Top malware in May according to computer security company BitDefender is an Autorun trojan.

May’s top malware goes by the name of Trojan.AutorunInf.Gen and represents just over 13% of all global malware. It’s designed to use external hard drives, memory cards and flash drives to spread malware. And although Microsoft may have discarded its Windows Autorun feature from its latest operating systems and from Vista SP2, early versions are still vulnerable.

Next on the top malware list for May is the infamous Kido, or Conficker, which goes by the tag of Win32.Worm.Downadup. This nasty virus takes a bow for around 6% of global infections and attacks a Windows vulnerability. It spreads via local network computers and stops users trying to access Windows updates and security companies web pages. Latest versions of Windows has removed the vulnerability, but people using older operating systems should ensure that they have updated their operating systems and anti-virus applications.

In third place and close behind the Conficker on the top malware list is another Trojan which accounts for some 5% of all infections. It’s official name is Trojan.FakeAV.KUE and it’s based on JavaScript code. It creates anti-virus scams and the malware gets hosted either on sites that unknowingly carry the virus, or malicious sites. Once people download this type of malware, it triggers various fake alerts offering rogue antivirus software.

Coming fourth is the May top malware list is Win32.Sality.OG. It’s the only file infector virus in the top ten and it’s a device which appends its encrypted code to executable files (.exe and .scr binaries). It does this by deploying a rootkit which kills any antivirus applications on the computer. This means that it remains undetected and unable to carry out its malicious tasks.

In the fifth place is a new one to the top malware charts. It’s a Trojan and is responsible for a tad over 2% of infections. Called the Trojan.Swizzor.2, it acts as a pathfinder for a number of other pieces of malicious software.

BitDefender’s top malware chart for May includes:

1. Trojan.AutorunINF.Gen 13,24%
2. Win32.Worm.Downadup.Gen 5,84%
3. Trojan.FakeAV.KUE 5,11%
4. Win32.Sality.OG 2,68%
5. Gen:Variant.Swizzor.2 2,12%
6. Trojan.Autorun.AET 2,02%
7. Gen:Heur.Krypt.24 2,01%
8. Worm.Autorun.VHG 1,97%
9. Gen:Variant.Rimecud.2 1,91%
10. Exploit.PDF-JS.Gen 1,76%

One things is for sure, try to avoid any of the top malware for May.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

F-Secure, the Finnish computer security company, has released a free online tool to check the health of your computer.

Called F-Secure Health Check, it is a free online tool that helps to pinpoint security problems and gives clear advice on how to fix them. It examines a person’s computer to see if it is secure and up-to-date for internet use.

Mika Ståhlberg, Vice President of F-Secure Labs, said:
“F-Secure Health Check checks the status of security solutions running on the computer. More than one million people have already used the free tool and our data shows that a third of its users either haven’t installed an antivirus, firewall or antispyware, they are outdated or turned off. Out-of-date or nonexistent security software leave users wide open to malicious software and exploits.”

Additionally, the F-Secure Health Check free tool ensures that a person’s computer’s firewall, antivirus and anti-spyware are working properly, and are up-to-date. It also checks whether the Windows operating system, third party software and Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer web browsers are the latest available versions.

F-Secure point out that with more people visiting diverse web sites and using their computers to watch films, or listen to music, the most vulnerable places open to attack are the heavily used web browsers, media players and plug-ins that are often the most open to attack.

The free tool also verifies whether all your irreplaceable files like photos, music and other documents are being safely backed up by an automatic backup solution.

F-Secure say that their Health Check is quick and easy to run, and does not require to be installed.

It includes the following features:

• Windows 7 compatible;
• Firefox and Internet Explorer 8 compatible;
• Automatic backup solution detection;
• Simplified user experience with three steps and a solutions page;
• Optimized for mini-laptops;
• New Java based launch point technology (no more ActiveX).

The free health check tool is one of a number of security diagnostic checks available from the computer security companies. And although they are of course a marketing device which introduces a potential customer to the company, they do have their role to play. But it’s unlikely that after such a free health check, a product purchase is not recommended.

Guest Article by Neil Camp 

Symantec has just announced the worldwide release of Norton Ghost 15.

Symantec, which develop and produce the renowned Norton security suite, claim that the Norton Ghost 15 is one of the industry’s most advanced PC backup and recovery solutions. It is also compatible with Windows 7 and offers 25G and 50G Blu-ray Disc support. What’s more, this latest version introduces a new cold imaging feature that images computers without installing the product. Furthermore, Norton Ghost uses Symantec’s ThreatCon indicator to automatically back up PCs in the event of a severe security threat.

Norton Ghost 15 is pitched as a professional-grade backup solution for both home users and small businesses. Amongst it’s many attributes, lost, or damaged files can be recovered and restored in the event of a system failure, even if the computer’s operating system does not start. Additionally, it provides a backup of an entire system, or specific files, and folders, whilst saving recovery points to offsite locations using FTP.

