Microsoft published Security Advisory 2286198 on Friday of last week, confirming the existence of a critical vulnerability in all supported versions of Windows. The new zero-day vulnerability is easily exploitable via USB storage devices, network shares or remote WebDAV shares. All that is required for exploitation is for the contents of the USB device to be viewed in Windows Explorer. Specially crafted shortcut (.lnk) files are allowed to execute code when the shortcut’s icon is loaded to the GUI. An exploit targeting this vulnerability is currently in limited use and additional exploits are very likely in the coming weeks.

The shortcut vulnerability was discovered during investigation of the Stuxnet rootkit, which has been used in targeted attacks aimed at Siemens SCADA systems. Such systems are used for supervisory control and data acquisition in industrial facilities such as power plants. The shortcut file used in this case is detected as Exploit:W32/WormLink.A.

The situation is now more critical because a publicly available proof of concept was posted to several exploit database sites over the weekend. Proof of concept exploit code is now in-the-wild and F-Secure fully expects virus writers to utilize this method of attack in the near future.

Sean Sullivan, Security Advisor at F-Secure, said, “This shortcut worm is very dangerous and the seriousness of the situation will increase until Microsoft releases a fix. And because Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 is no longer supported, even the fix won’t fully resolve the issue. This is a major concern as F-Secure’s research shows that SP2 is still being used by many organizations.”

F-Secure strongly recommends that companies and organizations migrate to Windows XP Service Pack 3 as soon as possible, or implement Microsoft’s suggested workarounds.

Additionally, organizations need to create or review their USB device policy.

“This danger can be mitigated with best practices. If a company doesn’t have a security policy regarding USB devices, they’re at risk. Those that do have a policy should review it and make sure that it’s being followed. This is time critical as summer vacation season is approaching,” says Sullivan.

F-Secure Security Lab is continuing its research into the “shortcut worm” and the latest news will be available at our blog http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/

F-Secure – Protecting the irreplaceable
While you concentrate on what is important to you, we make sure you are protected and safe online whether you are using a computer or a smartphone. We also backup and enable you to share your important files. Our services are available through over 200 operators around the world and trusted in millions of homes and businesses. Founded in 1988, F-Secure is listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd.

f-secure.com I twitter.com/fsecure I facebook.com/f-secure

Domains include:
WhyCoQ10.com
WhatisCoQ10.com
CoQ10Review.com

More new domains and dedicated landing pages are on the way so I will post them here as they are completed.

This is great news for PPC affiliates. No restrictions on these domains! Text links are available in ShareASale and Commission Junction.

Provo, UT (PRWEB) July 16, 2010
When looking for the next growth opportunity online, the owners of Flirty Aprons decided it was time to launch an affiliate marketing program and hired Greg Hoffman Consulting to handle the project. Since last Fall, the wildly popular ecommerce site has seen a solid 30% growth through affiliate traffic.

Flirty Aprons first launched on the ShareASale network at the beginning of the Holiday season in early November, 2009. The affiliate management strategy was to recruit as many affiliates as possible and get them active quickly so as to capitalize on the holiday rush. Several weeks later, they launched another program on Commission Junction. Sales started immediately for affiliates in both networks and Flirty Aprons finished November with more than 100 sales combined at 4.5% conversion.

“Our total holiday sales in 2009 were fantastic but Mother’s Day 2010 trumped even those amazing figures,” said Joseph Hansen, CEO of Flirty Aprons. “We knew our sales were historically higher around Mother’s Day (than other non-holiday months) but they were really over the top this year. The affiliate channel helped us grow tremendously by adding thousands of new customers.”

Melea Johnson, owner of www.freebies2deals.com, was one of Flirty Aprons top performing affiliates this year.

“Mom’s love a cute and fun product, but they also love a great price,” she said. “And, that is exactly what Flirty Aprons is all about.”

Affiliate marketing isn’t usually this easy for merchants but Hansen and his team worked hard on fine tuning conversions on each product page and made the sales process very simple for customers, according to Greg Hoffman, President of Greg Hoffman Consulting. “Their aprons are unique gifts for mom, priced well and fun for affiliates to promote,” he added.

