Continue reading »]]> Every month, close to 3 million new viruses and malware threats are created, ready to infect unprotected PCs. Going online with an expired antivirus or no antivirus at all puts your PC (and everything on it) at serious risk. Because of this, we encourage you to keep your VIPRE subscription up-to-date. But how do you know when your VIPRE subscription is set to expire, and more importantly, how do you renew your VIPRE subscription to ensure no interruption in protection?

To renew your VIPRE subscription:

1. Thirty days before your VIPRE subscription is set to expire, an Extend Subscription link will appear in the bottom-right corner of your VIPRE overview screen. Click the Extend Subscription link:
   
2. You will be redirected to the VIPRE shopping cart:
   
3. From the VIPRE shopping cart, choose to renew your current VIPRE license or choose a different license to upgrade to. For example, if you have a 1 PC/1 Year license, you can upgrade to an Up to 10 PC/1 Year license. You can also choose to include a VIPRE Backup CD for an additional cost. The VIPRE Backup CD enables you to also install VIPRE from a CD rather than having to rely solely on your Internet connection to download the software. Don’t forget to enter your coupon code (if you have one) or to check for available coupons to save on your renewal purchase. If there is an offer running, you will receive the offer discount.

Note: VIPRE may offer a limited-time software bundle with your subscription. In the example above, this is a free copy of PCmover Professional. You can choose to add this software to your order or decline the offer.

1. Scroll down the VIPRE shopping cart page and enter your delivery address, billing address (if different from your delivery address), contact information and payment information:
   

Note: A new VIPRE license key will be sent to the email address you provide, so double-check to make sure this email address is accurate.

1. Click the NEXT button to review your purchase. You will not be billed yet. You will still have a chance to review your order for accuracy.
2. Review your purchase details, including your payment information and email address. Once you have verified that this information is accurate and are ready to purchase, click the COMPLETE PURCHASE button:
   

1. Your order will now be processed and your order receipt, which includes your new license key, will appear. Please print it for your records. We will also send this information to the email address you provided.

To finish the renewal process, you must register your new VIPRE product key.

To register your new VIPRE product key:

1. Open VIPRE
2. From the VIPRE Overview tab, click Help in the top-left corner, then Register in the drop-down menu
3. From the VIPRE Registration pop-up, enter your new license key (included in your order receipt and sent to your email), your name and your email address:

Continue reading »]]> Last week, we took a deep dive into how the Domain Name System (DNS) works. This week, we’re going to talk about how malicious software authors sometimes exploit our computers’ dependency on DNS by distributing malware that can change a system’s DNS settings. They do it to divert you to websites you didn’t intend to visit – sometimes including sites that are illegal.

One such piece of malware has been talked up a lot in the tech press recently (and it’s probably been a bit overblown), even though it’s been around for at least five years and a patch for the vulnerability has been out for months. It’s a Trojan called DNS Changer and it can infect both Windows and Mac computers. Sounds like old news, but it could soon become very relevant for an estimated 350,000 systems that haven’t yet been patched. That’s because of how the DNS Changer works.

If your computer gets infected, the DNS settings on the computer are changed to use a DNS server that belongs to the malware perpetrators. The malware also tries to change the settings on your routers or other network gateway devices to use the bad DNS servers, too, so the rest of the computers on your network will be redirected to those rogue servers. The malicious DNS servers then send you to sites you had no intention of visiting, such as spam/phishing sites or sites that download more malware to your system. DNS Changer also prevents you from going to antivirus sites, in an attempt to keep you from removing it.

The good news is that the FBI was able to dismantle the DNS Changer servers last fall, and had good DNS servers set up to replace them, so systems that have the malware are still able to connect to the Internet. The bad news is that in July, they plan to shut down the replacement servers. That would leave those computers that are still infected (which reportedly includes systems in many major companies and government agencies) with no way to resolve DNS names. That means they couldn’t get to websites unless they type in the IP address of each site – and who memorizes website IP addresses?

If you’re using VIPRE as your anti-malware solution, you should be okay. VIPRE has been protecting customers from DNS Changer for years. However, we suggest that anyone who is concerned that a computer might be infected should visit the DNS Changer Working Group website where a quick, non-intrusive test will let you know whether your PC is at risk.

Until next time,

Deb Shinder

Contributing Editor, VIPRE Security News

Continue reading »]]> Use Windows Magnifier to enlarge part or all of your screen

Ever wanted to make part or all of your PC screen easier to read? Microsoft has come to the rescue with Windows Magnifier, which in Windows 7 is part of the Ease of Access Center. You can use it to magnify your entire screen (in full-screen mode) or selected parts of it (in lens mode or docked mode). It also supports a number of keyboard shortcuts.

