This issue of SunbeltSecurityNews contains:

Own a Single-user VIPRE? Upgrade Now To Home Site License For Just $19.95 You run VIPRE and love it. But what about the other PC's at the house? We have a special, limited time upgrade offer. You can upgrade now and just pay the difference (20 bucks) between the Single License and the Unlimited Home Site License (UHSL). But wait, it gets better. Your UHSL starts fresh and you get a new 12 month subscription! Do the math. Wait and pay 30 bucks later, or buy the upgrade now and get a whole year for 20 bucks. A no-brainer! Remember this is for a limited time only, get that upgrade now! Click here to learn more and order: http://www.sunbeltsecuritynews.com/090417-Upgrade

Editor's Dossier

Greeting SSNers,

Hello everyone! If April showers bring may flowers then we are in for a blooming May. It has been thunderstorm alley all day today. Flashes of lightning sketching the sky like 4th of July!

Now for the news: Look up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a cloud! A cloud? That's right folks, that particular riff of cyber computing affectionately called the cloud is what this week is all about. Many of you have written in asking about cloud security. Well here we go! We even got Tech support manager Mike Williams to provide his lofty (pun intended) viewpoint as we call on the experts and give you the lowdown on what's above!

Are you interested in getting one of those neat inexpensive netbooks, but worried about installing security software? Worry no more - VIPRE works great. You can read about it below. ConsumerSearch.com named Sunbelt CounterSpy 3.1 the Best Budget Anti-Spyware Software, so take a look and tell your friends:
http://www.sunbeltsecuritynews.com/090417-Anti-Spyware-Reviews

If you haven't had a chance, check out our new security site, home of Sunbelt Malware Research Labs. This is where you can find the details about the threats VIPRE detects on your PC:
http://www.sunbeltsecuritynews.com/090417-SunbeltSecurity

Enjoy the latest issue of SunbeltSecurityNews. And remember stay safe out there!

Best,

Larry Jaffe.
Editor SunbeltSecurityNews

P.S. You can write to me at any time, I want to know how you feel about Internet security and if you have any ideas for articles or subjects you would like us to cover. Email me feedback@SunbeltSecurityNews.com

Own a Single-user VIPRE? Upgrade Now To Home Site License For Just $19.95 You run VIPRE and love it. But what about the other PC's at the house? We have a special, limited time upgrade offer. You can upgrade now and just pay the difference (20 bucks) between the Single License and the Unlimited Home Site License (UHSL). But wait, it gets better. Your UHSL starts fresh and you get a new 12 month subscription! Do the math. Wait and pay 30 bucks later, or buy the upgrade now and get a whole year for 20 bucks. A no-brainer! Remember this is for a limited time only, get that upgrade now! Click here to learn more and order: http://www.sunbeltsecuritynews.com/090417-Upgrade

Eyes Only Your Viewpoint on Security Issues

Well it's about a month since I wiped my notebook due to a year of software testing and had a chance to install VIPRE on a clean machine. The previous slow experience is not present and I can now tell you that VIPRE has tested out on a low performance machine to perform absolutely flawlessly with very little system resource contention. I can truly recommend this product to anyone looking for the best anti-virus solution. ~ H.S. My thanks to Sunbelt Software for putting me in touch with Tammy Stewart when I had a problem with a trojan that VIPRE detected but could not fully remove. Her emails to me were a model of tech support. She was calm, clear, concise and patient.

Her messages gave me detailed, step-by-step instructions that were easy to follow, giving me confidence that I'd be able to execute them and that we'd get this infection off my computer. The process of getting all the junk out of my computer only took 2 days. My VIPRE deep scans now show clean and I'm not locking up anymore. I couldn't be happier. ~ P.G.

Operations: What You Need To Know

Yes folks, this is what we do - get rid of malicious threats to your PC. At the top of the heap is Trojan-Spy.Win32.Zbot.gen. This malicious trojan program harvests confidential data off the user's system for fraudulent purposes. Does not sound very pleasant to me - get rid of it!

