A new eCard spam has been detected by Sophos. The eCard contains a message that wants the reader to view a video from a link that looks like it is pointing to a youtube video.

Two different messages are shown as examples on Sophos’ blog. The first message is telling the reader that he or she was in a youtube video. The second one is similar except that it was written with different words.

When a user clicks the link, it will show a web page that contains a malicious script and a link to a malware. An example is also shown on the blog of what this web page looks like.

Source: Sophos

A report has been released by various websites that a server from Microsoft is having trouble on validating the copies of Windows operating systems.

Some users posted in the official Windows Genuine Advantage forum that they are unhappy with this news because they are being told that their copies are questionable or fake.

Harry McCracken of PC World tested to check whether he would get a wrong message when he tried to verify his Windows Vista copy. He said that he got a correct message which means that it passed the test and that the problem does not affect every user who use a Windows operating system.

Source: PC World

There are many exploitable buffer overflaw flaws in a couple of products from Trend Micro according to a study by iDefense Labs.

The two products which have the flaws are their anti-spyware for desktop PCs and notebooks and their software called ServerProtect anti-virus software which are designed for both Windows and NetWare servers.

One of the errors in ServerProtect is about the StRpcSrv.dll library.

In their anti-spyware product, an attacker can trigger an overflow when by making a file with a very long path.

A Trend Micro spokesman said, “We appreciate third-party researchers alerting us to product issues, and Trend Micro retains a long-standing reputation of providing our customer base with the patches necessary to keep them secure.”

Source: SC Magazine

I have been playing with some Bluetooth applications which seek out nearby bluetooth enabled mobile phones and send them a message of my choice. I can also choose the amount of messages that each device gets over a certain amount of time. For example, I can make it so that each device only gets 1 message per month, no matter how many times that device is discovered.

Something like this has plenty of marketing potential for any computer business with a shop front. They could send their monthly specials or even a discount voucher of some sort. I personally wont be doing it because I operate out of an office and not a shop front. I would also feel a little weird doing it. However, the potential is there for those that do have a shop front.

Now, the big question is, do you guys think Bluetooth Marketing is a shady business practice? or being smart and thinking outside the square?

Drop us a comment, I’d love to hear the general opinion on such a marketing method. As always, no need to signup to make a comment and you can even post anonymously if you wish. Just hit that comment link below this post.

The job site, Monster.com, has shut down one of its server that was gathering information from users who use the site.

The people behind this malware may be sending personalized emails and those emails are asking the recipients to report back their bank account information.

Symantec reseacher Vikram Thakur stated that, “The email looks very realistic and may convince many that it has been sent from Monster.com or Careerbuilder.com.”

“The sheer number of people who could receive such targeted spam is worrisome. We urge readers to limit the information they post on Web sites,” he added.

The name of the malware is called Infostealer.Monstres. It was first uncovered last week.

Monster added a security alert on its site to warn its visitors.

Source: The Register

To be successful you will need to keep an eye on your competitors. I am not talking about doing any dirty tricks like rummaging through their rubbish to find sensitive documents, I am talking about looking at their advertising. What are they offering? and how much? Potential customers don’t know who is the better tech, but they do know who has the better advertising and the best deal.
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Sophos has posted an article on their blog about a fake Google webpage that they have encountered.

There are pictures that are included in the source link below. As you can see, the webpage looks very similar. The top part of the webpage looks different. The legitimate site has links on the top left and right side of the webpages. The fake site only has links on the top right of the webpage.

Besides that difference, Sophos also posted the source code of the webpage. They noted that it contains a JavaScript script. The script attempts to exploit a browser vulnerability which is known as MS06-014. It will download and execute a Win32 trojan.

Source: Sophos

This one was mentioned in our forums by gunslinger; PStart isn’t exactly a repair tool, however it is an excellent way for organizing your kit when you are on the job. PStart is a stand alone, free application that allows you to turn your files and folders into a “Start Menu” style menu that sits in the system tray. You can add single files or entire folders. It also allows you to make program groups so you can sort your applications by type such as Repair Tools, Tweaks, Installers etc..
PStart also allows you to create an autorun for use on your USB drive. When you plug your USB drive loaded with your repair tools into a clients computer, the PStart menu you created will start automatically. Check out the screenshots to see it in action.
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Another update has been posted at The Register about the new tactics of the Storm Worm authors.

Now, they send email which prompts users to install an applet so the users can get membership benefits to clubs on various subjects such as online dating and music.

The emails tell the user that the applet needs to be installed so those who are interested on becoming a member can sign in securely.

According to a study, only 14 of 32 anti-virus programs detected this applet.

“A lot of commonly used antivirus tools don’t detect Storm. The traditional signature approach that some of the antivirus vendors use really isn’t all that useful anymore,” said Johannes Ullrich of SANS Internet Storm Center.

Source: The Register

Win-get is an application I have been playing around with to help me with the common task of formatting a hard drive and reinstalling Windows. Win-get is a command line tool for Windows that works similar to Linux’s “wget” command. Many of us techies go to the extra trouble of installing commonly used software when reinstalling Windows for our clients. Imagine downloading and installing Firefox, AVG Antivirus, Ad-Aware and Spybot by typing only four commands in DOS. If you know the basics of BAT scripting you can make it so all you have to do is press a button. Sure you can download them all to a USB stick and just carry that around, but those installers get outdated quickly. In this article we’ll show you some ways to use this awsome program to download and install the latest versions of software.
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