When you buy a brand new computer these days, you may be vulnerable to some of the most common things that threaten your home PC. When surfing the net, you’re likely being watched by spyware, a code invisibly tracking your computer habits, attracting viruses, with a program that infects your files. Each can target virtually [...]
Furthering the cause against internet scammers, spammers, spyware and cybercrime, the U.S. Congress has passed a legislation that seeks to punish purveyors of cybercrime who use botnets to aid in illegal activities, according to PC World. So what are botnets, and why are they a target of this new legislation? Put simply, botnets are groups [...]
Virus writers may be able to smuggle malicious files onto a computer using Microsoft’s security patch updates, experts say. At least one program is in circulation that can hijack a key component of Windows Update to introduce malicious software that could be used to hijack a computer. The method bypasses users’ firewall, allowing files to [...]
Popularity contests increasingly decide what people see on the Web. Features like most-viewed, most-popular and most-emailed lists democratize news and information, advocates say, letting consumers play a role in what’s deemed worthy of others’ attention, taking it out of the hands of an unseen editorial elite. Now, though, a diverse group of actors — ranging [...]
Computers provide people with easy access to useful information, sometimes an overwhelming amount of information. Information received by one individual must come from a source. A person doesn’t necessarily need to walk off with your computer to get your personal information. Sometimes computer users, not taking proper precaution, allow easy access of their personal [...]
One in 10 web pages scrutinized by search giant Google contained malicious code that could infect a user’s PC. Researchers from the firm surveyed billions of sites, subjecting 4.5 million pages to “in-depth analysis”. About 450,000 were capable of launching so-called “drive-by downloads“, sites that install malicious code, such as spyware, without a user’s knowledge. [...]
City of Toronto staff blocked from using the popular social networking site, facebook.com, aren’t alone – City of Peterborough staff can’t log in either. “It was already being blocked without us taking any extra measures,” city information technology manager Jamie Hagg told The Examiner yesterday.
Categories of web pages that are off-limits include violence, weapons, phishing [...]
To the untrained eye, Spywareclick here for article and computer viruses may appear to be one and the same, but in actual fact there are vast differences between the two, and companies need to understand what the differences are if they are to get to grips with the potentially crippling impact of Spyware. Understanding [...]
Somebody’s making big bucks out there and it’s coming at the expense of unsuspecting users who are no doubt new to the BitTorrent community. The people behind it herald it’s “5 star rating” as though it’s a fancy hotel where the client server puts a mint on the pillows of each of your downloads. It [...]
It seems each passing day brings new malicious “malware” wrapping its tentacles around unsuspecting home computers or a strengthened virus crippling the hard drive. Now the bad guys are perfecting “key loggers” that can hijack your bank account number and other private information. “Once you connect to the Internet, your Internet is like Main Street [...]
A substantial portion of online traffic may be an illusion, calling into question the underpinnings of the Internet’s advertising economy. A study by spyware researcher Ben Edelman finds that spyware-driven traffic inflation is common, particularly at video sites. What’s more, Edelman said that spyware also is being used to manipulate the popularity of YouTube videos. [...]