Please be wary of rogue anti-spyware products, and warn your friends. These are proliferating the net like crazy. Antivirus'09 is the latest rogue security product to hit the net. It uses fake/scare scanner pages to trick users into downloading the rogue application. Do not fall for these false solutions; we cannot emphasize it enough. If you want more info on rogue products, check out this blog:
http://www.sunbeltsecuritynews.com/090417-RogueAntispyware

1. Trojan-Spy.Win32.Zbot.gen
2. Trojan.1
3. Trojan-Downloader.Zlob.Media-Codec
4. Exploit.PDF-JS.Gen
5. Virtumonde.Traces
6. Trojan.StartPage.HMH
7. INF.Autorun
8. Trojan-Downloader.Generic
9. Trojan-Dropper.Gen
10. Trojan.BHO

Stay on top of all the real-time threats:
http://www.sunbeltsecuritynews.com/090417-Sunbelt-Security

Cookbook - Solutions for the Novice

Okay, you've been reading about it or hearing about it down at the local barbershop. It's the rage they say, the real thing or rather the unreal thing since it is strictly virtual hanging out there in cyberland. So finally you get the courage to ask - Cloud computing, what the heck is that? Cloud shmoud you think to yourself. But wait, it is important to know your Computer Basics so you know what it is you are dealing with and how to protect your assets.

First off, the term cloud is a metaphor for the Internet. And before you ask, why the Internet is thought of as a cloud let me cut you off at the pass and tell you that a cloud is used to portray the Internet in computer network diagrams. It is a simple way of depicting the complexity of the Internet by just drawing a cloud and everyone figuring it is up there somewhere.

Our Mike Williams had this to say:

"Cloud computing uses an Internet based operating service. (Notice the word Service instead of system) Applications and data are stored on a service provider's network and accessed by the end user over the Internet. The web based applications are delivered using a technology known as Software as a Service (SaaS). I saw a blog post from a gentleman named LewisC that described this pretty well."

"Cloud computing is using the Internet to access someone else's software running on someone else's hardware in someone else's data center while paying only for what you use." And funnily enough this is not much different from the way IBM used to rent out mainframe time a few decades ago.
So there you have it - probably more than you ever wanted to know but like I said it is important to know your basics and you need to be able to protect your info if you are dealing up in clouds. One of the key abilities of these virtual services is that they require no infrastructure and you are making use of your service providers. You don't have to worry about installation, updates, or maintenance because that is all taken care of by them. All you really need to know is how to use your application. Google and Microsoft (recently) have introduced a wide range of applications from word processing to spreadsheets. Salesforce.com is a more sophisticated application, if you will. There are many others. The common ground is of course the Internet and using your browser as the tool to access them - software and data are stored on your provider's servers. Now, for the magic question - How secure is it? Again, we turn to Sunbelt Software Support Manager Mike Williams.

"Well, that all depends on the service provider. Your information and applications are stored on their hardware and connected to their network, so security falls completely in their hands.

"Personally, I feel that storage is cheap and I feel safer storing my own data and protecting it locally; with programs such as VIPRE and the Sunbelt Personal firewall."

Security best practices should always be followed whether you are dealing in the cloud or staying computer based. Keep your definitions up to date on your AV (antivirus) and AS (antispyware), make sure your security patches are in place, and don't download the unknown.

Dirty Tricks

Are you getting one of those nifty netbooks and are not sure whether you can properly protect it? Experience has shown that most AV programs are complete resource hogs especially when scanning. Guess what, VIPRE just might be the answer. Check out this article in Techworld. "Then I reviewed the Samsung NC20 and discovered that it runs Sunbelt's VIPRE anti-virus program perfectly respectable.":
http://www.sunbeltsecuritynews.com/090417-Antivirus-for-Netbook
The Unisys Security IndexTM presents a social indicator regarding how safe consumers feel on key areas of security. Conducted twice a year the Unisys Security Index provides a regular, statistically robust measure of concerns about four areas of security:

• National security - security and epidemics
• Financial security - bankcard fraud and ability to meet personal financial obligations
• Internet security - spam, virus and online financial transactions
• Personal security - physical risk and identity theft

