New OS X “Trojan” In the Wild

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Blockquote

A new “trojan” has been identified by Intego that enables phishing attacks to take place against Mac users. But before you get too worried, let’s take a look at how it works.


  1. Go to a malicious site.

  2. Get prompted to install software.

  3. Choose to install it.

  4. Put in your admin password when it asks for it.

  5. Get pwned.


So basically a hostile, unknown website asks you to install software on your system with elevated privileges, and if you willfully go through the entire install process (including entering your administrator password) something bad will happen.

Mac SecurityScary.

In other news, if someone sends you an email that says to run sudo rm -rf / on the command line (and enter your admin password when it asks you to) — don’t do it. Interesting attack method — send someone malicious software and ask them to install it as administrator. The defense? Don’t install it.

Make no mistake — this is not the same kind of threat that we’ve faced in Windows over the years. That threat is very specifically the drive-by installation of software without the user knowing or having a chance to stop it.


Source via Dmiessler.com


In summary, this social-engineering-based attack requires a high level of interaction and it will have very little impact on the Mac user community.

Is It A Bird? Is It A Plane? No, It’s Google’s Share Price!

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goog.jpgGoogle broke through $700 a share in trading today, closing at a record high of $707, just over 3 weeks since breaking through the $600 mark.


Google did have the benefit of a surging NASDAQ; the exchange favored by tech stocks closing up 42.41 pts or 1.51% after the Fed cut US interest rates by 25 basis points to 4.5%. A range of analysts including Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse and others have raised their target price for GOOG stock to $800 and above.


It’s not all plain sailing ahead for Google. The US Federal Reserve wouldn’t be cutting interest rates if it thought the US economy was healthy and the Federal Open Market Committee said that although financial market turmoil linked to a US housing downturn had eased in part, “the pace of economic expansion will likely slow in the near term, partly reflecting the intensification of the housing correction,” which if applied to Google would see its revenue growth slow.


International markets also present a problem for Google, with a decline that wasn’t widely reported when Google announced its 3rd Quarter earnings result October 18. According to Google’s statement, if it hadn’t been for currency movements international revenue would have dropped $121 million in the 3rd quarter (presuming that USD has remained at the same level). It might have been a blip but it’s certainly something to watch given most of Google’s growth opportunities should be coming from outside its home country, given the relative maturity of the US internet market.

Crunch Network: CrunchBoard because it’s time for you to find a new Job2.0

(Via TechCrunch.)

Hey, Look Who's Now The 5th Biggest Company in the US

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That's right: Google (GOOG).  And trading at a not-preposterous 55-times trailing 12-month earnings, too.

Rank   Company            Market Cap (Bil)   Ticker
1      Exxon Mobil        $505               XOM
2      General Electric   $415               GE
3      Microsoft          $333               MSFT
4      AT&T               $251               T
5      Google             $217               GOOG
6      Procter & Gamble   $215               PG
7      Bank of America    $213               BAC
8      Citigroup          $209               C

(Via Silicon Alley Insider.)

The Pirate Bay Developing New P2P Protocol to Replace BitTorrent [Yarrr]

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tpb.pngThe Pirate Bay's pretty busy these days, reviving dead sites and whatnot, but their latest scheme is even bigger: They're working on an entirely new P2P protocol designed to replace BitTorrent, since BitTorrent Inc. is no longer making additions to the source code entirely open, which TPB believes grants them too much influence. The new extension, .p2p, will be backward-compatible with .torrent, and designed from the start to limit the effectiveness of spammers and anti-piracy organizations (no word on how, exactly). On the flip side of the coin, The Pirate Bay's clout isn't exactly insignificant anymore, and spearheading development of a new protocol it intends to rule the P2P roost is only going to grant it more sway if it takes off. [TorrentFreak]

(Via Gizmodo.)

DNI cans former FEMA staffer.

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Earlier today, ThinkProgress noted that former FEMA director of external affairs John “Pat” Philbin had resigned his position, only to be rewarded with a promotion. Today, Philbin was set to become the director of public affairs for Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell. But the DNI’s office has since backed away from its offer, putting out a statement this afternoon that reads:


We can confirm that Mr. Philbin is not, nor is he scheduled to be, the director of public affairs for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.


CNN reported that, as of this morning, the DNI’s office had said Philbin’s appointment was still going forward. Now, the DNI’s office has reconsidered in the wake of increasing anger about the hiring. Watch it:



Screenshot

(Via Think Progress.)

Fmr FBI Director: Giuliani and George "Joined At The Hip" Over War On Terror

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Rudy Giuliani, to quote a Democratic rival, would be like President Bush on steroids in the way he would go about protecting the U.S. from terrorists. In reality, Giuliani doesn't seem very different from Bush on the issue.

The former New York mayor says the government shouldn't be shy about eavesdropping on citizens. He is prepared to use military force to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons and root out terrorists in Pakistan. And he opposes a U.S. pullout from Iraq.




(Via The Huffington Post | Raw Feed.)