Stories by Ellen Messmer

Can anti-virus technology morph into breach detection systems?

Anti-virus software is still often considered a "checkbox" item for enterprise deployments, especially on Microsoft Windows, but over the decades, anti-virus software changed to do far more than just signature-based virus blocking. Today, the question is whether the type of anti-malware product that evolved from virus checking can transform again to be a part of a "breach detection system," or BDS

Written by Ellen Messmer12 March 14 22:15

Skype-based malware shows how 'peculiar' malicious code can be

Malware often does strange things, but this one -- which looked like Skype installed on a corporate domain controller -- was most "peculiar," says Jim Butterworth, a security expert at ManTech International, whose security subsidiary HBGary recently found the custom-designed remote-access Trojan on a customer's network.

Written by Ellen Messmer06 March 14 21:13

NSA's civil liberties impact to be measured by federal watchdog

A government watchdog group tasked with overseeing whether actions the President's executive office takes to combat terrorism don't throw civil liberties overboard in the process is taking aim at the National Security Agency's "PRISM" data-collection surveillance program.

Written by Ellen Messmer05 March 14 22:08

Android-based malware: the good, the bad and the ugly

When it comes to mobile devices, it's well known that malware writers like to target Android. But a threat report published by security firm F-Secure puts in perspective why Android malware attacks often flop and why Android itself is no pushover.

Written by Ellen Messmer05 March 14 06:44

Chinese government still sponsoring cyber-espionage, says FireEye COO

A year ago, Mandiant, since acquired by FireEye, issued a long report called "APT1" that accused China's People's Liberation Army of launching cyber-espionage attacks against 141 companies in 20 industries through a group known as "PLA Unit 61398" operating mainly from Shanghai.

Written by Ellen Messmer28 Feb. 14 19:28

Cisco: $US300,000 prize for Internet of Things security apps

Cisco has kicked off a contest with $US300,000 in prize money that challenges security experts around the world to put together ways to secure what's now called the Internet of Things, the wide range of non-traditional computing devices used on the electric grid, in healthcare and many other industries.

Written by Ellen Messmer28 Feb. 14 15:26

RSA security attack demo deep-fries Apple Mac components

How bad can cyberattacks get? How about burning the internal components of a machine, whether PC or Mac, to a crisp so there's no thought of it being recoverable? That's what security vendor CrowdStrike showed could be done to an Apple Mac OS X today at the RSA Conference.

Written by Ellen Messmer26 Feb. 14 20:13

Are Apple iOS, OS X flaws really backdoors for spies?

Two recently-discovered flaws in Apple iOS and Mac OS X have security experts openly asking whether the software vulnerabilities represent backdoors inserted for purposes of cyber-espionage. There's no clear answer so far, but it just shows that anxiety about state-sponsored surveillance is running high.

Written by Ellen Messmer26 Feb. 14 18:04

Oracle introduces Mobile Security Suite for Android and iOS

After acquiring mobile application management company Bitzer Mobile late last year, Oracle today announced that it has taken Bitzer's basic "container" technology for Apple ioS and Google Android and linked it to identity management.

Written by Ellen Messmer26 Feb. 14 14:12

Check Point unveils security architecture for threat-intelligence sharing

Check Point Software Technologies today said it is extending its security architecture to be able to incorporate more threat-intelligence data that could be shared with other vendor partners, with the goal of providing more adaptive prevention.

Written by Ellen Messmer25 Feb. 14 14:54

AT&T and IBM cement security partnership

AT&T and IBM, at the RSA Conference, announced they've sealed a partnership to provide security services for a wide range of enterprises in a way that blends technology and professional services both vendors have.

Written by Ellen Messmer25 Feb. 14 06:04
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