Shak's Blog » security http://www.shakeeltariq.com Technology bites Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:17:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Thousands of Hotmail passwords leaked online http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/06/thousands-of-hotmail-passwords-leaked-online/ http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/06/thousands-of-hotmail-passwords-leaked-online/#comments Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:00:19 +0000 Shakeel Tariq http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/06/thousands-of-hotmail-passwords-leaked-online/ Thousands of Hotmail passwords leaked online
Neowin has received information regarding a possible Windows Live Hotmail “hack” or phishing scheme where password details of thousands of Hotmail accounts have been posted online.

An anonymous user posted details of the accounts on October 1 at pastebin.com, a site commonly used by developers to share code snippets. The details have since been removed but Neowin has seen part of the list posted and can confirm the accounts are genuine and most appear to be based in Europe. The list details over 10,000 accounts starting from A through to B, suggesting there could be additional lists. Currently it appears only accounts used to access Microsoft’s Windows Live Hotmail have been posted, this includes @hotmail.com, @msn.com and @live.com accounts.

Neowin has reported this immediately to Microsoft’s Security Response Center and to Microsoft’s PR teams in the UK and US and we are currently awaiting feedback on the situation. As this is a breaking story please check back frequently as the story will be updated as soon as more information becomes available.

If you are a Windows Live Hotmail user Neowin recommends that you change your password and security question immediately.

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]]> http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/06/thousands-of-hotmail-passwords-leaked-online/feed/ 0 AVG Technologies: Hackers using automated Facebook profiles to spread malware http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/04/avg-technologies-hackers-using-automated-facebook-profiles-to-spread-malware-6/ http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/04/avg-technologies-hackers-using-automated-facebook-profiles-to-spread-malware-6/#comments Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:14:00 +0000 Shakeel Tariq http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/04/avg-technologies-hackers-using-automated-facebook-profiles-to-spread-malware-6/ AVG Technologies: Hackers using automated Facebook profiles to spread malware | TopNews United States
According to a last week blog post by antivirus and Internet security firm AVG Technologies, hackers have worked out a way to create computer-generated fraudulent Facebook profiles, which they are using to dupe credulous users into installing spyware.

Reports of the Facebook spyware incidentally coincides with a recent FBI warning saying that social networking sites are increasingly being used by cybercriminals to spread malware.

As per the AVG, the users of its LinkScanner – which screen webpages in real time – have reported the detection of “rogue spyware attacks” being spread via Facebook pages.

Elaborating about the hacker-attacks aimed at spreading malware, AVG Research Chief Roger Thompson said that most of the deceptive profiles show the same image of a blue-eyed blonde woman, though with slight variations in names and birthdates.

Though the LinkScanner has come across “hundreds” of supposedly phony pages, Thompson told The Reg that the pages probably run in thousands. He added: “There are enough of them that it’s probably an indication of an automated attack. I just can’t see someone creating the same profile time after time after time.”

The reported creation of a notably huge number of automated Facebook profiles by the hackers clearly shows that they have successfully circumvented Facebook’s CAPTCHA system, whereby a user a required to retype a series of given letters to activate an account!

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

]]> http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/04/avg-technologies-hackers-using-automated-facebook-profiles-to-spread-malware-6/feed/ 0 AVG Technologies: Hackers using automated Facebook profiles to spread malware http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/04/avg-technologies-hackers-using-automated-facebook-profiles-to-spread-malware/ http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/04/avg-technologies-hackers-using-automated-facebook-profiles-to-spread-malware/#comments Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:13:00 +0000 Shakeel Tariq AVG Technologies: Hackers using automated Facebook profiles to spread malware | TopNews United States
According to a last week blog post by antivirus and Internet security firm AVG Technologies, hackers have worked out a way to create computer-generated fraudulent Facebook profiles, which they are using to dupe credulous users into installing spyware.

Reports of the Facebook spyware incidentally coincides with a recent FBI warning saying that social networking sites are increasingly being used by cybercriminals to spread malware.

As per the AVG, the users of its LinkScanner – which screen webpages in real time – have reported the detection of “rogue spyware attacks” being spread via Facebook pages.

