Protecting Your Identity

Think identity theft or fraud can’t happen to you? Think again. Scamming for information is nothing new, but the Web provides a fresh means of fraud. The result: identity theft is a fast-growing, serious offense and it could affect you.

Identity theft tops the list of all fraud complaints received by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Consumers reported fraud losses totaling over $1.2 billion U.S., according to the FTC’s annual Consumer Fraud and Identity Theft Complaint Data report. And that means protecting private information is a top priority for anyone who relies on the Internet for communicating personal or financial data.

How exactly does it work? When a criminal gathers enough personally identifiable information about you, that person can take over your identity to commit a range of crimes for their own personal gain.

A variety of techniques – including old-fashioned thievery and cyber scams – can be used to get past your defenses. According to ID Theft Protect’s website, a leading resource for consumers on identity fraud, identity theft, and data privacy, the five most popular methods of identity fraud and theft are:

1. Application fraud: using stolen or counterfeit documents to open an account in your name.
2. Account ID take-over: using your personal information to take over your bank or credit accounts.
3. Mail non-receipt card fraud: stealing new or replaced bank and credit cards as they are in the process of being mailed to you by your card company.
4. Phishing e-mail fraud: posing as a legitimate institution in order to capture personal or financial information by e-mail.
5. Pharming fraud: redirecting you to a bogus website in order to capture credentials, like your online banking username and password.

While there may not be one foolproof way to protect your private information from these theft attempts, there are precautions you can, and should, be practicing. Below are basic guidelines we have compiled to help you reduce the risk of identity theft, whether you are online or offline.

• Monitor your credit closely. Your credit report contains information about your credit accounts and bill paying history so you can be tipped off when someone is impersonating you. Watch for suspicious signs, like accounts you did not open.
• Keep records of your financial data and transactions. Review your statements regularly for any activity or charges you did not make.
• Install security software (firewall, anti-virus, anti-spyware software) and keep it up-to-date as a safety measure against online intrusions.
• Use an updated Web browser to make sure you’re taking advantage of its current safety features. Consider using an alternate browser (like Firefox or Opera) which may lower your risk of malware attacks.
• Be wary of e-mail attachments and links in both e-mail and instant messages. Use caution even when the message appears to come from a safe sender, as identity information in messages can easily be spoofed.
• Store sensitive data securely. Just as you keep sensitive paper documents under lock and key, secure sensitive online information. This can be done through file encryption software.
• Shred documents (both paper and electronic) that contain personal or financial information before discarding them. This prevents dumpster diving and, in the online world, the ability for hackers to bypass information that has not been permanently deleted from your computer.
• Protect your PII. Be cautious about giving out your personally identifiable information (PII) to anyone. Find out why the information is needed, and if it’s absolutely necessary to give out. Be careful about the details you provide about yourself online, such as on social networking sites.
• Stay alert to the latest scams. Awareness and caution are effective methods to counter fraud. Share security tips you learn with friends and family.

There are a number of other online resources with more information on how to protect your identity, as well as actions to take if you think your private information has been compromised. Take a look at the practical tips and resources available at fraud prevention websites, like the U.S. federal government’s OnGuardOnline.gov and the non-profit organization Identity Theft Resource Center.

Lavasoft Malware Labs; CamFrog Scam

One of the most popular applications for cam sessions (CamFrog) is now abused for distribution of malicious software. The site below will appear if the victim visits camsjungle.XXX. The domain is more or less a clone of the real site camfrog.com

The cybercriminals have planted a fake version of CamFrog (CamFrogSetup.exe) on the server. The application looks like this:

When the victim executes the fake application, a new malicious file will be downloaded.  The file is a Win32.TrojanDowloader.VB and will run in the background without users consent, connecting to suspicious servers. Ad-Aware’s GenoType scanner will detect the malicious file as Win32.TrojanDowloader.VB/S.

Albin

Lavasoft Malware Labs

Lavasoft the makers of Ad-Aware Anti-Malware and security solutions are looking worldwide for new Reseller’s and VAR’s.

