New Secure Short URL Service from McAfee

October 28, 2010

There is finally a URL shortening service that won’t leave you anxious about where the link might take you.  I’ve written in the past about how to Mitigate Risks When Using Shortened URL’s, but there was no easy way to go about it. I confess that I skipped taking the appropriate safety checks on occasion myself.  Now, it’s as easy as a click to make a short URL, and just as easy to be confident the website you land on is legitimate.

McAfee has just released their mcaf.ee service that does three things:

  1. Let’s you create short URL’s right from your browser with just the click of a button
  2. Makes your short URL’s permanent – They don’t expire and won’t change.
  3. Puts your safety first. Not only does McAfee test the URL to be sure it is malware free, they test it EVERY SINGLE TIME someone clicks on it. That way, if the URL was accidentally or deliberately switched to a malicious site, or the URL was compromised, you’ll be warned before you land on a malicious page.

The only downside is that you can’t create the shortened URL yourself, but I haven’t been this excited about a new service in quite some time.

Linda

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Security Issues Hamper Adoption of Web 2.0 and SocNets Among Businesses

October 20, 2010

Like consumers, businesses are struggling to reap the benefits of social applications online without succumbing to the risks according to a new report by McAfee.

McAfee’s survey of over 1,000 global business decision-makers in 17 countries reports that half of businesses were concerned about the security of Web 2.0 applications such as social media, micro blogging, collaborative platforms, web mail, and content sharing tools.

Alarmingly, over 60% of the surveyed organizations had already suffered losses averaging $2 million in security related incidents last year. That equates to a collective loss of more than $1.1 billion in security related incidents among the surveyed companies last year. Another 60% are concerned about loss of reputation, brand, client or consumer confidence as a result of Web 2.0 misuse.

The primary driver for Web 2.0 adoption within businesses is the potential for new revenue, but leaders and decision makers debate the value and risks of employee use of Web 2.0 in the workplace — either in the office or on the road due to security concerns.

Employee use of social media is a main source of corporate security threats, and as a result nearly 50% specifically block Facebook, 33% of organizations restrict employee use of any social media, another 25% monitor employee’s use; and 13% block social media access entirely.

Why this matters to you

Individuals, organizations, companies, schools, and government; we are all part of the online ecosystem and we all suffer when crime runs rampant. Crime erodes our trust in online interactions with companies, and financial losses that businesses suffer have to be covered by passing those costs on to consumers.

McAfee’s report ends with “there are general best practices that we recommend for all organizations that adopt Web 2.0 solutions” and lists the recommendations displayed in the left column. I’ve added the column to the right to show how this is the same for consumers.

Recommendations for Businesses

Recommendations for Consumers
Policy: Web 2.0 environments have created new organizational contexts that challenge traditional norms of professional behavior. Clear social media policies enable employees to make good decisions about their behaviors in these new contexts, and provide examples and guidelines regarding potential threats. Family policy: New online services like social networks require family discussions to establish what is and isn’t acceptable behavior and to provide examples and guidelines regarding potential threats. This enables family members to make good decisions about their behaviors in these new contexts,
Technology: Web 2.0 applications and technologies require multi-layered security solutions that provide protection against data loss, endpoint security, application control, and infrastructure firewalls. Technology: Individuals and families need to have several layers of security and privacy solutions in place – including firewalls, anti-virus, anti-malware software that is kept up to date. This also includes using websites privacy and security settings to establish a layer of protecting within the online services you use.
Education: As new threats and problems emerge it is vital that all users in the organization are made aware of how to protect resources. Social media require a new level of digital literacy, and organizations need to educate employees about the risks and benefits of accessing and participating in these contexts. Education: As new threats and problems emerge it is vital that all family members who use the internet are made aware of the risks and of how to protect themselves and the family’s computers/cellphones and game consoles. Before using social media, an added level of digital literacy and online safety needs to be discussed and mastered by each family member.
Practices: Organizations must acknowledge the 21st century work practices of employees that are global, mobile, and constantly connected. Policies and technology solutions must be device-independent, whether access comes from the desktop, laptop, handheld, or even wearable or embedded devices, and must be location-independent as well. Organizational practices must protect employees and institutional data no matter what they use, and where they are. Practices: Family members must understand that their online actions may be global, mobile and constantly connected. The family rules for using these tools is in place regardless of the device  -desktop, laptop, handheld, or even wearable or embedded devices, and is location-independent – at home, at a friend’s, at school, and so on. Family members have an responsibility to not only protect their own safety and information, but to protect the family’s safety and information as well.
Adaptability: Web 2.0 and social media technologies are notable for their rapid change and evolution. Organizations must be alert to new risks, but also adaptable to changes, and open to seeing opportunities for new value that can be embraced for organizational success. Adaptability: Web 2.0 and social media technologies are notable for their rapid change and evolution. Families must stay alert to new opportunities and risks, but also adaptable to changes, as new features are added and children’s maturity increases. Stay open to seeing opportunities for new value that can be embraced for your family.

