Ryan Naraine

Network security specialist Symantec Corp. has confirmed a high-risk vulnerability in multiple anti-virus and anti-spam products and warned that a successful exploit could lead to code execution attacks. The vulnerability, which was reported by Internet Security Systems Inc.s X-Force unit, is described as a boundary error in the DEC2EXE parsing engine used in versions of […]

Microsoft Corp.s big plans to roll out an enterprise-ready anti-virus product took shape Tuesday with the acquisition of Sybari Software Inc. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The acquisition of Sybari comes less than two months after Microsofts purchase of anti-spyware vendor Giant Company Software and is seen as the key to an […]

Microsoft on Tuesday released 12 advisories to cover 17 security flaws in a range of products, including high-priority patches for Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, Windows Messenger and MSN Messenger. The February batch of patches includes eight “critical” fixes, and Microsoft officials say IT administrators should prioritize and deploy patches for four potentially dangerous code-execution […]

Security researchers have set off the alarm for a new phishing scam that piggybacks on Microsofts plans to make its “Windows Genuine Advantage” anti-piracy initiative mandatory later this year. According to an advisory from Websense Inc., Internet scammers are blasting out e-mails with spoofed sender addresses to trick users into downloading a so-called security tool. […]

A high-powered coalition of anti-spyware vendors has collapsed amid a rash of acrimony and finger-pointing. The Consortium of Anti-Spyware Technology vendors (COAST) was rendered toothless when three founding members—Webroot Software Inc., Aluria Software LLC and Computer Associates International Inc.s PestPatrol—withdrew from the group, citing separate reasons for quitting. Another founder, Lavasoft Inc., pulled out of […]

Enterprise anti-spyware software vendor Webroot Software has raised $108 million in a first round of funding. The Boulder, Colo.-based Webroot Software Inc. said the round was led by TCV (Technology Crossover Ventures), a venture capital firm with a track record of big-name investments. Accel Partners and Mayfield also participated. Jake Reynolds, a general partner at […]

Anti-virus vendors have raised the threat level on a double-barreled MSN Messenger worm that lures users with the promise of sexy image files. The worm, identified as W32/Bropia, arrives as a download link within MSN instant messaging sessions, but instead of sexy photographs, infected users get an image of a cooked chicken on a platter […]

Qualcomm has pushed out an update for its Eudora e-mail client to fix multiple security flaws that put users at risk of computer hijacking. The San Diego-based Qualcomm Inc., which offers a free version of the client alongside premium versions, said the new Eudora 6.2.1 corrects several vulnerabilities reported by research firm NGSS (Next Generation […]

Microsofts February Patch Day will be a busy one for IT administrators. The software giant on Thursday announced plans to release 13 security advisories on Feb. 8, including “critical” fixes for Microsoft Office, Windows Media Player and MSN Messenger. Also expected is a cumulative patch to plug known vulnerabilities in the widely deployed Internet Explorer […]

Security researchers have found a way to combine two unrelated—and unpatched—vulnerabilities in RealPlayer and Internet Explorer to launch malicious hacker attacks on PCs. According to an advisory from Secunia, exploit code that could be used for system bypass attacks has been released on the Web, potentially putting millions of RealPlayer users at risk. The RealPlayer […]