Lavasoft News - March 2007


Good things come to those who wait. And we know all you allegiant Ad-Aware users have been waiting patiently to get your hands on our new product. Well, the wait is over. The public beta test for Ad-Aware 2007 is set for this month and in this issue of Lavasoft News we give you details on where and how to sign up. Plus find out what makes this new-and-improved Ad-Aware worth waiting for-see a full feature list. Also in this issue: those brutal botnets, that mighty MySpace and one of the biggest online scams ever. A must read... Tell us what you think at editor@lavasoft.com Ad-Aware 2007 Beta and Beyond With the release of Ad-Aware 2007's public beta just around the corner, we wanted to give you, our loyal Lavasoft News readers, the inside scoop on the upcoming beta and the final product. Read more Battling the Botnet Pandemic The malicious worldwide web of hackers and cyber-criminals are taking control of computers, leaving the Internet open to widespread attack and fraud. Experts agree that a solution to the growing botnet problem must be found if there is to be any future for the Web. Read more MySpace's Adventures in Cyberspace The wildly popular social networking website MySpace is on the verge of pushing out web favorites like Google and Yahoo to top web surfer's charts. For all its success, MySpace has come up against its share of mishaps, miscreants, and malware. Discover the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of this growing cultural phenomenon. Read more Swedish Bank Falls Prey to Internet Fraud Swedish bank Nordea is trying to track down the phishing gangs who stole more than 8 million kronor ($1.1 million U.S.) from its customers in what is thought to be the biggest online fraud ever. Read more Vista Vulnerabilities Vista, the much-anticipated and long-awaited successor to Windows XP, has been a subject of controversy in the security industry long before it was released to the public. Now, following its release, the security spotlight continues. Read more Security Shorts Lavasoft News has compiled a list of "security shorts" - summaries of other online security stories making news around the world this past month. Read more New Targets in Detection (February 2007) Protect your privacy with a complete list of new targets for February 2007. Read more Lavasoft Blog If you want to go behind the walls of Lavasoft, hear what we are up to, what we are thinking and what is happening in the industry, the Lavasoft Company Blog is the place to go for regular, up-to-date information. Read more To get all news on one, printable page, click here Home		Stats One of the so-called "fathers of the Internet" claims 100-150 million of the 600 million online computers are virus-infected components in botnet networks of PCs under control of hackers. Read who said it and what other predictions he makes in our story, "Battling the Botnet Pandemic." Term of the Month Botnet, shortened from roBOT NETwork, is a network of compromised PCs. It is a type of Remote Control Software, specifically a collection of software robots, or 'bots', which run autonomously. Botnets have been used for sending spam remotely, installing more spyware without consent, and for other illicit purposes. Educate yourself by reading more terms in our Spyware Glossary. Tech Tips Having up-to-date firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware programs is key in keeping your computer safe, but be prepared in the event of a system crash. Back up your files! Along with confidential documents, think of all those personal photos you may have stored on your PC. Don't lose them! Copy them onto a removable disc and store them in a safe place. It may seem like simple advice, but many computer users don't have any back ups at all. Letters to the Editor Many of you who wrote to us feel the so-called "spyware" teacher shouldn't be put behind bars and that malware is the real criminal in this case. Stay tuned to this story as sentencing is handed down March 2. In the meantime, read a few of your letters here (some have been shortened due to space limitations). Lavasoft AB Lilla Bommen 1 411 04 Gothenburg Sweden www.lavasoft.com editor@lavasoft.com