| Sony USB device harbouring "nasty" rootkit
Sony says the rootkit-like behaviour of a device driver used to run its biometric Micro Vault USM-F thumb drive was unintentional. A Sony Sweden spokesman told local press that sometimes even actions undertaken with "good will" can go wrong. His comments came the same day that antivirus company McAfee joined a growing chorus of companies criticising Sony for compromising its customers' security. The Micro Vault drive is a USB device featuring fingerprint-reading software intended to add an extra layer of security for PC users. The software needed to be installed on the PC for the USB to work contains the rootkit technology. The criticism is reminiscent of that directed at Sony BMG Music Entertainment in November 2005, when a programmer revealed that a technique designed to cloak the company's copy-protection software for music CDs also could be used by virus writers to hide malicious software.
EMBARQ Customers Reminded to Upgrade Homepages, E-mail, Security
OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- EMBARQ today reminded High Speed Internet customers who haven't yet migrated to the new, enhanced EMBARQ-branded Internet portal to do so by Oct. 31. As part of the transition, embarqmail.com email addresses replace earthlink.net addresses. Benefits of the innovative new MyEMBARQ(TM) portal, launched in April, include unlimited email mailbox storage and award-winning security tools providing advanced virus and anti-spyware protection. The new myembarq.com and biz.myembarq.com homepages offer instant access to email, search, news, sports, weather, financial information, commercial-free radio and more. A simple three-step process enables customers to upgrade to their free email account and security services.
AVG Anti-Virus Free 7.5.516a1225
The word 'free' often equates to an inferior product but, in this case, there is no doubt that this is a professional product. Split into three sections and a Control Centre, AVG Anti-virus protects against viruses in a number of key areas. The Resident Shield works in the background and checks all files and file types (including floppy disk, CD content etc.) for viruses, whilst the Email Scanner works with Microsoft Exchange and Outlook. The Boot-up Scanner operates at start-up, and checks the most important areas of a PC before you begin to use it. Every aspect of AVG's virus protection can be configured using the Control Centre, which allows you to modify a number of program settings and to schedule scans, among other things. When installing there's an option to create a rescue disk for use should any of your key system files become infected.
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