Dave Cole, senior director of consumer products, Symantec, said:
“Norton Ghost has been the essential imaging and recovery product since 1996. Consumers PCs have never been more central to people’s lives, or more at risk due to cybercrime and critical failures. Ghost 15 not only is a powerful disaster recovery tool, but also it adds important features such as Windows 7 compatibility and Blu-ray Disc support to keep current with the way people are using their computers today.”

Symantec highlights the fact that their Norton Ghost 15 is also supported by Windows 7 Bitlocker. This provides enhanced data protection through drive encryption and integrity checking, keeping stored data safe and protected. They also point out that it works with both 25G and 50G Blu-ray Discs and most storage drives. This includes external hard drives, networked drives and recordable, and rewritable, CDs and DVDs. And the hot backups feature allows users to back up their computers without having to shut it down first.

The cold imaging technology employed by Norton Ghost 15 effectively backs up files without installing the product which, says Symantec, saves time and money. A handy feature is that after purchasing a new computer, users can image the PC immediately before any software is loaded which means that factory settings remain intact. It also allows easy back up of a system by simply booting to the recovery environment (which is a light version of the Windows operating system) from the Norton Ghost CD, and then initiating a backup.

Guest Article by Neil Camp 

Along with Symantec and McAfee, and a whole host of other computer security companies, BitDefender has announced that its new line-up of products which are compatible with Microsoft’s new operating system Windows 7.

BitDefender’s products – including Total Security, Internet Security and Antivirus – have all received certification ensuring that they work with Microsoft Windows 7. And they claim they provide customers with enhanced security, as well as innovative user interface features and reliability improvements.

The 2010 BitDefender line-up includes a number of new features:

• optimised scanning improvements
• active Virus Control
• first-ever usage profiles
• key system enhancements which is aimed at providing industry-leading proactive protection against all internet security threats, without slowing PC performance.

Ross Brown, Vice President of ISV and Solutions Partners for the Worldwide Partner Group at Microsoft, said:
“Our ISV community is alive with innovation, and we’re committed to helping our partners drive the next generation of software experiences. Adding compatibility for the latest Microsoft operating systems helps ISVs to stay ahead of the competition and give their customers access to cutting-edge technologies.”

Vince Hwang, BitDefender Global Director, Product Management, said:
“Working together with Microsoft to achieve this certification allows BitDefender to meet the changing needs of our customers and provide the very best in security solutions to our users. These include intuitive user interfaces with usage profiles that cover anyone from gamers to parents, as well as improved security and reliability features including Active Virus Control, an innovative technology that monitors programs running on a user’s computer and detects malware-like actions as they execute.”

BitDefender claims to be the creator of one of the industry’s fastest and most effective lines of internationally certified security software.

The Company’s Antivirus 2010 product BitDefender Antivirus 2010 has also just received AV-Comparatives’ top certification level for its quality of performance. In all, some 16 antivirus products were tested by AV-Comparatives in August. They sought to find out which software had the highest detection rates and lowest false positives.

Viorel Canja, BitDefender’s head of antimalware lab, said:
“We are particularly pleased with this achievement as it is further proof that BitDefender provides the highest level of protection. The test shows that on this occasion we have outperformed our rivals in terms of false positive ratings with the lowest number of occurrences.”

Guest Article by Neil Camp

Major software offerings from Microsoft and Google have this week drawn criticism from industry experts for major security flaws.

Close on the heels of Microsoft’s none too well received operating system Windows Vista, is Windows 7 which has been tested by the public in its “release candidate form.” Versions can be downloaded by the general public and tested.

Although the initial reaction has been good, seeing it as an improvement on the cumbersome Vista, there are worries that it contains an inherent security flaw.

Windows 7 was slated in for a release date of January 2010, but it might be earlier, with Microsoft saying that they are ahead of schedule. Generally, Vista was a disappointment, standing accused of being like a sieve when it came to security (requiring constant updates) and slowing down performance times. Windows 7 appears to solve a lot of those problems and features quicker response times, a new task bar, a touch-screen capability and an ability to stream media files (including music) from one computer to another via the internet.

But the question of computer security has reared its ugly head again with some suggesting that there is a major flaw in Windows Explorer (the heart of the operating system’s file management system) which allows other users to be attacked by hackers.

And what worries the experts is that this major flaw is not new, but existed in previous versions of Windows Explorer. And the irony is not lost on many, after Microsoft has sworn themselves to a “trust vision” to make security in their products a major preoccupation.

And Google’s all-singing, all dancing new browser has shown to be a little flaky. Chrome is liked by many, but Google has had to fix quite a few security holes, which then led to a problem with crashed computers. Chrome version 1.0.154.64 was released recently to put right two major security problems. The first concerned an ability for a hacker to run attack software that had the same priviledge as the primary user. The second problem centred on the 2D graphics which could have created an opening for attack software to be infiltrated into the browser’s security system.

But when the new version was released, having fixed the two security problems, it caused a few crashes, so a new version quickly followed.

Guest Article by Neil Camp