Computer Virus Alerts & Vulnerabilities Directory

Alerts &
Vulnerabilities

Summary:
A collection of reliable sites to confirm the existence of outbreaks of various viruses and threats to your systems and data.

Purpose:
To assist in verifying serious outbreaks and vulnerabilities with a short directory of reliable sites. To reduce the impact serious outbreaks have on your system.

Latest news on threats and patches

Feb. 12, 2010- Adobe pushes out Flash security fix.
Adobe has published a cross-platform update for Flash that addresses a potentially serious security flaw. Flash Player users are advised to upgrade to version 10.0.45.2 to plug a hole in earlier versions of the software that means the domain sandbox security protection could be bypassed to make unauthorized cross-domain requests. The two-part fix means surfers also need to upgrade to Adobe AIR version 1.5.3.1930. The cross-platform update applies to Windows, Mac and Linux versions of the software. In related news, Adobe promised relief from a critical vulnerability in Acrobat and Reader with a patch due to arrive next Tuesday, 16 February. This fix is related to the Flash problem which is why Adobe is releasing an update outside its recently announced quarterly patch cycle.

Action on your part: Download the two updates for Flash and AIR above. Re-boot your computer.

May 17, 2010- Canada's Tax Dept's alert advice on Internet security concerns.

Feb. 12, 2010- "Pin And Chip" problems with your new credit or debit cards.
The scammers use stolen (uncancelled) card without knowing your PIN number.
A man-in-middle attack outlined by Cambridge researchers (PDF) doesn't’t work at ATMs but it can work regardless of the amount spent in retail transactions. Basically, the crooks use a small wedge on the card that fools the reader that the transaction has been verified.
The security shortcomings apply to cards based on EMV (Eurocard Mastercard Visa), the most widely deployed standard for smartcard payments, which is used millions of credit and debit cards, mostly in Europe. These charges may not be reimbursed by your bank since the PIN is verified.

Action on your part: If you misplace your card, get it replaced immediately! Or you could be on the hook for the phantom charges.

Alerts Directory

Computer Associates: Threats
Microsoft: Alert services
Symantec: Threats- current

Vulnerabilities
US-Cert: News

Sources are provided "as is" from linked sites

Advice:
Keep an eye on these sites regularly, especially if you are relying on the a specific products for your protection. There are major companies that specialize in this arena that have world-wide coverage, experts, staff, etc. working on these issues 24 hours a day.

Microsoft has released updates to their malicious software removal tool, a new Windows Defender & tons of security updates prior to and since the release of Vista and Windows 7. Microsoft states that these do not replace a good anti virus program. They promise to provide automatic updates at no charge once your software has been authenticated in Windows 7, XP, Vista, 2002 & Server 2003.

We suggest you to always turn on your Microsoft "Automatic Update" feature "on" for above operating systems. A list of patches & updates is available every month. On Patch Tuesday's, there are frequent updates almost every week- lately. The most recent release of Windows Defender did not find any bad guys on our systems- though Spysweeper certainly did.

We feel Microsoft is trying too hard protect their software from the continuous intrusion of malware. All the while, they are tightening their grip on your computer by integrating security software more suitable to a network environments by re-using code from Windows NT in XP and Windows Server 2003 in Windows 7 & Vista

Many rumors and false alarms get started through the news media and the internet blogs, chat rooms, etc. Their priorities should be get the facts right before alarming the General Public. Many people hit the panic button unnecessarily causing serious disruptions and loss of ability to conduct business for several days. If you keep your systems updated, you can save yourself a lot of grief by knowing you have the best protection available.

We strongly suggest that if you are serious about protecting your system you invest in a commercial grade software- around $.15 a day. Buy from companies that have a long track record in the computer security business. This is a situation where shareware or free software providers just do not have the resources to anticipate and stay on top of outbreaks.
In comparison to what you have invested in equipment, personal time and software- security protection is a bargain. If you have been through a virus or spyware attack, we think you can appreciate the inconvenience and threat they pose to your privacy and hard work. A retail store or service company will charge at least $100 to fix a basic virus or spyware infestation with no guarantee your files can be fully recovered. By acquiring proper protection and prevention software, you can save yourself quite a bit of grief and lost time.

How to update your operating system?
Most of us do not update or patch their own operating system on a regular basis. We say "Yes" to being advised of an update or patch for your key software. See more info on: Patches. You have the choice to make it automatic or for your review. We opt for the review prior to installation, then we do a Restore Point prior to the install- just in case.

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