Internet Roundup On Security Awareness

Microsoft released a huge security update, its biggest in five years, containing 28 packages of which 23 are marked “critical”. You better run the Windows Updates immediately; I am right now.

There is a Firefox trojan that is trolling around stealing passwords. Read the Larry Seltzer’s post for the story and a suggestion.

Friend Brian got numerous cases with a variant of Win32/FakeSecScan virus in the last couple of weeks and so compiled a helpful one-page PDF called “Beware of Fake Antivirus Programs” (PDF link warning). I have one more thing to add. When you see that popup message, open the taskmanager and kill the browser. Some of the uglier ones of this kind don’t have a better solution.

Computer World has a very alarming story. McColo Corp., a webhosting firm, was taken down a month ago resulting in a 42% drop of spam volume. Slowly, actually quickly, the spam levels are catching up again.

McAfee released its Virtual Criminology report recently. It accuses the governments of turning a blind eye to cybercrime, according to PCWorld. I agree that there is a damn lot to be done, but McAfee’s bombastic style takes away a little credibility, not of the report itself but of the accusation. If say the US government were turning a blind eye, there wouldn’t even be talking about a Center for Cybersecurity Operations, would they?

Blizzard has introduced two-factor authentication in World of Warcraft. On top of the usual password, there will be a six-digit authentication code generated by the %6.50 worth keyfob on-demand for each login.