Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) computer users might soon have a thinner, lighter version of the MacBook, according to numerous reports.

The new design will apparently still bear the “MacBook Pro” name but will more closely resemble an Ultrabook — thin, light and affordable PC laptops. It will supposedly feature a high-definition screen similar to the ones found on iPhones and iPads. Perhaps most importantly, the new product wouldn’t compromise battery life or memory for the sleeker design. Flash memory for fast startup and long battery life will also purportedly be found in Apple’s upcoming notebook refresh, which is expected to appear at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June. The new product could preview as early as the worldwide developers conference Apple will host in June.

The decision to go thin is in line with customer demand, Ben Bajarin, director and founder of Creative Strategies, told MacNewsWorld.

“As things like UltraBooks and thin-and-lights become more pervasive, consumers will be used to seeing these thin designs as the only things available,” he said. “So it would seem likely that Apple, with the MacBook Pro, lines would look for hardware designs that press the envelope with thin and light as well.”

A MacBookPro that’s just as powerful as before and yet more mobile would be appealing to a certain crowd, and the groups that Apple targets with their notebook lines are specific enough that there will be a market for all types of customers, he added.

Read full story from source : http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/75123.html

One in five Mac computers is carrying malware that could spread to PCs, according to a new research from security vendor Sophos.

The security team ran its Mac antivirus software on 100,000 Mac computers. It found that most of the malware found is directed at Windows PCs, so Macs harboring the infections don’t show any symptoms, unless perhaps the Mac is also running Windows. However, those computers can also spread malware to Windows PCs.

Sophos also found that one in 36 Macs, or 2.7 percent, were carrying Mac OS X malware. Of those, 75 percent harbored the Flashback malware. Numbers vary on Flashback’s spread, but some estimates pegged the number at 650,000 Macs infected over the past few months. It’s installed when it tricks users into downloading a fake version of Adobe (Nasdaq: ADBE) Flash Player. Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) issued a Java update for Mac OS X to help remove the infection.

Another 18 percent of the Mac computers analyzed by Sophos were found with MacDefender scareware. The remaining threats included fake antivirus attacks, which can obtain credit card information from users.

Read full story from source : http://www.technewsworld.com/story/Macs-Crawling-With-Windows-Malware-Study-Finds-74962.html

Here is an exclusive picture from inside the Wembley Stadium where our Chris Pickard is giving a speech at a Security Conference which is being held there.

MRG Effitas has been working with the BBC on a programme which investigates and analyses the impact of financial malware on online banking security.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16812064

Chris Pickard, Methodology & Research director of MRG Effitas and CEO of the Effitas Group has worked with Spencer Kelly, presenter of BBC Click in creating the programme which is to be broadcast worldwide on the BBC News channel on Seturday the 4^th of February.

The programme features a test by MRG Effitas demonstrating that a custom piece of crimeware is able to bypass a range of security suites and capture the username and password entered in to a banking website.

You can hear Spencer Kelly discussing the upcoming programme here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/9692312.stm

We will be publishing a follow up report on Saturday to coincide with the broadcast of the programme.

Targets: U.S. Department of Justice, FBI, U.S. Copyright Office, RIAA, Universal Music, Broadcast Music Inc, Motion Picture Association of America…

Damage: Unknown

Attacker(s): Hacktivist Group Anonymous

1. Target: Symantec corp.

Damage: Surce code stolen

Attacker(s): Dharmaraja group (India)

2. Target: South African Postbank

Damage: $6.7 million

Attacker(s): Unknown

3. Target: Zappos.com

Damage: 24 million customer details compromised

Attacker(s): Unknown

4. Target: Japanese Space Agency

Damage: Login information to gain access to a cargo shuttle that carries food and equipment to the International Space Station (ISS) has been stolen

Attacker(s): Unknown

Rootkit, Bootkit, Adware, Backdoor, BHO, Downloader, Email Worm, Exploit, Flooder, Hack Tool, Hoax, Script, HTML, VB, JS, Bat, Fat, Net Worm, P2P Worm, Packed, Constructor , Packer, SQL, IM Worm, PWS, Spy, Dropper, Banker, Clicker, Proxy, SMS, GameThief, Ransom, Virus, Worm, Spyware, Fake AV, Fraud, Win32, Win64, Android….

Above is a list detailing just some of the malware categories MRG Effitas processes in its labs. Each individual category of malware may have tens or hundreds of thousands of variants. Each and every day, each category will spawn tens of thousands more variants.

The war is on, let’s work smart and join forces and win it!

MRG Effitas Team.

MRG Effitas is happy to announce that from now on we will be using a new testing specification for our Flash Tests. The methodology remains the same, however, we will now be using 200 0-day malware samples in each test.

List of participants by category:

Standalone Anti-Malware Applications:

Avira Antivir Premium
Avast Pro Antivirus
AVG Antivirus
BitDefender Antivirus
Emsisoft Anti-Malware
Eset Nod32 Antivirus
F-Secure Antivirus
GFI VIPRE Antivirus
IKARUS virus.utilities
Kaspersky Antivirus
Microsoft Security Essentials
McAfee Antivirus Plus
Panda Cloud Antivirus
SourceFire Immunet Plus
Symantec Norton Antivirus
Webroot SecureAnywhere

Complementary Anti-Malware Applications:

Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware
SUPERAntispyware Professional
Zemana Anti-Malware powered by HitmanPro

HIPS, AntiLogeers, Behaviour Blockers:

SoftSphere DefenseWall HIPS
Zemana AntiLogger