Last week, the Department of Homeland Security revealed a rash of cyber attacks on natural gas pipeline companies. Just as with previous cyber attacks on infrastructure, there was no known physical damage. But security experts worry it may only be a matter of time.
Efforts to protect pipelines and other critical systems have been halting despite broad agreement that they’re vulnerable to viruses like Stuxnet 2014 the mysterious worm that caused havoc to Iran‘s nuclear program two years ago.
The Frankenstein-like virus infected a type of industrial controller that is ubiquitous 2014 used around the world on everything from pipelines to the electric grid.
Stuxnet first made headlines when it burrowed into computers that controlled uranium centrifuges in Iran’s renegade nuclear program. Its self-replicating computer code is usually transmitted on flash drives anyone can stick into a computer. Once activated, the virus made Iran’s centrifuges spin out of control while making technicians think everything was working normally 2014 think of a scene in a bank heist movie where the robbers loop old security camera footage while they sneak into the vault.
Q. Who created it?
Whoever knows the answer to this isn’t telling 2014 but if cybersecurity researchers, the Iranian government and vocal Internet users are to be believed, the two prime suspects are the U.S. and Israeli governments.
Q. How does it work?
Stuxnet seeks out little gray computers called programmable logic controllers, or PLCs. The size and shape of a carton of cigarettes, PLCs are used in industrial settings from pretzel factories to nuclear power plants. Unfortunately, security researchers say the password requirements for the devices are often weak, creating openings that Stuxnet (or other viruses) can exploit. Siemens made the PLCs that ran Iran’s centrifuges; other makers include Modicon and Allen Bradley. Once introduced via computers running Microsoft Windows, Stuxnet looks for a PLC it can control.
Q. How big is the problem?
Millions of PLCs are in use all over the world, and Siemens is one of the top five vendors.
Q. After Iran, did Siemens fix its devices?
Siemens released a software tool for users to detect and remove the Stuxnet virus, and encourages its customers to install fixes Microsoft put out for its Windows system soon after the Iran attack became public (most PLCs are programmed from computers running Windows.) It is also planning to release a new piece of hardware for its PLCs, called a communications processor, to make them more secure 2014 though it’s unclear whether the new processor will fix the specific problems Stuxnet exploited. Meanwhile, the firm acknowledges its PLCs remain vulnerable2014 in a statement to ProPublica, Siemens said it was impossible to guard against every possible attack.
Q. Is Siemens alone?
Logic controllers made by other companies also have flaws, as researchers from NSS labs, a security research firm, have pointed out. Researchers at a consulting firm called Digital Bond drew more attention to the problem earlier this year when they released code targeting commonly used PLCs using some of Stuxnet’s techniques. A key vulnerability is password strength 2014 PLCs connected to corporate networks or the Internet are frequently left wide open, Digital Bond CEO Dale Peterson says.
Q. What makes these systems so tough to protect?
Like any computer product, industrial control systems have bugs that programmers can’t foresee. Government officials and security researchers say critical systems should never be connected to the Internet 2014 though they frequently are. But having Internet access is convenient and saves money for companies that operate water, power, transit and other systems.
Q. Is cost an issue?
System manufacturers are reluctant to patch older versions of their products, government and private sector researchers said. Utility companies and other operators don’t want to shell out money to replace systems that seem to be working fine. Dan Auerbach of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, formerly a security engineer at Google, says the pressure on tech companies to quickly release products sometimes trumps security. “There’s an incentive problem,” he said.
Q. What’s the government doing?
The Department of Energy and the Department of Homeland Security’s Computer Emergency Readiness Team, or CERT, work with infrastructure owners, operators and vendors to prevent and respond to cyber threats. Researchers at government-funded labs also assess threats and recommend fixes. But government agencies cannot 2014 and do not attempt to 2014 compel systems vendors to fix bugs.
The only national cybersecurity regulation is a set of eight standards approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 2014 but these only apply to producers of high-voltage electricity. A Department of Energy audit last year concluded the standards were weak and not well implemented.
