Clampi Virus Targets Users at Banks and Credit Card Sites
Keeping up with the latest Web security threats is a daunting task, because viruses and trojans emerge, evolve, and spread at an alarming rate. While some infections like Nine Ball, Conficker, and Gumblar have hit the scene and immediately become the scourge of the cyber security world, others take their time -- quietly infiltrating more and more computers before revealing the true depth of the danger they pose.One such slow grower is Clampi, a trojan that made its debut as early as 2007 (depending on who you ask) but is only now raising hairs outside professional security circles. Clampi primarily spreads via malicious sites designed to dispense malware, but it's also been spotted on legitimate sites that have been hacked to host malicious links and ads. Using these methods, Clampi has infected as many as half a million computers, Joe Stewart, of SecureWorks, told a crowd at the Black Hat Security Conference in July, USA Today reports.
Part of what makes Clampi so worrisome is the sheer breadth of its reach. Most trojans of its ilk only watch about 30 different financial sites, Stewart told Network World. Clampi, on the other hand, watches over 150 times as many. Additionally, the coders of the malware have closely guarded their creation, wrapping it in heavy 448-bit encryption. That tactic has so far kept security experts from identifying all of the sites being watched by it.
As usual, the best defense starts with good browsing habits. Also, make sure to have an up-to-date anti-virus package installed and a quality firewall set up. The Telegraph also suggests making all online purchases with a pre-paid credit card, in order to limit the damage in the event your computer does become infected. [From: Times Online, Network World, and The Telegraph]
9 Wacky Webcomics
The Perry Bible Fellowship
The Perry Bible Fellowship started in the Syracuse University newspaper The Daily Orange, and has since become a cult-favorite webcomic. The strips are full of weird, morbid humor, brilliant satire, and has appeared in such highly regarded papers as the UK Guardian. Some have compared it to Gary Larson's The Far Side, and the strip has won various comic awards over the years. Excellent stuff.
Penny Arcade
Probably the single best-known video game comic on the Web (and there are lots of them), Penny Arcade addresses everything from overly enthusiastic fanboys to the gameplay balance issues in, say, the Killzone 2 demo. Zombies, a talking DIVX player, and a certain robotic juicer all make regular appearances. In addition to the comic, Penny Arcade also hosts Child's Play, a great children's charity, and an annual gaming convention called PAX, held each year in the Seattle area. The Penny Arcade crew even managed to put together its own downloadable Xbox Live Arcade title, Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness.
Get Your War On
One of the best webcomics of all time, David Rees' cult classic is mostly about political issues, and very much the so-called "War on Terrorism." The strip is assembled from simple clip art pictures of office workers that continuously recur (often in the same strip), but this is part of the comic's charm, and fits its disenchanted, cynical take on modern politics and culture. There's now a book out, as well as a series of animated cartoons having hit the Web in 2008 as well.
Achewood
Achewood is about a group of anthropomorphic stuffed toys, robots, and pets, most of whom live together in the home of their owner, Chris. The absurdist humor isn't about setups and punchlines, but rather hinges quite a bit on non-sequiters and ridiculous, branching weirdness. Fans of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim will find a lot to love here.
Captain RibMan
Another comic full of biting political commentary, Captain RibMan concens the eponomyous superhero; while he can fly, however, RibMan he spends most of his time reclining in front of the television set and yapping (his cape is actually a checkered tablecloth). He plays off of Billy, the comic's straight man (or boy, in this case), who believes everything he's told. Expect guest appearances by celebrities ranging from Sammy Sosa to Jerry Seinfeld. Though no longer being published, this comic can be found all over the Web in various shapes and forms.
Creased Comics
Brad Neely is a weird guy, and Creased Comics shows you exactly how and why. "Cox & Combes' Washington" is perhaps his most popular webcomic, but all of his Web work, including the excellent Professor Brothers is available on Creased. Neely has consulted on South Park and worked on content for Adult Swim and Super Deluxe, and it shows: this stuff is waaay left field, and probably not too kid-friendly (though this depends on your kids, we'd imagine). Be sure to check out his (unauthorized) spoof of Harry Potter called Wizard People, Dear Readers.
Evil Inc.
Evil Inc, now available both in newspaper and webcomic form, is a hilarious narrative about the trials and tribulations of a business run by supervillains. The comic follows a strong story arc (it's worth starting from the beginning), and parodies plenty of superhero lore and clichés along the way (including Justice League, superfans). Expect lots of puns, parodies, and enough spandex to clothe the Tour de France.
Flintlocke's Guide to Azeroth
This comic is rendered entirely with in-engine stills from World of Warcraft -- and remarkably, it looks great. The characters all self-aware (that is, they know that they're players in an MMORPG), and herein lies the comedy. The strips are mostly about the game itself, full of in-jokes and subtle references; if you've never played WoW (or been a desperate junkie, for that matter), much of it may go over your head. If you're a regular player and haven't checked out the Guide to Azeroth, however, you're totally missing out.
The Adventures of Dr. McNinja
This webcomic is published an impressive three times a week, and concerns the adventures of a character named Dr. McNinja -- who, perhaps unsurprisingly, is a thirty-five-year-old ninja who also happens to be a doctor. The doctor is usually seen wearing slacks, a button-down shirt and tie, a lab coat, a ninja mask, and a stethoscope around his neck, essentially making him one of the best dudes out there. The first story was published in 2004 as a one-off, and the comic has been in regular publication since late 2005.
_thumbnail.jpg "Vintage Keyboards")
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Big Manson Mamma said 9:45AM on 9-23-2009
OR switch to a MAC you weirdos. This does not happen on a MAC! web wandering on the MMMAAACCC is so much better!
Reply
jocardan said 10:32AM on 9-23-2009
It hasn't happened YET on the MAC operating system, but, the more people that switch to MAC, the more irresistible it becomes for hackers to develop viruses, etc., that affect MAC users. It isn't that MAC is any better than Windows, its just less attractive at the moment to warrant the time and effort to create these malicious programs affecting MAC users. I've used both and frankly, one isn't any better than the other for the average PC user. You could always switch to Linux and avoid the virus problems until Linux becomes popular enough to make it worth their while to create malware for Linux. Unfortunately, the problem is going to grow to the point that we will probably not trust online banking, online stock trading and purchasing for retailers on the internet and will have to go back to writing checks and sending them by snail-mail to cover purchases and investments. Not a pleasant thought........but, until Microsoft, MAC and Linux can come up with totally secure systems, that might be our only option.
Bertie Bledsoe said 10:02AM on 9-23-2009
This message was brought to you by financial institutions to limit their liability.
A prepaid credit card for on line purchases offers you none of the protection of a CC.
It is important to check your accts. and CC's daily to look for fraud. Make a police report and contact your institutions.
Press Congress to fight hacking harder and give harsher sentences.
Reply
kaptainess said 12:52PM on 9-23-2009
I am one that got that virus - hopefully caught it in time so as to not have much damage. I did a action that they didn't expect and will not disclose here so I can do it again in the future. That ONE action saved me.
Two days down to get rid of those creeps off my computer. Yes I did have protection, just needed a better brand. Its a shame, I never go to weird websites, nasty ones, or out of the way places on here. And the virus puts nasty pictures on your computer!!!!
If the website certificate is NOT valid - DO NOT ENTER!!!
Reply