February 20th, 2008
Hot on the heals of the Valentine Storm Worm e-blast are more emails spoofing well-known e-card services. These spoof emails pose as e-cards but actually attempt to install trojan virus software on your computer. (Read more…)
February 13th, 2008
Released yesterday (2/12), Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.4 Update “fixes a vulnerability that an attacker could potentially use to overwrite the contents of your computer’s memory with malicious code.”
For a fast download, go to Version Tracker.
For more information, visit the Microsoft Office for Mac website.
February 6th, 2008
Over the past few days, a number of people at Smith have received emails that claim to be from an organization soliciting feedback on ‘campus’ related software development. Users who visit the website are prompted to submit personal information that could lead to additional phishing attacks.
Please remember that Smith will never send you emails asking for personal information, and if you are unsure about the source or reliability of an email, call ITS at (413) 585 4487 (or email us at 4its@smith.edu) before responding to the message or following any links. (Read more…)
December 11th, 2007
Run Windows Update tonight and bypass Clean Access. Microsoft released a number of (most people will get seven) security updates today that will be enforced by Clean Access on Thursday (12/13). Updating Windows now instead of waiting for Clean Access to enforce the update will be faster — and you won’t be temporarily kicked off the network either.
Also, remember to be a “good citizen” and don’t download your Windows Updates while you’re connected to wireless.
December 11th, 2007
A little over a month ago, I wrote about a new kind of malware for Macs (Mac Users, be wary!) — a DNS-changing trojan posing as a codec (used for watching videos online). The same tactics are used by malware designers to infect PC computers; read this post from McAfee Avert Labs for an example of a fake codec: More Malware-Laced Codecs
For technical information from McAfee: Puper.dldr
Edit: for more information on DNS-changing trojans: DNS attack could signal Phishing 2.0 [MacWorld.com]
December 10th, 2007
After upgrading to OS X 10.4.11 (the latest version of Tiger), many people with Intel Core Duo processors are encountering a problem with PowerPoint. Files will open and can be edited, but slideshow mode causes the program to crash. (Read more…)
December 5th, 2007
Q: I haven’t been visiting any sites that I hadn’t at the beginning of the year, but I’ve been getting a lot of pop up ads recently that significantly slow down my computer. How can I fix this?
A: As you’ve probably guessed, keeping your computer free from malware (which include viruses, adware, spyware, and annoying popups) isn’t easy — but it can be done if you have the right tools. (Read more…)
November 15th, 2007
Students using Windows XP or Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 with professors who use Mac OS X will need to do a little leg-work to make their presentations readable on their professor’s Mac.
While Microsoft puts the finishing touches on Office for Mac 2008, there is no simple solution for PowerPoint file compatibility between Office 2007 and Mac OS X. (Read more…)
November 14th, 2007
Mac OS X users: McAfee VirusScan 8.6 is now available, and compatible with Leopard.
Download the latest version on the Smith Software site.
While you’re at it, update your Microsoft Office 2004 to version 11.3.9 The update fixes a problem that some users encountered while trying to print (the program would quit unexpectedly).
November 1st, 2007
You may have heard of a trojan known to install itself on Windows computers by exploiting security holes in MySpace pages. This type of malware belongs to a family called Puper, which has been affecting computer users since 2005.
Yesterday, McAfee Avert Labs announced that the authors of Puper have unleashed a similar piece of malware that affects Mac OS X. (Read more…)
