Flame (Worm.Win32.Flame) – The most sophisticated malware till now

It’s a dawn of new era for malware and for makers of prevention engines also. The malware is termed Flame malware with technical name of Worm.Win32.Flame and it is something what security software companies has never seen before. It redefined the definition malware.

What is a malware ?

It is type of software program which causes unauthorized action in your computer to either steal data or cripple the system for performing certain task.

  • Virus
  • Trojan
  • Spyware

Goal of malware ?

In today’s world, economic purpose is the main goal of malware industry to steal data and use the data for financial gain for the maker.


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Silent performer – Microsoft Security Essentials

  • It stays silent under Windows Task Bar
  • It works silently with its ultra fast real time protection
  • It updates silently with along with Windows Update

Silently it is now gaining more than more user base. It is the Microsoft Security Essential. Light weight, free and ultra fast added with its silent working feature making it a hit with both business or home PC users.

Studies show the gradual increase in market share of the product over times as more and more users silently shifts towards this Free and Light weight security product from Microsoft.

If you have not tried it yet and using a paid software, then it’s highly recommended to give it a try after your present subscription ends. This software is no way inferior to those heavy priced security product for an average user, both business or personal.

Microsoft Security Essentials

Download -> http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/security-essentials/download

Auto Update -> Windows Update

Offline manual update -> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971606

Supports -> Windows XP / Windows Vista (x86 and x64) / Windows 7 (x86 and x64)

New hard drive comes with malware and pirated movies

Often we buy new storage device and plugin to some of our very important systems (PC or server or notebook) thinking it to be totally safe since its a brand new device. How ever a recent news may send scare through any IT professional working with a system having sensitive data or information.

An Australian film maker Darryl Mason, bought a new hard drive from a well known Australian departmental brand Dick Smith. The reason for purchase was to back up video footage of his upcoming films from his laptop. The data was very sensitive and precious in terms of effort was put in to shoot, hence he never connected the laptop to any other storage or to Internet to prevent any malware infection or such.

However to his utter surprise, he found the new hard drive already had few Pirated Movies and after connecting the hard disk, his laptop is reporting file corruption with many of his videos and files indicating presence of possible malware in the device.

Read in Details -> Exposed: ‘new’ Dick Smith hard drive full of pirated movies

It should be warring to all IT professional and home users too. Never to trust even a new device. Always pre-scan the device before plugging it to an important system if there is no security software present in that.

Tip for home users

Malware protection is not that costly by the way. Microsoft offers a real time scanner called Security Essential for free to all Windows users.

Download is simple, easy to use (infact all it needs is installation and it works in background) and update. Comes with real time scanner to protect the system for unwanted infections and very light weight on system resources too.

Microsoft Security Essentials -> http://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/mse.aspx

Windows Intune -> PC management via cloud for business users with large user base

Microsoft Windows Intune is a web based management console which works with a cloud service hosted by Microsoft to allow IT administrator to manage the computers of the organisation they belong to for deployment, configure, secure and lot more.

Quick Overview of Windows Intune

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGLmTqlIdxU&feature=related

Windows intune would require a monthly substitution for each PCs and can be accessed and manages from anywhere using a browser. The service is hosted by Microsoft under their infrastructure.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUfnMbD9hUU

Read more -> http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windowsintune/explore.aspx

Download Comodo Internet Security Pro 2011 for free

Comodo Internet Security Pro 2011 costing USD 50 a year is now offered free for first year license. The Security suite includes a VB100 certified Comodo AV engine along with award wining firewall and other protection features.

Download one year free subscription -> http://www.comodo.com/home/internet-security/internet-security-pro.php

The Software supports Windows XP / VIsta and 7 under both x86 and x64 platform. Also at the time of installation you may chose to install the needed modules (AVS / Firewall) as a stand alone.

Two years into Microsoft Security Essential

Its been almost two years since Microsoft Security Essential first made its appearance into Microsoft Connect website for internal beta testing. First it was in my Virtual installations and then slowly it started to become primary AVS in my Netbook, laptop and with release of MSE 2.0 in my primary desktop as well.

No matter what ever type of user you are, developer, gamer, office user, if you have a Windows OS, its almost mandatory to have an AVS or security suite running for healthy computing experience. Over the years, we have been snuffling between AVG or Avast as free options or with Kaspersky / NOD32 / BitDiffender / Norton as heavy duty paid options. But problems would never stop coming. Sometime, the free options fail to detect threats where as most of the time paid options would slow down the system by becoming resource hogger.
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List of few alternative task manager program to default Windows Task Manager


“Ctrl + Alt + Del”.

One of the most famous shortcut command of Windows to bring up the Task Manager to monitor and troubleshot any resource hungry or unresponsive program. However Windows Task manager is not the only program or tool available for Microsoft Windows to perform the said action. Let’s take a quick look at few of the alternate options also.

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Download Free Antivirus software (Microsoft Security Essential) from Microsoft

In todays world, where more and more of our application and computing is dependent on Internet, it becomes absolutely necessary for an user to have an active Anti Virus software installed for his/her Windows operating system.