Lavasoft the makers of Ad-Aware Anti-Malware and security solutions are looking worldwide for new Reseller’s and VAR’s.
Lavasoft the makers of Ad-Aware Anti-Malware security solutions are expanding their worldwide market penetration and looking for Reseller’s and VAR’s to distribute their product range via our New Official Lavasoft Resellers Program.

All new distributors signing up to this program will receive additional bonus package outside the basis commissioning structure.

You can sign-up to the Lavasoft Resellers Program via this link below
http://www.lavasoft.com/partners/reseller_center.php

If you have any questions please do not hesitate in contacting me at mark.knighton@lavasoft.com

Ad-Aware Caters to Gamers and Entertainment Fans with New Security Solution

Ad-Aware Caters to Gamers and Entertainment Fans with New Security Solution

Ad-Aware Game Edition provides relevant protection while you play. The world’s most trusted anti-malware has been optimized for online gamers and entertainment enthusiasts to provide security against cyber creeps, without interrupting work and play, or straining system resources.

Gothenburg, Sweden (November 3, 2009) Lavasoft, makers of globally trusted Ad-Aware security software, today announced the release of Ad-Aware Game Edition – a spin-off of its flagship product – aimed specifically to meet the needs of today’s online gamers and entertainment fans with real-time anti-virus and anti-spyware protection, and technology designed to deliver online protection without interruptions or resource strain.

“Gamers and online entertainment fans are in a high risk group in terms of computer security – spending long periods of time connected to the Internet, at risk from opportunistic cyber thieves. At the same time, there’s a struggle to find security solutions that won’t impact online experience. The Game Edition was developed specifically with the needs of this niche market in mind, giving users the ability to protect their privacy and security from cyber crooks as they work and play in full-screen mode,” says Lavasoft CEO Jason King.

What Types of Threats Target Gamers?

The online games industry is booming and, according to the Malware Labs at Lavasoft, cyber thieves are cashing in. In fact, malware authors are capitalizing on the transfer of cash and virtual goods that takes place regularly in online games by developing Trojans aimed specifically at plundering passwords and harvesting log-in details from users of MMORPG’s. The scammers are usually after the credit card and billing information for online game accounts, and even the virtual world loot, which they can auction off for real world money.

In the past nine months, the amount of unique signatures added to the Win32.TrojanPWS.Onlinegames family of threats in Ad-Aware’s Detection Database of known malware increased by over 600 percent. According to Malware Labs at Lavasoft, the most common types of foul play that online gamers are bound to face include social engineering scams to gain log-in and account details, malware specifically targeting online games, and exploiting vulnerabilities in game servers and browsers, to name a few.

What Sets Ad-Aware Game Edition Apart?

Ad-Aware Game Edition addresses the age-old struggle in online gaming and virtual worlds of how to stay protected, without the interruptions or breaks in protection that other security software programs cause. While competitor products claim to ‘suspend’ protection while in full-screen mode, Ad-Aware Game Edition provides continuous protection, without interrupting the user with threat alerts; Ad-Aware automatically handles the blocking and removal of malware, allowing the user to focus on their virtual world – without worrying about their security.

Price and Availability

The Ad-Aware Game Edition is available immediately at www.shieldpowerup.com. Prices begin at $24.95 and include free technical support and continuous software updates throughout the license period. Trial versions are available as well. Each Game Edition purchase includes a choice of one free game from titles such as Peggle, Bejeweled 2, Ranch Rush, Mean Girls: High School Showdown, and Tradewinds Odyssey.

About Lavasoft

Founded in 1999, Lavasoft is “the original anti-spyware company”, with over 400 million downloads worldwide for the flagship Ad-Aware product. A private company headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, Lavasoft provides security solutions for individual consumers and enterprise clients alike, including anti-spyware, anti-virus, registry optimization, firewall, digital shredding, and encryption.

