Panda virus

Two new virus threats and some advice from the FBI

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A new, more virulent strain

China's national virus response center has warned this week, that there is a new variant of the infamous Panda virus on the loose and that the new, more virulent strain is not only harder to detect and get rid of, but poses a more serious threat than the original. With the addition of a Root kit which enables the virus to bury itself deep into your system, the new worm has the ability to: block you from restoring your infected files, turn off your anti-virus software and re-direct you to web sites containing Trojan horses and other malware - what next?

A virus threat from plain text !

In another warning, a team of US security researchers informs us that it is now possible to hide malicious code inside pure English Language text. Up til now, it was thought that this couldn't be done, but the researchers have proved that it is possible. This type of infection can give the attackers control of your system's resources, applications, and data and provides them with the ability to use your system for whatever purpose they desire, whether it be setting your system up as a spam relay or, installing a key logger and stealing your

personal information. This will prove to be a real challenge for the anti-virus companies, who will have to vastly improve their detection techniques and leaves some of the anti virus software well past its "sell-by" date.

FBI - Don't throw away that old PC just yet!

In another report from the department within the FBI responsible for tracing cyber crime, they recommend that we should dig out our old computers and set them up purely as devices to carry out our on-line financial transactions. So, no surfing or, downloading - seems like good advice! If you are going to do an on-line financial transaction, hook up the old PC, fire it up , complete the transaction, disconnect from the internet and close it down. Of course, first you will have to wipe and format the hard drive in the old PC and install a new version of Windows, but as you only need a web browser to complete online transactions, you should be OK with the Windows generic drivers, although the network device driver may be a problem (the driver that enables you to connect to the internet.)

Protect financial transactions with Window's Desktop virtualisation software

If you regularly carry out on-line financial transactions such as bank transfers or, credit/debit card purchases and you are worried about your on-line security, but you haven't got an old computer, it is still possible to protect yourself (and save some time and money) by using Window's desktop virtualisation software and your existing computer.

Panda virus - Any comments or, questions?

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