Ryan Naraine

Microsoft has announced plans to remove Internet Explorer browser support for user names and passwords as a means of protecting users from several known IE security holes. The software giant did not say when the long-delayed IE patch would be released but, in a knowledge base article, Microsoft confirmed plans to modify the way IE […]

Less than 48 hours after the appearance of the fast-spreading W32.Novarg.A@mm (MyDoom) virus, online security experts are warning of a more dangerous variant that attempts to block access to anti-virus Web sites. The latest MyDoom variant is also programmed to launch a distributed denial-of-service attack (DDoS) against Microsoft’s home page and is being described as […]

The federal government’s National Cyber Security Division (NCSD) on Wednesday launched a new unit to serve as a clearinghouse of data on malicious hacking and virus threats against computer systems. The new National Cyber Alert System plans to issue free e-mail alerts about potential security risks to businesses, government departments and home users. More importantly, […]

Security researchers on Wednesday released details of yet another spoofing flaw in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser that could trick users into downloading malicious files. The latest IE bug, which carries a “moderately critical” rating from tech security consulting firm Secunia, could allow malicious Web sites to spoof the file extension of downloadable files. Typically, an […]

The SCO Group late Tuesday offered a $250,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of the writer of a fast-spreading mass-mailing virus that is programmed to launch a massive distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack against the SCO home page. The W32.Novarg.A@mm (MyDoom) virus, which has emerged as an unlikely weapon in the ongoing ‘Linux War’ between […]

RealNetworks’ push into the mobile content delivery market received a shot in the arm Monday with the announcement of a deal with Sweden’s TeliaSonera that puts the Helix mobile platform in a crucial European market. The Seattle-based digital media firm said TeliaSonera would use the Helix mobile platform to power streaming delivery of audio and […]

Online scammers robbed Americans of more than $437 million in 2003, mostly using stolen identities, fake Internet auctions and fraudulent shop-at-home schemes, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported Thursday. In its year-end Consumer Fraud and ID Theft Report, the FTC said it received more than half a million consumer complaints during 2003, a 40 percent […]

Cisco on Thursday warned of a default installation vulnerability in multiple voice products running on the IBM platform that leaves TCP and UDP ports open to malicious attack. San Jose, Calif.’s Cisco, which has made an aggressive push into the IP telephony market, said the security flaw could be exploited to cause denial-of-service attacks and […]

Sun Microsystems on Wednesday warned that systems running Sun Cluster 3.x with SunPlex Manager configured were at risk of takeover because of known flaws in the OpenSSL protocol. In a security advisory, Sun recommended that the SunPlex Manager be disabled until a comprehensive patch is ready, warning that exploitation of the vulnerability could lead to […]

Online security experts are increasing the threat level on a fast-spreading e-mail virus capable of allowing an attacker to upload and execute malicious code on infected computers. The mass-mailing W32/BAGLE-A worm, also known as Bagle or Beagle, includes a backdoor component which listens on TCP port 6777 and lets an attacker execute arbitrary programs on […]

Microsoft on Thursday agreed to make a tweak to the Windows XP operation system to change the way a user’s Web browser is launched by the built-in ‘Shop for Music Online’ feature. The U.S. Justice Department said Microsoft’s overriding of an end-user’s default Web browser to launch its own Internet Explorer was a violation of […]

Microsoft said it would appeal a federal court ruling that upheld a prior, $521 million patent infringement judgment against the software giant over technology it uses in the popular Internet Explorer (IE) browser. Judge James Zagel’s ruling in a Chicago federal court Wednesday upheld an August jury decision that found Microsoft guilty of infringing the […]