“Cause of DHB's computer virus found” plus 2 more

Cause of DHB's computer virus found
Microsoft in out-of-court deal with Dubai reseller over pirated software
Computer security is a process, not a product: Part 1

Posted: 17 Apr 2010 05:34 PM PDT

A virus which shut down 3,000 Waikato DHB computers was loaded to an unprotected computer via a USB stick

14 April 2010
An audit has found the Waikato District Heath Board fell victim to a computer virus last year because its anti-virus software failed.

The conficker virus caused the shut down of 3,000 Waikato DHB computers, after it was loaded onto an unprotected computer via a USB stick. The computer was used by a third party and was connected to the DHB's network.

The DHB has admitted it gave insufficient priority to addressing the known risk of viruses. Mass use of USB storage devices and weak password protection also put it at a higher risk

The DHB say while there is no guarantee it can avoid future viruses, the reports have identified steps to avoid a similar incidents.

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Microsoft in out-of-court deal with Dubai reseller over pirated software

Posted: 18 Apr 2010 10:12 PM PDT

(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) Microsoft Gulf has reached an out-of-court settlement with a reseller who was caught selling illegal software from his store in Al Khaleej Centre in Bur Dubai.

"The settlement was reached after authorities seized pirated software from the store during a recent raid. The raid resulted in the confiscation of pirated Microsoft Windows and Office software," Microsoft Gulf said in an emailed statement.

However, the software leader declined to reveal the name of the retailer and the settlement terms or the amount involved.

A spokesperson told Khaleej Times that they could not divulge the identity of the retailer as it was part of the settlement agreement.

This is the second out-of-court settlement the US software giant has reached in two months with Dubai retailers after stepping up its crack down on pirated software in cooperation with Dubai Municipality, Ministry of economy and Dubai Police, she said. Last month, Microsoft reached a similar agreement with another Dubai reseller.

"The out-of-court agreement, which also included an undisclosed sum for damages, stipulates that the reseller will refrain from distributing any pirated Microsoft software in the future," the company said.

"We are heavily investing our resources and time into winning the battle against software piracy in the Gulf", said Jawad Al Redha, IPR Manager, Microsoft Gulf.

"By intensifying our collaboration with government and law enforcement agencies we aim to ensure that resellers selling pirated software are brought to justice. The series of settlements that we are currently engaged in reflects a growing willingness among resellers to shun illegal trade and join the anti-piracy cause. Microsoft takes the issue of the pirated software very seriously because our customers expect and deserve the highest-level of satisfaction when purchasing our products," said Al Redha.

In March, Storm Computers agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to the computer giant's regional arm, Microsoft Gulf. Under the terms of the settlement the company agreed to only sell and distribute genuine Microsoft software to customers in the future. Both parties also agreed to an undisclosed amount of damages.

Al Redha said Microsoft continued to educate customers and partners about the negative effects of software piracy on the local economy and to increase awareness about the risks of counterfeit to consumers using illegal software, such as exposure to security issues like viruses, data loss, identify or credit card theft. "By partnering with local government bodies, Microsoft has also stepped up its regional efforts to take legal steps against those who manufacture and distribute illegal software."

By Issac John

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Computer security is a process, not a product: Part 1

Posted: 18 Apr 2010 09:39 PM PDT

Computer security is a concept not easily grasped by many. Security comes from a combination of common sense and knowledge. But what does this statement mean, exactly?

For example, no program in the world can prevent your e-mail account from being hacked if the password is "password."

However, a security program is still essential to keeping your computer safe. It also depends on browsing habits, what you download and the browser you use.

Use Safe Sites

Popular sites such as Facebook, Google and GameFAQs are generally safe to visit. It's when you start to search for questionable content such as pornography that you risk of encountering a virus. For this, it's best to be cautious with whatever site you go to, and know that you can get harmful viruses from Web sites.

Be Careful What you Download

You also must consider what you download. Even if the site doesn't have malicious code and you think it's safe, the file you download may contain malicious code that could ruin your computer. It's best to download from reputable sites, and do some research on the program before you actually run it.

The Browser you Run

Finally, a browser plays a role into how secure you are on the Internet. If you're still using Internet Explorer 6, upgrade to Internet Explorer 8 or use a different browser such as Firefox or Opera. IE6 has so many security flaws and is the utter bane of web designers up there due to its noncompliant HTML standards. It's possibly the worst browser due to those reasons.

It does take some time to get a better grasp of surfing the Internet securely. I can spend hours searching horrendously infected sites without getting a single piece of malicious code. I try to apply the advice that I give, using common sense to not download any suspicious looking programs, using Firefox vs. Internet Explorer, and being aware of the sites that I go to.

I hope that you can take these simple steps to make your computer a safe haven against the horrors of the Internet. In the next article, I will provide information on available software to help ensure that your computer is safe and secure.

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Computer Software

Sunday, April 18, 2010