There are many Paid and free solutions available and sometime it may become bit confusing to find the right solution for our self.

Recently Microsoft have come forward with an proper solution for their users. A basic but effective Anti Malware software coming with real time protection.

The Microsoft Security Essentials is offered free for all Genuine Windows (XP / Vista / 7) users and supports both x86 (32bit) and x64 (64bit) platform.

Download (~10mb) -> http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/default.aspx

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How to manually download Microsoft Security Essentials (Anti-Virus) offline update

Microsoft Security Essentials is a free but every effective antivirus / malware software offered by Microsoft to all Windows customers. Microsoft Security Essentials supports Windows XP / Windows Vista and Windows 7 in both 64bit (x64) and 32bit (x86) platform.

The software is capable enough to update it self from Internet if having live internet connection, but many users who wish to use it in PC without live internet can also manually download offline updates from Microsoft website.

Download Update -> x86 (32bit) / x64 (64bit)

One can download it and can carry it (using USB or CD/DVD) to the PC running MSE 1.0 to run the update EXE to update the anti virus software. Read more @ MS KB971606.

Quick look at (user review) Kaspersky Internet Security 2011

Kaspersky Internet Security (KIS 11.0) 2011 is out. Let us have a quick look at the product and its feature and performance and lets do a quick comparison with other available options.

What is Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 ?

Kaspersky Labs are a well know market player in terms of security suites. Kaspersky came to spot light with their product Kaspersky AntiVirus Personal Pro 5.0 and since then have impressed many with their detection ratio and ability to keep systems malware free with all of their future version.

Its been couple of months as Kaspersky have released their new version, the Kaspersky Internet Security 2011.

How to get Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 ?

The software is available on line at company store, or you may buy from a amputated online software dealer or rather walking in to any near by software retailer and buying it box pack.

In Amazon.com or at Newegg.com, you may get 3 user license of the product at USD 15, effectively USD 5 for each user if you are sharing it with any of your family member / friends or room mate.

In India, the KIS 2011 3 user license box pack retails at Rs. 650/- (USD 13), meaning effective cost per user per year is around Rs. 220 or USD 4.

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Virus writers often end up sending their codes to Microsoft

At a Microsoft Tech.Ed 2010 conference session, Microsoft security team said that often many hackers and virus writers end up clicking “Send” button after crashing their test systems with their malicious code and ending up sending their malicious codes to Microsoft even before they can release it at in form of a malware.

One of Microsoft’s top security architect Rocky Heckman points that its surprising that how much data they receive every year for this.

How to create better / stronger and super passwords ??

Most of our financial and personal data is now getting online. Only thing that secures the data from a thief is a simple thing called “password”. Over the years with ever rising hardware power, this simple thing aint simple anymore. Hackers are now days cracking simple passwords with ease, so the question a common web user always face is how to chose a better and stronger password ??

Researchers of “Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science” suggest two simple methods to choose your password.

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Orkut phishing attack – Free mobile recharge scam..

It has been a common problem for orkut users to find their account getting hacked. Most of us blame Google (orkut) for the reason, thinking that they have lower level of security. However the truth is, passwords are never leaked from Google’s end, its us, the user caused actions leads to a password leakage.

One of those reasons are like falling victims of topic like this, poping up in communities.

Content of this type of topic is very clear, they lure you to visit a given URL from the same tab or browser window it self. The new URL asks you to copy paste a javaScript, which puts you back to orkut.

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Kaspersky Internet Security / AntiVirus 2009 (v8.0) / 2010 (v9.0) blocks google ads by calling it a Phishing Attack

It seems, some one at Kaspersky doesn’t like Google and doesn’t want its users to view the ads.

For last few hours, Kaspersky Internet Security / AntiVirus  2009 (8.0) / 2010 (9.0) seems to be blocking any website which contains with Google Ads via Google Adsense.

The problem effects all users having uptodate database and its been reported to affect all geographical locations. You may follow the development at Kaspersky official forum.

Download Kaspersky AntiVirus / Internet Security (v9.0) 2010 Offline update (ZIP)

kaspersky_2010_update-logo_03

Kaspersky Lab have released a stand alone utility tool to download and store Kaspersky Internet / AntiVirus  9.0 updates (virus definition /database / program module ) in a portable storage drive to update any computer which doesn’t have a live Internet connection.

Although the tool is small, simple and very easy to use but in many cases users are finding that their school / college or office computers are having restriction on executing the batch file.

To many users, the update delivery system of the older version (5.0) was better because in that case, Kaspersky Labs used to provide the update as ZIP file.

Those who wish to obtain the updates of KIS / KAV 2010 as ZIP file can download it from Choto Cheeta Online. Here, I will try to provide regular updates of the product by downloading them via the update utility and  uploading them as a ZIPed archive from my local PC.

Download Update -> September 05, 2010

Please make sure you are using the latest version of Kaspersky Installation. You may always download the updated version of the product free of charge from Kaspersky website & can install with your existing license.