Valentine-themed spam to rise four-fold this year – McAfee

MANILA, Phiippines — Internet users smitten by the love bug this Valentine’s Day need to be wary about being carried away by their emotions as security software firm McAfee warns that cyber criminals could be on the prowl on hearts–and eventually, pockets–this season of love.

According to a recent threat bulletin from McAfee, the amount of Valentine-themed spam messages is expected to “quadruple globally, as we approach the holiday, based on previous years of spam volumes.”

“This means that the bad guys are trying to take advantage of our open hearts with romance-related scams designed to trick you out of your information and money, or get you to click on dangerous links,” McAfee said.

These suspicious messages could come in the form of unsolicited mail advertising Valentine gifts; Valentine e-cards; online dating scams; romance-related malware; and phishing sites found on search engines, the antivirus provider said.

“One of the reasons we’re seeing an influx in this kind of spam is because scammers are using a technique called ‘snowshoe spamming’ in which they spread spam across multiple Internet addresses to evade spam filters,” it cautioned.

Should users receive any of the messages stated above, McAfee said they should be judicious enough to verify the source of the message, as in the case of e-cards.

“If you click on a link in a phony e-card, you could wind up accidentally downloading malware onto your device,” it pointed out.

The company also warned users who are looking for potential gifts to give to their loved ones through search engines to be extra vigilant, since scammers are always on the prowl and could trick users into giving up their credit card information.

“You may, for instance, come across a dangerous website while doing a search for ‘Valentine’s Day jewelry’,” it said. “Attracted by the site’s low prices, you may enter your credit card number and personal information and then get sweet nothings in return.”

But cyber criminals could also come in the form of an unsuspecting potential flame found on one of the myriad of online dating sites, McAfee said, pretending to be a sweet talker seemingly interested in forging romantic involvements online.

For these types of crooks, McAfee reiterates an age-old advice to “be suspicious of anyone who claims to fall in love too fast,” because they may actually be after your wallet, if not out to break your heart.

“Do an online search on any potential suitor to see if what they’ve said about themselves is true. Cross-reference the information you have against sites like LinkedIn or Spoke,” it added.

source: interaksyon.com

Intel to buy McAfee in $7.68 billion deal

NEW YORK — Chip maker Intel says it has agreed to buy computer-security software maker McAfee Inc. for $7.68 billion, or $48 per share.

The per-share price represents a 60 percent premium over McAfee's close of $29.93 Wednesday. Shares surged 58 percent to $47.42 after the deal was announced Thursday.

Intel Corp., which is based in Santa Clara, California, said the deal highlights "that security is now a fundamental component of online computing."

Both boards of directors have unanimously approved the deal. The deal still requires McAfee shareholder approval and regulatory clearances.

McAfee is also based in Santa Clara. —AP

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