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NPR on Mac hacking-- a little FUD, a little fact
NPR hits up the issue of Mac hacking (the bad malware kind, not the good kind), and suggests that Macs are supposedly becoming a bigger target for exploitative folk.While this is a topic that could easily (and does often) degenerate into complete misinformation and FUD, NPR basically acknowledges that Macs are showing up in more and more places (and that includes the iPhone, where even Apple is concerned about security), and that means that they're becoming a juicier target for malware developers. Fortunately, however, a familiar voice shows up later in the report (dig those dulcet tones!) to remind everyone that throughout five iterations of OS X, the malware problems have been hard to find. Malware developers may be trying, but it ain't working.Of course, we can't let this go without noting that this story was inspired in the first place by a PR report released by... you guessed it: an antivirus company. The people who profit off of programs that supposedly prevent malware are claiming that malware is a bigger threat than ever before? Go figure.
Symantec, McAfee announce new mobile security wares
As unfortunate as it is that the world needs such products, the mobile antivirus industry is actually pretty well matured at this point with offerings from big players like McAfee and Kapersky already several versions deep. Both McAfee and Symantec have chosen this week to announce their latest mobile goods; in McAfee's case, it's really just a rehashing of the company's existing VirusScan Mobile software, which is now available to purchasers of its Triple Play offer for comprehensive security from PC to phone and offers protection for Windows Mobile 5 and 6 devices. Symantec meanwhile is introducing its Norton Smartphone Security software, which it claims to be the first to offer protection for Windows Mobile and Symbian devices in a single product. Grab it now (don't want the baddies infecting your N95, do ya?) for $29.99 for a 1-year subscription.[Via Slashphone]Read - Symantec Norton Smartphone SecurityRead - McAfee VirusScan Mobile
Symantec redefines viral marketing with costumed Norton Fighter
So we've heard of viral marketing before, but marketing with anthropomorphic viruses? Well sure enough, Symantec's latest Japanese campaign for its 360 antivirus software pits costumed "trojan horses" and "worms" against the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers-esque Norton Fighter: vigilant protector of truth, justice, and hard drives worldwide (those with valid Norton subscriptions, at least). You can watch an Akihabara street play featuring Japan's latest superhero after the break, but for the best effect, check out the full-screen flash mini-site by following the Read link...[Via Japan Probe, thanks Gaijin-san]
Grisoft marks WoW as a false positive
If you run Grisoft's AVG antivirus program, you may have seen a strange message pop up yesterday-- the program reported that there was a trojan in WoW's fmod.dll file. fmod.dll, as Datth tell us, is part of the sound engine for WoW, and is not a virus at all. But it appears that AVG picked it up as a false positive, and labeled it as dangerous when it wasn't.There was some confusion yesterday about it, but as of right now, the fix is easy-- go to AVG's website and update it to the latest version. The most recent definitions rule WoW's directory A-OK, so everything should be fine. Apparently this is not the only false positive problem AVG has had this week-- Google Desktop was also ruled a virus, so either AVG is being too strict, or these two big software companies are getting a little too grabby for Grisoft's tastes.[ via WoWLJ ]
AVG for OS X?
ZDNet reports that AVG, known for its free Windows antivirus tool, is busy developing an OS X version. Possibly. The company isn't sure whether the product will ever launch. Larry Bridwell of AVG's parent company Grisoft said "[W]e have done the [Linux] BSD version, which makes it a little bit easier to port to the Mac. It is in research and development right now to see if it is going to come out." At this time, OS X remains pretty secure and virus free but one can never tell what time, patience, dedication and a really bad attitude can do to spoil things for everybody.
Symantec responds to security issue
Symantec is aware of the flaw that is in almost all of their software (that's gotta hurt) and the most recent virus definitions include a 'heuristic detection for potential exploits of the Symantec decomposer RAR archive vulnerability.'What the heck does that mean? The vulnerability can only be exploited if your copy of Norton scans a RAR file that has been crafted in such a way as to trigger a buffer overload. The update makes sure that your copy of Norton can detect these naughty files without falling prey to their naughtiness, for lack of a better word.They have also posted instructions on how to setup your anti-virus software to skip over scanning .rar files. Definitely worth checking out if you are running any Symantec anti-virus products.
