January 2, 2009

When asked about what will happen in 2009, a rise in global epidemics was at the top of Kaspersky Lab’s prediction list.  Kaspersky Lab,  a leading developer of Internet threat management solutions that protect against all forms of malicious software, has seen that prediction to be true —  2009 was dominated by sophisticated malicious programs with rootkit functionality, Conficker, Web attacks and botnets, SMS fraud and attacks on social networks.

With the start of 2010, researchers and analysts from Kaspersky Lab have come up with a list of six predictions for what will be the New Year’s greatest threats and newest attack vectors.

1.       A rise in attacks originating from file sharing networks.
This year, we will see a shift in the types of attacks on users, from attacks via Web sites and applications toward attacks originating from file sharing networks.

2.       An increase in mass malware epidemics via P2P networks.
In 2009 a series of mass malware epidemics has been “supported” by malicious files that are spread via file sharing networks. This method has been used to spread notorious threats such as TDSS and Virut as well as the first backdoor for Mac OS X. In 2010, we expect to see a significant increase in these types of incidents on P2P networks.

3.       Continuous competition for traffic from cybercriminals.
The modern cybercriminal world is making more and more of an effort to legalize itself and there are lots of ways to earn money online using the huge amount of traffic that can be generated by botnets. In the future, we foresee the emergence of more “grey” schemes in the botnet services market. These so-called “partner programs” enable botnet owners to make a profit from activities such as sending spam, performing denial of service (DoS) attacks or distributing malware without committing an explicit crime.

4.       A decline in fake anti-virus programs.
The decline in gaming Trojans witnessed in 2009 is likely to be repeated for fake anti-virus programs in 2010. Conficker installed a rogue anti-virus program on infected computers. The fake anti-virus market has now been saturated and the profits for cybercriminals have fallen. Additionally, this kind of activity is now being closely monitored by both IT security companies and law enforcement agencies, making it increasingly difficult to distribute fake anti-virus programs.

5.       An interest in attacking Google Wave.
When it comes to attacks on Web services, Google Wave looks like it will be making all the headlines in 2010. Attacks on this new Google service will no doubt follow the usual pattern: first, the sending of spam, followed by phishing attacks, then the exploiting of vulnerabilities and the spreading of malware.

6.       An increase in attacks on iPhone and Android mobile platforms.
The year 2010 promises to be a difficult time for iPhone and Android users. The first malicious programs for these mobile platforms appeared in 2009, a sure sign that they have aroused the interest of cybercriminals. The only iPhone users currently at risk are those with compromised devices; however the same is not true for Android users who are all vulnerable to attack. The increasing popularity of mobile phones running the Android OS combined with a lack of effective checks to ensure third-party software applications are secure, will lead to a number of high-profile malware outbreaks.

“Malware will continue to further its sophistication in 2010 with specific malware families requiring significant resources from anti-malware companies to adequately fight them,” said Roel Schouwenberg, senior malware researcher at Kaspersky Lab. “Third party program vulnerabilities will continue to be the target of choice by cybercriminals with Adobe continuing to be the main target. And finally I believe that with the introduction of real-time search, black hat SEO and social networks will become an even bigger focus of cybercriminals.”

September 30, 2009

Kaspersky Lab has announced the strategic collaboration with Microsoft MSN. Kaspersky Lab will provide KAV 2010 activation codes free with six months licenses to all Windows Live Messenger users in China, so that they can chat with each other in a clean and safe environment. It is estimated that more than 20 million Chinese users will benefit from the collaboration.

IM software is a now a key communication tool. Virus, spam and other malicious programs have targeted IM products. A careless click on a link that contains a Trojan or virus could lead to the intrusion of a malicious program. The development of malicious programs has become a real business, therefore to fight against this; antivirus technology has become an indispensible tool. As for the IM industry, security will play an important role in its development. The product that provides comprehensive protection against threats will be the first-choice of customers.

Microsoft’s Windows Live Messenger plays an important role in the IM industry and so does Kaspersky Lab in the IT security industry. Kaspersky Lab has always been a golden partner to Microsoft and this further collaboration between the two giants will not only provide comprehensive protection to more than 20 million Chinese users, but it will also create more business opportunities for both companies in China and strengthen the process of localization.

