07/05/2009
Is free antivirus software worth it?
That may sound like a funny question, but it's one worth asking. I'll avoid the cliche of, "you get what you pay for," because all too often in life that's just not true. Often you end up with something wonderful and inexpensive or something that's mediocre and expensive. Instead I'll... Read more
07/03/2009
Kaspersky Labs Wins Precedent-Setting Case Against Adware / Spyware
Late June brought a victory--and some delightful news--to those looking to put a little sanity into the adware / spyware front. It should be no surprise to regular readers that we feel that labeling adware as spyware is a logical thing to do. While many adware purveyors take umbrage at... Read more
06/26/2009
Michael Jackson Spam / Malware Attacks
It didn't take long for the spammers, scammers, and scumware makers to try to take advantage of Michael Jackson's sad passing. SophosLabs brings news that, "Just after about 8 hours of his demise, SophosLabs witnessed the first wave of spam messages employing the sad news in the subject line and... Read more
06/15/2009
Morro: Microsoft's Free Antivirus Software
There's been a bit of a discussion lately about Microsoft's upcoming antivirus software, dubbed "Morro" and currently in beta. Given the time we've spent in and on Internet security-related software and other matters, I'd like to add another voice on the subject. Some things to consider about Morro: Facts about... Read more
06/10/2009
Antivirus Companies Fined for Autorenewing Subscriptions
It should come as no surprise that we're big believers in antivirus software and in keeping antivirus software updated; however, as any customer we've gone to bat for with the various vendors will testify, we're also consumer advocates. Today, we got news that Symantec (makers of Norton Antivirus) and McAfee... Read more
06/08/2009
Antivirus Testing for Windows 7
We've gotten a few requests in Ye Olde Mailbag recently asking if we're planning Windows 7 antivirus reviews anytime soon. That depends on what you consider "soon," frankly. ;-) With the fairly recent public release of Windows 7 beta (for free, no less!), clearly the initial reviews of the OS... Read more
06/04/2009
Sluggish System? Your Antivirus Software is Probably to Blame
05/26/2009
New Computers with Viruses on Them?
OK. So, you just bought a new computer. It still even has that brand-new-in-the-box / fresh-PC-smell. And it's already got a virus. Oh, did I mention it came that way straight from the factory? That's exactly what the folks at Kaspersky Labs, makers of highly-rated, Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2009, discovered on... Read more
05/25/2009
Nearly Two Months In: What's the Latest with Conficker?
In case you thought things had settled down with Conficker, you're wrong. Just because it's nearly two months after the official Conficker activiation date, and just because the main stream media isn't talking about it anymore, doesn't mean it's not a real threat. In fact, Computerworld, one of our favorite... Read more
05/19/2009
US-CERT: "Malware Exploit Circulating"
One of the places we keep an eye on here is US-CERT.gov, the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team. Their crack team of computer commandos (read: geeks) keep a watchful eye on all things relating to computer security that might have effects at the national/international level. We like their view... Read more