Baby Steps in Mobility: Pentagon OKs Dell-Only Android

The Defense Department is allowing a second mobile platform to access its networks, but it is not quite yet a “bring your own device” approach.

The Pentagon’s Security Technical Implementation Guide covers Dell’s version of Android 2.2, according to Stars and Stripes. This version is the only Pentagon-approved version. 

Dell’s Venue smartphone is…

How to Protect Your Devices

If you were one of many who received tech gifts during the holidays, beware. Computer and cyber crime have risen by more than 22 percent, according to the most recent statistics from 2009.

McAfee…

McAfee’s Dave DeWalt: Next Big Threat? Apps

The growing popularity of mobile devices and their many applications is already being exploited by hackers who are in the game to steal valuable personal information.

“We think 2011 is the year of the threat to the mobile device, particularly the mobile app,” Dave DeWalt, McAfee Inc CEO, told The Canadian Press.

With new…

Survey: Consumers Fail at Protecting Identity, Privacy Online

While most consumers know about the risks associated with using the Internet and engaging in e-commerce, the majority still relies on inadequate measures to protect their privacy and identity, according to a new survey by Anonymizer, Inc.

An overwhelming majority of respondents believed a firewall and an anti-virus software offered adequate protection for their identity online. However, while those tools are important safety measures, they…

Android Antivirus Passes 2.5 Million Downloads

A free anti-virus app for the Android smartphone has surpassed 2.5 million downloads last week. DroidSecurity’s ad-supported antivirus free app is now one of the 50 most popular apps in the Android marketplace, even though the Android has experienced few virus issues yet.

Dror Shalev, CTO and co-founder of DroidSecurity, said the new anti-virus app only has 200 signatures mostly of spyware and phishing campaigns. The company also provides text-messaging…

Survey: Anti-Virus Solutions Offer Inadequate Protection

Anti-virus programs may not be as effective as they initially were thought to be: A new study by Cyveillance found AV vendors detect less than 19 percent of malware attacks on the first day malware appears in the wild, and even after 30 days, many vendors cannot detect known attacks, making it critical for businesses to become more proactive in terms of cybersecurity to reduce the risk for infection.

“To…

FCC Warns Public of ‘Cyber Snoops’

After reports about incidents with Google’s Street View cars accidentally gathering personal data submitted over WiFi networks, hackers stealing iPad owners’ email addresses, and wireless and Wi-Fi networks making users’ private data accessible, the Federal Communications Commission is warning members of the public about how easily their data can be get into the wrong hands.

In a blog post last Friday, FCC Chief of the…

Anti-Virus for iPad Users- But is it Necessary?

Intego has started to offer iPad users an anti-virus scanner that is capable of scanning the iPad, the first scanner of its kind. However, some have questioned if such a feature is really necessary.

The iPad runs the same operating system as the iPhone, which currently only “jailbroken” iPhones have been subjected to malware exploitation. Intego even acknowledges that there…

Anti-Virus for Facebook? Be Careful, It’s a Trap

Researchers at F-Secure have found an interesting new attempt by scammers to infiltrate Facebook. The scammers utilize a fake anti-virus that tags 20 “Friends” in a picture containing the anti-virus software. If another user clicks the link, it provides a warning saying “Allowing Antivirus in Focebook access will let it pull your profile information, photos, your friend’s info, and other content that it requires to work.”

Facebook is currently working…

Anti-Virus Scanners May Not Be Enough

A central tenet of  good cyber hygiene is to ensure that you are running up-to-date anti-virus software on your computer. It appears that even that may not be enough: A recent study conducted by SurfRight has found  around a third of users with up-to-date anti-virus software are infected with malware.

To conduct the study, SurfRight used its HitmanPro 3 behavioral scan to scan more than 100,000 computers for malware. Approximately…