Zeus + PDF = another security challenge. PDF files have become one of the leading attack vectors on the internet, and everyone needs to know to be careful. Zeus, one of the nastiest banking trojans, is now being spread this way.

“No updates for you!” Microsoft is a bit gun-shy after recent blue-screen problems that were actually the result of underlying malware infections. Some new updates will not install if “certain abnormal conditions” exist in the kernel (a likely indication of a malware infection). Running “mrt” from the “Run” box on XP or from the search bar on Vista / W7 will remove most of these infections.

Here is a good summary of the security features of W7 that we should all be familiar with.

Not many Nerds are big fans of Norton Internet Security, but it’s good to see what they are up to. The 2011 version has some interesting new features, which are likely to consume even more resources that with previous versions. The additional complexity will probably confuse users as well.

Fix a problem – create a bigger one. Microsoft has incorporated cross-site scripting (XSS) protection into IE8, but researchers have found a way to turn this “fix” into an even bigger problem. Security is not easy.

In case you were wondering – yes, there are “security / spyware (depending on your perspective)” apps for the Blackberry.

Here are 3 reasons employees break security rules: They don’t know about them, the rule are not enforced, and the rules hinder productivity.

Public networks + smart phones = business risk. Everyone likes to be mobile, and what we used to call a “cell phone” is now a portable computer. The problem is, security on smart phones is often less robust and / or mis-configured.

Finally, here is a link to part two (so you can link back to part one) of a two-part series on protecting children online. It is a good summary and should be passed on to your clients who have young children.

Dennis H in West Virginia, US

April 20, 2010