Elaborating about the hacker-attacks aimed at spreading malware, AVG Research Chief Roger Thompson said that most of the deceptive profiles show the same image of a blue-eyed blonde woman, though with slight variations in names and birthdates.

Though the LinkScanner has come across “hundreds” of supposedly phony pages, Thompson told The Reg that the pages probably run in thousands. He added: “There are enough of them that it’s probably an indication of an automated attack. I just can’t see someone creating the same profile time after time after time.”

The reported creation of a notably huge number of automated Facebook profiles by the hackers clearly shows that they have successfully circumvented Facebook’s CAPTCHA system, whereby a user a required to retype a series of given letters to activate an account!

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

]]> http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/04/avg-technologies-hackers-using-automated-facebook-profiles-to-spread-malware/feed/ 1 AVG Technologies: Hackers using automated Facebook profiles to spread malware http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/04/avg-technologies-hackers-using-automated-facebook-profiles-to-spread-malware-2/ http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/04/avg-technologies-hackers-using-automated-facebook-profiles-to-spread-malware-2/#comments Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:13:00 +0000 Shakeel Tariq AVG Technologies: Hackers using automated Facebook profiles to spread malware | TopNews United States
According to a last week blog post by antivirus and Internet security firm AVG Technologies, hackers have worked out a way to create computer-generated fraudulent Facebook profiles, which they are using to dupe credulous users into installing spyware.

Reports of the Facebook spyware incidentally coincides with a recent FBI warning saying that social networking sites are increasingly being used by cybercriminals to spread malware.

As per the AVG, the users of its LinkScanner – which screen webpages in real time – have reported the detection of “rogue spyware attacks” being spread via Facebook pages.

Elaborating about the hacker-attacks aimed at spreading malware, AVG Research Chief Roger Thompson said that most of the deceptive profiles show the same image of a blue-eyed blonde woman, though with slight variations in names and birthdates.

Though the LinkScanner has come across “hundreds” of supposedly phony pages, Thompson told The Reg that the pages probably run in thousands. He added: “There are enough of them that it’s probably an indication of an automated attack. I just can’t see someone creating the same profile time after time after time.”

The reported creation of a notably huge number of automated Facebook profiles by the hackers clearly shows that they have successfully circumvented Facebook’s CAPTCHA system, whereby a user a required to retype a series of given letters to activate an account!

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

]]> http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/04/avg-technologies-hackers-using-automated-facebook-profiles-to-spread-malware-2/feed/ 1 AVG Technologies: Hackers using automated Facebook profiles to spread malware http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/04/avg-technologies-hackers-using-automated-facebook-profiles-to-spread-malware-3/ http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/04/avg-technologies-hackers-using-automated-facebook-profiles-to-spread-malware-3/#comments Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:13:00 +0000 Shakeel Tariq AVG Technologies: Hackers using automated Facebook profiles to spread malware | TopNews United States
According to a last week blog post by antivirus and Internet security firm AVG Technologies, hackers have worked out a way to create computer-generated fraudulent Facebook profiles, which they are using to dupe credulous users into installing spyware.

Reports of the Facebook spyware incidentally coincides with a recent FBI warning saying that social networking sites are increasingly being used by cybercriminals to spread malware.

As per the AVG, the users of its LinkScanner – which screen webpages in real time – have reported the detection of “rogue spyware attacks” being spread via Facebook pages.

Elaborating about the hacker-attacks aimed at spreading malware, AVG Research Chief Roger Thompson said that most of the deceptive profiles show the same image of a blue-eyed blonde woman, though with slight variations in names and birthdates.

Though the LinkScanner has come across “hundreds” of supposedly phony pages, Thompson told The Reg that the pages probably run in thousands. He added: “There are enough of them that it’s probably an indication of an automated attack. I just can’t see someone creating the same profile time after time after time.”

The reported creation of a notably huge number of automated Facebook profiles by the hackers clearly shows that they have successfully circumvented Facebook’s CAPTCHA system, whereby a user a required to retype a series of given letters to activate an account!