Q. So is Congress weighing in?
Cybersecurity has been a much-debated issue. Leading bills, including the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, would enable government and the private sector to share more threat information. But while CISPA and other bills give the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies more power to monitor problems, they all take voluntary approaches.
“Some of my colleagues have said nothing will change until something really bad happens,” said Peterson, whose consulting firm exposed vulnerabilities. “I’m hoping that’s not true.”
Q. What does the Obama administration want?
The White House has called for legislation that encourages private companies to notify government agencies after they’ve faced cyber intrusions, and recommends private companies secure their own systems against hackers. But the White House stops short of calling for mandatory cybersecurity standards for the private sector.
GFI Vipre Internet Security 2012 is advertised as ‘antivirus that doesn’t slow down your PC’. Any potential performance impact on your computer is one of the most important aspects to consider when choosing security software, especially if your computer has a modest specification.
The software can be bought as a single user licence, which includes virus definition and product updates for just one PC, or as a Home Site licence for only £10 more – this covers up to ten PCs for one year. The Home Site licence is good value if you have several PCs in your household.
We found GFI’s claim that Internet Security will not slow down your PC to be well founded. On our netbook, with a modest 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, the effect on the Windows start up time was negligible. The program did not slow down our netbook while it ran in the background either, even when set to the maximum level of protection offered. We also liked how the program required little user intervention. It updated itself and the firewall allowed us to use common internet applications such as Spotify without having to adjust settings.
Besides anti-virus, firewall and anti-phishing modules, there is a selection of useful extra features, which were easy to use and worked well. Upon inserting a USB memory key, the program offers to scan it automatically, reducing the risk of infecting your PC. Internet Security will automatically suspend scheduled virus scans and updates while your laptop is not plugged into mains power to conserve its battery life.
There is an option to reduce the priority of a scan so it uses fewer system resources and the program can filter web page advertisements. You can also clear browsing history, previous searches and records of previously opened files in a wide range of programs, all with one click.
Internet Security has an elegant and easy-to-use interface that explains most settings. However, a few of the advanced options were confusing and not properly explained. Overall, though, it’s an excellent choice.
Last week, the Department of Homeland Security revealed a rash of cyber attacks on natural gas pipeline companies. Just as with previous cyber attacks on infrastructure, there was no known physical damage. But security experts worry it may only be a matter of time.
Efforts to protect pipelines and other critical systems have been halting despite broad agreement that they’re vulnerable to viruses like Stuxnet 2014 the mysterious worm that caused havoc to Iran‘s nuclear program two years ago.
The Frankenstein-like virus infected a type of industrial controller that is ubiquitous 2014 used around the world on everything from pipelines to the electric grid.
Stuxnet first made headlines when it burrowed into computers that controlled uranium centrifuges in Iran’s renegade nuclear program. Its self-replicating computer code is usually transmitted on flash drives anyone can stick into a computer. Once activated, the virus made Iran’s centrifuges spin out of control while making technicians think everything was working normally 2014 think of a scene in a bank heist movie where the robbers loop old security camera footage while they sneak into the vault.
Q. Who created it?
Whoever knows the answer to this isn’t telling 2014 but if cybersecurity researchers, the Iranian government and vocal Internet users are to be believed, the two prime suspects are the U.S. and Israeli governments.
Q. How does it work?
Stuxnet seeks out little gray computers called programmable logic controllers, or PLCs. The size and shape of a carton of cigarettes, PLCs are used in industrial settings from pretzel factories to nuclear power plants. Unfortunately, security researchers say the password requirements for the devices are often weak, creating openings that Stuxnet (or other viruses) can exploit. Siemens made the PLCs that ran Iran’s centrifuges; other makers include Modicon and Allen Bradley. Once introduced via computers running Microsoft Windows, Stuxnet looks for a PLC it can control.
Q. How big is the problem?
Millions of PLCs are in use all over the world, and Siemens is one of the top five vendors.
