We all have experienced many online threats last year. And as year changes to 2010, the more online threats are changing too. Cybercriminals will be more eager to spread online threats and attack computers to benefit with any valuable information challenging users for security.

Here are some of the predictions that will challenge computer security this year:

1. Spam, Scams on Social Networking and Real-time Sites – A group of security researchers belonging from Websense, Breach Security, IBM Internet Security Systems‘ X-Force, and Symantec agreed that cybercriminals will focus their attacks on social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn, and on real-time social sites like Twitter. When it comes to real-time features, Google, especially Google Wave, as well as Bing will be their target. The attackers enjoy the fact it will take time for others to discover the existence of a malicious link or file. Users may recognize one but still one way or another, there will still be victims.

2. Crime Cloud – Security vendors specifically AVG, M86, and RSA predicted that criminals will be attacking and using use cloud services directly to control attacks. and using them to direct and control attacks. IBM researchers are anticipating to see attackers exploiting more services. Take Amazon AWS for example which already served as a host for a malware command and control server.

3. Malware Hijacking Trusted Sites – Breach Security observes continuous improvements when it comes to compromising trusted sites and infecting them with malware. Numerous incidents of SQL injection has been proven successful in attacking sites. No doubt, it will happen again. Cybercriminals prefer to have a third-party that will distribute their malware.

4. Macs Will Be Compromised – It’s been years now that security companies have been talking about Mac being targeted by attackers for malware. According to Websense, exploitation will happen affecting Safari under Mac OS X which will invite hackers to target the Mac platform. Symantec is worried that Mac users who are not spending money to buy antivirus software yearly will not be protected with such attack. Zscaler still believe that Apple can somehow oblige the company to strengthen its security to surpassed continuous attacks. Many think Macs will be widely affected because of Adobe Flash vulnerability.

5. Search Engine Poisoning and Malvertising – Cybercriminals will exert more efforts on exploiting trusted sites. For them to infect sites, they will make use of search engines and advertisements. They will continue to threaten and weaken search results and enjoy the attention breaking news and events. Google together with Microsoft will assure its users for a safe search and advertising. Of course, they wouldn’t want their users to not trust them.

6. Increasing Number of Bots – Why would cyber criminals waste their time with cloud-hosted malware when botnets can do the same thing? Botnets are better than cybercriminals. It can also be a source of income generating cash for criminals and hijacking other botnets for money. This will cause conflict preventing botnets to grow and attracting security experts and law enforcement. It’s botnets against other botnets. It’s like what happened to Zeus/Zbot being shut down by Bredolab botnet. Symantec claimed that botnets have become the foundation of cybercrime.

7. Piracy Gets Riskier – Microsoft has started making a move to lessen software piracy since last December. They received many complaints from users who buy the pirated version of Windows. IBM researchers are expecting that the continuous use of the pirated software will infection more users will malware.

8. Mobile Security Issue – Smartphones like iPhone and Android-based handsets are like miniature personal computers. They are being used for business purposes. In 2010, Websense predicted that smartphones will be targeted for attacks just like the computers. Nowadays, security vendors either have or are developing a mobile security product service. IBM thinks that mobile attacks will still be limited.

9. Major Insider Theft Scandal Will – It is expected next year that someone who has been in a large organization accessing company data will be caught to be working for or with a cybercrime group. The Identity Theft Resource expected that the number of insider cases will increase because of failure to follow basic workplace security protocols.

10. Clickjacking is Back – According to Zscaler, clickjacking will strike back. Clickjacking is a malicious technique that tricks users to reveal confidential information or take control of their computer while clicking the sites. Jeremiah Grossman of WhiteHat Security and Robert “RSnake” Hansen of SecTheory reveal about the technique in October 2008. Efforts have made to lessen the risk of clickjacking but it is still effective to use especially with a social engineering component.

How Can Techie Now Help?

The above security threats serves as a reminder for computer users to be careful over the web. You’ll never know what security threat you will be into. For now, the best protection is a reliable and updated antivirus software that will keep you and your computer in trouble. When it comes to your computer’s protection, Techie Now is the name you can trust. Techie Now offers PC support services: virus and spyware removal, performance optimization, installation and configuration and general repair.