To combat seasonality, Hoffman is working with Flirty Aprons to come up with powerful affiliate-based promotions to keep the traffic coming. Through a combination of special sales, coupons and deals along with individual communication and intense recruiting of affiliates, Hoffman is preparing the program to be one of the hottest products for Cyber Monday 2010 and Mother’s Day 2011.

Flirty Aprons can be found on the ShareASale, Commission Junction and Pepperjam networks. The program pays 15% with a 60-day cookie. The program conversion rate ranges between 3% – 7% and the typical Earnings Per Click (EPC) is around $30. The datafeed is updated regularly and is available in Popshops and other popular tools for affiliates.

Flirty Aprons was founded by two married couples: Joseph and Heather Hansen, and Spencer and Jamie Taylor. When the owners initially met they discovered they each had a strong passion for business. They knew that their partnership would be enriched with a variety of skills that would allow them to create a successful and enjoyable business. Their products include aprons for women, children and men.

Greg Hoffman Consulting is an outsourced program management agency with merchants in the top affiliate networks. The GHC team consists of two experienced affiliate managers and a recruiter. Visit www.greghoffmanconsulting.com to learn more about our style of affiliate management.

Here are the new banners:

Have you heard the story on how I met my wife? Here is the post on the old blog, but I will repost here as well.

Update: We were married February 6.

Originally posted 9/28/09
You may or may not know this but over the summer, I got engaged! Her name is Jen Williams and we met on eHarmony last year. Our official match date was 11/27/08.

I was on eHarmony after my divorce several years ago but I wasn’t ready for a serious commitment. When my children relocated from Florida to the metro-Atlanta area in the fall of 2008, I started looking at relocating and wanted to get serious about finding the right match once I moved. During the Thanksgiving Weekend, I signed up for eHarmony again and filled out my detailed profile. This time I knew in my head the kind of person I was looking for in Atlanta. I had a checklist. I won’t embarass her with the details here but I will tell you that my search was over on day one. Jen was the only person I went to open communication with and as soon as we started talking on the phone, I cancelled my eHarmony subscription. When you know, you know.

Jen had been on eHarmony for a while and was about to give it a break. I think my persistence and overall confidence that we should be together helped her decide that she was done looking as well.

We were an incredible match from the beginning. We talked for hours every night for the next two weeks. We met one night in mid December at a Taco Mac in Alpharetta. There was an instant attraction. Sometime during the date she excused herself and went to the ladies room. On her way back, she leaned into the booth and kissed me. I was floored. I was in love.

I Got Lucky. In January, I was fixated on XM Elvis Radio. One night I heard the song, I Got Lucky, a 1962 recording from the movie Kid Galahad. For some reason, every lyric of that song hit me with truth. I really did get lucky when I found Jen. And I have cherished her everyday since then. Needless to say we have a theme song.

I moved to Roswell in March and the courtship was on… We are getting married on June 12, 2010 in Roswell, Georgia. Her two boys and my son and daughter will be a family that day. For now, we are spending lots of time together and loving every minute of it.

It’s time for you to join eHarmony. You know who you are.

Save 17% on a 12 month subscription at eHarmony! (coupon code: CJPROMOBBT Expiration Date 9/30/10)

Patrik Sallner, VP, of F-Secure’s Mobile Business Unit, said, “F-Secure Mobile Security is the world’s leading smartphone security solution and we are very pleased to make it available for Android alongside other popular mobile platforms. This means our operator partners can now provide their customers with comprehensive IT security covering both smartphones and computers.”

F-Secure Mobile Security 6 provides complete security for smartphones, protecting against malicious software and safeguarding confidential data even if the phone is lost or stolen. Its innovative Browsing Protection makes Internet use and mobile financial transactions safer than ever for smartphone users.

Sallner said, “Today’s smartphones are designed for surfing the web and financial transactions such as online banking and shopping. In our recent survey* we found that over a third of users surf the web with their smartphones and just over ten percent use them for online banking. F-Secure’s advanced technology provides peace of mind for smartphone users so they can enjoy their devices to the fullest without worrying that sensitive information may fall into the wrong hands.”

