Security

In the face of today's attacks on computer information, we should expect legislators to enact laws to protect our privacy. However, any law that fails to recognize three things -- who owns a computer, who uses it and for what purposes -- is unlikely to fit the privacy needs of both corporate and ind...

In a recent report, Gartner estimated that 57 million U.S. adults received a "phishing" attack e-mail within the past year, and half of those who responded became victims of identity theft. Phishing is a tactic used to get credit card information from consumers who believe they are visiting legitima...

Recently, a seemingly endless string of worms and viruses has focused attention on the sometimes-questionable security of firewalls, virtual private networks (VPNs) and even the Internet itself. Amid this onslaught, network security software provider StillSecure aims to tackle the security issue at ...

Wireless networks aren't just popular with computer users on the go. Hackers are finding them an easy target to snoop on consumers' laptop PCs and, eventually, their employers' networks. "All the money you've spent to protect your corporate network is moot if someone hacks your laptop at a wireless ...

When the inventors of the Internet created the technology, they never envisioned that it would become so ubiquitous -- or that it would serve as a way for malicious hackers to spread worms, trojans and other malware. They aimed for openness and functionality, which they achieved, but with that succe...

Several peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, including Kazaa and eDonkey, are bracing for an anticipated attack by the latest variant of the Netsky-Q worm, the latest example of virus writers taking direct aim at specific companies and Web sites. As of Thursday morning, both networks were still operating, a...

In part 1 of this interview, F-Secure director of antivirus research Mikko Hypponen spoke about getting his start in computer security 13 years ago and the changes he has seen over the years. In this continuation of his chat with the E-Commerce Times, Hypponen talks about what it might take to nab m...

Amid this year's ongoing plague of viruses and worms, there has been much discussion about virus creators, antivirus software developers and frequent virus targets like Microsoft and The SCO Group. But one important group still toils in near obscurity: the virus hunters. One of the field's most a...

The pesky Netsky worm dogged Web computers during the month of March, accounting for 60 percent of all malicious e-mail tracked by antivirus firm Sophos. Five of the top 10 viruses tracked during the month, including all of the top three, were variants of Netsky. Some 15 versions of the worm were ac...

In the past year, enterprise networks have faced a plague of security issues. Now, many companies are finding themselves forced to channel more time and money toward improving security. From worms and viruses to compliance and patching issues, businesses must develop ever-more complex protocols to k...

Pasadena, California-based Guidance Software is perhaps the leading IT forensics software vendor, with the exception of the U.S. government. Jon Bair, Guidance's senior director of development, joined the company after years spent working as a U.S. Army investigator and developing the protocols and ...

When most people think about IT forensics, if they think about it at all, they likely imagine a scenario out of the hit TV series CSI. "They make it seem like there's a button that says 'find evidence,'" Robert Shields of forensics software vendor Guidance told the E-Commerce Times. "The way they po...

Cisco Systems has announced plans to acquire Riverhead Networks, a privately held provider of technology that could help prevent distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on corporate networks, for $39 million in cash. Riverhead's technology will enhance Cisco's suite of integrated security produ...

Microsoft is still top dog in a newly invigorated brawl over the Web browser space, despite some security flaws in its Internet Explorer browser and a somewhat sluggish development schedule. Although alternative browsers may offer more secure portals to the Web, many IT managers in corporate America...

A coalition of the U.S. government and private businesses has released a report calling for the formation of an early-warning system to alert companies to impending and ongoing cyber-security threats. In the report, the coalition laid out recommendations for increasing personal responsibility for se...