antispam - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

• North Korea denies role in Sony hack

  An unidentified North Korean official has denied that his country was behind the hack of Sony Pictures, an online report claimed.

• Microsoft plans monster security update for next week

  Microsoft today said it will issue 16 security updates on Tuesday, the most in more than three years, to patch Internet Explorer (IE), Windows, Office, Exchange Server and SharePoint Server.

• Microsoft releases stopgap POODLE protection for Internet Explorer

  Microsoft on Wednesday gave Windows customers an easier way to block attacks against Internet Explorer (IE) meant to steal browser session cookies and impersonate victims.

• Microsoft misses Windows bug, hackers slip past patch

  Microsoft patched one bug in Windows last week, but missed another that hackers continue to exploit, according to security researchers at McAfee.

• Accused text-message spammers to pay $9 million in settlement

  A group of companies that allegedly promised mobile phone users supposedly free gift cards and electronic devices in a "massive" text-messaging spam operation will pay more than US$9 million to settle complaints from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

• Browser makers spell out anti-POODLE plans

  The top three browser makers announced yesterday how they will deal with the design flaw in SSL 3.0 after researchers revealed that their "POODLE" attack method can steal encrypted information and pilfer browser session cookies.

• Shellshocked, and expecting worse to come

  I was Shellshocked last week.

• Backoff malware infections are more widespread than thought

  The number of businesses hit by the data-stealing Backoff malware may be substantially more than the 1,000 or so companies estimated by federal officials, according to security vendor Kaspersky Labs.

• Microsoft to resume email-based security notifications

  Microsoft has backtracked on a plan to stop sending email-based notifications about security bulletins starting this month.

• Spamhaus readies new antimalware data feeds

  The Spamhaus Project will soon publish two new data feeds intended to prevent people from being lured to malware-infected websites and domains.

• Massive botnet takedown stops spread of Cryptolocker ransomware

  The takedown earlier this week of a major malware-spewing botnet has crippled the distribution of Cryptolocker, one of the world's most sophisticated examples of ransomware.

• Global operation disrupts thousands of illegal online pharmacies

  Law enforcement agencies in 111 countries collaborated to disrupt thousands of online pharmacies in what Interpol claims was the largest ever global operation targeting organized criminal networks that sell fake medicines.

• Yahoo email anti-spoofing policy breaks mailing lists

  In an attempt to block email spoofing attacks on yahoo.com addresses, Yahoo began imposing a stricter email validation policy that unfortunately breaks the usual workflow on legitimate mailing lists.

• UK mobile operators join forces to combat text spam

  U.K. mobile network operators EE, O2, Three and Vodafone have teamed up with the U.K. Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) to try to stop and punish companies that are sending spam text messages.

• Almost 11 days later, Google finally clears up Postini email backlog

  After about a week-and-a-half, Google finished unclogging a backlog of legitimate messages its Postini spam filter trapped by mistake at the end of February.