Browsing Protection identifies which websites are safe to enter and blocks harmful sites that try to spread malware or steal confidential information, such as banking details. The Anti-Theft feature makes it possible to remotely lock the phone or erase data on the phone if it is lost or stolen. It can also inform you of the new number if the SIM card is changed and can show you the phone’s location, so you can track down who has your smartphone. F-Secure Mobile Security 6 also protects smartphones against malicious software, including spying tools, viruses and trojans. Frequent automatic updates, immediate reaction times and fast cures during new and emerging threats are guaranteed by the F-Secure Labs, which operate 24 hours a day worldwide. F-Secure is a pioneer in mobile security and has already been protecting mobile devices for a full ten years.

F-Secure Mobile Security 6 is now available for Android, Symbian and Windows Mobile platforms through the F-Secure eStore http://www.f-secure.com/en_US/products/mobile/mobile-security/. A free seven-day trial version of Mobile Security is available at: https://shop.f-secure.com/cgi-bin/dlreg/ml=EN?ID=FSMAVTB&desid=MOBILE&APX=SITE-EN

F-Secure – Protecting the irreplaceable

While you concentrate on what is important to you, we make sure you are protected and safe online whether you are using a computer or a smartphone. We also backup and enable you to share your important files. Our services are available through over 200 operators around the world and trusted in millions of homes and businesses. Founded in 1988, F-Secure is listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd.

f-secure.com I twitter.com/fsecure I facebook.com/f-secure

* The survey was carried out by independent third party Zoomerang in May 2010 across 1,439 Internet users in the United States, Germany, UK, Finland, Sweden, Poland and Malaysia. There were approximately 200 persons surveyed per country.

I’d like to invite you to an exciting new program on Commission Junction and a top 100 Powerank ShareASale member – Polka Dot Design. Active affiliates should expect conversion up to 7%, with average orders around $75 and 30 Day EPC at $50. No ppc restrictions. Monthly newsletter. Dedicated management team. Full product datafeed coming soon. 10% commission.

Polka Dot Design Stationery & Invitation Co., was established in 1999 and continues to be a leading online stationery company. Along with our growing line of Exclusive Designs, we also represent many well-known invitation brands. Customers are sure to find a design they love whether the need is for baby announcements, birthday invitations, wedding invitations, shower invitations, photo cards or Christmas Cards. Between modern and traditional, cute and simple, we provide the perfect designs for all of life’s special occasions.

We have a large variety of product categories to choose from covering many niches that may interest you. Below are just a sampling of some of the product categories for you to choose from.

* Party Supplies
* Pre-inked Custom Stamps
* Shower Invitations
* Graduation Announcements
* Birthday Invitations
* Party Invitations
* Birth Announcements
* Wedding Stationery
* Return Address Labels
* Personalized Notepads
* Personalized Stickers
* College and Greek Gifts
* Twins Announcements & Invitations
* Personalized Favor Gift Tags

Here is the link to join CJ.

Here is the link to join ShareASale.

It’s not just soccer fans around the world who are interested in the FIFA World Cup, which is kicking off in South Africa on Friday, June 11. The huge global interest in the event also attracts cybercriminals who see it as a major opportunity to make money by selling fake tickets, attracting soccer fans to drive-by download websites (websites that download malware without the users knowledge) and carrying out phishing attacks camouflaged with a World Cup theme.

Mikko Hypponen, Chief Research Officer at F-Secure, said, “I urge soccer fans everywhere to give cybercriminals the red card by refusing to be fooled by their dirty tricks. In addition to online vigilance against World Cup spam, scams and hoaxes, it’s also crucial to keep computers patched and up-to-date to avoid getting hit by drive-by downloads from dubious websites.”

World Cup tickets are hot property at the moment and desperate fans looking for last minute bargains make an ideal target group for online fraudsters. Unfortunately, many of the seemingly attractive ticket deals offered outside the official World Cup website, www.fifa.com, are bogus and fans end up losing their money.

