Trend Micro has announced several Internet security services for Sony's PlayStation Vita handheld. The services will include two products, "Trend Micro Kids Safety" and "Trend Micro Web Security." The latter option is based on the company's "web reputation" system that blocks users from accessing websites that may contain malicious content.
With Cyber Monday right around the corner online retailers have already started cutting prices in preparation for the busiest online shopping day of the year to begin. At Amazon, buyers can save 58 percent on Roxio Easy VHS to DVD, originally $60 but now $25 with free super saver shipping. A 56 percent price break can be found on the XtremeMac Tango TRX 2.1 Bluetooth audio system for iPads, iPhones, iPods and Android smartphones. It drops from $180 to $80 at Amazon.
A new strain of hostile Android code is exploiting the rise of Google+ to attack phones, Trend Micro discovered Friday. Nickispy.C uses many of the same services as the A and B variants but calls itself Google++ and uses the social network's icon for virtually all of its services to trick less experienced users. When active, it can scrape text messages, GPS positioning, call logs, and even the calls themselves, uploading them to a specific address.
Trend Micro chairman Steve Chang warned in an interview published today that Android was significantly more open to attack than iOS. Google's decision to allow some open-sourcing and to have only a light approval touch let malicious coders get more information about how to stage viruses and other malware. Apple's decision to close off much of the iPhone OS, sandbox code and to vet apps more closely may have antagonized some, Chang told Bloomberg, but has also led to a more secure platform.
Patent holder Intellectual Ventures has initiated lawsuits against a long list of tech companies that failed to establish licensing agreements. One of the suits targets security software makers Symantec, McAfee, Trend Micro and Check Point. A second suit is aimed at memory manufacturers Elpida Memory and Hynix Semiconductor, while a third suit has been filed against component makers Altera, Lattice and Microsemi.
Trend Micro has released an update to Security for Mac, its threat protection software designed for enterprises. Version 1.5 features improvements to manual scan performance when using the Quick Scan utility. The Cocoa client user interface has been revamped, while enabling automatic registration with the server.
Trend Micro has launched Smart Surfing for Mac, offering identity and personal data protection when users shop, bank and explore online. The software blocks IM and e-mail links that lead to dangerous websites, guarding against phishing scams aimed at grabbing confidential information. Parental controls are included, which can restrict access by content, limit IM and chat access or block sites parents deem off-limits.
