[SecurityRatty] tag: freeware

Violating OPSEC for Increasing the Probability of Malware Infection

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:39:32 +0000

Are malware authors and the rest of the participants in fact willing to violate their OPSEC (operational security) for the sake of increasing the probability of successful malware infection by on purposely lowering down the security settings of Internet Explorer, by adding their malicious netblocks and domains into "Trusted Sites"? You bet.

The infamous Smitfraud or PSGuard Desktop Hijacker, has been cooperating with known malicious parties for over an year now, a cooperation which exposes interesting relatinships between the usual suspects. Starting from the basic fact that a malware infected host is infected with many other totally unrelated to one another pieces of malware, Smitfraud's "pre-infection foreplay" demonstrates that they are willing to sacrifice operational security in order to increaes the probabilty of future infections on the same host.

Rogue software added as trusted sites upon Smitfraud infection :
about-adult .net
antivirus-scanner .com
best-porncollection .com
getadultaccess .com
getavideonow .com
ieantivirus .com
malwarebell .com
mega-soft-2008 .com
mooncodec .com
movsonline .com
ruler-cash .com
s-freeware .com
sexysoftwaredom .com
supersoft21freeware .com
the-programsportal .com
vwwredtube .com
wetsoftwares .com
youpornztube .com
securewebinfo .com
safetyincludes .com
securemanaging .com
myflydirect .com
onlinevideosoftex .com
scanner.malwscan .com
scanner.shredderscan .com
sex18tube2008 .com
spywareisolator .com
virus-scanner-online .com
security-scanner-online .com
virus-scanonline .com
antivirus-scanonline .com
topantivirus-scan .com
topvirusscan .com
virus-detection-scanner .com
antivirus-scanner .com
infectionscanner .com
internet-security-antivirus .com
hotvid44 .com
opaadownload .com
somenudefuck .com

Rogue netblocks and IPs added as trusted IP ranges upon Smitfraud infection :
"69.50.*.*"
"69.31.*.*"
"66.235.*.*"
"66.230.*.*"
"216.239.*.*"
"205.188.*.*"
"205.177.*.*"
"195.225.*.*"
"216.195.*.*"
"82.179.*.*"
"81.95.*.*"
"70.84.*.*"
"195.95.*.*"
"194.187.*.*"
"78.129.158.*"
"78.129.166.*"
"89.149.226.*"
"195.93.218.*"
"72.21.53.*
"81.9.3.*"
"213.189.27.*"
"88.255.74.*"
"79.143.178.*"
"202.71.102.*"
"64.202.189.170"
"217.170.77.150"

The second hardcoded trusted IP is also responding to :
virusisolator .com
virus-isolator .org
virus-isolator .net
soft-collections .com
viruswebprotect .com
virus-isolator .us
codecvideo2008-18 .com
sextubecodec55 .com
sextubecodec67 .com
soft-archives .com
soft-collections .com
codecreviews .com
codecvideo2008-18 .com

Such practices leave a great deal of malicious creativity, for instance, once rented a botnet's already infected malware PCs could start trusting the majority of sites in their scammy ecosystem. What's great is that by doing this they expose their affiliations with these affiliate based rogue security software programs, next to their infrastructure on which they may be that easily claiming ownership.

5 Important Security Apps for Linux, Mac, and Windows

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 02:50:41 +0000

We've got you covered with five freeware or shareware security tools for Linux boxes, Macs, and Windows machines, all recommended by Ars staffers.

Text to Speech to MP3 with the freeware program DSpeech

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:22:10 +0000

New Video:Text to Speech to MP3 with the freeware program DSpeech
This video is on Dspeech, a freeware tool that uses Microsoft's SAPI (Speech Application Programming Interface) to convert text to spoken word. What's special about it is it lets you make an MP3 of the text, so you can listen to it on your computer, in you car or on your MP3 player. It's great for listening to study notes.

As an unrelated side note, a friend of mine want's me to mention his humor page on celebrities, politics and gadgets. Hope you enjoy it.

Text to Speech to MP3 with the freeware program DSpeech

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:22:10 +0000

Text to Speech to MP3 with the freeware program DSpeech

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:22:10 +0000

Found one of my articles at this site, without my about author

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:50:37 +0000

Geez, I appreciate the publishing of one of my articles, I’d just like the “about Author” included.
Seems to be a great site with lots of good articles.
No contact info though. Comments do not work either.

clipped from articlevalhalla.net

The Never Ending Spyware Story

A person sits down somewhere, writing a fresh virus, a novel practical application of Spyware. It is placed onto the Cyberspace and Anti-Computer virus and Anti-Spyware traffickers commence to evolve definitions to battle it, possibly even to halt it for good. These fixes are integrated into the fresh variations of the software they deal, or allot as freeware. Existent companies, businesses, and exploiters struggle to hold up with what to apply, overpowered, their line of life to the Net bets on it.

The High Price of Things that are Free

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 15:26:00 +0000

The High Price of Things that are Free

We cannot help but be enticed by things that are free. Despite knowing at the back of our heads that nothing comes free, we can't seem to shake off the natural hopeful tendency that tempts us to believe that free items have no strings attached.