Conclusion – whether you’re an individual or an industry player, basic best practices are our best defense against online criminals.

To learn more, read McAfee Inc. Global “Web 2.0: A Complex Balancing Act — The First Global Study on Web 2.0 Usage, Risks and Best Practices” report in its entirety.

Linda

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McAfee Threats Report: Second Quarter 2010

September 16, 2010

I am continuing my practice of sharing recent internet safety research pieces:

Excerpt

Study by McAfee:

This edition of the McAfee Threats Report examines the second quarter of 2010 and finds some very different results compared with previous quarters. Last quarter we saw a leveling off in some threat vectors while in others we saw some new developments. This quarter we find malware has resumed its usual rapid growth while the increase in spam has slowed. We see some very interesting geographical breakdowns for spam and botnets that we have not seen before. More threats have become specific and unique to those victims, both corporate and consumer, in different parts of the world.

This quarter we also see the global breakdown of malware to be quite different from that of previous quarters. From January to March we found the top malware to be the same around the world, a phenomenon we had not observed previously; but this quarter’s breakdown shows specific threats tend to plague specific regions. We look very closely at growth trends for fake-alert software, password stealing Trojans, social networking malware such as Koobface, as well as malware that abuses USB and other storage devices.

We examine event and keyword abuse through search engines as well as which vulnerabilities were most frequently exploited throughout the quarter. It should come as no surprise that events such as the FIFA World Cup in South Africa and incidents in the Middle East were highly abused by both cybercriminals and political hacktivists. Remember: the bad guys read the same news as we do. We report on web and network threats such as phishing and malicious website growth and see what parts of the world are engaging in the most SQL-injection attacks.

We finish with an overview of the quarter’s most interesting incidents in both cybercrime and hactivism. We hope you find this edition of the McAfee Threats Report instructive.

Click here to learn more: McAfee Threats Report: Second Quarter 2010

Linda

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McAfee Names Cameron Diaz Most Dangerous Celebrity in Cyberspace

August 19, 2010

In a continuation of the highly popular annual McAfee Most Dangerous CelebritiesTM McAfee reports that  Cameron Diaz has replaced Jessica Biel as the most dangerous celebrity to search for on the Web.

“Cybercriminals follow the same hot topics as consumers, and create traps based on the latest trends,” said Dave Marcus, security researcher for McAfee Labs. “Anyone looking for the latest videos or pictures could end up with a malware-ridden computer instead of just trendy content.”  “Whether you’re surfing the Web from your computer or your phone or clicking on links in Twitter about your favorite celeb, you should surf safely, and make sure you’re using the latest security software.”

Providing curious insight into societies top interests, the study found that politicians like Barack Obama and Sarah Palin are among the safest celebrities to search on, while movie stars and models top the “most dangerous” list.

The good news? “This year, the search results for celebrities are safer than they’ve been in previous years, but there are still dangers when searching online,” said Marcus. “Through consumer education and tools, such as McAfee® SiteAdvisor® site ratings, consumers are getting smarter about searching online, yet cybercriminals are getting sneakier in their techniques. Now they’re hiding malicious content in ‘tiny’ places like shortened URLs that can spread virally in social networking sites and Twitter, instead of on websites and downloads.” Note: See my blog how to Mitigate Risks When Using Shortened URL’s to stay safer.

Cameron Diaz Searches Yield 10% Chance of Landing on a Malicious Site

Searching for “Cameron Diaz” or “Cameron Diaz and downloads,” “Cameron Diaz and screen savers,” “Cameron Diaz and wallpaper,” “Cameron Diaz and photos” and “Cameron Diaz and videos” places fans at a10% chance of landing on a website that’s tested positive for online threats designed to steal personal information. Clicking on these risky sites, or downloading photos, videos or screensavers exposes surfers or consumers to the risk of downloading spyware, adware, spam, phishing, viruses or other malware.