To open Magnifier, click Start | All Programs | Accessories | Ease of Access or just type Magnifier in the Start menu’s search box. For more information about using it, see the Microsoft Windows 7 website about how to make item on the screen appear bigger. Windows Vista users can go here to learn more. XP users can go here.

On a very interesting side note, Program Manager and Development Supervisor for VIPRE Antivirus and VIPRE Internet Security, Charles Oppermann, was the original author of Windows Magnifier during his time at Microsoft. Thanks, Charles!

Deb Shinder

Contributing Editor, VIPRE Security News

Continue reading »]]> In the mid-’60s, there was an incredibly funny movie called “The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming.” It was a comedy and a spoof about the Cold War featuring a pretty incredible cast: Carl Reiner, Eva Marie Saint, Theodore Bikel, Jonathan Winters and Alan Arkin. It was all about this Soviet submarine that ran aground near a small New England town and the misadventures that ensued. Well these days the Soviet Union is gone, as is the Cold War. But the Russians did come, they saw and, in this cyber-war, my friends, some do think they conquered.

According to a recent report from Russian security firm Group-IB, cybercrime profitably in Russia now accounts for a $2.3 billion share of the global cybercrime market. Underground groups have gotten more professional and better organized and they are exchanging stolen information and botnet access faster and easier, much to the chagrin of security and law enforcement officials.

“This trend leads to the merging of the two criminal worlds with the subsequent resource allocation from the mafia’s traditional areas of control (prostitution, drugs and arms trafficking, and so on) in favor of cybercrime,” the report says. “With the imperfections in the existing laws, this has the threat of [leading to an] explosive increase of attacks on the financial sector.”

Continuing with our theme, “Russian,” I’m reminded of an interesting security precaution between Russia and the U.S. during the Cold War. Do you remember the Moscow-Washington hotline, also known as the red telephone? This hotline was put in place to make certain that accidental nuclear war would not break out due to some misunderstanding and so that the respective U.S. and Russian heads of state could reach each other and strike an accord during the hottest days of the so-called “war.”

Now we are embroiled in a newfangled war – it’s in the cyber-zone and causing us just as much anxiety. Both the U.S. and Russia have agreed to a new secure communication system similar to the Moscow-Washington hotline. This new system would serve the same function as the red telephone, but for cyberwar rather than nuclear war. In 1988, the Nuclear Risk Reduction Center was created, enabling the two countries to communicate about any missile tests, launches, etc. that might be misconstrued as an act of war. The new agreement empowers the same secure communications network to provide the same type of reassurance and allay suspicion regarding any suspect cyberwarfare activity. For example, if the U.S. or Russia detected a cyber-attack that appeared to be emanating from the other, the secure channel would be put to use. Of course the attack would have to be of “such substantial concern that it could be perceived as threatening national security.”

Some traditions are hard to shake, a cyber-incident hotline phone will be installed in the Kremlin and the White House… let’s just hope it cannot be hacked.

Best,

Larry Jaffe

Editor, VIPRE Security News

Continue reading »]]> We have recently gotten quite a bit of email regarding the different versions of VIPRE: VIPRE Antivirus 2012 and VIPRE Internet Security 2012. While both products fully protect your PC from malware threats, there are a few differences in features between them.

VIPRE Antivirus 2012 provides advanced protection against the latest malicious threats. Best of all, it doesn’t slow down your PC (even during scans!). So you can email, chat with friends, bank – do anything you want online fast and worry free, knowing that you’re safe. We recommend VIPRE Antivirus 2012 if you already run a firewall program on your PC.

VIPRE® Internet Security 2012 delivers the same great protection as VIPRE Antivirus 2012, but also includes a firewall, spam protection and a bad website blocker. We recommend VIPRE Internet Security if you don’t run a separate firewall program and want these additional security features included in your antivirus product.

Which version of VIPRE do you have? To find out, open VIPRE. If you have a Firewall tab, you are using VIPRE Internet Security.

I hope that helps you sort out the differences so you can best determine your needs. If you are interested in upgrading from VIPRE Antivirus 2012 to VIPRE Internet Security 2012, you can do so for as little as $9.95. And if you upgrade today, you’ll get an additional three months of protection FREE!* Click here to upgrade now.

Best,

Larry Jaffe

Editor, VIPRE Security News

* This promotion is valid for a three-month extension to a current GFI VIPRE® Antivirus 2012 license when the license is upgraded to a GFI VIPRE® Internet Security 2012 license for a limited time only and is only open to the intended recipients of this communication. This offer is not valid in conjunction with any other special offer or campaign announced or to be announced by GFI. GFI reserves the right to stop or cancel campaigns at its own discretion without notification, as and when deemed necessary.