Harry Cheung, the Managing Director of Kaspersky Lab APAC says, “Microsoft has been cooperating with Kaspersky Lab for many years, the new collaboration was formally completed during the 10th anniversary of MSN. We hope all users in China can be offered comprehensive protection while increasing their awareness of the need for internet security”. Liu Zhenyu, the V.P. of Microsoft MSN says, “MSN has been advocating a trustworthy cyber world, and Kaspersky Lab is responsible for Internet security. The cooperation between Kaspersky and MSN indicates our common interest in the development of the cyber world, and it will guarantee better protection to millions of Windows Live Messenger users”.

Kaspersky Antivirus 2010, the product integrated with the next generation of Internet security technology is provided to Windows Live Messenger users in China for free. It is one of the latest products released in the middle of July, with the technology employing such innovations as a virtual keyboard, IM protection, anti-phishing capability, URL filtration and other innovative technologies, providing users stable and reliable protection.

September 24, 2009

Secure content management solutions developer Kaspersky Lab has announced that Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 has passed compatibility testing with Intel’s advanced processor technologies.

The logos awarded by Intel certify that Kaspersky Lab’s flagship product is fully compatible with the following processors: Intel Core2 Duo, Intel Core2 Duo Extreme, Intel Core2 Quad,  Intel Core i7, Intel Core i7 Extreme, and the Intel Centrino Duo. The logos verify that Kaspersky Lab products conform perfectly to these processors’ parallel computing capabilities using multi-core architectures and Intel Hyper-Threading technology.

Whilst developing Kaspersky Internet Security 2010, the specialists at Kaspersky Lab made use of the application development tools provided by Intel for multi-core platforms. These tools have helped to improve the effectiveness with which Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 uses the resources of each processor core and streamlined the distribution of tasks between cores. Such an approach ensures maximum performance from the software, providing fast processing coupled with minimal use of resources.

“Intel is the leading manufacturer of computer microprocessors. The fact that our new product has been certified compatible with Intel processors is a significant accomplishment for us,” says Nikolay Grebennikov, chief technology officer at Kaspersky Lab. “Multi-core technology is key to increasing the performance of today’s computers. However, extra performance can only be gained if the software is optimized accordingly. We are actively pursuing this line of research, and for us compatibility with multi-processor technology is fundamental to our sustainable development in the future.”

September 15, 2009

Months before reaching the ice of Antarctica, the Commonwealth Women’s team already faced an enormous challenge.  If the team could not secure adequate funding then their ambition of reaching the South Pole would remain a dream.  Hundreds of hours of training and planning were at risk if the eight team members failed to raise the money and support they needed.

Now with the help of Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content management systems, the eight women from Commonwealth countries have the money and all the support they need to complete their amazing quest.

At the official launch of what will be known as the Kaspersky Commonwealth Antarctic Expedition, five of the eight team members came together to celebrate the realization of their dream which will take them to the bottom of the world by January 2010.

The Kaspersky Lab Commonwealth Antarctic Expedition team Clockwise from centre: Helen Turton (UK); Sophia Pang (Singapore); Reena Dharmshaktu (India); Stephanie Solomonides (Cyprus); Charmaine Tate(NZ); Kim-Marie Spence (Jamaica); Felicity Aston (UK) and centre, Era Al-Sufri (Brunei)

Team leader Felicity Aston said the support of Kaspersky Lab could not have come at a better time.

“The team has been selected for months, but at the back of our minds was the fear that without funding, the expedition may be delayed or even cancelled. Thanks to Kaspersky Lab our team is going to the South Pole.  We can now focus on our training, with the peace of mind that our funding is secure.  And we are confident we will make the citizens of each of our eight nations proud of us,” Ms. Aston said.

The approach to Kaspersky Lab was made by Asian team member Sophia Pang, who knew the company from her role as an IT consultant.

“At first I was hoping Kaspersky Lab would support my ambition to be the first Singaporean women to reach the South Pole.  When Kaspersky Lab agreed to sponsor the entire team, I simply jumped for joy,” Ms. Pang said.

Harry Cheung, Managing Director of Kaspersky Lab, Asia Pacific said, “Every day, Kaspersky Lab’s staff overcome the challenges of cyber crime, computer malware and IT threats in order to keep our customers secure.  That’s why we responded to the aspirations of this expedition.  Ambition and the desire to overcome obstacles are qualities Kaspersky Lab shares with the women in this team.”

The team was selected from more than 500 applicants with members from eight Commonwealth nations: Britain, Brunei, Cyprus, Ghana, India, Jamaica, New Zealand and Singapore.

