Facts to Know to Keep Your Computer Safe from Viruses

http://isc.sans.org/

A virus is a computer program that is intended to do harm. A virus can delete information on your computer or use your e-mail to send viruses to other computers.

Malware is a computer program such as a Trojan Horse or a Worm.

A Trojan Horse is when a computer virus pretends to be something that it is not. EX: screen savers or computer games. If something sound too good to be true, then don’t trust it.

A Worm is a computer virus that moves through ports and uses the computer network.

A DNS code is an address that changes the number code into words so we can remember them.

A router is a device that ships and delivers information and a router switch is the same thing but it is more efficient.

If you get an unexpected email from somebody you don’t know don’t open it.

If there is an attachment to an email you can open it as long as you have the file checked with Anti-Virus protection software.

There are many ways to be protected from a virus like thru a firewall and anti-virus programs like Norton, and Mac-Updates that are already on a Mac.

Firewalls don’t accept some things because they don’t fit the criteria.

Be careful when going to game sites or other sites that let you download things because you may get a virus.

Remember, nothing is free. Beware of free stuff, programs, games, etc. that are offered on the Internet. These usually contain viruses.

Anything that connects to the internet can contact a virus this includes your cell phone and Xbox.

China Jails Trojan Virus Authors in Cybercrime Crackdown

A Chinese court Wednesday sentenced 11 members of a malware ring for writing and distributing Trojan horse viruses meant to steal online game account passwords, according to state media.

The people, who stole login information for more than 5 million game accounts, were given prison sentences of up to three years and were fined a total of 830,000 Chinese yuan (US$120,000), China's Xinhua news agency said. Dozens of other members of the ring, which is suspected of 30 million yuan ($4.4 million) in crime, are expected to be sentenced soon, Xinhua said.

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/184909/china_jails_trojan_virus_authors_in_cybercrime_crackdown.html

Shmoocon 2010

Feb 5 - 7, Wardman Park Marriott, Washington DC, USA




Different • ShmooCon is an annual East coast hacker convention hell-bent on offering three days of an interesting atmosphere for demonstrating technology exploitation, inventive software & hardware solutions, and open discussions of critical infosec issues. The first day is a single track of speed talks, One Track Mind. The next two days, there are three tracks: Break It!, Build It!, and Bring It On!.

Affordable • ShmooCon is about high-quality without the high price. Space is limited! ShmooCon has sold out every year, so unless taking a chance on an eBay auction to get your ticket sounds like fun, register early!

Accessible • ShmooCon is in Washington, D.C., at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, just a few steps from the D.C. Metro. Fly into DCA, IAD, or BWI, or take a train to Union Station, and you are just a quick cab ride away from the con.

Entertaining • Brain melting from all the cool tech you are learning? Check out some of the contests running at ShmooCon, including the Hacker Arcade and Hack-Or-Halo. In years past, we have also thrown massive parties at a local area hot-spot, so expect that to happen again too!


http://www.shmoocon.org/registration.html

BlackBerry Products PDF Distiller Code Execution Vulnerabilities

Hackers can use maliciously rigged PDF files to hack into corporate systems hosting the BlackBerry Attachment Service, according to a warning from the makers of the popular smartphone.

Research in Motion (RIM) issued an advisory with patches for multiple flaws in the PDF distiller service and warned and an attacker could exploit the issues by simply e-mailing a booby-trapped PDF file to a BlackBerry user.

These vulnerabilities could enable a malicious individual to send an email message containing a specially crafted PDF file, which when opened for viewing on a BlackBerry smartphone that is associated with a user account on a BlackBerry Enterprise Server, could cause memory corruption and possibly lead to a Denial of Service (DoS) condition or arbitrary code execution on the computer that hosts the BlackBerry Attachment Service component of that BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

Affected versions include the BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5.0.0 running on Microsoft Windows version 2003 or 2008, BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5.0.0 running on Microsoft Windows 2000, BlackBerry Enterprise Server software versions 4.1.3 through 4.1.7, and BlackBerry Professional Software 4.1.4.


http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=5030&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ZDNetBlogs+%28ZDNet+All+Blogs%29