GeekSugar

US by the Numbers: 5 Facts About Americans, Tech, and Gadgets

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 17:32:15 PDT

It comes as no surprise to me that residents living in Hawaii are said to be the happiest in the country, but what about the most gadget-obsessed, tech-savvy, and virus-prone? Find out which states take these titles (among others) in this informative slideshow about the state of tech in the US.

Searching Which of These Reality TV Stars Will Most Likely Give You a Virus?

Kristy Korcz — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 05:15:09 PST

A recent study performed by Barracuda Labs research firm discovered that searching one of these reality stars can put you at high risk for contracting a computer virus. Can you guess which of these ladies takes the title?

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Which of These Stars Is the Most Dangerous in Cyberspace?

GeekSugar — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 10:45:27 PDT

Searching for a celebrity online brings up all kinds of results on Google, including viruses and malware. Which of these starlets just ousted Jessica Biel as the most dangerous celebrity in cyberspace, with one in 10 search results being labeled as a risky site for your computer?

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The Two Most Dangerous Words on the Internet

GeekSugar — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 11:00:17 PDT

Although searching a certain celebrity may infect your computer with spyware, did you know that by searching the words "Bearshare" and "screensaver," it's pretty darn likely you'll click on a link that will infect your computer with harmful viruses?

According to a new McAfee study, 46 percent of search links for the word Bearshare (a video and audio file sharing website) will lead you to malicious sites that are just waiting for you to click so they can attack your computer with malware and dirty viruses. And, if you ever go looking for a cool screensaver (why would you when you have this one right here), beware - 43 percent of those search results are dangerous links.

Norton Lists the Top 10 Worst US Cities For Cybercrime

GeekSugar — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 03:47:23 PDT

Unfortunately, it may be a few years until Spencer Pratt begins his war on cybercrime, so until then, we'll have to rely on this Norton study - that ranks the 10 worst US cities for cyber security - to keep our Internet safe. Cybercrime costs Americans $560 million dollars a year (mostly from fraudulent online purchases), and according to Norton's latest figures, Seattle tops the list as the most vulnerable city for cybercrime. The results were tallied using stats like access to available hotspots, online shopping figures, potential cyberattacks, and malware infections. Seattlites - watch out!

To see the full list of the 10 worst cities in the country, and to get some tips on maintaining a healthy online presence, just

Which Star Causes the Most Virus and Spyware Infections?

GeekSugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:50:56 PDT

You don't want to think that looking up photos of your favorite celebrities will cause your computer to (gasp!) get infected, but apparently, according to McAfee Inc., there is one starlet whose search causes more viruses and spyware infections than any other celebrity. Do you know who it is?

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Do You Agree With the US Marines' Ban on Social Networking?

GeekSugar — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 05:52:58 PDT

One of my oldest friend's husband has been back and forth to Iraq and Afghanistan with the Marine Corps for over two years. They have been using MySpace, Facebook, and a family blog to keep him abreast of what goes on at home, and let him chime in about what his days are like overseas. Although no top-secret information has ever been exchanged, a new Marine Corps order, which goes into effect immediately, bans him from using any social networking site.

According to the order, the use of social networking sites puts operational and communications security at risk when viruses and trojans are passed online from user to user, and the Marine Corps feels that sites like Facebook and Twitter are the breeding ground for these viruses.

Although I may have a personal stake in this matter - it's now harder for one of my best friends to get in touch with her husband - I can kinda see where the Marine Corps is coming from. Viruses can attack from anywhere, and you won't see them coming on any radar, especially if the user doesn't know the signs. But what about you - do you agree with the Marine Corps' ban on social networking? I honestly thought it would have more do with security issues than a computer virus.

Heal Your PC From Viruses With the Dr. Hard Drive Bag

GeekSugar — Tue, 05 May 2009 14:02:09 PDT

I can give you multiple reasons why I love this concept piece I found on Coroflot. Not only is this hanging hard drive packed with virus-scanning software to help you track down any bugs that may have attacked your computer, but it can also recover any corrupted files, so it's actually a useful piece of equipment.

Plus, it's kinda cute in a totally out-of-left-field kind of way, and it flashes and glows in the dark while it's doing its thing. I'm hoping the concept artist releases these soon, cause I can really see myself picking one up, even if it's just for the fun of it!

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It Had to Happen. . . Eventually: A New Virus Attacks Macs

GeekSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:46:21 PDT

Part of the Mac appeal to new computer users is that they are (or have been) virtually free from viruses. Since the large majority of the population uses Windows, hackers design viruses and worms to attack PCs to get more bang for their virus buck. And although there's no reason to panic just yet, researchers have found a virus that can attack your Apple computer now too.

It's not like there haven't been viruses designed for the Mac before, but this one, called iBotnet, has been successful at wiggling its way into thousands of computers around the country since January. And once the virus makes its way into your system, your computer will then be part of a large network which can be controlled buy the virus's author. How can you avoid this virus? Find out when you

read more. Thankfully, a large majority of Mac users won't have to worry about this virus, since iBotnet is contracted by downloading pirated versions of iWork. So if you don't want iBotnet on your machine, you should steer clear of any extracurricular file sharing activity! Source

Has Your Computer Ever Suffered From a Virus?

GeekSugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:45:59 PST

Hold onto your immunity hats, Mac users - there's a new virus in town aimed at Macs (though you'd have to be pretty silly to get this one).

To this day, none of my Macs have ever been infected, but when I was a Dell user, (as my Texan family says), boy howdy. I basically gave up on my overrun operating system and just got a new computer.

Tell me - has your computer ever become infected with a computer virus?

Source