Steven Thomas reportedly vanished from his hotel room in Waikiki on 30 June. Family and authorities fear that Thomas, who is bipolar, may have been delusional or suicidal at the time of his disappearance.

Thomas co-founded WebRoot in 1997 in Boulder, Colorado. The company became famous for its SpySweeper anti-spyware tools and was most recently credited with a 26.8 per cent share of the retail security market.

Thomas sold the company to a group of investors for $108m in 2004.

According to the Honolulu Star Bulletin, the 36 year-old was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder earlier this year, but had refused medication.

Family members told the paper that, in the days leading up to his disappearance, Thomas appeared to be suicidal and in a state of extremely fearful delusion.

Anyone on the island with information is being asked to contact the authorities.

Source: vnunet.com

As customer requirements evolve, Trend Micro medium business security solutions can be implemented in new environments or installed along with existing security, virus scan, spyware protection, or storage products for an added layer of security.

Messaging Security

* InterScan(tm) Hosted Messaging Security – A hosted service integrating
powerful anti spam and anti phishing block threats before they
touch the network, saving bandwidth, storage, and other resources.
* ScanMail(tm) for Microsoft Exchange – Virus scan, spyware protection,
anti spam, anti phishing solution that stops inappropriate content
from entering your mail server.
* Client/Server/Messaging Suite – Multi-layered defense including
new in-the-cloud Web Reputation. It also protects against online
malware and data theft.

Client and Server Security

* NeatSuite(tm) Advanced – A centrally managed security suite protecting
your Internet gateway, mail and file servers, storage systems,
desktops and laptops.
* OfficeScan(tm) Client/Server Edition – Protects your desktops, laptops,
and network servers against today’s complex, blended threats and
Web-based attacks.

Information Security

* Trend Micro Message Archiver – Provides email archiving with fast,
easy search capability and reduced storage cost; helps support
e-discovery and compliance with data retention regulations.
* Trend Micro LeakProof(tm) – Prevents data leaks by combining
endpoint-based policy enforcement with highly accurate
fingerprinting and content-matching technology.

By working with the Trend Micro team of 1,000+ research, service and support engineers in 10 sites around the world, medium business companies can accomplish much more than simply on their own. For more information on medium business security solutions, such as spyware protection, visit: http://biggerteam.trendmicro.com.

About Trend Micro:

Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in Internet content security, spyware protection and virus scan solutions, focuses on securing the exchange of digital information for businesses and consumers. A pioneer and industry vanguard, Trend Micro is advancing integrated threat management technology to protect operational continuity, personal information, and property from malware, spam, data leaks and the newest Web threats. Visit TrendWatch at www.trendmicro.com/go/trendwatch to learn more about the threats. Trend Micro’s flexible solutions, available in multiple form factors, are supported 24/7 by threat intelligence experts around the globe. A transnational company, with headquarters in Tokyo, Trend Micro’s trusted security solutions are sold through its business partners worldwide. Please visit www.trendmicro.com.

The Trend Micro logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=5242

CONTACT: Trend Micro Incorporated
Andrea Mueller
(408) 863-6583
Andrea_Mueller@trendmicro.com

“Users of legacy networks need to be brought up to speed as far as protection from risks associated with data leakage, the spread of malicious content and unproductive, time wasting web downloads through web-based proxy sites and applications,” he says.

“With SSL encrypted traffic comprising a significant percentage of all traffic still going through corporate network gateways, it can result in sizable security holes in the network fabric as it opens users to SSL-based proxies that bypass most existing content filtering solutions.

“With Cyberoam’s new firmware installed, users will now be able to update their security by increasing their web database categories to reflect – and counter – emerging surfing trends.”

Hamilton says web usage studies reflect a significant rise in traffic to HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)-based online radio, TV and video content in addition to downloads of software and other utilities for mobile phones.

“In addition to its existing ability to block uploads of files and feeds over HTTP, Cyberoam’s content filtering system has added a host of new URL categories, giving it one of the most comprehensive databases with which to thwart those who gain access to unproductive, time-wasting and often dangerous web sites in corporate time.”

“Cyberoam now offers greater granular control and provides detailed information about HTTP uploads along with user names, enabling audit controls to support corporate compliance requirements,” he adds.

Complementing this new offering, Channel Data has introduced Cyberoam IPS, designed to prevent any possible spyware on the network from sending out sensitive data. It also gives details of the infected PC (or PCs) with user and spyware application names, helping network managers to take immediate corrective action.

Source: itnewsafrica.com

However, at the dawn of the 21st century the venerable institution was inundated with spam, which accounted for some 90pc of its inbound email.

As part of the deal, Calyx deployed a system from IronPort. Operating as a part of Cisco’s Security Technology Group, IronPort is a leading provider of anti-spam, anti-virus and anti-spyware appliances for organisations ranging from small businesses to the Global 2000.

