Author: The Internet Patrol
New Computing Beverage of Choice – Chantico Chocolate
Move over black coffee so thick that your spoon stands up in it. And it was never old Coke or new Coke for this computer jockeyette. We have a new drink of choice. It is the perfect drink for a quick-pick-me up while hammering the keys late at night. Or…
Microsoft Offers Free Anti-Spyware to Windows Users
Consider it an act of contrition, largesse, or just good business sense, but Microsoft is making available its new anti-spyware software free to Windows users. Having acquired anti-spyware maker Giant Company last month, it was anticipated that Microsoft would enfold a spyware fighting product into its offerings, but that it…
This Site Will Scare You, But In a Good Way
AuditMyPC.com is a website which offers a host of free services designed to help you to secure your PC. Using readily available diagnostic tools and your Internet connection, the AuditMyPC.com site will tell you exactly what security holes you have open, Windows patches which you are missing, spyware which is…
Spammers Want Email Addresses? Let’s Give Them Some!
The good folks over at AuditMyPC.com have a very interesting idea. Spammers are of course known for harvesting email addresses from websites, and then using those email addresses to build email lists, which they then sell to other spammers. Odds are that spammers are crawling all over your website right…
New After-School Job: Phishing Mule
Have you ever seen a phishing mule? No, it’s not a new act on Animal Planet. In this context “mule” is slang for a low-level operative in a criminal organization whose job it is to act as a courier for contraband – usually money or drugs. Authorities in Australia have…
Microsoft to Spammer: That’ll be $7.4 million, please.
Microsoft has won a $7.4million judgement against a Tuscon, Arizona spammer. Glenn Hannifin, the ‘proprietor’ of U Save Depot, was accused by Microsoft of sending millions of pieces of spam hawking everything from software to leather jackets. The software offered included copies of Microsoft Office, discounted to a fraction of…
Spam King Sanford Wallace Comes In from the Cold
The real Spam King is Sanford Wallace, who has been around in one form or another for well over a decade. It was Wallace’s CyberPromotions against which many a spam lawyer first cut their spam litigation teeth.
Newsflash! Federal Court to RIAA: No, You CAN’T Have that Peer-to-Peer User’s Information!
The United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, dealt the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) a blow today when it reversed a lower court ruling which ordered internet service provider Charter to comply with an RIAA demand that Charter turn over the information of Charter customers who were using…
Most Hated Spam? Survey Says…”Business Relationship” Spam!
Quick, what is the most hated form of spam? “Oh, that’s easy,” you say, “that has to be malicious, infectious spam. Or maybe that annoying Rolex spam we’ve seen so much of lately.” Bzzt! Wrong! According to an informal but interesting poll on the wildly popular Slashdot site, none of…
Tsunami Tspammer Tstopped
Some people are sick. Really sick. But Christopher Pierson, of London, England really takes the cake. Pierson, a 40-year-old father of two (oh my, his poor children), was arrested and arraigned yesterday for sending spam to those known to be looking for lost loved ones, in the wake of last…
California’s Tough New Anti-Spyware Law
Happy New Year, Californians! In addition to a brand new year, you’ve got a brand new anti-spyware law! The new law, signed in September by Governor Schwarzenneger, took effect on January 1st, and makes it illegal to install software which takes control of another’s computer without their knowledge, and has…
AOL Offers New Spam and Virus Resistant Software for New Year
America Online (AOL), one of the largest Internet Service Providers in the United States, if not in the universe, is sticking it to spammers again, this time by offering an updated version of its software which is designed to be more spam, spyware, and virus proof than previous versions. AOL…
MPAA Contractor Infects Downloader’s Machines with Adware, Spyware
Overpeer, a division of Loudeye, Inc., has been caught putting infected files on peer-to-peer filesharing networks, and putting attractive and likely sounding names on the files in order to induce users to download the files. Thinking that they are downloading their favourite songs or other media files, the users only…
VoIP Internet Telephone Can’t be Regulated by State, Says Court
A U.S. Federal Court has ruled this week that the State of Minnesota (and by extension all states) cannot regulate Internet telephone usage, known as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), in the same way that the states presently regulate traditional phone lines and usage. This is bound to be good…
Porn is Out, Drugs are In
Timothy Leary would be proud. As a nation we are turning away from lurid sex displays in which women are debased and objectified, and turning towards drugs. At least in our spam. According AOL, and based on a recent analysis of their incoming spam (and they should know, they get…
