online security - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

  • Four Safer Ways to Pay Online

    Who has your private info? Who knows, given how common <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/229301/are_you_a_data_breach_victim_heres_what_to_do.html">security breaches</a> have become. And credit card information is one of the most common types of <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/227255/protect_your_data_from_the_breach_epidemic.html">personal data</a> we volunteer online. So what can you do to minimize credit card fraud? Well, you can't stop the break-ins, but here are four ways to keep your funds out of the hands of the bad guys.

    Jeff Bertolucci | 19 Jun | Read more

  • Google clearing up more Android malware

    Google has had to remove yet more malware-infected apps offered in its Android Market. As spotted by the Lookout Security Team, 50 applications were infected by a variation of the DroidDream malware that hit in March. Lookout is referring to the new malware as DroidDreamLight and says up to 120,000 Android users might have been affected.

    Keir Thomas | 03 Jun | Read more

  • Mac Defender malware: A survival guide for OS X users

    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.

    Ian Paul | 26 May | Read more

  • PlayStation Network security breach: A survival guide

    Sony has admitted that account details, logins and online IDs for registered Sony PlayStation Network users, as many as 77 million people, have been compromised. The information was stolen sometime between April 17 and 19, according to a Sony blog post, as early as nine days before Sony notified its users of the breach. Even worse, the company says it can't be sure whether credit card information was stolen.

    Ian Paul | 27 Apr | Read more

  • Is the Stars Worm just a hoax?

    Iran claims to have discovered new malware it is calling the Stars worm attacking the nation's critical infrastructure. But, the lack of any sample of the new threat make many security experts skeptical.

    Tony Bradley | 27 Apr | Read more

  • Top 5 online 2011 tax scams

    You may not want to think about your taxes until Tax Day on April 15, but online scammers are already plotting to separate you from your tax refund and your identity. Scams for the 2011 tax season include promises of tax credits for charitable donations to disaster relief in Japan, malware-laden Websites optimized for search engines, dangerous e-mail, and so-called 'likejacking' techniques found on the social network Facebook.

    Ian Paul | 26 Mar | Read more

  • Five big security threats for 2011

    Online malicious activity was a major headache in 2010, and so far, 2011 is no different: We've seen scams and malware on Twitter, Facebook, and the Android Market, as well as a rise in politically motivated online attacks. But that's no surprise to security experts such as Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for security firm Sophos. Cluley says that Sophos analyzes about 95,000 pieces of malware every day that is either brand-new or a variant of an older attack.

    Ian Paul | 11 Mar | Read more