Lavasoft News - October 2007


Security Shorts Hacked GOP Site Infects Visitors with Malware The now-infamous Storm Trojan horse is using new distribution methods to attack unsuspecting victims. Where it once used e-mail attachments or embedded links in spam, it has now turned to website exploits, recently infecting PC users through a Republican party website in Wisconsin, USA. Read More Germany Arrests 10 in Global Internet Scam Raids After an 18-month probe, German police have arrested 10 people in Russia, Ukraine, and Germany in connection with an international Internet scam that may have cost hundreds of thousands of Euros from victims. The accused used phishing techniques to lure bank customers into answering fake Ebay or Deutsche Telekom e-mails, and then installed a Trojan horse to record their personal data. Read More Great Firewall of China More Like Chain-Link Fence Researchers at the University of California at Davis and the University of New Mexico have proven that banned terms can slip through the government-imposed firewall for Internet surfing in China. Even with the occasional slip in security, most citizens still avoid searching for banned terms and concepts for fear that their Internet activity is being monitored by the Chinese government. Read More Financially Motivated Malware Thrives As malware becomes more and more lucrative, software programs are being released that allow any unskilled hacker to earn a living sending spam. In September, a group of Russian hackers released a malware kit for $200 U.S. with information on how to become a master spammer. Read More Home		Stats When it comes to the using the Web, nothing is quite like content. Internet users spend more time online viewing news or entertainment content than on sending e-mail, shopping or searching for information. A study conducted by Nielsen/ NetRatings logged a 37 percent rise in the amount of time spent viewing online videos and news. Overall, nearly half of time spent online in 2007, 47 percent, is made up of viewing content. The study sites the explosion of web content, like social networking sites, along with an increase in online speeds as factors in the increase. Source: Reuters Term of the Month The Hosts File is a file stored on your computer that is used to look up the Internet Protocol (IP) address of a device connected to a computer network. Some spyware changes your Hosts File in order to redirect you from a site you intended to visit to sites that the spyware company wants you to see. Source: Anti-Spyware Coalition Glossary Tech Tips You already know the paid versions of Lavasoft’s anti-spyware software have vital real-time protection to relieve the burden of constant malware attacks. But Ad-Aware 2007 Plus and Pro versions also include built-in privacy and security tools, for example, the Hosts File Editor. You can use the Hosts File Editor to take control of your Web navigation by blocking advertisement sites, reversing browser hijack entries, assisting with parental controls, and creating navigation shortcuts. To use the Hosts File Editor in Ad-Aware 2007, from the “Tools and Plug-ins” tab, select “Tools” and then click “Hosts File Editor.” New users can find more specific directions in the Ad-Aware 2007 Product Manual. Helpful Homepage Creating strong online passwords is one piece of the security equation. If you are wondering just how secure that password you have created really is, Lavasoft News has come across a website you can use to rate passwords, to help you learn how to create better ones. Try out the “Password Strength Meter” on Securitystats.com. Remember, even though the site will not store the passwords you enter, test a password similar to one you might use (not your real password), as the site advises. Lavasoft AB Lilla Bommen 1 411 04 Gothenburg Sweden www.lavasoft.com editor@lavasoft.com