June 11 - 9:35am EDT   Microsoft late Wednesday said it's nearing the release of its first self-made antivirus software. Although mentioned in the past under its Morro codename, the new software is now known to compete directly with software from Kaspersky, McAfee, Symantec and other relatively low-cost apps. It will only focus on removing spyware, trojans and viruses as the company already has a built-in firewall for Windows. [full story]

May 18 - 11:50am EDT   Both McAfee and Symantec have confirmed work on iPhone-related software, according to Reuters. McAfee says it is specifically working on new security programs, described as part of a "comprehensive suite for the Apple family," including its usual Mac focus. Though the company has declined to provide specific details, including even a release timeframe, it is best-known for anti-virus software, and was last year spotted working on an iPhone app called iVirusScan. [full story]

May 28 - 11:10am EDT   Hundreds of thousands of webpages have been affected by a vulnerability in Adobe's Flash Player, says security vendor Symantec. Since at least Monday, approximately 220,000 pages have been been hacked to add redirection scripts, which send Flash users to some 57 servers that attempt to deliver malware, including botnet code and apps that steal World of WarCraft identities and passwords. Only Flash Player versions 9.0.124.0 and 9.0.115.0 appear to be at risk; the attack also seems to be directed primarily at Windows, says Symantec, although problems may yet arise on other operating systems (including Mac OS X) unless Adobe can close the exploit. [full story]

March 25 - 4:30pm EDT   If you use any version of Windows, an antivirus program is an absolute necessity to protect your computer. If you use a Macintosh, an antivirus program is an option. Although a handful of Macintosh viruses exist, the main purpose of any Macintosh antivirus program is to screen out Windows-specific viruses that you may accidentally pass on to Windows users. If you never share files with Windows users, you probably don’t need an antivirus program. If you regularly share files with Windows users, you may need an antivirus program like Norton AntiVirus for Mac. [full story]

March 11 - 9:15am EDT   Symantec has released a new anti-virus suite, AntiVirus Dual Protection. The package actually contains two pieces of software -- AntiVirus 11 for Mac and AntiVirus 2008 for Windows -- and is intended for owners of Intel Macs, who may use the Boot Camp feature of Mac OS X Leopard to run Windows XP or Vista on a separate partition. Each application is tailored to the specifics of its platform, requiring the two versions. [full story]

December 11 - 3:25pm EST   Viruses have been of little concern to most Mac users since OS X made its first appearance in 2001. Apple's switch to Intel processors, and the various virtualization processes that exist for running Windows, have eroded that confidence for some users. Although Apple is usually on the ball with fixing system vulnerabilities, some larger problems can go for several days or weeks before a proper fix is available. Symantec's Norton AntiVirus 11 aims to compliment the Mac OS' natural sturdiness by providing anti-viral services and fixes for security holes while Apple works on a true solution for the problem. [full story]

December 10 - 12:30pm EST   Symantec today released a new version of Norton Antivirus (site not updated) that is compatible with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. The software features new vulnerability protection technology designed to prevent attacks occurring through applications connected to the internet. Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac also includes a sleeker redesigned user interface alongside enhanced performance. The software is priced at $50 (system requirements were unavailable). [full story]

November 30 - 1:20am EST   Symantec has notified DeepSight customers that a bug in QuickTime's Real Time Streaming protocol can lead towards the execution of malicious code on any computer running QuickTime 7.2 or later, and that a working proof-of-concept set of code being circulated on the internet. Computerworld reports that the bug was originally posted on milw0rm.com, and that the exploit code had worked when tested against Windows XP and later in Vista. Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and 10.5 Leopard are said to be vulnerable as well, but took considerably more time for researches to craft a reliable, working exploit. [full story]