ESET Threat Blog

You just got a new wireless router for Christmas, but when you set it up it asks about wireless security. Do you want WEP, WPA, WPA2 or any of the other alphabet soup options they give? While it’s easiest to just pick the default setting, are you setting yourself up for trouble from aspiring hackers? … Read More…

Newton's 3rd law is often stated as "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." Actually, what Newton actually said is a little more complex* than that, but this article isn't about physics (or else I'd leave the discussion to someone better qualified). 
The Internet, despite its grounding in the physical world of hardware … Read More…

SOPA as currently constructed can never work as intended. I'm not going to get into the reasons we don't like it because of its oppressive implications or because it is against our first amendment rights nor for any other reason (there's been so much other commentary on those issues that it would be superfluous). I … Read More…

Recently we noted that unencrypted credit card storage was on the rise in 2011, and also highlighted the expense involved to the company in the event of a credit card breach. Now we see personal data – including unencrypted credit card information – being paraded out as a part of the recent Stratfor hack.
Also, we … Read More…

Hacktivism, the hacking of information systems to advance a social or political agenda, was clearly a major trend in 2011, which is why hactivism was noted several times in our cyberthreat predictions for 2012 (in other words, we think you're going to see more of it). That prediction was underlined by the news on Christmas … Read More…

Exactly how people will abuse digital technology for their own ends is difficult to predict, but organizations must plan ahead to protect data and systems. That's why we have been posting our "best guess" cybersecurity predictions on the Threat Blog this month. Today we present 9 of the most important predictions in the form of … Read More…

Ransomware, the practice of providing fake notifications that “you’re infected” and then selling a fake solution that removes the fake malware they just installed, has been a boon for scammers. Now, they’re taking it a step farther, throwing in a law enforcement scare. In this latest scam, an official-looking banner appears on infected machines, purporting … Read More…

I want share with you what ESET Latin America’s Research team thinks will be the main trends in malware and cybercrime in 2012. In our office it is usual to produce an analysis of emerging trends in a year-end report and so, in keeping with recent postings by my ESET colleagues, I present a summary … Read More…

We’ve noted recently that many companies store credit card information in an unencrypted form, sometimes several years' worth. So what happens if your systems get hacked before you get around to securing that credit card data? Sure, there’s the embarrassment of telling your customers their data has been exposed–a legal requirement in more than 40 … Read More…

…Or not.
Cheesecake Factory scams aren't new, but according to Facecrooks, there's an uptick today in rogue "Eat for Free at Cheesecake Factory!" wall posts. Sadly, there is still no such thing as a free lunch: it's a survey scam with no payoff. Well, not for you. The scammers seem to be doing quite nicely out … Read More…