Q. After Iran, did Siemens fix its devices?
Siemens released a software tool for users to detect and remove the Stuxnet virus, and encourages its customers to install fixes Microsoft put out for its Windows system soon after the Iran attack became public (most PLCs are programmed from computers running Windows.) It is also planning to release a new piece of hardware for its PLCs, called a communications processor, to make them more secure 2014 though it’s unclear whether the new processor will fix the specific problems Stuxnet exploited. Meanwhile, the firm acknowledges its PLCs remain vulnerable2014 in a statement to ProPublica, Siemens said it was impossible to guard against every possible attack.
Q. Is Siemens alone?
Logic controllers made by other companies also have flaws, as researchers from NSS labs, a security research firm, have pointed out. Researchers at a consulting firm called Digital Bond drew more attention to the problem earlier this year when they released code targeting commonly used PLCs using some of Stuxnet’s techniques. A key vulnerability is password strength 2014 PLCs connected to corporate networks or the Internet are frequently left wide open, Digital Bond CEO Dale Peterson says.
Q. What makes these systems so tough to protect?
Like any computer product, industrial control systems have bugs that programmers can’t foresee. Government officials and security researchers say critical systems should never be connected to the Internet 2014 though they frequently are. But having Internet access is convenient and saves money for companies that operate water, power, transit and other systems.
Q. Is cost an issue?
System manufacturers are reluctant to patch older versions of their products, government and private sector researchers said. Utility companies and other operators don’t want to shell out money to replace systems that seem to be working fine. Dan Auerbach of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, formerly a security engineer at Google, says the pressure on tech companies to quickly release products sometimes trumps security. “There’s an incentive problem,” he said.
Q. What’s the government doing?
The Department of Energy and the Department of Homeland Security’s Computer Emergency Readiness Team, or CERT, work with infrastructure owners, operators and vendors to prevent and respond to cyber threats. Researchers at government-funded labs also assess threats and recommend fixes. But government agencies cannot 2014 and do not attempt to 2014 compel systems vendors to fix bugs.
The only national cybersecurity regulation is a set of eight standards approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 2014 but these only apply to producers of high-voltage electricity. A Department of Energy audit last year concluded the standards were weak and not well implemented.
Q. So is Congress weighing in?
Cybersecurity has been a much-debated issue. Leading bills, including the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, would enable government and the private sector to share more threat information. But while CISPA and other bills give the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies more power to monitor problems, they all take voluntary approaches.
“Some of my colleagues have said nothing will change until something really bad happens,” said Peterson, whose consulting firm exposed vulnerabilities. “I’m hoping that’s not true.”
Q. What does the Obama administration want?
The White House has called for legislation that encourages private companies to notify government agencies after they’ve faced cyber intrusions, and recommends private companies secure their own systems against hackers. But the White House stops short of calling for mandatory cybersecurity standards for the private sector.
Moscow, May 15 (IANS) Computer giant Apple has contracted specialists from Russian anti-virus company Kaspersky Lab to analyse the vulnerabilities of its Mac OS X operating system and improve its security.
The OS X security issue became important in early April, when Dr. Web, a Russian computer security company, reported finding botnets — or networks of compromised computers controlled by hackers — that included more than 500,000 infected Macs.
It was previously thought that Apple computers enjoyed better protection from viruses than computers operating on Microsoft Windows. The appearance of this latest threat has forced Apple to address the security issue, RIA Novosti reported citing the computing.co.uk website.
“Apple recently invited us to improve its security. We’ve begun an analysis of its vulnerabilities, and the malware targeting it,” said Kaspersky chief technology officer Nikolai Grebennikov.
“Mac OS is really vulnerable,” he said.
Anti-virus experts, including those at Kaspersky Lab, say the OS X system has a better security record than Windows because the Apple operating system is used on fewer machines.
But rising sales of Apple computers, and the appearance of botnets targeting them, indicates that the amount of malware may also increase.
Kaspersky Lab is an international group that operates in more than 100 countries worldwide. The company’s headquarters are located in Moscow, from which it oversees global operations and business development.
According to the company website, Kaspersky Lab is one of the fastest growing IT security companies worldwide. In 2011, Kaspersky Lab’s global revenue grew by 14 percent compared to the previous year and exceeded $600 million.
Kaspersky Lab currently employs over 2,400 specialists. The company has offices in 29 countries and its products and technologies provide protection for over 300 million users worldwide.
