Apple patches critical bugs in Mac operating system

Yesterday Microsoft released a security advisory addressing a bug in the way many applications are coded which could be exploited to attack Windows PCs. Microsoft was quick to point out that this new class of remote attacks is not related to specific vulnerabilities in Microsoft products, but that doesn't mean that Microsoft's applications are properly coded to avoid this issue either.

Apple has released a security update to its Mac OS X operating system, fixing a number of critical security issues in the software.

Less than 24 hours after Microsoft said it couldn't patch Windows to fix a systemic problem, attack code appeared Tuesday to exploit the company's software.

In recent weeks, more and more iTunes users have been reporting fraudulent activity on their Apple accounts, reporting hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of bogus purchases. With the reports of this type of fraud on the uptick in recent weeks, many users have been quick to blame Apple or PayPal, as many of the affected iTunes accounts were linked to PayPal accounts.

Apple's new iOS 4 operating system for iPhone 3G and above pays close attention to your location, in good and maybe not-so-good ways.

Microsoft released a security advisory in response to a potential exploit, known as DLL preloading or binary planting, which has been found to impact hundreds of third-party Windows applications--possibly including software developed by Microsoft itself. Unfortunately, this isn't a simple Windows vulnerability that Microsoft can fix with its next patch release, so it's important that you understand the flaw and what is at risk, as well as what you can do to protect your systems.

More than 40 percent of the world's spam is coming from a single network of computers that computer security experts continue to battle, according to new statistics from Symantec's MessageLabs' division.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans are concerned that information about their bank accounts, credit cards and identity may be stolen from their computers, according to a survey released today by a provider of identity theft protection services.

The Rustock mega-botnet appears to have ditched the experimental use of TLS (transport layer security) to obscure its activity, Symantec has reported.

It's hardly practical to believe there are "right" and "wrong" ways to employ social networking services like Twitter or Facebook. However, there are "smart" and/or "safe" methods of use, especially for location-based services (LBS) that identify your whereabouts at a given time, like popular social network/LBS Foursquare.

Miley Cyrus is fine. Beyoncé did not perish in a plane crash. Brad Pitt did not meet an untimely demise. Everyone take a deep breath and--whatever you do--do NOT click on any file or link that arrives as a part of a sensational e-mail declaring a celebrity death.

Spam messages touting fictional tales of celebrity deaths are prompting users to open attachments that are adding their machines to the Zeus botnet.

The non-profit, Chicago-based internet security research firm Team Cymru (pronounced 'kum-ree') will release a new tool next month that it hopes will be a game changer in the fight against world-wide cyber crime.

Bot controllers stop TLS experiment, reckons Symantec

The Rustock mega-botnet appears to have ditched the experimental use of TLS (transport layer security) to obscure its activity, Symantec has reported.

Afilias will deploy DNSSEC on 13 of the Internet domains it operates

Afilias, which operates .info and more than a dozen other website extensions, will announce on Monday plans to deploy an emerging standard known as DNSSEC that adds a layer of encryption to the Internet's Domain Name System.

Hackers drain customer bank accounts

Users of Apple's iTunes services should keep a close eye on PayPal and credit card statements for fraudulent iTunes charges. For more than a year now, scammers have been racking up unauthorised charges on iTunes accounts, leaving Apple's customers to clean up the mess.

But Microsoft won't say whether Windows apps are vulnerable

Microsoft responded to reports of potential zero-day attacks against a large number of Windows programs by publishing a tool it said would block known exploits.

Exploit allows hackers to execute malicious code on PCs

The appearance Monday of exploit code for the DLL loading issue that reportedly affects hundreds of Windows applications means hackers will probably start hammering on PCs shortly, security experts argued.

Takes VC cash to woo SMEs

Free antivirus software pioneer Avast, has received a $100 million (£64 million) investment from private equity firm Summit Partners to woo business users and open new offices around the globe.