Features

• PDF files most trusted...and most targeted

  PDF files are one of the most common, and most trusted document formats out there. However, that trust, combined with the cross-platform use of PDFs makes the Adobe file format one of the most targeted and exploited by malicious attacks as well.

• Massive Mac OS X update shatters illusion of security

  Perhaps you've heard that the Apple Mac OS X operating system is simply more secure by design and not prone to the security flaws and vulnerabilities that plague the dominant Microsoft Windows operating system? Well, don't believe the hype. Apple unleashed an update for Mac OS X this week which fixes a massive 134 vulnerabilities.

• The low-down on low-level rootkits

  Rootkits, a type of stealth technology used by malware malefactors, attempt to hide in the dark corners of an infected PC and evade detection. A new post out today from the Microsoft Malware Protection Center shines the spotlight on the evil tools.

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  Mobile malware will test Android and iPhone

  2009 ushered in mobile malware with the first (and second) iPhone worm appearing just before Christmas.

• Latest malware trick: outsourcing quality assurance

  Creators of Waledac malware enlisted the Conficker botnet as a tool to spread malware of their own, marking the first time Conficker was made available for hire, according to Cisco's mid-year security report.This was symptomatic of a wider trend Cisco noted of malware purveyors using established business practices to expand their illegal enterprises. Cisco likened the arrangement between Waledac and Conficker to a partner ecosystem, a term Cisco uses to describe its collaboration with other vendors.

• How to beat 22 Web security threats

  Forewarned is forearmed. We investigate the latest and most deadly tech dangers, and explain how to fight back.

• Even dirtier IT jobs: The muck stops here

  Hey, we can't all have careers at Google. Sometimes when you work in IT, you have to hold your nose and hope for the best.

• McColo takedown: Internet self policing or vigilantism

  Few tears were shed when McColo, a US-based company that allegedly hosted systems for prolific purveyors of spam, malware and child pornography, was suddenly taken offline by its upstream service providers on November 11.

• Seven classic PC symptoms

  As a small-business person, you might bemoan the fact you don't have 24/7 IT support like your larger-scale competitors. Don't panic. You can solve many of the most common computer problems yourself. Here are some snafus you can tackle on your own, thanks to the advice of the support staff at several major hardware and software vendors:

• A sneaky security problem, ignored by the bad guys

  Frank Boldewin had seen a lot of malicious software in his time, but never anything like Rustock.C.