Here’s McAfee’s top 10 riskiest celebrities from this year’s study:

Celebrity Position

  1. Cameron Diaz – Searching for Diaz results in a one in ten chance of landing on a risky site. She has most recently been in the spotlight with blockbuster movies, “Knight and Day” and “Shrek Forever After.” When “Cameron Diaz and screensavers” was searched, 19 percent of the sites were identified as containing malicious downloads.
  2. Julia Roberts – Academy Award-winning actress Julia Roberts is one of America’s sweethearts, and will soon be in the spotlight with her upcoming release of “Eat, Pray, Love.” The overall risk of searching for Roberts is nine percent, yet searching for “Julia Roberts and downloads” results in a 20 percent chance of downloading a photo, wallpaper or other file laden with malware.
  3. Jessica Biel – Last year’s Most Dangerous Celebrity fell two spots with searches resulting in fewer risky sites this year. Biel continues to be in the spotlight with her on-again, off-again relationship with Justin Timberlake, and appeared in “The A-Team” in June 2010. While her overall search risk is nine percent, searching for “Jessica Biel and screensavers” results in a 17 percent chance of landing on a risky site.
  4. Gisele Bündchen – The world’s highest-paid supermodel moved up two spots since last year. Searching for “Gisele Bündchen and screensavers” can prove risky, 15 percent of the search results for this beauty can put spyware, malware or viruses on your computer.
  5. Brad Pitt – Pitt is often in the spotlight with news of his movies and his personal life. It’s no wonder why this leading man has been in the top ten for the past three years. He moved up in rank five spots this year. Downloading photos, screensavers, or other files of Brad can potentially put adware or spyware in your computer.
  6. Adriana Lima – Searching for downloads of this Brazilian beauty can direct users to red-ranked sites. Lima is best known for being a Victoria’s Secret Angel since 2000.
  7. Jennifer Love Hewitt, Nicole Kidman – Searching for these Hollywood starlets resulted in an equal number of risky download websites.
  8. Tom Cruise – With recent buzz around his MTV Awards performance as well as his movie, “Knight and Day,” Cruise rises to the top ten.
  9. Heidi Klum, Penelope Cruz – Both of these ladies are consistently in the spotlight, and share the #9 spot. Cybercriminals use their names to lure people to risky sites. Klum hosts “Project Runway” and Cruz has been in the spotlight recently for her role in the “Sex and the City 2” movie and is expected to be in the fourth film of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series.
  10. Anna Paquin – This “True Blood” star is as dangerous on the Web as she is on the screen. Searching for screensavers of Paquin can lead you to downloads filled with malware.

As for the President and Ms. Palin? They’re at the “Bottom of the Pack” with places #49 and #50 respectively – even lower on the list compared to last year.

For more safety information by McAfee Web visit their McAfee Security Advice Center and Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mcafee for information on the latest threats, and tips on surfing safely.

Now that McAfee has been bought by Intel, let’s hope the annual celebrity ranking continues…

Linda

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McAfee Survey Results: The Secret Lives of Teens Online

June 28, 2010

“The Secret Life of Teens,” is a new survey conducted online by Harris Interactive research for McAfee and provides insight into how youth ages 10-17 are using the net today. There’s lots of positive news in these results, but there are some concerning issues as well. Based on the findings, we aren’t doing a good enough job helping youth understand why some information should be private, and helping them learn the skills they need to keep information private. We haven’t done enough to teach kids how to respond to cyberbullying. And we need better dialog between parents and youth about what teens are doing online.

Key findings:

Sharing personal information

  • 69% of 13-17 year olds have updated their status on social networking sites to include their physical location
  • 28% of teens chat with people they don’t know in the offline world — 43 percent shared their first name
  • 24% percent shared their email address
  • 18% percent shared a personal photo of themselves
  • 12 %percent shared their cell phone number
  • Girls are more likely than boys to chat with people online that they don’t know in the offline world, (32% vs. 24%)
  • 13-15 year old girls (16 %) are more likely than boys the same age (7%) to have given a description of what they look like.

Cyberbullying

  • Nearly 50% of Teens Don’t Know What to Do if Cyberbullied
  • One-in-three teens knows someone who has had mean or hurtful information posted about them online
  • 14% of 13-17 year olds admit to having engaged in some form of cyberbullying behavior in 2010

Access:

  • 87% of teens go online somewhere other than at home
  • 54% access from their friends’ or relatives’ houses
  • 30% of teens access the Web through a phone and 21% through a video game system
  • 23% of kids go online anywhere with an open Wi-Fi signal

Teens Hide What They’re Doing Online

  • 42% don’t tell their parents what they do while they are online
  • 38% of teens close or minimize the browser when their parents enter the room
  • 32% of teens clear the browser history when they are done using the computer
  • 55% of 13-17 year olds hide what they do online from parents

Kids to Blame for Infected Family PC?

