A quarter of new worms this year specifically have been designed to spread through USB storage devices, researchers at Panda Security said Thursday. This malware typically is designed to copy itself to any device capable of storing information, including flash sticks, cell phones, external hard drives, DVDs, and MP3 players. The malware is highly effective and typically runs automatically when a USB device is connected to a computer, silently infecting the system. — AM
Observers believe a Pentagon official's recount of a major breach can help others from making the same mistake, while some think the incident calls into question the U.S. military's IT security preparedness.
Visa on Tuesday announced best practices for companies to use when implementing, installing and managing programs that process payment applications. The guidance will complement the existing Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS), which prescribes 14 requirements for software developers that build programs that process credit card payments. The Visa payment application best practices, developed in conjunction with the SANS Institute, include 10 guidelines and can be downloaded here. They are meant for vendors, integrators and resellers. — DK
An investigation into the 2008 crash of Spanair Flight 5022 has revealed that a trojan-infected central computer system may have contributed to the fatal accident, according to reports.
Thanks to compliance requirements and a threat environment marked by growing sophistication, sellers of software security products are expected to earn more than $16.5 billion in revenue this year, an 11.3 percent jump from 2009, according to a Gartner forecast released this week.
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