……..Breathe! Don’t panic! It’s reportedly true!

Google have reportedly bought browser-based security software maker GreenBorder Technologies for an undisclosed amount of money.

I have my reservations about this, but as with everything, let’s see how it will perform before jumping the boat.

It does make you think, with Google creating a security blog last week, are Google turning into a security vendor? Maybe, if it makes it safer for computer users to browse the internet I’m all for it.

You can read more about it over at PC World and also tell us your two cents in our forums.

I’ve hardly reported about new rogues in the last few months. So when one pops-up from our buddies Estdomains I can hardly decline and not paste it all over the web can I now?

This latest one goes by the name of Dr. AntiSpy v3.5 and is a clone of several others from SpySheriff to PestTrap to Malware-Stopper to PestCapture.

(Click to Enlarge)

And do you know who is plastered on the whois? Since it started on may the 7th? Well look below:

Registration Service Provided By: ESTDOMAINS INC
Contact: +1.3027224217
Website: http://www.estdomains.com

Domain Name: DRANTISPY.COM

Registrant:
Privacyprotect.org
Domain Admin ( contact@Privacyprotect.org)
PO Box 83-000
Johnsonville
All Postal Mails Rejected, visit Privacyprotect.org
Wellington
null,6440
NZ
Tel. +45.36946676

Creation Date: 07-May-2007
Expiration Date: 07-May-2008

Domain servers in listed order:
ns2.drantispy.com
ns1.drantispy.com

Not only does EstDomains Inc get a mention but also Intercage Inc as the IP location. Who are Intercage Inc I hear you ask? Just look at some resources on ZDNet & SunBelt for more. You’ll realise it is something to be carefull about.

Intercage are heavly involved with several rogues. Their main site is blank at all times and the IP for this one is in a spamlist like this one.

You can always get help here of course by either following the self-help removal guide or get step-by-step help in the HJT forum. You can also chat about this rogue here.

Google have now started their own security blog. Using their own blogging service they started the blog a few days ago:

“Online security is an important topic for Google, our users, and anyone who uses the Internet. The related issues are complex and dynamic and we’ve been looking for a way to foster discussion on the topic and keep users informed. Thus, we’ve started this blog where we hope to periodically provide updates on recent trends, interesting findings, and efforts related to online security. Among the issues we’ll tackle is malware, which is the subject of our inaugural post.” – Google Online Security Blog

Is this a good thing? I don’t see why not. A big organisation, like Google, bringing security and malware into the spotlight even more will certainly help us wage the war against malware. Do you think it is a good or bad thing? Whatever your opinion is, let us know!

Links: Google Online Security Blog

PC World selected my favorite, WinPatrol, as Lucky 13 in the The 100 Best Products of 2007! In honor of the selection, Bill Pytolvany announced that he is taking $5 off all WinPatrol PLUS upgrades for the rest of the month. (Offer good until June 1st. Go to http://www.winpatrol.com/100best.html.)

Although WinPatrol is free for non-commercial use, there are additional features and benefits to the Plus version, including:

• Premium Access to WinPatrol PLUS Knowledgebase (24/7)
• Real-time Infiltration Detection without slowing you down
• Detect newly created Undocumented or HIDDEN Registry Startup Keys
• Support future WinPatrol Research and Development

Unlike other real-time protection software, there isn’t an annual fee to renew your WinPatrol license. So, in honor of this great acknowledgment of an outstanding software program, consider WinPatrol Plus.

Join in the celebration here at Security Cadets, as we extend our Congratulations to Bill Pyltolvany!

References:

• Bits from Bill: 100 Best Products of 2007
• http://www.winpatrol.com/100best.html
• The 100 Best Products of 2007

Well it appears the sentencing in the Julie Amero case has been postponed again! It’s already been postponed at least once or twice;-

“Sentencing was postponed today for Julie Amero, the former substitute teacher convicted of exposing seventh-grade students at Kelly Middle School in Norwich to pornographic images on her classroom computer.”

“Originally scheduled for Friday (this Friday) in Norwich Superior Court, sentencing is now set for June 6 in New London Superior Court. It is unclear at this time at who requested the postponement.” – Norwich Bulletin

We have a dedicated Julie Amero topic for you to chip in with your two cents, on our forum.

It came to our attention some time ago that members who registerd on our forums using their comcast e-mail address neither got the validation e-mail and/or any notifications for topics they replied too.

After our hosts contacted comcast we can reveal comcast have removed the servers IP from their black/block list.

So what does this mean for those who registerd using comcast? What will you have to do?

Well, visit our forum announcement for more details. Other e-mail services with similar issues are under review. Please take note on the registration page what e-mail services we advise you not to use.

A few days ago I blogged about some of Enigma’s affiliate sites that still needed cleaning up.

Well a few days later it looks like the issues I brought to light have been changed to the way we suggested in discussions awhile ago.

This is one issue fixed, and on to the next, for Enigma. I hope they continue to monitor their affiliates and take the correct steps if things go wrong.

We will always be watching and making sure the consumer gets a fair deal!

Not long ago we reported that a program named CyberDefender came with adverts in it’s paid version. Steven Burns from Ur I.T. Mate Group was the first to report this.

Steven also captured a video about this using a licensed CyberDefender (it’s a paid version provided by CyberDefender for testing). With Steven’s permission you can view the video below;

Direct link to the Video —>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VwygRK9y-4

As you can see, adverts clearly appear. Which in affect isn’t a big issue aslong as this is clearly stated for current & potential new customers of this program. If it isn’t, then I’m afraid better practices need to be carried out to ensure the safety of potential new customers.

First safety, then the money!

Why not join us about this and debate it in our forum.

Coverage: Digg.com

Safer Networking’s Spybot Search & Destroy was recently served a Cease and Desist (C&D) letter. Actually, it was more than a C&D. Instead of working with Safer Networking to stop the trojan being installed with their software (or Oska’s affiliates), via their attorney, Oska Educational Systems Pty Limited are suing for damages to their reputation done by the trojan. In addition,

“They also asked us to no longer detect their software even if installed without user consent by this trojan horse, to post a public apology in this place after removing any other reference to their name, delete any correspondence from and to Spybot-S&D users who had been this trojan, stop helping further Spybot-S&D users that get infected with this trojan.”

Join our discussion about the C&D letter here in the Forum at Security Cadets.

read more | digg story

Do I have to explain more? Just visit Ben Edelman’s site for more. Orbitz and Bolt.com get a mention. And all kinds of analysis about trying to push ones traffic rank up in Alexa

“The usual motive for buying spyware popup traffic is simple: Showing ads. Cover Netflix’s site with an ad for Blockbuster, and users may buy from Blockbuster instead. Same for other spyware advertisers.”

“But there are other plausible reasons to buy spyware traffic. In particular, cheap spyware traffic can be used to inflate a site’s traffic statistics. Buying widespread “forced visits” causes widely-used traffic measurements to overreport a site’s popularity: Traffic measurements mistakenly assume users arrived at the site because they actually wanted to go there, without considering the possibility that the visit was involuntary. Nonetheless, from the site’s perspective, forced visits offer real benefits: Investors will be willing to pay more to buy a site that seems to be more popular, and advertisers may be willing to pay more for their ads to appear. In some sectors, higher reported traffic may create a buzz of supposed popularity — helping to recruit bona fide users in the future.”

In the meantime discuss it in our forum.