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The British police arrested a couple from Manchester, aged 20, for purportedly using a sophisticated and malicious virus to infect thousands of computers and steal millions of pounds worth of personal information.

The said virus is known to be the notorious ZeuS or Zbot Trojan which bypasses security safeguards to record online bank account details, passwords and credit card numbers. It also copies passwords for social networking sites and let the hackers control the computer by forwarding the data to the servers. The said virus appears in different guises, which includes false Facebook page encouraging users to download a software update. It can steal passwords or sends your personal information hackers. It also hijacks computers pressing them into the services of botnets which can be used to send spam e-mails, distribute more malware and do other malicious things. All the taken information is worth millions of pounds making the criminals sell or use it themselves.

According to Detective Superintendent Charlie McMurdie, the couple was the first in Europe to be arrested in connection with the scam. Zeus or Zbot Trojan is a known malware which can be used for infecting or accessing personal information. It has affected 10,000 computers worldwide. The couple gathered millions of lines of data from infected computers. The scam uses the taken data of users and quickly harms them financially. Cyber criminals use Zeus because it threatens the people from using the Internet globally.

Zeus viruses is the biggest and most sophisticated “banking trojan” in the world. It targets the online banking accounts of millions of people. As it first came out in 2007, Zeus had grown more flexible and complicated after a few months that it was able to adjust and look for more ways to prevent from being detected by anti-virus software. Symantec’s analyst, Orla Cox said that ZeuS spreads fast because there’s an available toolkit online which allowed the cybercriminals to customize and create their own versions. The toolkit makes it easy for people to steal from online accounts. Since it’s easy to find on the web, it’s a useful kit for those who wants to be an Internet crime lord. Ghost is one of the best know open source toolkit. In the past year, more than 90,000 variations of Zeus virus have infected computers.

The couple was suspected of offenses against the Computer Misuse Act 1990 and the 2006 Fraud Act on November 3. Unfortunately, they have been released on bail. Reports showed that many businesses and individuals have experienced the online attack worldwide where money are stolen from their accounts and transferred to the criminals through complex banking networks. The accounts of willing “money mules” receive the money and withdraw it.

How Can Techie Now Help?

With the virus like Zeus, online bank accounts are not safe from the cyber criminals. It can steal your passwords or send your personal information, only to find out that your all your money is being stolen under your nose. It’s good to know that cyber criminals like this couple from Manchester was arrested for committing the crime. To protect your money from being stolen in your bank account online, always use updated anti-virus software. If you need assistance with this and other PC support services (virus and spyware removal, performance optimization, installation and configuration, and general repair), contact Techie Now. Techie Now will keep your computer running and protected all the time!

Child pornography refers to images or films involving and showing sexually explicit activities of a child. It is a multi-billion dollar industry which is the fastest growing criminal segments on the Internet. People accused of child pornography can ruin their reputation, face vast legal bills and be put in prison if proven guilty. Recently, the Associated Press outlined a case raised regarding computer viruses being an instrument to gather child pornography on people’s computers.

Associated Press reported about Michel Fiola’s case. He is a former Massachusetts state employee with a state-owned work computer containing illegal pornography images. After that, he was fired and charged with possession of child pornography.

Children’s sexually explicit images that are being used for exploitation are now protected by the First Amendment. Why is that so? It is because these images invite sexual crimes against the defenseless and innocent children. Although Fiola was not convicted, he has suffered humiliation, death threats and abandonment from his friends. He and his wife also spent $250,000 to pay for legal fees.

Fiola’s defense proved that his computer was infected by a virus. The said virus is programmed to visit as many as 40 child porn sites per minute. Of course, it will be difficult for a human to do that even if he tried. AP also reported that Fiola’s is not using updated antivirus software for his computer that’s why it was not protected from malware.

This could happen to anyone. If viruses can easily put illegal content to computers just like that, all PC users are at risk of being arrested for a serious crime that they don’t really do. According to Symantec, it is definitely possible for malware to plant child pornography or any other type of file on any innocent person’s computer but forensics can detect intention. One of the motives of the malware author is to use someone else’s computer to store child porn and hide it if ever your PC is being seized or searched. You must protect your PC against intrusions for your security. Always make sure that your operating system and software are updated. Be careful on spam and don’t download unknown attachments. Never click on links and don’t provide information to unknown sites.

