Researchers at Check Point (our parent company) recently detected evolving phishing and bot attacks. The attackers are sending phishing emails purporting to be from Citibank or Bank of America. The malicious emails contain subject lines like “Merchant Statement” and invite recipients to open an infected Microsoft Word attachment with names,…
If you haven’t figured out how you’re going to show mom how much you care, it’s not too late. Emails from brands you trust and the Web can help you shop, ship and rest easy knowing that your gift will arrive on time – all without having to leave your…
The majority of parents are worried about the significant impact that online activity might have on their children’s reputation and privacy. Taking action is important. Are you doing enough to educate and protect your kids? Check out our infographic on some of the concerns parents face when it comes to…
Tax season is in full swing as U.S. Residents and businesses gather up their tax documents and file their returns before the April 15 deadline. It’s also the season for scammers and criminals to brush off their fraud campaigns to swindle you out of your hard-earned money. According to industry…
A new attack called Eurograbber recently stole an estimated 36+ million Euros from more than 30,000 bank customers across Europe. The attacks began in Italy, and soon after, tens of thousands of infected online bank customers were also detected in Germany, Spain, and Holland. The attack involved a sophisticated combination…
In anticipation of a greater holiday season this year, many retailers are now kicking off their sales a few days early. According to the National Retail Federation, consumers are expected to spend about 4.1 percent more this holiday season than last. Unfortunately, it’s not just retailers who will be using…
The IRS recently issued a warning about a new phishing scam that uses a web site — mimicking the IRS e-services online registration page, to get you to reveal your personal and financial information. To prevent your information falling in the wrong hands, take note that the real IRS e-services…
More and more ghastly ghouls are coming out of the crevices of the Internet every day — especially during Halloween. Besides the typical monsters that lurk online all year-long, a whole new class of fright mongers who make social media sites their playground, are among us. All of these shifty…
As the Internet becomes increasingly interactive and the number of online threats continues to grow, more and more web-based services are realizing that two-factor authentication is more than just a good idea. Instead of relying on just a password or secret question to confirm your identity, it heightens Internet security…
Email scams are a huge threat, and scammers continue to take advantage of online users. In 2011, roughly 82 percent of all email traffic was spam. It is estimated that scam and phishing messages make up 19 percent of spam, meaning it is essential to be able to spot and…
With the 2012 Summer Olympics in full swing and everyone paying attention, it is important to remember that athletes are not the only group competing this summer. Another group, cybercriminals, is also chomping at the bit to take advantage of the games, which offer the perfect online environment for launching…
The Internet has proven to be a powerful and useful tool for billions of people worldwide. However, in the same way that you shouldn’t leave your house unlocked, you shouldn’t venture online without taking some basic precautions. Where do you start? Learn more about online threats and ways to protect…
Between the cybercriminals who are constantly evolving their techniques and launching new attacks on consumers every day and the explosion of information sharing via social networks, new security threats are on the rise. Luckily, ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall defends against these identified and emerging threats, giving you peace of…
Many people have found themselves in the following scenario: You log on to the web from your computer, surf a few sites, log in to check your Facebook or bank account, then close your browser when you’re done surfing. Notice the mistake made? You didn’t log out of your accounts….
It’s an unfortunate reality, but the online and offline world is teeming with fraudulent organizations claiming to be raising funds for a variety of charitable causes. And with the prevalence of social media and electronic communication, online scammers do their best to play on the heartstrings of unsuspecting individuals. The…
Source Every year, a fervor comes across the land as college basketball takes center stage during March Madness. Fans eager to get a seat at the Final Four games fight for tickets. Gamblers place their bets. And everyone is checking scores, whether in a cubicle or at a bus stop….
“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes,” wrote Benjamin Franklin. Unfortunately, he left out the inevitability of scammers using tax season to make a profit. Now that electronic filing is a legitimate way to file your taxes, and tax software allows preparation to…
Source This week, many Facebook users are being affected by a coordinated spam attack that is littering newsfeeds and profiles with violent and pornographic images. Though this most recent breach has prompted an outcry (due to the severely disturbing images), these spam attacks are not new or unusual. With millions…
Smart computer users know about the importance of security software. These are the programs that prevent hackers from stealing your information and protect against viruses corrupting your computer. But did you know that some of the programs advertised as security software are actually fakes that don’t protect, and in some…
On Halloween night, ghouls and goblins abound, aiming to scare anyone they can. And though these mini monsters only show up on your doorstep one night of the year, did you know that actual monsters exist online all year-round? It’s true. Virtual villains are constantly attempting to wreak havoc on…
Most people are thrilled when they encounter free Wi-Fi in various spots: the library, a local coffee shop, or the airport. As Internet access becomes an everyday necessity, cities across the country, from San Francisco to Philadelphia, are providing or proposing citywide Wi-Fi for their residents. However, though citywide Wi-Fi…
Complaints about Internet criminal activity dropped 10 percent last year, even as the number of computers hijacked by botnets shot up more than 600 percent. Computer users may be getting savvier, but online criminals are finding new methods of attack. (Click Image to Enlarge) by Zone Alarm Free Antivirus EMBED…
It sounds like the plot of a sci-fi thriller: Thousands of dormant robot cells lie poised to attack wherever their malevolent leader directs them, and once activated they wreak havoc on mankind. But this scenario is not fiction; it is happening every day in the digital age. Botnets, villainous computer…
Source You may think hackers are only focused on FBI break-ins and bank accounts, but nothing could be further from the truth. According to a Ponemon Institute report published this June, 90 percent of surveyed businesses reported at least one IT security breach in the past 12 months. Any breach…
Source Luckily, with modern technology, the exchange of goods and services can happen in a click. Long gone are the days of newspaper classifieds, when buying and selling second-hand goods and services was a chore. Nowadays Craigslist is the go-to site for online classifieds, but with this new service comes…
Source Recent legislation suggested by the Federal Trade Commission is aimed at protecting consumers from having their online activity monitored. The Do-Not-Track Online Act of 2011, which would protect Internet users from having their activity tracked, stored, and shared with private companies for marketing and other purposes has been introduced…
At the end of last year, 43% of all social networking users had been on the receiving end of phishing attacks. Phishing is the term used for the act of tricking someone into handing over his/her login credentials in order to gather and exploit personal information. How do you avoid…
Social media is hotter than ever right now, and it’s not showing any signs of going away either. Don’t believe us? In 2008, Reuters announced that social media sites had overtaken porn as the number one Internet search. Since April 2010, Twitter has gained forty million users, and Facebook reached…
Unfortunately, even the day of love can’t escape malicious scams. As February 14th approaches, be on the lookout for marketing pitches, suspicious flower deals or phishing e-cards. Here are the most common Valentine’s Day scams: Fake E-card Tricks This Valentine’s Day, expect e-cards to arrive in your email inbox….
