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Security News

• Microsoft's Morro Could Challenge Security Giants (NewsFactor)

  NewsFactor - McAfee and Symantec could be affected as Microsoft moves to provide free antivirus software. If the software, code-named Morro, successfully protects against viruses, analysts said, it could mean an exodus from well-known security brands.

• Experts: Cybercrime as Destructive as Credit Crisis (PC Magazine)

  PC Magazine - Cybercrime is likely to wreak as much havoc as the credit crisis in the coming years if international regulation is not improved, some of the world's top crime experts said on Wednesday.

• Microsoft: New software not Symantec, McAfee rival (Reuters)

  Reuters - Microsoft Corp's upcoming security software is not designed to take sales from Symantec Corp and McAfee Inc as it is a stripped-down, free product that focuses purely on anti-virus protection, a Microsoft executive said.

• Microsoft Will Replace OneCare with Security Software (NewsFactor)

  NewsFactor - Microsoft plans to stop accepting paid subscriptions to Windows Live OneCare in mid-2009. The security software is slated to be replaced by a free offering code-named Morro, which will focus on providing consumer PCs with core protection from viruses, spyware, rootkits, trojans and other forms of malware.

• Cybercrime as destructive as credit crisis: experts (Reuters)

  Reuters - Cybercrime is likely to wreak as much havoc as the credit crisis in the coming years if international regulation is not improved, some of the world's top crime experts said on Wednesday.

  
  

• Antivirus firms shrug at Microsoft's free security suite (CNET)

  CNET - Updated 1:15 p.m. PST with Symantec comment.

• Microsoft to offer free anti-virus software (AFP)

  AFP - Microsoft has announced plans to offer free anti-virus software to PC users starting next year.

  
  

• Microsoft to offer free security software (Reuters)

  Reuters - Microsoft Corp said Wednesday it will discontinue sales of its subscription PC security service and instead offer free software to help protect computers from viruses, spyware and other threats.

  
  

• I'm from Microsoft. Here's how we crush bones (CNET)

  CNET - Credit John Thompson for having impeccable timing. Of course, the timing of his resignation announcement as chief executive officer from Symantec was purely coincidental, falling just one day before Microsoft dropped an A-bomb on the antivirus security market. But better lucky than good.

• Symantec's New CEO Was Guided Into Job (Investor's Business Daily)

  Investor's Business Daily - A changing of the guard is on at Symantec, the largest maker of computer security software. Chief Executive John Thompson will retire after a decade in the role. Chief Operating Officer Enrique Salem takes the helm in April.

• Unisys survey looks beyond cybersecurity (CNET)

  CNET - Internet security isn't a top concern among most average people, says a report released Tuesday by Unisys. What concerns most people is National Security, followed by financial worries.

• Microsoft to Replace OneCare with Thin Alternative (PC Magazine)

  PC Magazine - Microsoft said Tuesday that it will discontinue its OneCare PC protection offering next June, replacing it with a thinner, free offering, "Morro," focused solely on anti-malware protection.

• Spammers sent packing — for now — by Web shutdown (AP)

  AP - E-mailers, enjoy the early holiday gift: Spam volume has been cut by more than half because Internet providers pulled the plug on a Web hosting firm that was allegedly helping some of the world's most dastardly junk e-mail gangs.

• You don't know tech: The InfoWorld news quiz (InfoWorld)

  InfoWorld - Election fervor has calmed down, and the economy is melting down. Are you down with the latest in high tech? This week's quiz ranges from new Sony handsets to new Live services from Microsoft. Also: A spam-friendly ISP gets its just desserts, and Yankee Stadium gets a high-tech makeover. Correct answers are worth 10 points apiece. Ready to test your wits against our fiendish quiz master? Then let's play ball.

• New US travel security measure takes effect Jan 12 (AP)

  AP - U.S. officials say Europeans and others who travel visa-free to the United States must start registering their trips electronically as part of a new online security screening process which takes effect Jan. 12, 2009.

• AVG Offers Free Subscription for Deleting Key File (PC Magazine)

  PC Magazine - Security vendor AVG said Thursday that the company will offer a free year of service, after its antivirus software misidentified a key Windows system file as malware.

• Security Alliance Slashes Spam, Closes Malware Host (NewsFactor)

  NewsFactor - The Internet is a little less jammed with spam after a cybercrime group blew the whistle on one of the biggest offenders. HostExploit, an alliance of volunteers who work at Google, McAfee and Arbor Networks, has been tracking and documenting cybercrime activity and its latest effort slashed worldwide spam by 50 percent and junk e-mail by 75 percent.

• Political And Other Hacks (Investor's Business Daily)

  Investor's Business Daily - Security: Computer systems of the McCain and Obama camps as well as the White House were hacked into during the campaign by Chinese computer hackers. Cyber-warfare is one area that should not be cut.

• AVG Antivirus Update Mistakenly Deletes System File (NewsFactor)

  NewsFactor - An update for the AVG 8 antivirus software for Windows 2000, XP and Vista released Saturday mistakenly warned that the Windows system file user32.dll was a Trojan horse. The problem affected the Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish versions.

• AVG update cripples some Windows XP systems (CNET)

  CNET - On Tuesday an update for AVG 8 suggested that a Windows system file is a Trojan horse, and users who delete the file form the system could leave their Windows XP systems endlessly rebooting or unable to reboot at all.