Continue reading »]]> China’s Taobao.com is now the most phished brand, ousting PayPal from the not-so-coveted position:

http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=12828

Source: Help Net Security

GFI researchers uncover 20 fake Android applications for surveys and “Pinterest invites” on Google Play:

http://www.gfi.com/blog/surveys-and-pinterest-invites-lurk-on-google-play/

Source: GFI Labs

GFI Labs observes cybercriminals targeting users of major social networking sites in April:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gfi-labs-observes-cybercriminals-targeting-users-of-major-social-networking-sites-in-april-150578265.html

Source: GFI Labs

4.5 billion spam text messages were sent to U.S. cell phones last year:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-30/mobile-spam-texts-hit-4-5-billion-raising-consumer-ire.html

Source: Bloomberg

2012 Doomsday Facebook scam combines two tactics (free stuff and fear) to try to get your personal info:

http://www.gfi.com/blog/2012-doomsday-scam-continues-to-serve-up-doom-giftcards/

Source: GFI Labs

Continue reading »]]> The 15 richest fictional characters of 2012:

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mlg45jffl/1-smaug/#gallerycontent

Source: Forbes

The technology behind the longest attempted free fall (120,000 feet) in history:

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-04/suit-will-help-felix-baumgartner-withstand-120000-foot-free-fall

Source: Popular Science

Adult white killer whale spotted for the first time in the wild:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17783603

Source: BBC News

IPS (Indoor Positioning System) devices will soon help you navigate airports, shopping malls and more indoors:

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/126843-think-gps-is-cool-ips-will-blow-your-mind

Source: ExtremeTech

Playing Tetris… on the side of a building!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAIPUGO1iko&feature=player_embedded

Source: YouTube

Continue reading »]]> Pizza (yes, pizza) spam hits email inboxes with a less than appetizing Phoenix Exploit Kit:

http://www.gfi.com/blog/gerolamo-pizzeria-spam-invades-inboxes

Source: GFI Labs blog

Austrian teenager arrested for hacking 259 companies:

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/security/15-year-old-arrested-for-hacking-259-companies/11585

Source: ZDNet

Airport conspiracy theories spread with this passport-tearing scam story on Facebook:

http://www.gfi.com/blog/passport-page-tearing-scare-story-rides-again/

Source: GFI Labs blog

New York ranked 1st in the top 10 U.S. cities for online fraud:

http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=12766

Source: Help Net Security

Twitter spam spreads fake antivirus software and malicious exploits to the Twitterverse:

http://www.gfi.com/blog/spam-leads-to-exploits-and-fake-av-on-twitter/

Source: GFI Labs blog

Continue reading »]]> Time after time I get asked about patching or find friends’ computers not updated with the latest updates, patches, versions, etc. I never quite understood this as software publishers are rather overt about their updates and patches and their notices should not be ignored. Too often I see someone click later instead of now. So I think we should cover the reasons why you should “patch yourself.”

First of all, what is a patch? Simply put, a patch is a bit of software that is designed to fix problems in a program or to update a program. Patches can repair security vulnerabilities, fix bugs or just plain improve performance. They are not an intrusion on your time – they are there to help you. And patches are not something new; they have been around since the beginning of the computer age.

Back in the day, software makers distributed their patches on paper tape or punch cards. The user would cut out the designated segment of the original and patch or paste in the new part. Things have changed today. Now patches place themselves into programs, replacing code to make fixes or updates.

The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team has a neat description of patches: “Similar to the way fabric patches are used to repair holes in clothing, software patches repair holes in software programs. Patches are updates that fix a particular problem or vulnerability within a program. Sometimes, instead of just releasing a patch, vendors will release an upgraded version of their software, although they may refer to the upgrade as a patch.”

It is imperative to regularly update your operating system, security software and many other programs on your computer. Patching your system and programs keeps malware from infecting your computer. The majority of infected machines lack updates or patches. Older versions of programs like Adobe Reader or Flash are most vulnerable and often exploited. Keeping all your software up-to-date is an important line of defense for your computer or network.

Bottom line – when vendors become aware of vulnerabilities in their products, they will most often issue patches to fix them. You should apply relevant patches to your computer as soon as possible so that your system is not compromised. Patch fast my friends, patch fast!

Here’s something I think you will find interesting. It’s a plug-ins blog posting by Mozilla Engineer Jared Wein. It is a pretty simple read so don’t feel daunted. In the blog, Jared contends, “Whether you hate them or love them, content accessed through plugins is still a sizable chunk of the web. So much so, that over 99% of internet users have Flash installed on their browser. However, plugins can also carry with them extra vulnerabilities and system slowdowns.” He goes on to explain that plug-ins often cause security problems and system slowdowns.   Check it out – seems Firefox has a solution.

Best,

Larry Jaffe

Editor, VIPRE Security News