For further information, please contact Michael Helander, Vice President, Sales and Marketing at Lavasoft, telephone +46 31 777 77 50 or press@lavasoft.com

Lavasoft Malware Labs: New Wave of Fake MSN E-mails

A new wave of scam e-mails are now hitting victims around the globe. They usually appear to come from trusted friends and look like this:

If the victim chooses to go further, he or she will end up at this page:

The scam site is playing on people’s curiosity by offering a service to verify who blocked them on their MSN contact list. If the user chooses to fill-in an e-mail and password to sign-in, nothing will happen. The following message will appear:

The e-mail address and password entered is sent to remote servers. This confidential information may be used to hijack e-mail accounts and spam friends in your contact list with similar e-mails. Never fill in secret information on suspicious sites and avoid visiting the domains listed below:

Reverse IP: 121.54.174.85

XX = .com

Ahem-they-blocked-me.XX
Ahh-im-blocked.XX
Awsome-grab-block-statuses.XX
Bad-luck-im-blocked.XX
Bing-block-status.XX
Bing-your-block-status.XX
Bingoo-check-block-status.XX
Block-status-grabber.XX
Cindrella-blocked-me.XX
Damn-im-blocked.XX
Damnn-they-blocked-me.XX
Did-they-block-you.XX
Duh-i-got-blocked.XX
Face-blocked-truth.XX
Find-reason-of-being-blocked.XX
Finding-who-blocks.XX
Friends-block-buddies.XX
Grab-block-status.XX
Grab-my-block-status.XX
Grab-your-block-status.XX
Have-they-blocked-you.XX
Hell-they-blocked-you.XX
Heroes-never-block.XX
Hey-you-block-me.XX
How-come-they-block-me.XX
Huh-yes-i-was-blocked.XX
Huhu-bing-block-statuses.XX
Im-fedup-of-being-blocked.XX
Im-sad-im-blocked.XX
Ima-checking-block-status.XX
Jealous-buddies-block.XX
Jealoused-people-block.XX
Jesus-he-blocked-us.XX
Jesus-im-blocked.XX
Lame-friends-block-you.XX
Leme-check-block-status.XX
Let-people-laugh.XX
Let-them-hehe.XX
Mean-friends-block.XX
My-block-stat-grabber.XX
My-block-status-check.XX
My-friends-block-me.XX
My-mates-blocked-me.XX
No-damn-way-im-blocked.XX
No-way-im-blocked.XX
Notice-they-blocked-u.XX
Oh-i-was-blocked.XX
Oh-my-god-im-blocked.XX
Oh-strange-im-blocked.XX
Oh-weird-im-blocked.XX
Ohh-ma-friend-blocked-me.XX
Ohhh-damn-im-blocked.XX
Omg-they-blocked-me.XX
Ooo-seems-im-blocked.XX
Phew-they-blocked-me.XX
Phewww-seems-i-am-blocked.XX
Ppl-are-sick-im-blocked.XX
Puff-im-blocked.XX
Query-block-status.XX
Sad-i-was-blocked.XX
See-they-blocked-me.XX
Strange-i-was-blocked.XX
They-were-haha.XX
Ufff-i-was-blocked.XX
Ufff-seems-blocked.XX
Uffff-i-was-blocked.XX
Uh-ho-i-got-blocked.XX
Umm-jesus-im-blocked.XX
Unlucky-im-blocked.XX
Urr-he-blocked-me.XX
Urr-he-blocked-us.XX
Weird-i-was-blocked.XX
Who-let-me-block.XX
Why-do-they-block.XX
Why-i-got-blocked.XX
Why-my-friends-block.XX
Wooh-im-blocked.XX
Yuppy-find-block-statuses.XX
Amazed-i-wasnt-blocked.XX
Amazing-true-block-checks.XX
Get-info-on-blocked-stats.XX
Heheh-i-wasnt-blocked.XX
Look-whos-blockin-you.XX
See-live-block-stats.XX
Woooh-i-was-not-blocked.XX

Albin

Lavasoft Malware Labs

Lavasoft Malware Labs; New Rogues: SoftStronghold and ShieldSafeness

Two new rogue applications from the Winiguard family have been released. The people behind these fraud tools constantly change the names of their applications and move them to new servers. The rogue applications will be detected by Ad-Aware’s Genotype technology as Winiguard.

Lavasoft Launches Official LinkedIn Resellers Group

On Monday 26th October 10:00 Central European Time, Lavasoft the creators of Ad-Aware® launched its official Resellers Group via LinkedIn.com

This worldwide LinkedIn group was designed especially to recruit New Lavasoft Resellers who are looking at adding our award winning Consumer and Enterprise Security Solutions to their portfolio of products.