The expedition will meet and depart from the United Kingdom on 10 November 2009.  The women will then set out in two teams of four women from opposite coasts of Antarctica and ski to the South Pole.  They will travel some 500 miles across the most hostile environment on Earth, enduring temperatures of minus 40 degrees centigrade, with winds that reach speeds of over 80mph, dangerous crevasses under the ice and disorientating blizzards which last for days at a time.

The women will be pulling sledges containing all the food, fuel and equipment they will need for their journey.  Camping in tents on the ice when they sleep, they will survive on lightweight dehydrated rations and melted snow.  Unguided, they will need to rely on each other to navigate themselves safely to the South Pole.

When the teams meet each other at the South Pole by New Year’s Day, the team members from Cyprus, Ghana, Brunei Darussalam and Jamaica, will be the first representatives of their nation (male or female) to ski to the South Pole, while the team members from India, Singapore and New Zealand will be the first women of their nation to ski to the South Pole.

The teams will be blogging daily during the expedition. Every day, an audio recording and a text blog will come back from the team.  All those interested will be able to follow the expedition in real time at www.commonwealthexpedition.com as well as www.kklub.net using interactive maps, podcasts, and Twitter messages.

September 13, 2009

Kaspersky Lab has announced that Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 has received awards from the first three Spanish magazines to test the product: PC World, Dealer World and TCN.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 was launched in June to protect home and small office users from all types of cybercrime threats. The new Kaspersky Lab product is based on the very latest developments in security technologies and offers the most comprehensive protection.

The tests were conducted independently by the IT magazines at the end of June and were published in their July issues. PC World, which awarded Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 its 5-star award, regarded the product’s Safe Run technology particularly highly as well as the new intuitive user-friendly interface. The magazine stated: “The advanced application control function really caught our attention. It makes it possible to activate or deactivate applications directly, something that we have never seen in any other suite.”

The channel magazine Dealer World deemed the Kaspersky Lab product worthy of a “Dealer World Guarantee”, the publication’s highest award. Dealer World stressed that Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 performed a full scan of a system running Windows Vista in just 14 minutes. The quick scan took less than a minute with a two-way firewall.

TCN, a weekly channel magazine, awarded the product a “Recommended Product” award. TCN emphasized the total protection that Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 offers Internet users.

Kaspersky Lab, a developer of secure content management solutions, releases in the Philippines market its latest generation of solutions - the Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 and Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010 - that are sure to safeguard the computers of home users against fast-evolving Internet threats such as worms and malwares.

Aside from ensuring optimum protection, Kaspersky Lab made sure that the 2010 edition of its flagship products are more user-friendly even for novices.

Also, the growing legions of online gamers in the country will find the Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 and Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010 as welcome additions in their systems as they facilitate quicker server response times.

“From protection to usage, you can readily notice the meticulous upgrades that we have introduced in the new generation of our personal range of products. The Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 and Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010 pack the latest technologies that users can rely on in protecting their computers and devices from any security threats when they encounter any unknown and unsure circumstances,” said Suk Ling Gun Kaspersky Lab managing director for Southeast Asia.

The new 2010 version products incorporate the advantages of advanced Host-based Intrusion Prevention System (HIPS) technology in the Application Control module that assigns a security rating to previously unknown malware. They also utilize the unique Sandbox technology with Safe Run, a functionality that allows new software to run in an isolated environment that protects the operating system from all malicious changes. This is important because statistically, it has been demonstrated that vulnerabilities in operating systems and trusted applications are often exploited by hackers to attack applications that make use of the Internet.

The 2010 edition of the Kaspersky Lab products also employ the innovative Kaspersky Security Network that uses information from millions of users to dramatically reduce response times to new threats and replenish reputation databases with the most up-to-date information about clean and infected files. These security solutions were developed with Windows Vista in mind, making them fully compatible with that operating system.

The limited Collector’s Item Special Edition Kaspersky 2010 products with Jackie Chan, the brand’s official endorser, on the cover is available for a limited time and quantity only. With this, the brand has also released an advertisement featuring the Hong Kong superstar.

Kaspersky Lab also presented the v8.0 of the Kaspersky Mobile Security (KMS8), a security solution geared for protecting smartphones from theft, loss and data leaks. It features cutting edge technologies such as the SMS Find, Anti-theft Module, SIM Watch Module, integrated firewall and the vastly improved Anti-spam Module.

