Security

Computer security software firm McAfee has agreed to pay a US$50 million fine to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in order to settle charges that it pumped up revenue and earnings during the dot-com craze. The fine will help McAfee settle charges that it exaggerated both sales and earnin...

Symantec yesterday announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire instant messaging software maker IMlogic. IMlogic's technology is designed to control and secure public and enterprise IM networks, while ensuring compliance with regulatory and corporate governance policies. The acquisitio...

In the latest of several high-profile cases of database breaches that could be connected to identity theft, the timeshare unit of hotel giant Marriott International says it can't find computer backup tapes containing personal data of more than 200,000 customers and employees. Marriot Vacation Club I...

One of the long-feared results of Internet security problems -- its potential effect on consumer behavior and eventually, spending -- might be starting to materialize, according to a new report. The Pew Internet & American Life project says that a survey that it conducted found that 91 percent o...

While credit card companies research and develop new anti-fraud measurements, alternative payment solutions providers are cashing in on the demand for online security and customer choice. Alternative payment solutions are often less expensive for the merchant and can be easier to use than setting up...

Congress is leaving a special gift under the tree for Hollywood's film industry. Just before closing for the holidays, legislators introduced a new proposal designed to curb redistribution of movies. The Digital Transition Content Security Act would embed anticopying technology into the next generat...

Continuing its legal war against piracy of its popular software titles, Microsoft said it filed 10 more lawsuits against companies accused of selling illegal copies of its products, with some of the software giant's own partners and re-sellers named in the suits. Seven lawsuits filed against nine in...

'Tis the season to read about e-tailers' dreams of record-breaking profits during the holiday shopping frenzy. Meanwhile, amid anxious promotions and analyst promises, there are plenty of credit card companies with their own holiday hopes. Remember, merchants pay tiny transaction fees that add up to...

Seeking to take advantage of the many exciting online bargains this holiday shopping season? Be cautious about those e-mail promotions. Some of them contain more than deep discounts and free shipping offers -- they may contain malware. Security vendors and messaging companies alike report heightened...

Summer is behind us, but recent memories of credit card processing breaches are still haunting security-conscious consumers, safety-minded merchants and bustling banks. While CardSystems Solutions made media headlines in June after a computer virus captured the private information of millions of con...

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and BitTorrent yesterday announced a collaborative effort to curb film piracy. BitTorrent Founder and CEO Bram Cohen's technology allows Web sites to make large content files available online. The MPAA was concerned that the technology is frequently u...

A flaw in Google Sitemaps is allowing users to see the statistics for AOL, MSN, and any other Internet property with a Google Verification File on its server, according to Search Engine Roundtable, a search engine and marketing forum. The flaw allows users to view the top search queries and top sear...

Microsoft said it had formed alliances with three partners to beef up the anti-phishing technology in several of its products, including the soon-to-be-released Internet Explorer 7 and its MSN Search toolbar. The Micrososft Phishing Filter, which will be available in updates of Windows and in the Wi...

Less than half the consumers using the Internet feel safe shopping online, according to a survey expected to be released today by Symantec, a maker of anti-virus and security software. The survey, based on a sample of 2,400 consumers, revealed that some 60 percent of those respondents felt less than...

A new report says losses tied to fraudulent e-commerce activity will reach US$2.8 billion this year as professional scammers target fast-growing e-tail sites that are too large to manually verify each purchase but haven't yet implemented sophisticated anti-fraud measures. CyberSource, which offers p...