This is particularly true with the case of unwanted adware and spyware that some of us unknowingly download and infect our systems with. Adware and spyware are programs that are unwittingly installed into our computers because they come bundled with some freeware and shareware programs that are downloadable from the Internet. Computer and Internet users are usually careful about installing suspicious programs that may contain viruses and worms that can disrupt the computer's system.

This is why spyware and adware use deception to get individuals to downloading them either because they are intricately bundled into legitimate parent programs and sometimes, spyware and adware can even masquerade itself as security or computer optimization software to trick one into installing these unwanted programs.

However, in some cases, one doesn't even have to install anything to get the computer system infected with spyware and adware. Simply browsing and visiting certain sites can launch an attack. These adware and spyware programs can be launched due to vulnerabilities in your Internet browser's security. This way, spyware and adware can automatically infect your system without you having to download anything. This is especially true of earlier versions of Internet Explorer because it is intricately connected to the Windows operating system.

For this reason, it is important to free yourself from security and privacy risks by equipping yourself with adequate spyware and adware protection.Spyware and adware at the very least can cause you annoyance from unwanted pop up advertisements that can erratically appear on your computer monitor. In moderate instances though, your privacy can be greatly compromised since spyware can track your Internet habits. However, severe cases can mean a serious attack on your security against identity theft and fraud.

While you indeed should be wary of free programs, there are some free spyware and adware protection programs that you can use manage your Internet risks properly. There's Ad-Aware SE Personal, Spybot S&D, IE-SPYAD, Spyware Blaster, HiJack This, XP-AntiSpy, and X-Cleaner are some of the more popular free spyware and adware protection programs. Before trying out some other free spyware and adware protection program though, you should make sure of its legitimacy.

There are rogue spyware or malware that are disguised as security software. Before trying these out, you should do your research and ask around for recommendations. Dependable and secure free spyware and adware protection programs however are vital protection needed in every computer. These free spyware and adware programs work in two ways. The first is by providing real time protection by proactively preventing new spyware and adware from infecting your system.

The other type of protection provided by free spyware and adware programs is the detection and eradication of existing spyware and adware that is already installed in your computer. Not all free spyware and adware protection programs are created equal. Some of the free spyware and adware protection programs mentioned above can only do one type or protection and some can do both. It is better to get a free spyware and adware protection program that can do both for better value and risk management.

Virtual Eyes

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 15:25:00 +0000

Virtual Eyes

Beware: free spyware and adware programs come with some of your favorite downloads.

The Internet is a wonderful tool. It works like a virtual web, connecting everyone within its network from all parts of the globe. With many salient features, the Internet has become so popular that virtually everyone around the world has access to an Internet connection. This popularity has spawned more and more products, services, and information that anyone with Internet access can enjoy.

Unfortunately, it is precisely because of its popularity that some less than scrupulous groups have come up with free spyware and adware programs to take advantage of the connectivity that the Internet provides. Spyware is also known as adware and in some cases, it is labeled as malware. Simply put, spyware is a computer software that comes bundled with some programs that are downloadable from the Internet and it works as a virtual spy within your system. To the uninitiated, it may seem that the idea of espionage happening within one's own personal computer sounds either like a joke or a great exaggeration but the truth of the matter is that spyware is something that should give Internet users pause.

The purpose of spyware is to secretly track a variety of personal information from the user of the computer using some techniques like tracking internet browsing patterns, logging keystrokes and some spyware are even sophisticated enough to scan documents from the computer's hard drive. There are many reasons as to why spyware is proliferated in the Internet. One such reason is to enable unsolicited pop ups us a targeted marketing tactic but sometimes, spyware or malware is used to be able to commit criminal acts such as identity fraud by stealing passwords and vital credit information.

This spyware business is an extremely difficult and potentially dangerous program. It runs undetected within your system so that you are unaware that your computer activities are being tracked. It is obviously an infringement to one's right to privacy and its processes utilize your computer's system causing a slow down in your computer's performance. Like all types of espionage, the installation of spyware into your system is tricky.

Free spyware and adware programs often come bundled along with some freeware downloads that you may be enticed into installing. There are also some unsolicited pop-ups that you may encounter while browsing that look like regular Windows system generated pop-ups and clicking on these will cause you to unknowingly install unwanted spyware.

While the mere fact that you are on the Internet and browsing immediately makes you vulnerable to spyware, there are some measures that you can take to ensure safer web usage. For instance, you should install legitimate anti-spyware programs to detect, eradicate and prevent future installations of spyware on your system. Don't be so trusting of anti-spyware downloads on the Net because some of those are there to trick you into installing free spyware and adware programs into your computer.

Likewise, be very careful also of free programs that you download on the Internet. Some free versions of programs contain spyware so be sure to read the agreements before agreeing to install certain products. Also, it should be noted that older versions of Internet Explorer make one's system very vulnerable to spyware attacks because of its close link and integration to the Windows platform.

To Remove the Worse You Need the Best

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 15:25:00 +0000

To Remove the Worse You Need the Best

Imagine yourself walking along a busy street, minding your own business. You stop by a men's clothing store. You look at the window display, point at a new pair of shoes. After a few minutes of gawking at the window display you move on home.