This group also enables the resellers to discuss the opportunities available through Lavasoft’s own Reseller Program directly with the program manager.

Please click on the Official Lavasoft Resellers logo below to be redirected to this LinkedIn Group

Lavasoft Malware Labs: New rogue; TrustFighter

TrustFighter is the latest clone of the WiniGuard family.

For several weeks now, these rogues have been coming out with new names almost every day. Previously we have seen names like SafeSoftness, TrustWarrior, SafeSoldier, BlockDefense – to name a few. However, the GUI (graphic user interface) has not changed, and neither has the behavior of the rogue.

The rogue uses a fake online scanner that finds plenty of threats on the machine.

The user is then prompted to download and install the rogue. Once installed, the rogue drops several fake files that it then will detect.

Ad-Aware will detect this as Win32.FraudTool.TrustFighter.

Anders; Lavasoft Malware Labs

New Ad-Aware Internet Security from Lavasoft Puts Power in Hands of People

New Ad-Aware introduces advanced Genotype detection to combat the latest forms of malware, cutting-edge malware removal technology, and new community-based initiatives – giving PC users the power to use the Internet how, when, and where they want.

Gothenburg, Sweden (October 13, 2009) Well-known anti-spyware pioneer Lavasoft today announced the global release of Ad-Aware Internet Security with virus, spyware, and rootkit protection, the latest version of their flagship product that combines leading anti-spyware technology with traditional anti-virus detection for comprehensive malware protection against cyber threats.

“Like all Lavasoft products, each new version of Ad-Aware is designed specifically with the wants and needs of our users in mind. But, with this release, we’re going a step further by not only releasing a product that gives users the power to protect their privacy with advanced technology and easy-to-use functionality, we’re also introducing new community-based initiatives that give even more power to the people – to the millions of Ad-Aware users across the globe,” explains Lavasoft CEO Jason King.

A Return to Community

With over 400 million downloads worldwide since release, there is undoubtedly a large Ad-Aware community. The Ad-Aware brand evolved as a result of word-of-mouth recommendation and the new version reintroduces features and functions that allow the Ad-Aware community to again help shape Ad-Aware, with features such as customizable skins and community-driven translations. Savvy users may also choose to contribute by developing plug-ins or add-ons through Ad-Aware’s public API. The new MyLavasoft portal on the company website acts as the gathering point for Ad-Aware community collaboration.

What’s New in Ad-Aware

Ad-Aware combats the most complex and up-to-the-second forms of malware and gives users the power to use the Internet how, when, and where they want.

• Genotype detection technology allows Ad-Aware to stay one step ahead of the latest threats by finding and blocking emerging forms of malware that have not yet been released.
• Behavior-based heuristics methodology pinpoints the newest and most relevant forms of malware for today’s computer user.
• Rootkit removal systems protect against hidden threats and stealth attacks.
• Simple Mode/Advanced Mode to cater to the users’ varying needs.
• Download Guard scans files downloaded via Internet Explorer.
• Lavasoft ThreatWork Alliance forms a global community defense against the latest and most relevant threats.
• Do Not Disturb Mode to keep interruptions and strain on resources to a minimum for online gamers and entertainment enthusiasts.

Price and Availability

The Pro, Plus, and Free versions of Ad-Aware are available immediately at www.lavasoft.com. Pro and Plus are available with 1, 3, or 5 user licenses, and include free technical support and continuous software updates throughout the license period. Prices begin at $26.95 for Plus and $39.95 for Pro, with aggressive discounts for multi-user or multi-year licenses. All existing Lavasoft customers with a valid Ad-Aware Anniversary Edition license will be eligible to update to the new version completely free of charge.

Ad-Aware is available to users in English, Portuguese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, and Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Japanese.

About Lavasoft

Founded in 1999, Lavasoft is “the original anti-spyware company”, with over 400 million downloads worldwide for the flagship Ad-Aware product. A private company headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, Lavasoft provides security solutions for individual consumers and enterprise clients alike, including anti-spyware, anti-virus, registry optimization, firewall, digital shredding, and encryption.