symantec

Most kids who break 'Internet house rules' have bad experiences

A 24-country study conducted by Symantec found that 82 percent of kids who've broken "Internet house rules" have experienced something negative online." That compares to 52 percent of kids who "follow house rules."

More than six in 10 (62 percent) of kids reported that they have had a negative experience while online. Those negative experiences include being bullied, responding to an e-mail scam, downloading a virus, or being pressured online to do something that the child thought was wrong.

Cyberbaiting The study also found that a fifth of teachers (21 percent) have personally experienced … Read more

Should lying online be a crime?

Google lets you remove your Wi-Fi info from its location database, iTunes Match goes live, and the Department of Justice pushes Congress to make it a felony to use a fake name on a social network or lie on a dating-site profile.

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded:

Lying online: Is it a crime? Removing your Wi-Fi network from Google's map iTunes Match AT&T expands LTE 4G Twihards targeted Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3) |  iTunes (320x180) |  iTunes (HD) |  RSS (MP3) |  RSS (320x180) |  RSS HD

Norton now on tablets--and in your wallet

While some app makers are taking a unified approach to Android, Norton has decided to split its security apps into a phone version and a tablet version.

Norton Tablet Security debuted today as Symantec also released a minor update to Norton Mobile Security, its smartphone version.

Norton Tablet Security is an updated version of Symantec's Android app, Norton Mobile Security. The Tablet Security version comes with an interface optimized for Android tablets. This means that instead of presenting its features in a narrow column, its interface is in a widescreen format.

Like its smartphone counterpart, Tablet Security offers anti-malware … Read more

Zero-day Windows kernel bug used in Duqu infections

Researchers have figured out one way the Stuxnet-like Duqu Trojan is infecting computers--via a Word document that exploits a previously unknown Windows kernel bug.

The installer file is a Microsoft Word document that exploits the kernel vulnerabilty, which allows code to be executed on the infected system, Symantec said in a post on its site. There may be other infection methods used by other Duqu variants that have not been uncovered yet, Kevin Haley, a director with Symantec Security Response, told CNET.

Microsoft is working on a fix, according to Jerry Bryant, group manager for response communications at Microsoft Trustworthy … Read more

Symantec uncovers cyber espionage of chemical, defense firms

Hackers targeted about 50 organizations--including chemical and defense companies--in a global wave of cyber espionage attacks this summer, Symantec said in a report released today.

The goal apparently was to steal intellectual property such as design documents, formulas, and manufacturing processes. "The purpose of the attacks appears to be industrial espionage, collecting intellectual property for competitive advantage," according to the report. (PDF)

Meanwhile, French nuclear power group Areva was reportedly targeted in a cyber attack in September.

The wave of espionage attacks on the chemical and other firms started in late July and continued through mid-September, but command … Read more

New data-stealing Trojan could be Stuxnet version 2.0

Malware has been discovered on computer systems in Europe that has identical code to the Stuxnet worm and could be the precursor to the next big computer attack on critical infrastructure systems, Symantec said today.

Unlike Stuxnet, which targeted specific Siemens SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) software and appeared to have been written to sabotage Iran's nuclear program, the new malware installs a backdoor and is designed to gather information, like design documents, that could be used in future attacks, Symantec said.

The malware, written to run on Windows systems, is dubbed Duqu because it creates file names … Read more

Symantec fixes Norton update that blocked Facebook

The latest antivirus detection file update of Norton Antivirus blocked access to Facebook after mistaking it for a phishing site, Symantec told CNET today.

The problem was fixed yesterday within hours of it being noticed, according to a statement from Symantec, which acquired Norton and its antivirus software a decade ago. "The issue occurred due to content within the site being falsely identified as a phishing risk," the company said.

"We are aware that some Norton customers encountered a security warning page when attempting to access the Facebook Web site," Symantec said in a statement. "… Read more

Phony Netflix Android app steals account data

It looks like a legitimate Netflix app, but it's not. There's an Android app circulating that looks very much like the real Netflix mobile app, but it's actually a Trojan that steals account information.

The fake app, which was found on an online user forum, sends the user's log-in information to a remote server and displays a message saying there is an incompatibility issue with the hardware and then attempts to uninstall itself, according to a Symantec blog post.

The server that was receiving the stolen log-in data appeared to be offline today, Symantec said.

With … Read more

Identity, remote management light up Norton 360 beta

The first beta for Norton 360 version 6 arrived today, and it's notable for elevating the latest Norton Internet Security features to the 360 product line. Norton 360 v6 beta (download) is free to use, although the beta license is set to expire two weeks after installation.

The Norton Management feature connects your local installation of Norton to a Web-based account interface. You can use it to remotely install Norton programs, such as the Online.Family tool for child protection, purchase or renew licenses, tweak security settings, and affect repairs without having to be physically in front of the … Read more