Ransomware for macOS shows the importance of using independently tested Mac antivirus software. EvilQuest / ThiefQuest ransomware is now blocked by all the Mac AV products certified by AV-Comparatives in 2020: Avast, AVG, Avira, Bitdefender, CrowdStrike, FireEye, Kaspersky, and Trend Micro.
Tag: Spotlight on security
Spotlight on security: Why independent testing of anti-virus software is important
If you’ve ever considered doing your own tests of antivirus programs, you might be surprised to find that it’s much, much more difficult than you think. Here’s why:
Spotlight on security: The Curse of the False Positive
By David Harley
When is a false positive (FP) really a false positive? How much care should security vendors take to avoid or at worst fix them: do they really matter at all?
Spotlight on security: the inconvenient truth about CEO-impersonation fraud
Reported incidents of CEO-fraud or business email compromise (BEC) scams are so bizarre that most people think they are urban myths, told by security specialists to spice up their business and catch the attention of board-level executives. Sadly, these “April Fools’ Day” story lines have the opposite effect on C-level management. Let’s take a look at a recent € 19.2 million CEO-fraud case and put BEC-scams in a cyber-crime perspective to see whether you still think “it won’t happen to me”.
Spotlight on Security: why the claims of Google Play Protect are misleading
In October, Google announced two contract changes for European Android device vendors. One concerned a minimum security-patch requirement, and the other involved charging a fee for Google services (e.g. Google Play Store). These announcements indicate that many Android smartphones suffer from significant security weaknesses. Let us explain (and prove) why Google’s claims about the effectiveness of their Play Protect service are misleading, to say the least.
Spotlight on security: Politics and cyber security, a troubled relationship
The relationships between various countries in the world are worsening, not only with regard to economic and political issues, but also in the field of cybersecurity. The recent bans on Chinese (such as Huawei) and Russian security products (such as Kaspersky Lab) are examples of the troubled relations between politics and cyber security.
Spotlight on security: The problem with false alarms
False Positives (FPs, also known as False Alarms) are harmless and legitimate programs that are incorrectly identified as malicious by an antivirus program. A false positive can have very serious consequences. In some cases, it will not be possible to run a legitimate program if it is blocked by the security software.
Spotlight on security: Why do AV products score so highly in professional tests?
This question often arises on security-focussed internet forums. Why do antivirus solutions perform worse when tested by amateurs than when tested by professional testing organizations? It seems odd when hobbyist home testers publish tests on YouTube that seem to be a greater challenge to the AV programs than the comparative tests of professional organizations. Despite popular conspiracy theories, there is a logical explanation for these apparently contradictory test results.
Spotlight on security – The end of Net Neutrality?
Normally we post on what security news topped the media. This month’s blog covers the end of the Net Neutrality legislation. Net neutrality was initiated by the Obama administration. Ironically Trump buried both Net Neutrality legislation and media coverage with his historic meeting on neutral grounds with Kim-Jong un. Is Net Neutrality legislation obsolete or has ‘the open internet for all’ just suffered a serious setback?
Spotlight on security: How to recognize email scams
Analysis reports of several sources (US, UK) show that email is and remains the number one delivery vehicle of malware. The reason why email is so popular is because half of the people will open an email of an unknown sender. Email scams play on people’s emotion to trick them into opening emails. In this month’s ‘spotlight on security’ we will explain what psychological tactics scammers use to take you off-guard and lower your fences.