“I bought a Mac, because it’s safer than a PC.” “I always surf the web with my iPhone, because I know it can’t get infected.” “I got a virus on my first PC, so now I only use Apple products.” Sound familiar? Too often, the rhetoric around the Mac vs. PC debate focuses on Apple’s Read more…
People love lists. Lately, I’ve seen lists for 7 Ways to Look Younger, Worst Dressed at the Grammys, and our favorite, Top 5 Facebook Software Pages. Late last year, as the number of fans on our popular Facebook page increased, Julia, my fellow Queen of the avast! FREEks, and I noticed that we were quickly […]
Recently we encountered a very suspicious piece of code on some Joomla-powered webpages. The code looks as if garbled and without any special meaning, and starts like this: Upon closer observation, several strange things are to be noted. First, there are no alphanumerical symbols to be seen in any part of the code. Second, on […]
Love is in the air, and while Cupid is sharpening his arrows for Valentine’s Day, scammers are sharpening their skills and using holiday-themed keywords to target unsuspecting users. Whether you’re looking for your soul mate or just trying to buy something special for your sweetheart, hackers see this as an opportunity for profit as you Read more…
I don’t know what kind of curiosity leads people to the dark corners of the internet, when they want to obtain a new version of antivirus software. It’s somehow irrational to find security software at insecure places. But…. it happens. As you can see, the file name is Avast_Antivirus_2012_Trial_Verion.exe – but it is definitely not […]
Wait…what! You heard it right: According to a recent security report, Internet users are 182 times more likely to get a virus from clicking on online ads than visiting an adult website. At first glance, this sounds extremely counterintuitive (and it is). In theory, wouldn’t your risk go up when visiting shady sites? Yes and Read more…
What would you do if someone threatened to post risqué photos of you on the Internet? According to a new McAfee survey, 68.7% of us have used a smartphone to send personal or intimate text messages, emails, or photos – a habit that could put your privacy (and even your job, relationships, or financial stability) Read more…
Late Friday night, the hacktivist group Anonymous took control of the U.S. Sentencing Commission website in a new campaign called “Operation Last Resort.” The website was still experiencing downtime as of 11am PT this morning, and according to a ZDNet report, the website was re-hacked on Sunday afternoon and turned into a playable video game Read more…
How many devices do you have connected to the Internet? When you count up all the computers, smartphones, tablets, and other Internet-connected devices in your home, the number can add up quickly. Our online lives have become second nature: We shop online, bank online, and network with friends, families, and coworkers through social networking sites. Read more…
Back in August, a Forbes article pointed out 10 simple ways to protect your privacy. The full list included: Password protecting devices Putting a Google Alert on your name Signing out of email and social networks when done Being wary of giving out your personal information Encrypting your computer Turning on 2-Step authentication in Gmail Read more…