FTC suspends heavy penalty against scareware defendants
The Federal Trade Commission has suspended the majority of a judgment levied against two defendants accused of selling bogus security software to up to 1 million consumers. Read more...

Antivirus testing outfit: Microsoft Security Essentials makes the grade

Microsoft caps free security software downloads

Microsoft to deliver free antimalware

PCI compliance strategy calls for hiding card data in plain sight

Intel, Oracle, PayPal back ID technology interop group

China to propose WLAN security standard for global use again

Security group converges to fight Internet abuse

Report: Microsoft preps beta of free antivirus app

Symantec, McAfee to pay fines over auto-renewals

More Security Hardware and Software Stories

Well-honed Attacks Sneak Under the Radar
Samples of documents used in carefully prepared targeted attacks make clear that while a suspicious eye is a great security tool, some especially dangerous attacks might slide right by you.

Small-Business Network Security 101
Today more than ever, good network security is vital to businesses of all sizes. Cybercriminals, equipped with sophisticated software that automates the task of seeking out vulnerabilities, aren't focusing on large enterprises alone; any easy target will do. Fortunately, however, good security isn't as expensive or as complicated to implement as it used to be.

Seven Deadly Sins of Social Networking Security
Admit it: You are currently addicted to social networking. Your drug of choice might be Facebook or Twitter, or maybe Myspace or LinkedIn. Some of you are using all of the above, and using them hard, even IT security practitioners who know better.

Cyber Security, the Nuclear Threat and You
"The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything save our modes of thinking and we thus drift toward unparalleled catastrophe." Albert Einstein

5 Steps to Secure a New PC
A common misconception is that a shiny new computer is more or less secure because it hasn't yet been exposed to the Internet's sinister underbelly. But the truth is, these machines come out of the box needing scores of patches, some basic security software downloads and the disabling or replacing of items security pros don't typically trust.

Top 10 Reasons the Firewall Guy's Hair is on Fire
Firewalls are a mature technology, right? Most companies have at least one, if not several. And since an established knowledge base exists to tap for issues and PCI DSS 1.1 and 1.2 are pretty clear cut, firewall management shouldn't be much of an issue, right? No one is going to suffer the brunt of managing the significant infrastructure change these regulations are bound to bring more than the security operations team, correct?

MS Security Essentials: Basic Protection
Microsoft today released a limited beta version of Microsoft Security Essentials, a free antivirus application for users of Windows XP, Vista, or 7. The new app, which will replace Windows Live OneCare, aims to cover the basic security needs of home users, and its easy-to-use interface appears to be taking the right approach to the task.

First Look: Microsoft Security Essentials
The beta version of Microsoft Security Essentials, a free program that fights viruses and spyware, is now available for download. The app, previously code-named Morro, replaces Windows Live OneCare and fights the usual rogues' gallery of PC threats, including worms, Trojans, and other troublemakers.

First Look: Microsoft Security Essentials beta offers free protection against malware
Microsoft's latest addition to its fleet of free applications, Security Essentials, is smaller, faster and more efficient but doesn't offer the wider range of features that security suites do.

Seven Deadly Sins of Home Office Security
According to the human resources association World at Work, 17.2 million Americans worked from home or remotely at least one day per month for their employer last year (See also: 4 Telecommuting Security Mistakes). And the 2007 book 'Microtrends' estimates that 4.2 million Americans work full-time from home.

Editors' Picks

Don't trash your tired old desktop PC -- pump it up with a few inexpensive upgrades. Microsoft's Windows 7 pricing plans may derail efforts to make users move away from XP and forget Vista. Also see Preston Gralla: Don't believe the $120 Windows 7 pricetag. Trademark owners say cybersquatting on the Web has gone too far -- and they're pushing back. The goal is to have all the original Lunar Orbiter image files processed by February, producing a moon atlas with a resolution higher than anything previously seen.

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