“The Kaspersky Mobile Security 8.0 will spare Filipinos from the heartaches and headaches that the loss of their precious smartphones may cause. We know that in the Philippines, the people value their mobile phones so much,” said Gun.

The SMS Find gives phone users a higher probability of recovering their lost or stolen mobile phones by giving Google Maps coordinates of the device. It also allows parents to locate their children if they are using smartphones that have GPS. However, if the SIM card has been removed after the phone has been lost, the SIM Watch feature kicks in where the KMS will send a hidden message notifying the owner of the new number, thus, enabling the law enforcement agencies to track the stolen device.

The Anti-theft module, on the other hand, allows the user to remotely block access to or completely wipe the memory of the device by simply sending a codeword via SMS to the mobile number. Other security features of the KMS8 include the Anti-spam which blocks unsolicited and unwanted calls, a password protected safe folder for confidential and potentially sensitive files and an integrated firewall, among others.

The new Kaspersky Mobile Security 8.0 was developed with all the compatibility requirements for Symbian OS 9.1, 9.2, 9.3 and Windows Mobile 5.0, 6.0, 6.1 in mind. It retails at P980. Versions compatible with other mobile operating systems are in the works.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 for three users will retail for P2,980.00 while the Kaspersky AntiVirus 2010 will retail for P2,110.00. Each purchase will come with a gift certificate from Burger King, while stocks last.

Kaspersky Lab, a developer of secure content management systems, has taken out a US patent for an advanced technology that detects unauthorized modifications of data.

Unsanctioned modification of data, regardless of whether it is intentional or accidental, results in data distortion and loss. Unauthorized modification of software code can lead to program execution errors. It is a well-known fact that most malicious programs inject their code into executable files, leading to the execution of malicious code when the infected files are run. Ensuring data integrity is therefore a major IT security issue.

File integrity can be ensured by using such technologies as hashing, digital signatures and tracking the most recent modifications made to a file. However, the first two methods are too resource-intensive to be used for ensuring the integrity of all the files on a computer system, while the standard implementation of the latter method is unreliable: many of today’s malicious programs are capable of altering time stamps to conceal any trace of file modification.

Standard integrity control methods either consume too many system resources or can occasionally miss infected files, leading to further distribution of malicious programs.

The advanced technology developed by Kaspersky Lab’s Mikhail Pavlyushik is free of these shortcomings. It checks file integrity reliably and quickly, without significant resource consumption. Patent No. 7 526 516 was issued for the technology by the US Patent and Trademark Office on 28 April, 2009.

The technology is based on the interception of application requests to change timestamps for one or more files. Such requests are tracked for each file and stored in a database. This information is then provided to a special module (usually a component of the antivirus program) which compares the timestamp update counter with the relevant timestamp. Changes to the timestamp update counter which are not accompanied by the relevant changes to the timestamp indicate file modification and possible infection. The antivirus program can then scan the file for malicious code or display an alert.

The method and its software implementation that has been patented by Kaspersky Lab provide quick and reliable tracking of file modifications, triggering antivirus scans to prevent execution of malicious code. “The greatest advantage of this method is that it is fast and allows files to be scanned with minimal consumption of system resources,” said Kaspersky Lab’s Chief Intellectual Property Counsel Nadia Kashchenko. “The technology makes the antivirus program’s operation more transparent to the user without sacrificing its high level of protection. This is a very significant invention that is unique to Kaspersky Lab and it has already been implemented in the company’s products.”

Kaspersky Lab currently has more than 30 patent applications pending in the US and Russia related to a range of innovative technologies developed by company personnel.

Kaspersky Lab, a leading producer of secure content management solutions, announces the beta-version release of Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Linux File Server 6.0.

Malicious programs are capable of passing through Linux file servers before targeting other components of a heterogeneous network, e.g., workstations running Microsoft Windows. Although they may be renowned for their reliability, Linux operating systems still require protection; every year, there is an increase in the amount of malware being developed for Linux systems.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Linux File Server 6.0 is a solution offering antivirus protection to the vast majority of Linux file servers. It supersedes two earlier products - Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Linux File Server 5.7 and Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Samba Server 5.5, combining their functionalities with a number of new capabilities.

The architecture of Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Linux File Server 6.0 provides multi-layered protection for file systems in Linux/heterogeneous networks, functioning simultaneously on the entire file system level and on the Samba server level.