How Can Techie Now Help?

In these days, viruses can really affect your personal and business life. Like what happened to Michel Fiola, it can also happen to anyone. Viruses can be dangerous. Protect your PC now, don’t let these malware infect your PC or harm you. Contact Techie Now right away! Techie Now’s services offers virus and spyware removal, performance optimization, installation and configuration, and general repair. With Techie, we offer you better services at better price. Techie Now will keep you and your PC clean and protected.

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A.U.K. security company is giving SafeOnline, a free security software, to banks that will stop malicious software from controlling online banking transactions or stealing data, even if the computer is infected. SafeOnline comes from a small security company in Derby, England, known as Prevx.

Many cybercriminals are developing complicated software, which they call as “man-in-the middle” or “man-in-the-browser attacks”. These software can be used to intercept banking transactions online while in progress and transfer funds with the user unaware that there’s something wrong. SafeOnline installs its own kernel-level driver on your Windows PCs. Since it is designed for secure browsing sessions conducted with SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) technology, all information from the keyboard is routed through that driver defeating attempts to record keystrokes or other interference. It has been tested by Immunity, a company that specializes in evaluating security technology.  Zeus, SilentBanker and Mebroot/Sinowal/Torpig are some of the most complicated banking malware tested against SafeOnline.

SafeOnline has an antiphishing feature preventing authentication information from being stored into a suspicious Web site. It also verifies DNS (Domain Name System) lookups against other trusted DNS servers to prevent pharming. In pharming, you redirect a website’s traffic to another bogus website.

Prevx is also giving an antimalware, its self-titled security product called Prevx 3.0.5, to the banks that decide to use SafeOnline with their customers.  Prevx is a small company but it is brutally competitive in the security market with other big players like McAfee, Symantec and Trend Micro. Prevx decide to give SafeOnline for free because as we all know, banks don’t want to pay for security software.

As of now, six (6) banking organizations are interested to use SafeOnline. Prevx has met the special requirements of the banks. According to the banks, they don’t want to modify their existing Web sites to accommodate a security technology. What they want is something that is easy for users and compatible with other security products their customers are using. Fortunately, Prevx’s software can run together with other security suites.

How Can Techie Now Help?

With so many cybercriminals around, it’s not that safe to engage your banking transactions online in these days. It’s best to use an antivirus software to protect your PC from infection and protect your money from being stolen. Do you have troubles detecting and halting Malware? You don’t need to worry. Contact Techie Now and we will do it easily for you. With Techie Now, you and your PC are protected at all time.

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Symantec Security Response has discovered a scam trying to victimize people who want to get into the Google Wave community promising an application that generates Google Wave invites. Scammers convinced the victims that they can earn money by selling the invites to others. According to Symantec, unfortunately the said application is a piece of malware.

What is Google Wave? Google Wave is a new personal communication and collaboration tool developed by Google. It a web-based service designed to merge e-mail, instant messaging, wikis, and social networking. Many people are looking for invites specially those for those who missed the initial sign up for this application. Because of the gaining popularity of the Google Wave, scammers use it as bait for unaware victims.

Scammers automatically post entries on forums, email or Twitter feeds including an item in the code box with a fake file, detected as the Backdoor.Tidserv malware. The attached file is a Trojan allowing the attacker to access and control your infected system and potentially steal personal data from your computer. The malware will be distributed if another user download and install it. Many people are being victimized because scammers promise them a Google Wave invite and extra cash if they are able to sell more just to make the users run the software. They are being attracted to Google Wave because of its current popularity.

Symantec advises the PC users to:

• be careful with whatever you click
• prevent clicking links from unknown source
• never download application from unknown sources
• use an updated security software to prevent your PC from downloading malware

How Can Techie Now Help?

Since Google Wave is very popular now, it is being used as bait for online attacks increasing the chance of the attackers to harm your PC successfully. If your antivirus is updated, you will be protected from the Google Wave malware attack. If want to keep your PC clean and protected, Techie Now is here to help you. Our PC support services include virus and spyware removal, performance optimization, installation and configuration, and general repair. Contact Techie Now and we will protect you and your PC against scammers and malware.

www.TechieNow.com