Reading room

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  • Using leak tests to evaluate the effectiveness of firewalls

    Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content management solutions, has published its latest analytical article entitled "Using leak tests to evaluate the effectiveness of firewalls". The report is authored by Nikolay Grebennikov, deputy director of the Department of Innovative Technologies. The article examines the importance of firewalls as part of an integrated IT security system, as well as describing the approaches and methods used during one of the most objective types of firewall testing - leak tests. The author stresses the fact that firewall security has becoming increasingly important due to the increase in the number of new malicious programs.


  • The evolution of technologies used to detect malicious code

    Although the title seems to reference the full spectrum of technologies used to detect malicious code, the article focuses on nonsignature technologies. At the beginning of the article the author points out that any technology used to detect malicious code has two components - a technical component and an analytical component. The technical component is the sum of all functions and algorithms which provide the analytical component with data for analysis. The analytical component is a decision making system which delivers a verdict on the data analysed.


  • Online games and fraud: a source of easy money

    Kaspersky Lab has released an analytical article entitled "Online games and fraud: a source of easy money". The article is authored by Sergey Golovanov, a virus analyst with the company. The article explains why online games have become so popular in recent years: they involve exploring magnificent virtual worlds and completing tasks - known as quests - which gain the players money, valuables and experience, not points as in a more traditional computer game. They can be purchased at stores or downloaded from the Internet, but in order to play there is usually a monthly subscription fee. The money from these monthly fees covers traffic costs, support for game servers and game development. New online games appear every year, and the number of players is constantly increasing.


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  • Modern Security Suite solutions: methods for protecting confidential data

    Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content management solutions, has published a new analytical article by Nikolay Grebennikov, the deputy director of the company's department of innovative technologies. The article, called "Modern Security Suite solutions: methods for protecting confidential data" is available in full on Viruslist.com


  • The Evolution of Self-Defense Technologies in Malware: Summary

    Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content management solutions has released its latest analytical report: 'The Evolution of Self-Defense Technologies in Malware', by Alisa Shevchenko, a senior malware analyst. The full version of this article is available at Viruslist.com. As antivirus protection has developed, virus writers have been forced to find new methods which their creations can use to protect themselves. Malware self-defense mechanisms can fulfill one or more tasks, including hindering detection of a virus using signature-based methods; hindering analysis of the code by virus analysts; hindering detection of a malicious program in the system; and hindering the functionality of security software such as antivirus programs and firewalls.


  • Information Security – Protection or Manageability?

    I have been following much of the news surrounding the Microsoft launch of Forefront Client Security - a new solution for securing enterprise networks - and found myself extremely concerned about whether or not anyone cares any more about security.


  • Fighting Rootkits with Kaspersky Internet Security 6.0/Kaspersky Antivirus 6.0

    The term ‘rootkit' historically means a set of utilities for Unix that can increase an intruder's privileges on a computer under attack. Over time, the term largely lost its association with Unix and it gained broader usage. It is now used to describe technologies that conceal the activity of certain software in a system.


  • Malware Evolution 2006: Executive Summary

    Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content management systems, presents its annual report on virus evolution in 2006. The report contains information about major virus-related incidents in 2006, an analysis of specific trends and Kaspersky Lab analysts' forecasts for the future.


  • Spam Evolution 2006: Executive Summary

    In comparison to 2005, there were no major changes in the volume of spam in 2006. It seems as though spam has reached a saturation point at about 70 - 80% of all email traffic; if this figure increases any further, the situation could become critical. The balance is very fragile and could be disrupted at any moment.


  • Security from Microsoft – the door to a brave new world?

    Recently, Jim Allchin, Co-President of Microsoft's Platforms & Services Division ended up in a tight spot. Journalists misinterpreted a phrase from an interview he gave, fuelling a potential scandal. According to the media, Vista is so secure that users will no longer require additional antivirus protection. However, it all turned out to be a storm in a teacup. Jim Allchin apologized for his lack of clarity and explained that he had been misrepresented. In his words, although he believes that Vista is the most secure operating system Microsoft has developed to date, it will not provide complete protection against viruses and other malware.


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