archives
August 2012

Finfisher and the Ethics of Detection

AV companies obey the law and cooperate actively with law enforcement. That doesn’t mean they turn a blind eye to government spyware.

FinSpy and FinFisher spy on you via your cellphone and PC, for good or evil?

We read that “FinFisher spyware made by U.K.-based Gamma Group can take control of a range of mobile devices, including Apple Inc.’s iPhone and Research in Motion Ltd.’s BlackBerry…”, at the opening of a Bloomberg article that several readers of the ESET blog sent us yesterday, along with a number of questions that boil down

Java zero day = time to disable Java, in your browser at least

Now is the time to disable Java in your web browser, or even remove it from your system if that is practical. Why? The bad guys are hard at work trying to exploit a zero day vulnerability in the latest version of Java (version 1.7, Update 6.). This vulnerability is the subject of a US-CERT

The Cloud for SMBs: 7 tips for safer cloud computing

Ahead of next week’s VMWorld in San Francisco, here are some thoughts on the safe use of cloud computing for smaller businesses, along with a podcast (see the link at end of the post). The Cloud concept, a flexible Virtual Machine (VM) based system that allows rapid expansion and dedicated functionality without hiring new staff,

Support scams and Quervar/Dorifel

More information about how tech support scammers have been using the Quervar/Dorifel outbreak to trick Netherlanders into giving them access to their systems and credit cards.

AMMYY warning against tech support Scams

Ammyy is eager to disassociate its service from Indian tech support scammers misusing it, and has some good advice for victims and potential victims.

Carbon Dating and Malware Detection

Carbon Black assert that if an AV company doesn’t detect malware within six days of its being flagged on Virus Total, it probably won’t after a month. Is that as dangerous as it sounds?

Quervar Induc.C reincarnate?

Win32/Quervar (a.k.a Dorifel, XDocCrypt) is a virus family that has been in the news recently, especially in the Netherlands. It has been reported to be causing havoc on computers of several notable Dutch institutions. In our analysis, we provide additional technical details about the workings of the virus and compare it to another virus, the

FBI Ransomware: Reveton seeks MoneyPak payment in the name of the law

A crime wave of malware that demands money from victims to avoid prosecution by the FBI has been alarming web surfers across America. Victims suddenly find their computer frozen, and an official-looking  page, like the one shown below, is displayed in their web browser. The FBI and the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) have received

Bad password choices: don't miss the point

Phish, Phowl, and Passwords I spend a lot of time defending educational as opposed to purely technical solutions to security. Not that I don’t believe in the usefulness of technical solutions: that is, after all, ESET’s basic business. However, there are many people in the security business who believe that education is a waste of

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