As you go inside your house, you noticed a flyer on your porch. The flyer is on the exact pair of shoes that you saw in the men's store. How did they know? Was it coincidence? If this all happened in the internet, then it's probably not a coincidence. Your computer has been watched and your "movement" in the Web has been recorded. Your operating system has some spyware in it.

Spyware are computer programs that attach themselves in whatever things you download online. They are designed to track you wherever you go online. Spyware is a little different from adware. Adware are also referred to as freeware and are basically ads that pop-up when you open a website or webpage or open a program.

Spyware are similar in that they are also freeware, however, spyware programs have embedded tracking programs which reports your activity in the internet to the spyware agent which in turn provides the information to advertisers and web developers. With this information, advertisers and web developers and even the government can feed your computers with any information they want without your consent and even without you noticing it.

It is best, therefore that you employ some precautionary measures yourselves to stay free from spyware and adware attacks. First you need to disable auto installation of software programs in your internet browsers and you need use pop-up blockers and firewall protection.

This is your first line of defense against such spyware programs. The next thing to do is to get decent anti-spyware programs. It shouldn't be too hard, there are a lot of them nowadays and most of them are free or at the very least have free trial accounts.

Among the most popular free anti-spyware and adware programs are Ad Aware and Active Shield. Ad Aware offers advanced protection against Data-mining, Parasites, aggressive advertising, Scumware and some traditional viruses and tracking systems like Trojans, Dialers, Malware and Browser hijackers. Active Shield on the other hand targets trojans and spyware.

Other popular anti-spyware software include Spy-Ad Exterminator Free which searches the computer's memory, hard drives, and registry for spyware, adware, worms, hijacks, keyloggers, among others; Spy Cleaner Lite which identifies and removes programs that has been covertly installed in your systems; Spyware Doctor is an advanced adware and spyware removal program; Free Spyware Scanner tells the user how their computer got infected and the best solution for spyware removal; Doctor Alex Antispyware; Spyware Begone; 1-2-3 Spyware Free; and Easy Spyware Scanner.

Most of the time, these anti-spyware scanners and removal utilities will locate spyware and adware in your computer and will delete, ignore, or quarantine each and every one of them. Some anti-spyware programs will remove spyware automatically while other provides a user interface option where you can customize specific actions the anti-spyware would perform.

Some other popular spyware removal software includes Anti-Hijacker, Spyware & Adware Removal, Max Secure Spyware Detector, and Deluxe Spy-Kill utilities. These are just some of the more popular spyware removal software. It's up to you which one you choose, but try to look for reputable ones. Look at reviews and ask for referrals from friends.

Disable Your Computer's Parasites

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 15:23:00 +0000

Disable Your Computer's Parasites

An individual who uses a computer with an Internet connection pretty much practices caution when downloading programs from the Internet and email because of the threat of viruses and worms. These malicious program codes and programs can cause your system to become unstable and worse yet, after it has spread within your system, it further infects other systems connected to yours.

This is why any sensible computer user has anti virus programs installed in one's computer for protection against attacks from viruses and worms that proliferate the Internet. The good thing about viruses and worms is the fact that it is easier to spot them trying to get into your system. For instance, a virus or worm can try to enter your system through a suspicious attachment usually from an unknown source. By now, most Internet users know better than to open suspicious attachments. Also, rigorous anti virus programs can scan attachments before you can open them so that your risk against viruses and worms are properly managed.

However, as an Internet user, you have more to worry about than viruses and worms. Unfortunately, anti virus programs are not designed to detect other types of threats and if you are not careful, you may unwittingly install adware and spyware into your system and once this happens, uninstalling these programs can become problematic. For one thing, most spyware can go undetected in your system. You will continue on your regular computer and Internet habits without realizing that your privacy is immensely violated and your security is greatly hindered.

Since spyware can go undetected and you can continue to use your computer and the Internet as usual, there is no need to worry about uninstalling spyware, right?
Wrong.

Spyware in mild cases infringes on your privacy because it can track and take note of your usage patterns and these information are reported back to the company that created the spyware so that they can build marketing profiles. More than that though, some spyware have the ability to register and take note of key strokes, scan documents within your computer's hard drive, and can steal your passwords and other sensitive information that can make you the victim of identity theft and other situations where your personal information can be used to compromise your security.

On the other hand, adware is used by companies to infect your computer with unsolicited ads. The most problematic kinds are the ones that indiscriminately pop ads on to your screen even if you are not viewing their site or using the parent program that launched the adware. In fact, in some cases, adware continues to work into your system long after you uninstalled the program it came bundled with.

Given the security risks, the invasion of your right to privacy, and the annoying effects of spyware and adware, you will be wise to uninstall these programs from your computer. However, to uninstall adware and spyware from your system is not such a simply task.

For one thing, companies that proliferate the Internet with spyware and adware go to great lengths to ensure that uninstalling them from your system can be difficult. For instance, in most cases, you will be unable to use legitimate software if you attempt to uninstall the adware or spyware it comes bundled with. Adware and spyware are usually bundled with legitimate freeware or shareware and cannot run independently of each other.