Desktop search new target for viruses?

**************************************************************
Educational CyberPlayGround Community 
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/

NetHappenings Mailing List ©1993
-- Subscribe - Unsubscribe - Set Preferences
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/NetHappenings.html

Advertise on Nethappenings the oldest K12 Mailing List 
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/Subguidelines.html

All Mailing Lists
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/index.html
**************************************************************





<http://news.com.com/Desktop+search+new+target+for+viruses/2100-7349_3-5491070.html>

By Munir Kotadia
Special to CNET News.com
December 14, 2004

Security experts are warning that virus writers could use new desktop
search tools to make their malicious software more efficient.

Foad Fadaghi, senior industry analyst at Frost & Sullivan Australia,
said that most viruses are designed to harvest e-mail addresses and
other personal information from an infected system. He warned that
because desktop search tools such as those recently announced by
Google, Microsoft and Yahoo can index and categorize that information,
virus writers are likely to start exploiting the technology.

"Desktop search products are very efficient at harvesting data, so it
wouldn't be surprising if exploits are sought by malicious coders. Any
software that can index and capture data on a user's PC will be
subject to virus and Trojan exploits. It is just a matter of time,"
Fadaghi said.

Neil Campbell, the national security manager of IT services company
Dimension Data, said that any change in the desktop environment can
create new security vulnerabilities, so when companies decide to adopt
a new product they should look beyond the user benefits.

snip


<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>
EDUCATIONAL CYBERPLAYGROUND 
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com

Net Happenings, K12 Newsletters, Network Newsletters
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/index.html

FREE EDUCATION VENDOR DIRECTORY LISTING
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Directory/default.asp

HOT LIST OF SCHOOLS ONLINE
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Schools/default.asp

Educational CyberPlayGround Services
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/PS/Home_Products.html
<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>

Other related posts: