You may have read about Microsoft planning to release a patch for their browser which eliminates the ability to use URLs that have the login and password stored in it. And example would be sending the username and password through a URL that allows someone to access an htaccess secured website. Commonly this is used to create a simple form on website versus getting an ugly htaccess dialogue popup. Here's how they typically look:
http://username:password@quikonnex.com/members. Now thanks to Microsoft this capability is going away soon. Here's why:

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The W32/Mydoom.A@mm virus is using some rather sly techniques to persuade you to open the attachment which will infect your computer. One of my old clients asked me about a message that he received. The message looked like it was a returned message (a bounce) that was refused because it contained the W32/Mydoom.A@mm virus. The virus was also sent along as an attachment. Anti-virus scanners do not return mail with the original virus included. They will eliminate it first.

Newsletter publishers may be at the most risk with this one. One, because their email addresses are probably in thousands of address books (their subscribers) and two, because publishers are always dealing with bounced emails and may actually open up the attachment to determine which email address returned the bounce. Instead of being able to remove the bouncing email address from their list, they're infected. Not a good thing, but further justification for publishers to start delivering their newletters via RSS feeds. This is a real email alternative that shouldn't be discounted. [Read More!]

This virus is now classified as a High-Outbreak virus by McAfee. It even merited mentioning on my local news station this morning. I've received several copies of it, yesterday and today(remember a lot of folks out there have my email addresses in their system, so I get this stuff alot).

This one will not only propagate over networks such as Kazaa (seems like a risky program to use these days) and via your email, but it also installs a back door program on your computer that would allow it to be used by spammers. Additionally, the virus help in conducting a Denial of Service attach agains t SCO.com (one of the Unix software companies).

Here's the link to McAffee to read all about this one:
http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp?id=description&virus_k=100983

This one should be avoidable by most folks because it contains a suspicous attachment and no real deceiving message. BUT, I'm always surprised by how many folks open these things up. Come on now, if the message is blank or contains bad grammar... DON'T OPEN IT!

One of the I-Cop members posted a link to this article on Information Week. Fred Langa's article says that (in his test with over 10,000 testers) that only about 60% of non-spam, personal email made it to its intended recipient. Here's the link:

http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=17300016

Now if personal email is not getting through, then what makes folks think that their newsletters will get through. Optin, double-optin, CAN SPAM compliant... it doesn't matter. Your mail is being censored!

This one is definitely already out there. It's a variant of the Sobig virus and contains a potentially dangerous remote access component. Got 2 copies already in one of my information email accounts. McAfee's email alert system sent out a notice on this one which I received about 4 minutes before this one showed up. I'd say it's in the wild already. Anyway here's the tip:

Virus Email Subject: Hi (pretty obvious)
Text: Random characters like this:

Test =)
vttqdoigwhynt
--
Test, yep.

The attachment has a random filename. One had the ysrwls.exe and the other sagbt.exe (both exe's which should be a dead giveaway)

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This sounds legitimate to me. The concept here is that a "fraud investigator", allegedly from your bank, credit card company, or other legimate sounding company, calls reporting a suspicious charge that's been made on your account. They have most of the information they need about you, to include your credit card number. What they're looking for is the CVS code for your specific card. Don't give it out, it gives them the full ability to make charges against your account. VISA, MasterCard, etc will not ask you for this information. Here's the rest of the story that I received from a friend today:

"We all receive emails all the time regarding one scam or another; but last week I REALLY DID get scammed! Both VISA and MasterCard told me that this scam is currently being worked throughout the Midwest, with some variance as to the product or amount, and if you are called, just hang up.
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After releasing a new version of the Mimail e-mail worm last week, virus authors are using a new tool this week to help it spread: spam e-mail containing a Trojan horse program that, once installed, retrieves and installs the worm. Click the title to go to the Infoworld article reporting this scam. The scum out there is definitely getting a little more devious. By playing on greed, they'll try to sucker some suckers in on this one. So much for the CAN-SPAM act slowing this junk down.

It all started this Saturday as I was trying to get my computer to read the DVD-RAM drive off my new digital camera. I was searching for a tool to help me decode the .vro files on the disk (the bundled software that came with the camera is not working right, but that's another story). I saw an article about ULead that said their software would read this file type, so off on a search for ULead. What I found was a website at http://cracks.st and I clicked on it --- bad mistake! For those of you who do not know, a "crack" is a term used to describe software code that will make copy protected software available for use freely (that means without registration or payment required). Sometimes is a piece of code that unlocks the copy protected software or sometimes it's the software itself.

I know what a crack is, before I clicked on this dastardly link. And I know that ULead software would not be found at this site (I found the right site). But being a computer weenie and always interested in what's going on elsewhere, my curiosity made me click on this site. I will tell you right up front that this website does contain code that will unlock software, but the penalty associated with going to this site would be disastrous for any novice. It caught me and it would catch you. So with one click, began my decent into computer hell.....
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