New Sophisticated URLZone Trojan

New, sophisticated malware is making it harder to detect some fraudulent online bank transactions. The URLZone Trojan horse program communicates with a command server to find out precisely how much money to take from the accounts it is plundering to evade detection and where to send the money; the Trojan also alters users' online bank statements so the fraudulent transactions do not show up. The Trojan exploits a vulnerability in Firefox, Opera, Internet Explorer 6, IE 7, and IE 8.

• http://www.darkreading.com/database_security/security/client/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=220300592&subSection=End+user/client+security


• http://www.scmagazineus.com/URLZone-touted-as-most-sophisticated-banking-trojan-yet/article/151096/


• http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-10363836-245.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1009_3-0-20


• http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/09/rogue-bank-statements/

Security Essentials. Newly Released Security Tools Form Microsoft

Microsoft Security Essentials Not Available to Pirates.
Users running unlicensed or improperly licensed copies of Microsoft Windows will not be able to install the company's newly-released Security Essentials antivirus software. To install the software, users will be required to validate their copies of Windows operating systems.
Microsoft does allow users running pirated copies of Windows to download Internet Explorer 8 (IE 8), touted as the company's most secure browser yet. Microsoft also allows patches to be downloaded to pirated copies of Windows through Windows Update. There are other free anti-virus alternatives available, but the patches are available only from Microsoft.