would be in the works, advising users to keep an eye on the site for the updates. By Thursday evening, updated versions of all five applications had been posted, along with a list of recommended actions for those who do not wish to install the updates.

All five of the updated applications can be downloaded directly from Check Point’s support site.

Source: vnunet.com

Trend Micro Incorporated (TSE:4704), a global leader in Internet content security, spyware protection and virus scan solutions, announced today a core set of software and hosted medium business security solutions, all tailored to focus upon issues such as Web threats, employee/company privacy, data leak prevention, email archiving, virus scan, spyware protection, and content filtering. Based on customer feedback, three areas of security concerns for medium businesses are: client and server security, messaging security, and information security. Read the rest of this entry »

Channel Data, the distributor of Cyberoam identity-based unified threat management appliances, has released the latest version of Cyberoam firmware, designed to offer greater control over web surfing activities in corporate and education environments.Mike Hamilton, Channel Data MD, says users will now be able to block access to more than 500,000 dubious websites hosted over the SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) communications protocol – a predecessor to transport layer security – which has allowed more than 150 million serious corporate network breaches on a global basis since 2005. Read the rest of this entry »

The Calyx Group has deployed an email and website security system for the Irish Stock Exchange that will guarantee the flow of information free from the intrusion of spam or spyware.Since 1793 the Irish Stock Exchange (ISE) has been providing for the trading of equities and government bonds and also in the listing of investment funds and specialist debt securities.

However, at the dawn of the 21st century the venerable institution was inundated with spam, which accounted for some 90pc of its inbound email. Read the rest of this entry »

Cyber-crooks are using new technologies and reinventing forms of social engineering to ensnare consumers and businesses, security experts warn.

Trend Micro’s latest Threat Roundup and Forecast 1H 2008 found an upswing in web threats, but a steady decrease in adware and spyware generated by outdated methods which can no longer compete with high-level security.

Social engineering tactics such as the Nigerian phishing scam have been around for decades, and cyber-criminals continue to refresh and modernise this form of trickery based on the latest trends. Read the rest of this entry »