ÂMOSCOW, RUSSIA: Computer giant Apple has contracted specialists from Russian anti-virus company Kaspersky Lab to analyse the vulnerabilities of its Mac OS X operating system and improve its security.
000025-TZUG16-4D91MX-2M54JV-U6B352-MBZZ5Y-P59QMC-2FJ2V6-XRZG6R-5EU4PG-CB39X5 is the key for avg pc tune up 2011 you will have to get trial and key on a other video sorry.
OROVILLE — The Butte County District Attorney’s Office said it has received enough calls about a suspected computer virus scam to prompt an alert.
District Attorney Mike Ramsey said his Consumer Protection Unit is looking into reports from several potential victims contacted by people claiming to represent “Microsoft,” or a company with names similar to “Windows Care Corp.”
The callers, who reportedly often have heavy East Indian accents, claim Internet records show the intended victim’s computer is infected.
According to a press release, the caller then has the intended victim turn on their computer, go online, and download a program that allows the caller to control the computer remotely.
The caller claims the action is necessary to “clean the computer of virus infections.”
Ramsey warned that falling for the scam can lead to malicious software being installed, or setting adjustments that leave the victim’s computer vulnerable to later attacks.
He said it also lets scammers search for personal information that can lead to identity theft and other crimes.
Ramsey said Microsoft has confirmed it doesn’t make unsolicited calls to help with computer issues. He said the scam started in 2008 and was prevalent in Europe and Australia before migrating to the U.S.
The Enterprise-Record has received two phone calls from Chico residents reporting the scam in recent weeks, and identify the calls as coming from Windows Care Corp.
Ramsey said the
best way to handle such unsolicited calls is to simply hang up.
The DA website has additional resources on a variety of consumer scams and frauds, and is located at: www.buttecounty.net/da/Eco.htm.
G Data Total Protection 2013 è una suite per la sicurezza dei computer Windows che protegge da attacchi hacker, virus, trojan, malware e da ogni tipo di minaccia della rete. Troviamo un antivirus intelligente che combina due motori di scansioni e un servizio di rilevamento cloud per offrire la massima sicurezza sul web e nella gestione della nostra corrispondenza elettronica.
G Data Total Protection 2013 offre ancora un potente firewall configurabile con cui proteggersi da eventuali tentativi di accesso non autorizzati. La suite integra anche un efficace sistema di parental controll che consente di limitare l’uso di internet ai più giovani, bloccando l’accesso ai siti ritenuti non adatti o pericolosi.
G Data Total Protection 2013 integra anche un comodo sistema di backup per mettere al sicuro i nostri dati personali e sensibili come documenti, foto e video. La suite presenta anche un interessante sistema di “Security Tuning” che verifica gli eventuali buchi di sicurezza del nostro computer e ci consiglia come risolverli. infine, chi acquisterà G Data Total Protection 2013, riceverà anche in omaggio la versione per device android dell’antivirus.
A new potential “scam” is hitting our area. It involves receiving a call, supposedly from someone from Microsoft, saying that their computer system had sent a message to Microsoft warning that individual’s system had a serious virus infection that needed immediate attention. This was an obvious attempt to either solicit information about an individual’s computer and/or to “sell” them some type of “questionable” computer protection.
About three weeks ago, one of my neighbors contacted me to say that she had received such a call. Since she did not have an in-depth knowledge about computers she went into almost a “panic” mode for obvious reasons. Since I’ve been involved with computers for close to 40 years, I checked out her system and found absolutely nothing wrong. I told her not to worry and to ignore any further calls that she might receive regarding such an issue.
Well, on May 4 I received a call identical to the one she received. I explained that my computer made no such contact with Microsoft and that no such “infection” existed. Furthermore, I informed the caller that I “knew” this was a potential “scam” that they were trying to initiate by virtue of the fraudulent statement on their part about the virus infection and the contact with Microsoft’s computers.
People NEED to be aware of what’s going on and should somebody contact them stating that “their” computer contacted Microsoft about a virus infection, they need to know that in all likelihood no such direct communication ever occurred and that they were being subject to a potential “scam.”