  • More than a quarter of teens (27%) accidentally allowed a virus, spyware, or other software to infect the family computer
  • Nearly half of teens (46%) of teens admit to downloading music or videos from a free service, which is much more likely to infect the family PC with everything from worms, viruses, ad-ware, spyware, or backdoors that allow people on the Internet to access the computer
  • 16% of 16-17 year old boys have downloaded x-rated content

Linda

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McAfee, Inc. Names Jessica Biel the Most Dangerous Celebrity in Cyberspace

August 25, 2009

Mix celebrity status and media presence and you create a magnet for cyber-scammers. McAfee has just released its third annual “Most Dangerous Celebrity in Cyberspace report and it highlights that though the actors of the moment change, the tactics cybercriminals use remain the same.

Jessica Biel now has the dubious distinction of being the most dangerous celebrity to search in cyberspace. Whether fans search for “Jessica Biel” or “Jessica Biel downloads,” “Jessica Biel wallpaper,” “Jessica Biel screen savers,” “Jessica Biel photos” or “Jessica Biel videos”, they have a 20% chance of landing at a Web site containing spyware, adware, spam, phishing, viruses or other malware.

Somewhat surprisingly, McAfee’s results showed that  the U.S. President and First Lady are not among the most risky public figures to search ranking 34th and 39th, respectively.

McAfee’s top riskiest celebrity searches include:

  1. Jessica Biel – Almost half of “Jessica Biel screensavers” search results contain malicious downloads with spyware, adware and potential viruses.
  2. Beyoncé – Inputting “Beyoncé ringtones” into a search engine yielded a dangerous Web site linking to a distributor of adware and spyware.
  3. Jennifer Aniston – More than 40% of the Google search results for “Jennifer Aniston screensavers” contained nasty viruses, including one called the “FunLove virus.”
  4. Tom Brady – The New England Patriot seems to attract many fans who want a free download of the athlete in action, but not the Trojan that comes with it.
  5. Jessica Simpson – Searching for “Jessica Simpson videos” can mislead unsuspecting surfers to sites with potentially damaging downloads.
  6. Gisele Bundchen – A search for “Gisele Bundchen photos” can direct users to sites that breached browser security in McAfee’s tests.
  7. Miley Cyrus – Web sites related to Miley Cyrus’ image link to harmful sites containing spyware.
  8. Megan Fox, Angelina Jolie – tied for the number of search results containing risky downloads, proving cybercriminals are in the business of capitalizing on the world’s most famous faces.
  9. Ashley Tisdale – The “High School Musical” star is a popular search term when it comes to searching for screensavers. A host of screensaver Web sites contained numerous malware-laden downloads.
  10. Brad Pitt – Brad Pitt fell towards the bottom of this year’s list, resulting in a few less, but just as dangerous, Web sites.
  11. Reese Witherspoon – Searching for “Reese Witherspoon” and “Reese Witherspoon photos” returns results promoting free files with hidden malware.
  12. Britney Spears – McAfee SiteAdvisor technology found a single site promoting free Britney Spears wallpaper that was embedded with more than 50 potentially infected downloads.

Don’t play roulette on a search engine

Searching the web without using tools that identify malicious websites is asking for trouble – you simply will not be able to tell which are legitimate. Cybercriminals aren’t stupid, they want to target the broadest number of users and therefore closely watch for the most popular search terms.

In addition to having up-to-date security software in place, you need to use a product that visibly identifies for you the potential for malicious code on search results. I’ll mention McAfee’s Site Advisor solution (it’s FREE folks) first as they generated this report, and it’s the one I use on all my machines. Additionally, both Firefox and Internet Explorer have features you can use to alert you to malicious sites, and several other companies offer similar services.

Linda

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Watch McAfee’s Hcommerce: The Business of Hacking You Video Series

June 13, 2009

If you aren’t yet aware of, or just haven’t been following McAfee’s 6 short video series on Hcommerce, you need to check it out at stopHcommerce.com.

Hcommerce stands for “Hacker commerce”, the economic model behind online crimes and the ways criminals use internet services and tools to exploit consumers.

The compelling series focuses on real victims of cybercrime, and how one family ultimately lost over $400,000 in a scam promising inheritance money from a dead family member. It shows how the criminals went about the scam and will help you understand both the scope of cybercrime today and how quickly you can fall victim if you fail to take some basic safeguards.

Most internet users still do not understand how vulnerable they are to cybercrime. A Consumer Reports research survey was cited by President Obama in his May 29th address to the nation: “Millions of Americans have been victimized, their privacy violated, their identities stolen, their lives upended, and their wallets emptied.  According to one survey, in the past two years alone cyber crime has cost Americans more than $8 billion.”

If you have been procrastinating about securing your computers and learning how to identify Internet scams, it’s time to take action now. McAfee has created a 2-page handout to help you learn more about cybercriminals and what you can do to protect yourself.

Linda

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