The product offers a substantially wider set of management solutions. Kaspersky Web Management Console, the new web-based interface, provides full-scale management capabilities available from any computer via a web browser. The final release of the product will support all centralized management services via Kaspersky Administration Kit.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Linux File Server 6.0 supports all modern 32-bit and 64-bit distributions of Linux-family operating systems, including Red Hat, Fedora, SUSE, openSUSE, Debian GNU, and Ubuntu. Another improvement on the previous product versions is the added support of Novell Open Enterprise Server 2 and Novell NSS, making it easier for Novell NetWare users to migrate to the new operating system.

Kaspersky Lab invites all Linux file server users to participate in the beta testing of Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Linux File Server 6.0. The company’s developers are interested in receiving constructive feedback about all aspects of the product, especially the new innovations. All users are welcome to send their feedback to linuxfs@kaspersky.com. Please ensure that any feedback addresses both the product and Kaspersky Web Management Console.

The beta version of the product is available at http://www.kaspersky.com/beta.

Secure content management solutions developer. Kaspersky Lab, has announced that it has detected its 25 millionth malicious program.

Every year, the number of IT threats increases exponentially. Kaspersky Lab recently forecast a ten-fold increase in malicious programs, from 2.2 million in 2007 to 20 million in 2008. However, the rate of growth demonstrated by the cybercrime industry has surpassed even the most exaggerated predictions.

A new modification of Koobface was detected by the specialists at Kaspersky Lab on 9 June and became the 25 millionth malicious program added to the company’s antivirus databases. Net-Worm.Win32.Koobface targets users of the popular social networking sites Facebook and MySpace. This latest version of Koobface confirms earlier predictions by Kaspersky Lab that social networking sites would be the target of more and more IT threats.

The worm uses a simple propagation method: users of social networking sites receive what appears to be a message from a friend containing a link to a video clip on an unknown site. When users attempt to play the video, they are prompted to update Flash Player. Instead of an update, however, a Koobface worm is installed that contains backdoor functionality allowing instructions from a remote management server to be run on the computer.

The proliferation of the Koobface family confirms what Kaspersky Lab has been saying for some time - malicious programs are becoming more and more numerous and they are using increasingly sophisticated technology. The company’s experts correctly predicted back in early 2008 that web fraudsters would be concentrating more of their efforts on social networking sites. It is also evident that the technical concepts behind these new threats are increasingly complex. In order to effectively combat modern malware such as Koobface, an integrated antivirus solution is needed that provides effective multilayered protection.

All consumers using Kaspersky Lab’s personal or corporate products are fully protected against all known versions of Net-Worm.Win32.Koobface.

Developer of secure content management solutions, Kaspersky Lab, recently announced that Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2009’s proactive protection has once again received top marks from the authoritative AV-Comparatives test lab. The Kaspersky Lab product demonstrated high-level heuristic detection of new malware with a minimal amount of false positives. 

The Austrian antivirus test laboratory AV-Comparatives has published the second part of its report on testing conducted in February 2009 in which 16 popular antivirus products took part. The second part of the report contains test results for proactive, heuristic detection. Kaspersky Lab was also awarded a top rating of Advanced+ for the first part of February’s test. 

Proactive detection allows new malicious programs whose signatures have not yet been added to antivirus databases to be detected. This functionality is becoming increasingly important due to the increasing numbers of new malicious programs and their modifications. A vital criterion when evaluating an antivirus solution today is the level of heuristic detection: the percentage of new malware detected without the use of signatures and without the launch or imitated launch of questionable software.  

During testing by AV-Comparatives, the antivirus solutions were evaluated on criteria such as their level of heuristic detection and number of false positives generated. The malware samples used during detection level testing were collected during the February 9-16, 2009 - the week after the products’ signature databases were last updated. Testing for false positives was conducted using a collection of clean files. Any technology that enabled the use of global resources or “in-the-cloud” protection was turned off. 

Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2009 received AV-Comparatives’ top rating of Advanced+, after demonstrating excellent heuristic detection of malware and a negligible amount of false positives. Only two other products apart from Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2009 received an Advanced+ rating.  

Further information about the new generation of Kaspersky Lab personal products can be found on the Kaspersky Lab site at www.kaspersky.com/homeuser. In addition, free trial versions of Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 and Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2009 are available at www.kaspersky.com/trials.