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

]]> http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/04/avg-technologies-hackers-using-automated-facebook-profiles-to-spread-malware-3/feed/ 0 AVG Technologies: Hackers using automated Facebook profiles to spread malware http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/04/avg-technologies-hackers-using-automated-facebook-profiles-to-spread-malware-4/ http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/04/avg-technologies-hackers-using-automated-facebook-profiles-to-spread-malware-4/#comments Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:13:00 +0000 Shakeel Tariq AVG Technologies: Hackers using automated Facebook profiles to spread malware | TopNews United States
According to a last week blog post by antivirus and Internet security firm AVG Technologies, hackers have worked out a way to create computer-generated fraudulent Facebook profiles, which they are using to dupe credulous users into installing spyware.

Reports of the Facebook spyware incidentally coincides with a recent FBI warning saying that social networking sites are increasingly being used by cybercriminals to spread malware.

As per the AVG, the users of its LinkScanner – which screen webpages in real time – have reported the detection of “rogue spyware attacks” being spread via Facebook pages.

Elaborating about the hacker-attacks aimed at spreading malware, AVG Research Chief Roger Thompson said that most of the deceptive profiles show the same image of a blue-eyed blonde woman, though with slight variations in names and birthdates.

Though the LinkScanner has come across “hundreds” of supposedly phony pages, Thompson told The Reg that the pages probably run in thousands. He added: “There are enough of them that it’s probably an indication of an automated attack. I just can’t see someone creating the same profile time after time after time.”

The reported creation of a notably huge number of automated Facebook profiles by the hackers clearly shows that they have successfully circumvented Facebook’s CAPTCHA system, whereby a user a required to retype a series of given letters to activate an account!

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

]]> http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/04/avg-technologies-hackers-using-automated-facebook-profiles-to-spread-malware-4/feed/ 0 AVG Technologies: Hackers using automated Facebook profiles to spread malware http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/04/avg-technologies-hackers-using-automated-facebook-profiles-to-spread-malware-5/ http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/04/avg-technologies-hackers-using-automated-facebook-profiles-to-spread-malware-5/#comments Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:13:00 +0000 Shakeel Tariq AVG Technologies: Hackers using automated Facebook profiles to spread malware | TopNews United States
According to a last week blog post by antivirus and Internet security firm AVG Technologies, hackers have worked out a way to create computer-generated fraudulent Facebook profiles, which they are using to dupe credulous users into installing spyware.

Reports of the Facebook spyware incidentally coincides with a recent FBI warning saying that social networking sites are increasingly being used by cybercriminals to spread malware.

As per the AVG, the users of its LinkScanner – which screen webpages in real time – have reported the detection of “rogue spyware attacks” being spread via Facebook pages.

Elaborating about the hacker-attacks aimed at spreading malware, AVG Research Chief Roger Thompson said that most of the deceptive profiles show the same image of a blue-eyed blonde woman, though with slight variations in names and birthdates.

Though the LinkScanner has come across “hundreds” of supposedly phony pages, Thompson told The Reg that the pages probably run in thousands. He added: “There are enough of them that it’s probably an indication of an automated attack. I just can’t see someone creating the same profile time after time after time.”

The reported creation of a notably huge number of automated Facebook profiles by the hackers clearly shows that they have successfully circumvented Facebook’s CAPTCHA system, whereby a user a required to retype a series of given letters to activate an account!

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

]]> http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/10/04/avg-technologies-hackers-using-automated-facebook-profiles-to-spread-malware-5/feed/ 0 Microsoft launches free security http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/09/29/microsoft-launches-free-security/ http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/09/29/microsoft-launches-free-security/#comments Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:24:50 +0000 Shakeel Tariq http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/09/29/microsoft-launches-free-security/ BBC NEWS | Technology | Microsoft launches free security
Microsoft has released its free computer security package to the public.

From 29 September, Windows users will be able to download the software from Microsoft’s Security Essentials website.

The free software gives basic protection against viruses, trojans, rootkits, and spyware.

The Essentials software is Microsoft’s second try at making an own-brand security package.

Prior to release a beta version of Security Essentials software, codenamed Morro, has been available to users in the US, China, Brazil, and Israel.

Microsoft said the software would be available to anyone who wanted to use it and downloading it would not involve registering with the software firm or having a limit on the amount of time it could be used for.

]]> http://www.shakeeltariq.com/2009/09/29/microsoft-launches-free-security/feed/ 0