Malware makers are starting to take advantage of the number of users searching for cracks for the pirated copies of Vista floating around.

A new download has started circulating around the crack boards called “Windows Vista All Versions Activation 21.11.06″. It purports to be an activation crack for any version of Vista.

However, the file is actually a trojan-carrier which will install Trojan-PSW.Win32.LdPinch.aze onto your PC.

BitTorrent users who posted reviews of the crack said that a number of antivirus programs detected the malware, though Norton AntiVirus and NOD32 did not.

In an interview about the Windows Vista installation process, and the ease with which administrators can pre-install software into a Vista install DVD, Microsoft Australia’s John Pritchard warned that pirated copies of Vista could easily come with malware preinstalled.

Source: APC

Microsoft’s Vista may be vulnerable to at least three pieces of widespread malware, two of which date back to 2004 , according to security vendor Sophos.

At least three well-known Internet worms–labelled Stratio-Zip, Netsky-D and MyDoom-O by Sophos–are able to execute on the OS, according Sophos.

These worms comprise 39.7 percent of all malware currently in circulation, according to the security vendor. The MyDoom and Netsky variants were first detected back in 2004.

Systems running Vista are vulnerable to the malware when running third-party e-mail clients, according to Sophos. Windows Mail Client–the Vista replacement to Outlook– will block the worms, but businesses running third-party e-mail clients such as Lotus Notes, or that permit Web-based mail such as Yahoo or Gmail, could be vulnerable.

Source: ZDNet

Symantec Corp. has announced security products for Vista including beta versions of the Norton range of Anti-Virus products for consumers and a production version for enterprise clients.

Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 10.2 is designed to provide automatic defence and response against viruses and spyware/adware for the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system and has been redesigned to make specific use of the new Vista architecture, according to Symantec.

Symantec also announced the availability of public beta versions of Norton Internet Security 2007 and Norton AntiVirus 2007 compatible with the upcoming consumer release of Windows Vista. Beta versions of Vista compatible Norton Internet Security 2007 and Norton AntiVirus 2007 are available for public download.

Source: iTWire

A North Carolina judge on Wednesday ordered Google Inc. to remove personal taxpayer information accidentally posted online, according to a media report.

The data, which includes Social Security numbers and cell phone numbers, was first posted on the Johnston County Web site by accident six weeks ago and had been removed. However, parts of the page remained available through Google’s “cache” system, which temporarily stores online content, the Associated Press reported.