By Matthew Losanno

When the integrity of your system and network is at stake, neglecting a critical software update is the last task that should be placed on the back burner.

According to an article posted on Dark Reading over the summer “Six out of every 10 users of Adobe Reader are running unpatched versions of the program, leaving them vulnerable to a variety of malware attacks, according to a report…”

All software updates, although seemingly trivial, can offer protection against a variety of vulnerabilities. Most of us will readily update our anti-virus software; we all understand that it can prevent a virus from taking control of our computer or deleting our data. While the antivirus software actively scans incoming files/emails, AV software is similar to a last line of defense; it is there when your computer has already been the target of an exploitation. Read more…

Data Security, Malware

Our friends over at BitDefender have released a new Internet Security Suite.  Checkout the review over on Infosec Island.

While you’re at it, also checkout Kanguru’s secure, encrypted flash drives featuring onboard BitDefender Anti-Virus for protecting your flash drives from malware.

Data Security, Malware

A recent article in Network World outlines the potential security threats of smart phones.  The article explains how, much like flash drives (or thumb drives, whichever term you prefer), mobile phones can be used to potentially spread malware when plugged into a USB port for syncing or charging.

Compromised phones will infect computers they may plug into for otherwise legitimate reasons, much the same way malware such as Stuxnet found its way onto laptops via thumb drives, according to the “Emerging Cyber Threats Report 2012″ released at the Georgia Tech Cyber Security Summit 2011″

The report warns that “mobile phones will be a new on-ramp to planting malware on more secure devices.”

The article goes on to outline several other infosec threats posed by mobile phones as well.

For the full story, click here.

Data Security, Malware

Did you know that besides our Blog, Kanguru also regularly posts IT and security news on Twitter?  You can find news on cyber security, malware, encryption and data breaches as well as information on new Kanguru products, events, promos and more.

Follow us on Twitter at  http://twitter.com/#!/kanguru_news

Feel free to leave feedback on our posts and suggest links and news of your own.

Data Security

InformationWeek highlights a new study showing that malware on USB sticks is wreaking havoc on information security.  The new survey by the Ponemon Institute found:

In the past two years, 70% of businesses have traced the loss of sensitive or confidential information to USB flash memory sticks. While such losses can obviously occur when the devices get lost or stolen, 55% of those incidents are likely related to malware-infected devices that introduced malicious code onto corporate networks.

Most of the respondents do not have any form of endpoint security in place, or don’t enforce their own USB security policies.  Cost may be an important factor as “75% of respondents said they wouldn’t pay a premium to ensure that USB drives are safe and secure.”

Setting aside the fact that this is short-sighted given the cost of a data breach, you don’t need to break the bank to secure your USB drives.  The Kanguru Defender Basic features automatically enforced military-grade encryption, plus an onboard anti-virus scanner to prevent malicious code from entering your network.  Best of all, it’s available at a mainstream price.

Data Security

From our friends over at BitDefender:

Madonna, Cameron Diaz and Barack Obama also amongst the top personalities used in cyber scams according to BitDefender analysis of 25 million spam messages

American comedian and TV host Jay Leno is the most dangerous Hollywood celebrity in cyberspace, according to analysis of 25 million spam messages by BitDefender®, an award winning provider of innovative internet security solutions. After Leno, results revealed Madonna and Cameron Diaz to be the next most frequently used personalities by cyber criminals in spreading spam. Barack Obama and Stephen King also make the top ten.

BitDefender’s analysis found most of the spam messages focused around medicine and the purchasing of pills but come with enticing subjects such as ‘Jay Leno found taking drugs’ or ‘George Clooney’s Girls.’ Other celebrities mentioned but ranking outside the top ten include Read more…

Data Security, Malware

A recent article in Security Week outlined a dramatic increase in malware sent via e-mail.  This after the takedown of the Rustock Botnet.  Methods of spreading the malware included fake “parcel tracking information” mimicking those from UPS and DHL, PDF file attachments with script malware, explicit PowerPoint presentations and more. 

The take away from this report is to maintain a regularly updated anti-virus on your computer, scan e-mail documents before opening them, and be wary of any suspicious attachments/e-mails. 

If you work on computers that do not have anti-virus installed, you can carry a mobile anti-virus program on your Kanguru Defender Elite, Defender V2 or Defender Basic which allows you to scan any files you transfer between the unprotected computer and your flash drive.  It’s a great added layer of security, protecting your mobile documents from becoming a carrier of malicious programs.

Malware, Portable Storage

According to a new study by the Ponemon Institute, 75% of the energy and utility companies that were surveyed experienced a data breach within the last year.

“We were surprised that utility companies didn’t put a higher priority on issues like smart grid and smart meters, where there’s been a lot of concern about cyberthreats,” says Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder of Ponemon Institute. “Many of the people we talked to are still more focused on physical security than on cybersecurity.”

One possible attack vector being used against power companies is unsecured USB flash drives.  This was reported to be a big factor in the spread of Stuxnet last year.  Energy, utility and manufacturing companies should be taking extra measures to be sure only secure devices are plugging into industrial control equipment.

Malware, Portable Storage

A recent security study shows just how much time administrators spend removing malware from K-12 School computers.  21% of respondents are doing this task daily!

Research shows that much of today’s common malware is spread on USB memory sticks.  That’s why Kanguru has added BitDefender antivirus protection into every Kanguru Defender Basic, V2 and Elite secure flash drive.  We know that K-12 Schools have been hit with shrinking budgets in recent years, so we have a discount program specifically for Educational organizations.  Contact us today to find out more.  Email defender (at) kanguru.com.

Data Security

You might not know the answer to that question until it’s too late.  Unfortunately, the most common response to finding a USB drive is to plug it in.  Virus-writers count on that response when they design the latest malware threats.

Network World discusses the way the Stuxnet worm has exploited this vulnerability.

Many companies have focused on the worm’s ability to spread via USB flash drives. Malicious programs spreading through infected such devices have become a major problem for corporations, because of employee curiosity. In penetration tests conducted by Leviathan Security, 8 out of 10 employees that found a USB drive plugged it into a computer. All of those workers then went on to open up a spreadsheet labeled “LayoffNotice.xls,” says Frank Heidt, CEO of Leviathan.

“You can tell your people, ‘Hey, don’t plug in USB sticks into your network,’ but that is antithetical to human nature,” Heidt says.

One way to combat this problem is to restrict unknown USB devices from your network and only allow devices with built-in antivirus protection.  Kanguru includes integrated malware protection as a standard feature on all new secure flash drives.  The network restrictions can be easily managed with Group Policy or one of the many Endpoint Security products now on the market.

Data Security, Malware, Portable Storage