The ISE required a new spam solution that was capable of being self-managed and easy to administer compared to the existing solutions that were in place.

“Following a number of very successful installations on sites in Ireland, we were confident IronPort would be the best solution to resolve the Irish Stock Exchange’s spam problem,” said Tim Quan of Calyx Security.

“IronPort C100 devices stop the spam messages at the gateway, even before they enter the network.”

Accurate Reputation Filtering was a key aspect of the IronPort deployment. The IronPort devices can accurately determine which messages are not good by reputation and can confidently drop the connections having used over 100 parameters to assure the email is legitimate.

The initial deployment was an instant success with spam email reduced dramatically within days. Users were able to review spam quarantines and release valid messages when appropriate, reducing the reliance on IT staff.

Following the successful implementation of the IronPort email security devices, the ISE engaged with Calyx to look into the deployment of new web security devices to replace its existing solutions.

A key requirement was reverse proxy look-ups for web traffic. The ISE also required a reputation filter on a web proxy which would be able to cache and also deal with viruses, phishing and spyware attack.

“We now have two single devices which have replaced multiple devices in previous solutions,” explained David Garrett, IT operations manager at the ISE. “This has provided savings both from a cost and time perspective.”

Kaynak: siliconrepublic.com

Trend Micro’s latest Threat Roundup and Forecast 1H 2008 found an upswing in web threats, but a steady decrease in adware and spyware generated by outdated methods which can no longer compete with high-level security.

Social engineering tactics such as the Nigerian phishing scam have been around for decades, and cyber-criminals continue to refresh and modernise this form of trickery based on the latest trends.

For example, the tools and technologies used to create the interactive nature of popular social networking sites have become a landmine for cybercrime.

In March, Trend Micro discovered that over 400 kits designed to generate phishing sites were targeting top web 2.0 sites, free email service providers, banks and popular e-commerce sites.

Malware variants have generally been treated as separate individual threats. But today, profit-motivated web threats blend various malicious software components into a single web threat business model.

For example, a cyber-criminal sends a message (spam) with an embedded link in the email (malicious URL) or contained in an instant message.

The user clicks on the link and is redirected to a site where a file (Trojan) automatically downloads onto the user’s computer.

The Trojan then downloads an additional file (spyware) that captures sensitive information, such as bank account numbers (spy-phishing).

Although seemingly one incident, blended threats are much more difficult to combat and much more dangerous for the user, Trend Micro warned.

Meanwhile, the ‘fast-flux’ technique is an additional example of criminals abusing technology developments.

Fast-flux is a domain name server switching mechanism that combines peer-to-peer networking, distributed command and control, web-based load-balancing and proxy redirection to hide phishing delivery sites.

Fast-flux helps phishing sites stay up for longer periods to lure more victims. For example, researchers are challenged to identify malicious Storm domains because developers are using fast-flux techniques to evade detection.

Trend Micro witnessed a dramatic increase in web threat activity during the first half of 2008, with web threats peaking in March at 50 million from approximately 15 million in December 2007.

On the decline are adware, trackware, keyloggers and freeloaders. In March 2007, Trend Micro found that approximately 45 per cent of PCs were infected by adware; by April 2008, only 35 per cent were reportedly infected.

In May 2007, approximately 20 per cent of PCs were infected by trackware, but that number had dropped to less than five per cent in April 2008.

Keyloggers also showed a small but steady decline with less than five per cent of PCs being infected.

However, with the law coming up yet again, Broadband Reports points to an even scarier part of the law currently up for consideration, the Counter Spy Act, as noted by Ed Foster’s Gripe Line. Basically, in the fine print, it appears to create a nice little “exception” for software companies that spy on users for the sake of checking whether they’re using an authorized copy — including the ability to let the software provider remotely shut off the computer or internet connection of those found to be using unauthorized copies. This has many folks worried that this is an attempt to backdoor in UCITA, the awful law from a while back that would allow software companies to remotely shut down computers of those found with unauthorized software.

So we’ve got a law that is unnecessary and wouldn’t even stop the problem of spyware if it were a problem — and opens up a backdoor to allow software companies to spy on users and remotely shut down their computers. But it may pass anyway because politicians want voters to think they voted against spyware.

Unlike many competing solutions, the Barracuda Web Filter does not require installation of any desktop or server software, thus ensuring that user authentication and reporting using the Barracuda Web Filter is seamless for customers that already have Novell eDirectory deployed on their networks. Ease of use and set up are essential benefits for customers using the Barracuda Web Filter. For Caldwell School District in Caldwell, Idaho, keeping the network usage model simple as well as the ability to easily log the Internet activity of its more than 6,300 students was a requirement when selecting a Web filtering solution.