Unisys Research shows economic crisis increases Americans' fears about fraud and id theft:
http://www.sunbeltsecuritynews.com/090417-Security-Index
"As we await the 60-day federal cybersecurity review from Melissa Hathaway, acting senior director for cyberspace for the National Security and Homeland Security Councils there is something else that could be done. It seems to me that the federal government could take another related action to help protect the private information of U.S. citizens while reducing the cost of doing so. In my humble opinion, it is time to create a single federal data breach disclosure law.":
http://www.sunbeltsecuritynews.com/090417-Data-Breach-Law
It seems that the Federal Trade Commission has a proposed plan to start regulating viral marketing and blogs and may start monitoring what you write:
http://www.sunbeltsecuritynews.com/090417-Bloggers-and-the-FTC
Twitter was recently hit by multiple variants of the XSS worm. The worm automatically hijacked accounts and advertising the author's web site by posting tweets on behalf of the account holders. Moral of the story - keep your protection up to date and your patches in place and you will not suffer at the hands of idiocy:
http://www.sunbeltsecuritynews.com/090417-Twitter-XSS-Worm
Microsoft is claiming that Windows Vista and the soon-to-be-released 7 is the world's most secure OS, beating both Linux and Mac OS X. Per Microsoft's COO Kevin Turner: "Vista today, post-Service Pack 2, which is now in the marketplace, is the safest, most reliable OS we've ever built. It's also the most secure OS on the planet, including Linux and open source and Apple Leopard."
http://www.sunbeltsecuritynews.com/090417-CIO-Summit
Public networks (both wired and wireless) are great. After all, what would life be without connecting while at airports, hotels and coffee shops? However, the danger to your personal data exists even if you connect to a fee based open network. Your passwords, credit card numbers, and any data you send can be seen and associated with you personally. Standard antivirus software won't protect you as this threat is on the network, not your laptop or iPhone. AnchorFree is offering Hotspot Shield. The application keeps your Internet connection secure and anonymous on public networks:
http://www.sunbeltsecuritynews.com/090417-Hotspot-Shield

Tradecraft - True Tales of Counterspy in Action!

I have been using your products for several years. I was sold on the way you talk to the public about issues with computers. I subscribed to "VIPRE" some time ago and it found during the initial scan a worm that I had for some time. None of the other products I had used discovered the problem. Today I was searching for a "font" to download and clicked on a site and immediately a box popped up and said I had several hundred "trojans and or worms" and needed to download their software to "save" my computer. VIPRE shut it down immediately and removed it before it could do any harm. Thanks guys, you're the most. ~ C.S.

Zone - Cool Products & Other Stuff

I am always looking for some hot stuff to share with our readers maybe you are too. Hit me back at feedback@counterspynews.com.

Esteemed reader, Barbara Bailey, sent this in. Was just reading your newsletter and wondered if your readers would enjoy this Dutch site as much as my friends and I do. Don't click on anything, turn on the sound and -- just wait:
http://www.sunbeltsecuritynews.com/090417-Online-Shopping
I know you might cast your doubts at the beginning of this video, but trust me the tears will be flowing before the end is even in sight. You gotta see this.
http://www.sunbeltsecuritynews.com/090417-Got-Talent
Are you outraged by the proliferation of yellow page books stacking up in your home? Here is something you can do about it. Yellowpagesgoesgreen.org is an organization working to educate consumers and promote the green movement to eliminate the unsolicited delivery of Yellow and White Pages books. This site is aimed at starting a national movement to solicit the White/Yellow Pages industry to proactively stop the delivery of books or to begin moving legislation to mandate the stoppage of this activity. This movement should be similar to the National No-Call Registry that have stopped and/or decreased the number of unwanted solicitations telephone calls to consumers. Opt out and stop the delivery of unsolicited telephone books, they will notify the publishers to stop sending books. That's a good idea!:
http://www.sunbeltsecuritynews.com/090417-Green-Telephone-Books
Like your own personal secretary, Second Copy® maintains updated copies of your hard work. As it runs in the background, this will be the software that you will forget about until it saves you! Second Copy will automatically backup your data files to any local fixed or removable disks, zip drives, CD-RW's, DVD's, as well as on storage devices on other computers across a network. It monitors source files and keeps the backup updated with new or changed files. Once set up, you will always have a backup of your important data somewhere else:
http://www.sunbeltsecuritynews.com/090417-Second-Copy
Over 200 dancers brought life and excitement into the train station of Antwerp, Belgium to the rhythm of "The Sound of Music". They should have used 'Thriller':
http://www.sunbeltsecuritynews.com/090417-Music
Extremely low aerobatic flying by champion pilot Zoltan Veres with his "Extra 300S" airplane - check out the corkscrew contrail - pretty cool:
http://www.sunbeltsecuritynews.com/090417-Aerobatics
A clip from the Oscar nominated nature film L'Ours (The Bear).
http://www.sunbeltsecuritynews.com/090417-Survival
Sunbelt Software employs some very dedicated people. Cris Godfrey, Sunbelt's QA Manager, was inspired enough about VIPRE to get the product logo tattooed on his arm:
http://www.sunbeltsecuritynews.com/090417-VIPRE-Tattoo