Google has released an experimental extension for its Chrome browser that developers can use to scan their Web applications and flag code that could make them vulnerable to malware attacks.
Apple says it has a fix in the works for the Mac Defender fake antivirus app that has plagued a surprising number of Mac users in recent weeks. The company recently posted a Mac Defender support page explaining how you can remove the malware from your system. Apple also says it will roll out an OS X software update to protect Mac users from future attacks.
WhiteGold Solutions has become the sole distributor for security and compliance vendor, nCircle.
Mac users don't have to worry about malware, right? Well, for many years that's been true, although the reasons were always the topic of contentious debate between the Apple faithful and various security researchers, many of whom predicted Mac security breaches would rise as Apple's share of the PC market climbed northward.
Microsoft's popular free antivirus program Security Essentials has put in a mediocre showing in the latest quarterly tests from German test outfit AV-Test.org, finishing second bottom out of 22 products.
The announcement late Sunday of the death of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has set the Internet abuzz, as users searched for information and shared their thoughts on the killing of one of the world's most wanted men.
(Writer's Comment: Starting today, Bugs and Fixes will be posted biweekly each month for your convenience. You'll still be able to read the Bugs and Fixes column in the monthly print issue of PCWorld.)
I like to think that most of us who use computers are reasonably bright and responsible. So I get really irritated by the mindset of some technology vendors who insist that treating us like children is not only okay, but also the responsible thing for them to do.
The battle against groups of hacked computers known as botnets is suffering from a lack of coordination, resulting in a cybercrime industry worth more than US$10 billion worldwide annually, according to a report from a European Union security agency.
AVG says up to 50,000 Android users a day are downloading its free security application, as the smartphone OS gains popularity.
Russian security vendor Kaspersky Lab has released new versions of its security software for mobile devices to cover Android and the BlackBerry OS.
If you haven't bought a new version of your antivirus software in a couple of years, now may be a good time to do so. Malware is evolving faster than ever, and the latest generation of antivirus software is better equipped to handle this rapid pace of change. If your antivirus software is a few years old, it may not be able to defend against this onslaught effectively, even if you faithfully download new virus definitions. In recent years, the technology that powers antivirus software has changed dramatically: An antivirus package you purchased a few years ago may be able to stop known viruses and other known malware, but brand-new, as-yet unknown viruses can be more dangerous, and newer products do a much better job of stopping them.
European regulators are looking closely at Intel's planned McAfee acquisition and may hold up the deal with an investigation, according to a report published Friday.
Avast Pro Antivirus 5 ($US40 for a single-PC, one-year license as of 11/23/2010) ranks third in our roundup of 2011 paid antivirus products. When PCWorld last looked at Avast's paid antivirus offering, our reviewer wasn't particularly impressed with either its interface or its malware detection capabilities. Avast Antivirus Pro 5, however, is a definite improvement, thanks to a slick new interface and some useful additional features. But middling detection capabilities relative to other paid antivirus software keep it from claiming a higher ranking.
Avast Free Antivirus 5 took the top spot in our late 2010 roundup of free antivirus software. It provides good, all-around malware detection in a speedy, well-designed package. We liked its easy installation process, smooth interface design, and minimal impact in system performance. However, although it wins out overall, its malware detection, while good, isn't the best we've seen.