“When researching Web filtering solutions, it was essential that we implement a solution that would enable us to log students’ Internet activity by username, without the hassle of installing individual client software on each desktop PC,” said Paul Alderson, director of technology for Caldwell School District. “We needed a solution that was easy to deploy, easy to manage and that was scalable across the entire school district, and the Barracuda Web Filter fit the bill.”

Pricing and Availability

The Barracuda Web Filter is available in six models and pricing starts at $1,499 with no per user licensing fees. International pricing varies based on region. Expanded eDirectory authentication is currently available in limited production and will be generally available in July 2008. Interested customers should contact Barracuda Networks for more information.

About the Barracuda Web Filter

Available in six models, the Barracuda Web Filter combines preventative, reactive and proactive measures to form a complete content filtering and anti-spyware solution for businesses of all sizes. The Barracuda Web Filter is designed to enforce acceptable Internet usage policies by blocking access to objectionable content and unauthorized Internet applications. At the same time, the Barracuda Web Filter’s award-winning feature set enables the Barracuda Web Filter to block spyware downloads, prevent viruses, and stop access to spyware Web sites. Unlike the widely available desktop software solutions, the Barracuda Web Filter is easily installed and does not require the additional time, money or resources necessary for downloading and maintaining software on each individual PC. Hourly Energize Updates are made automatically by Barracuda Central so that the Barracuda Web Filter can block the ever-changing virus and spyware variants, as well as maintain the most up-to-date database of the latest productivity-inhibiting Web sites.

About Barracuda Networks Inc.

Barracuda Networks Inc. is the worldwide leader in email and Web security appliances. Barracuda Networks also provides world-class IM protection, application server load balancing, Web application security, and message archiving appliances. More than 50,000 companies, including Coca-Cola, FedEx, Harvard University, IBM, L’Oreal, NASA and Europcar, are protecting their networks with Barracuda Networks’ solutions. Barracuda Networks’ success is due to its ability to deliver easy to use, comprehensive solutions that solve the most serious issues facing customer networks without unnecessary add-ons, maintenance, lengthy installations or per user license fees. Barracuda Networks is privately held with its headquarters in Campbell, Calif. Barracuda Networks has offices in eight international locations and distributors in more than 80 countries worldwide. For more information, please visit www.barracuda.com.

Nuke spyware. If you download a lot of software from the Internet (as many gamers do), then there’s a good chance that you may have contracted a spyware infection. Using a free utility such as Windows Defender or Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware can remove spyware, freeing up resources and improving overall performance. Some free utilities, such as Spybot S&D offer always-running protection and immunization that will stop nearly all spyware dead in its tracks.

Tune, and tune again. Before playing any game for the first time, spend some time online researching the various settings and options that will work best on your hardware setup. Some features (graphical or otherwise) may be optimized for specific hardware, so doing a bit of reading can help ensure that a given game is configured for maximal performance on your PC. Pay particular attention to any notices of patches (either by the game’s developers, or by third parties), as these may offer increased performance, or fix gameplay-busting bugs.

These tips, combined with some basic preventative maintenance (such as not letting your hard disk get too full, not installing too many games at once, and running regular anti-virus scans) will help to ensure that your PC continues to be a high performance gaming machine. Have fun, play hard, and always remember — it’s just a game!

You can never imagine what your network is lacking and how can it be exploited by the hackers. This is the worst type of risk you can feel you are at. Hacking involves the access to all of your sensitive information and the worst part is that you may not know till the time you have lost your bank balance or any valuable information to your competitor.We are at high ratio of vulnerability what we can even imagine of.

You give access to file or printers sharing on the network as you are sure that you have limited access by certain setting or via passwords but these measures are not enough for the hackers. Sometimes we even can not imagine that default settings which lack security concerns are other factors that promote hacking of your network. But the question arises who all are hackers and how hacking can network be protected against hacking?

Hackers are the malicious users who can get on to your networks by breeching the security and can create a cumbersome situation for you and your firm. The answer to the next question can be selected from two options – configuring the Network properties to make them best for security and second is the installation of Firewalls, Anti Spyware programs and regular updates.The first option needs high technical skills and needs the person to be well aware of the networking tits and bits. He should have good understanding of the configurations of Windows Networking.

After this the next option is to install firewalls. The firewall is a program that looks into each data packet leaving the source and entering the destination. They look for the data being transferred and if finds something wrong or unpredictable data they block that packet leaving or entering the network. This means that they work making use of access control lists and do not allow messages from any anonymous users.

The next can be to install anti spyware programs. These programs help you to secure your network from any unintended user. They secure the company networks by keeping your data private and not allowing anyone to invade your privacy.The next aid can be the regular updates of the software. The software should be updated on the regular basis else they can lack some security loopholes which hackers can exploit for their benefits.The all above methods are not the sure shots to make your network secure from hacking but can help you for securing it to your best level.

Source: itvoir.com