Lavasoft News - April 2007

Thank you!

We at Lavasoft want to thank all of you eager beta testers, hundreds of thousands of you, who have downloaded Ad-Aware 2007 and are testing, filing bug reports, and giving us very useful feedback. With so many of you interested in the new Ad-Aware before it's finished, we can't wait to see your reaction when the final product is commercially released. For all the details on the Beta, please read our article "Ad-Aware 2007 Beta Status Report" below.

This month you can also find out how spyware is putting a major strain on business, get details on re-introduced anti-spyware legislation, learn the history of the blog, and much more.

If you want to comment on an article you see in Lavasoft News or have ideas for future stories, get in touch at editor@lavasoft.com.

News from Lavasoft

Ad-Aware Beta Status Report
An overwhelming response. That is putting it lightly. The Public Beta of Ad-Aware 2007 is in its fifth week now and has attracted hundreds of thousands of beta testers the world over.

Politicians Vow to Get Anti-Spyware Bill Passed
After a couple of failed attempts at getting their anti-spyware legislation passed, two members of the U.S. House of Representatives are back with a revised bill, hoping this time will be the charm.

Malware's Heavy Toll on Business
PC users feel the everyday effects of spam, phishing, and spyware. But malware also affects businesses, which have to bear the financial burden brought on by the growing threats.

The Rise and Rise of the Blog
The advent of the web log has turned into a cyber-explosion, as anyone and everyone is able to publish information to the masses. Find out how the blog has developed from a few meagre web diaries to a useful online tool for millions.

Viacom vs. YouTube - Adding it All Up Forbes
By now we all know about the $1 billion U.S. lawsuit Viacom has filed against Google-owned YouTube for copyright infringement. Many say the case won't ever make it to court. But if it does, it could get pretty expensive for both sides. Forbes adds it up!

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.

Spyware Newsbits

New Targets in Detection (April 2007)
Protect your privacy with a complete list of new targets for March 2007.

At the Heart of the (Malware) Issue
To those questioning the process Lavasoft uses to detect malware, please read our recent blog entry that gets to the heart of the issue.

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.

To get all news on one, printable page, click here

Home

Net Stats
The world generated 161 billion gigabytes of data in 2006, according to a new study by technology research firm IDC. That is 3 million times the information in all the books EVER written. Or picture this - 12 stacks of books that each reach from the Earth to the sun. That is a good chunk of photos, videos, e-mail, web pages, instant messages, phone calls, and other digital data.
Source: IDC, AP

Term of the Month
Polymorphism is a term often used today to describe 'morphing' malware. The spyware application uses a rudimentary form of polymorphism to randomize files, names and registry keys so each infected PC contains a slightly different version of the program. Read the 'computer science' definition of polymorphism at Wikipedia.

Tech Tips
If you cannot save attached files to your PC, your e-mail client may be configured to stop you from opening file attachments of a certain size or type. This is set for security reasons. If you are using Outlook Express, open the Tools menu and select Options. Click the Security tab, deselect the Do Not Allow Attachments To Be Saved Or Opened That Could Potentially Be A Virus option, and click OK. Be sure to scan the saved file for malware before opening it!

Ballot Box Poll Results
Here are the results from our latest Lavasoft.com Ballot Box poll:
How well do you read EULA's (End User License Agreements)?

I read in detail :	789
I scan the text :	2593
I accept without reading :	5772

Go to Lavasoft.com and take our latest poll: Do you know what pharming is?

Helpful Homepage
There are countless rogue/suspect anti-spyware products and websites out there trying to fool PC users today. Lavasoft News found a great webpage listing a good number of these, including screenshots. Educate yourself at Spyware Warrior!

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