Website hacking occurs when users with malicious intent exploit security loopholes in a website’s code. With the advent of a number of new technologies solely devoted to the spread of spam and malware — and popular new “hacking kits” that allow amateur hackers to launch sophisticated attacks — there’s no…
In a recent survey conducted by ZoneAlarm, 79% of consumers were found to use risky password construction practices, such as using personal information and common words. The graphic below illustrates some of the most commonly made mistakes people make when selecting a password, as well as some tips on how…
The ZoneAlarm Team We can’t wait to see those costumes! But, just as you have always lectured your kids about safety as they run off to enjoy this night of mischief, it’s time for us to share a few online security tips that will keep those scary online ghosts and…
By the ZoneAlarm Team Whether you shop online, pay your bills or research your next vacation destination, no matter how often you surf the Web, all PC users need Internet security to protect vital information that can be used in identity theft or to prevent viruses from damaging the computer….
By the ZoneAlarm Team Perhaps you heard about malware injections from mainstream sites. Computerworld blogger Darlene Storm recently wrote about attacks that targeted the popular Web host Media Temple (really popular – ranked 20 in the US). Storm reported that Media Temple “provides web hosting for ABC, Adobe, NBC, Starbucks,…
By Dameon D. Welch-Abernathy, CISSP, Check Point employee, a.k.a. PhoneBoy Facebook recently introduced a new feature called Facebook Places. Using your GPS-enabled Smartphone, you can “check in” to a physical location to let your friends know where you are. Competing services like Foursquare and Gowalla have offered this capability…
By Consumer Security Chick Some of my best friends are gamers and they’ve been telling me about their need for speed. They feel it is not acceptable to be killed by a troll or bane spider because: · Some sort of malware is draining your PC and slowing you down…
By Dr. Security Last Valentine’s Day, John Gable, Check Point’s Director of Product Management and Product Marketing wrote on this blog about the Waledac botnet attacks. John stated: “This botnet is running a Valentine’s Day ‘campaign’ soliciting people with phony Valentine’s themed e-mails and greeting cards. When users click…
By Doctor Security Recently, I received a phishing email (Exhibit A, below) from criminals trying to dupe me into thinking my Chase bank account was being hacked by someone using a “foreign IP address.” I’m not ashamed to admit, this email hit a nerve. Though it can be a…
By Doctor Security Email scams are always with us no matter what time of year, but when “tax season” comes around in the U.S., phishing attempts using the IRS or some other government entity increase. Phishers know that many are anxious to get a tax refund. They play…
By Doctor Security Recently, I came across a type of phishing scam that I hadn’t seen before, but I would guess it has been around for awhile. It appears, based on the writing style, to be devised by the same folks who gave us the Nigerian Advanced Fee Scam. This…
By Doctor Security Okay, class, who knows what phishing is? If you think that phishing is an attempt to get people to reveal their personal and financial information usually in response to a fraudulent email…you are right! Phishing is a nasty form of spam that is sent by…
Confession: I get a little paranoid about security so I’m thinking through all the ways this could go wrong: the person in the next room is going to see all my Internet traffic because it is going over the airwaves like a cell phone call; the person in the next room will try to hack into my computer; the person in the next room will see my email address and I will get more spam…
The general idea is this: You’re surfing the Internet, you land on a Web site, and BAM! Malicious software secretly downloads to your PC.
Waledac Valentine’s Day attack stopped by ZoneAlarm ForceField. Are we the only ones?
Image spam has become the "delivery of choice" by new-school spammers. Why? It’s difficult to detect and can bypass the older-school forms of spam filtering and in the ongoing competition for viewing, he who’s spam is most viewed wins. This great article explains the most common forms of image spam,…
Earlier today, the External Threat Assessment Team at Secure Science Corp. emailed an image taken from a Phishing/Carding group website. The question is, what is this image for or what purpose does it serve? Because these groups are comprised of people who engage in fraud, and break laws, often the…
Today I received an email from "Yahoo! Groups:" "Please confirm your request to join will-kate." I hadn’t remembered joining a group lately, but I wondered if I had in recent weeks and forgot. The sender’s name seemed right. First I went to the Yahoo! Groups main page and searched for…
Today my Yahoo! mail had a new prompt to set up a mail "sign-in seal," designed to warn you if you’re logging into a potential phishing site. Some of us at Zone had a heated discussion about this feature, agreeing we like the ability to customize with an image, color…
"Wow a refund from the IRS!" "Oops my taxes are late." These are just some of the responses you may have to an email you receive "from" the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. But the bottomline is if you receive such an email, it’s a phony: "’The IRS does not send…