InfoManager_TM

Here we are in the high shopping season … but watch out, the criminals are out to get you … Here are the headlines:
* Spam in October 2011: More Countries Getting in on the Act
* Spam – the email kind – is pretty slick, too
* Microsoft refunds Xbox Live phishing scam victims
* Cyber Monday phishing, scams
* “PayPal email address change” phishing scheme
* Cleverest Facebook scam yet
* Android Malware Is Increasing
* McAfee Internet Security for Mac 2012
* Analysis: Does the government really understand the cyber threat?
. . . and more!

The cybercrime industry is taking a particular liking to financial scams as we approach the holiday season in a down-turn economy. They automatically assume that a percentage of their victims are looking for a job, transferring money, or trying to streamline their financial lives. JUST DON’T CLICK …

In this edition we find more Mac problem malware, and surprises! Here are the headlines …
* Fresh Mac Trojan Deactivates OS X Security Solutions
* India shuts server linked to Duqu computer virus
* Boxing Ticket Phishing Scam Making The Rounds
* ‘Tsunami’ trojan malware bot ported to OS X
* October 2011 Symantec Intelligence Report
* Method of Delivering Malware on Facebook
* New Tsunami Trojan Variant Discovered
* Combating Halloween malware threats
* Fast-Growing Mobile Malware Threat
* Hacker Infiltrates Phishing Site
. . . and more

In this edition we focus specifically on Mac problem malware! Here are the headlines …
* Phishing Attacks Aimed To Steal Your User-Ids On a Rise. Beware!
* Cyber-Crooks Malware Facebook Scams Following Steve Jobs’ Demise
* Air Force Drone Malware ‘Nuisance’ Rather Than Serious Threat
* Skimmed cards and stolen IDs: crime in the digital cloud
* NSTIC Lays Out a Compelling Identity Ecosystem Vision
* New Twitter phishing attack poses as reputation alert
* Twitter Phishing Scam Exposes Your Morbid Curiosity
* Norton blocks Facebook as ‘phishing site’
* Cyber security: Education is the key
. . . and more

Be warned – there are a number of fraudulent email campaigns circulating that pretend to be the United Parcel Service (UPS) but are phishing attempts instead. We have received a series of these in our honey-pots, all similar, and all seem to lead to the same cybercrime cartel in Pakistan or Russia.

In this edition we have another mixed-up bag of news, there’s really too much to report on in a single column, suggesting we break out the malware news into its own column! Here are the headlines …
* Microsoft’s botnet shutdown won’t stop Mac malware
* Mac malware disguised as Adobe Flash update
* Flashback Trojan poses as Flash Player installer
* Researchers warn of fake-PDF Mac Trojan
* Consumer interest in Apple not dampened by Jobs’ departure
* Kelihos Ring Sold ‘Botnet-As-A-Service’
* Hackers using QR codes to push Android malware
. . . and more

Continue reading »

In this edition we have another mixed-up bag of news, there’s really too much to report on in a single column, suggesting we break out the malware news into its own column! Here are the headlines …
* Spammers turn to Yahoo, Google Picasa groups
* IBM X-Force Trends Report: Year of the Security Breach
* Feds Ban Spammer Who Sent ‘Mind-Boggling’ Number of Messages
* First-ever text message spammer nabbed
* Microsoft Security Tool IDs Chrome Browser as Malware
* Mobile Security Exploits To Double
* Wells Fargo customers warned of phishing scam
* City students targeted by phishing scammers
* Clever phisher almost tricks PhishTank
* Are Cybercriminals Getting Weaker, or Just Smarter?
. . . and more

Do you really need to pay for Internet security? Eric Geier sheds some light on free antivirus programs and whether or not they can adequately protect your computer and data.

In this edition, I’m mixing in some ICANN news concerning new TLDs, since launch of the new ‘.xxx’ will undoubetly generate another era of spam …
* Online red-light district opens
* How Internet Naming Authority ICAAN Plans To Double Its Revenues
* Generic top level domains ‘will only benefit trademark lawyers’
* Palm Beach firm selling first XXX domain names for porn sites
* There’s a world of crooks wanting to steal your identity
* Potential Phishing E-Mails Should be Handled with Suspicion
* Scam HMRC emails increase 300%
* Yahoo and Bing Adverts Distribute Malware!
* Nastier DroidDreamLight malware on the loose
* Ten years on from Nimda: Worm author still at large
. . . and more

Continue reading »

Couple of surprises this week … David Pogue looks at unsubscribing from spam, and those nasty ‘pump-n-dump’ schemes are back! But that’s not all —
* David Pogue: Rethinking the *Never Unsubscribe* Rule for Spam
* Protect Yourself From the Threat of Mobile Malware
* Comeback of Malicious Pump-and-Dump Campaigns
* New Analysis: Who Do You Trust? (2 Parts)
* Morto worm surprises again
* Serious gaps in security
* BBB warns of email scam
* Antivirus on a Mac
. . . and more

Did you ever get an email like this? Of course you did. And, did you know what to do when you saw it? Of course you did. But evidently, many other people aren’t as smart as you. Would you reply? Maybe, maybe not . . .

Catching up this week, I realized we haven’t had a Safenetting update in a month. My cache for articles to post had 127 items — and I knew I wouldn’t be able to fit all those. So, herein I attempt to touch on just about all the current issues …
* Twitter Phishing Scam Steals Passwords — Site Not Charging
* 6 Signs Your Computer is Infected … and 4 Ways to Fix It
* Microsoft’s August 2011 Patch Tuesday Serves 13 Patches
* Android Dogfighting App Infected with Pro-PETA Malware
* MacDefender taken down in raid by Russian authorities?
* 146 new phishing attacks hosted on government websites
* Rootkit Creators Annihilating Their Mutual Codes
* Gingerbread paves way for GingerMaster malware
* Koobface malware spreading via torrent
* Facebook issues Guide to Security
* Google: IP spoofing on the rise
* Fraud awareness week
* Spam wars heat up
. . . and more

You can buy almost anything over the Internet — including clothes, a pizza, music, a hotel room, even a car. And while most transactions are conducted lawfully and securely, there are instances when criminals insert themselves into the marketplace, hoping to trick potential victims into falling for one of their scams.

Phishing is becoming more and more dangerous. At last, industry and government are starting to wake up to some of the real threats in the world
This week’s notes:
[ ] MobileMe webmail balks at political bulk mailings
[ ] Spear-phishing attacks bring labs offline
[ ] Helpful Tips To Protect Your Online Data
[ ] Search engine poisoning and Tumblr hacking
[ ] Hacker: How I stole $300000
[ ] Scam From Criminal Underground
[ ] Malware Attacks, Routine Expense of Businesses
[ ] Android’s legit looking apps? No, they’re malware
[ ] SourceForge is still harboring porno and malware
. . . and more