A survey commissioned by F-Secure* conducted in Germany, Sweden and the UK asked how likely Internet users would be to click on a link promising information about cheap tickets for the World Cup. An average of 28 percent of respondents in the three countries were tempted to some degree, with about 8 percent of respondents saying they would be very likely to click on the link.

With World Cup fever taking over the planet, hundreds of millions of people are also visiting all kinds of websites that purport to give the latest results and breaking news from the tournament. In anticipation of all this web traffic, cybercriminals have been setting up bogus websites designed to appear near the top of search engine results for the World Cup, ready to infect visitors. Spam email about star player scandals, sensational sports news reports from South Africa and fraudulent World Cup tickets are also certain to multiply as the tournament gets under way.

Soccer fans should also be on the look-out for phishing attacks disguised as competitions or surprise lottery wins that attempt to steal their credit card numbers, online banking details, personal passwords, and other confidential information.

Mikko Hypponen’s top tips for staying safe online during the World Cup:

- Don’t believe the spam – you have not won a lottery for free tickets for the World Cup final.

- Only buy online tickets and merchandise from www.fifa.com and authorized vendors. More information is available on the FIFA website.

- Get your World Cup news from reputable websites.

- Use the free F-Secure Health Check (www.f-secure.com/healthcheck) and Online Scanner (http://ols.f-secure.com) to check if your computer is secure or get full protection with a free 30-day trial of F-Secure Internet Security 2010 (www.f-secure.com/is2010).

F-Secure’s free online Health Check and Online Scanner can pinpoint any security issues that need to be fixed so you can enjoy the World Cup to the full. Health Check lets you know if you are using the latest software versions – this way criminals cannot exploit vulnerabilities that exist in out-of-date programs. Online Scanner scans your computer for known malware. F-Secure is also offering a free 30-day trial of F-Secure Internet Security 2010, which provides comprehensive protection for your computer – perfect for the duration of the World Cup.

F-Secure – Protecting the irreplaceable
While you concentrate on what is important to you, we make sure you are protected and safe online whether you are using a computer or a smartphone. We also backup and enable you to share your important files. Our services are available through over 200 operators around the world and trusted in millions of homes and businesses. Founded in 1988, F-Secure is listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd.
f-secure.com | twitter.com/fsecure | facebook.com/f-secure

Because of the recession, summer camp is now a luxury for many parents. Meanwhile, the job market for teens hasn’t been this tight in decades. So you can bet that your kids will be spending countless hours Facebooking, YouTubing and Twittering away this summer.

You can also be sure cybercriminals will be hitting your PC with every phishing scam, malicious link and malware they can imagine. At the same time, social networks have opened your kids’ lives to world, creating privacy and safety concerns that your parents never had to deal with.

To protect your PC and your kids, here are five things you need to know before you leave for work tomorrow.

1. Links are not your friends
With one click on a Facebook link, your PC could be crippled. Cybercriminals are aware that many of the more than 400 million users of Facebook have plenty of time to kill. That’s why they’re spreading their scams with links described as “The Sexiest Video EVER” or “You’ll never believe this LOL.” When a link like that appears on a Facebook wall posted by a friend, it takes incredible will power not to click it. So repeat this mantra: If a link looks too good to be true, it is. Of course, this advice won’t always work. That’s why you should go ahead and bookmark F-Secure’s free Browsing Protection. If your son or daughter feels they must click on a sensational link, have them check it out first.

2. Make it your job to arm your PC with the most recent updates
If you don’t keep your system software up to date, you risk inviting predators into your PC. Monthly updates for Windows, Adobe Reader, iTunes, and other applications are essential for your online safety. This process can be tedious and time consuming, but F-Secure’s Health Check makes it easy. Run it once a month and feel a little better about letting you kid take control of the keyboard and mouse.

3. Just say no to installing software
Once you’ve run Health Check and made sure you’re protect, there’s no need for your kids to install any random software that pops up. So just say no. No, you do not need to add some media player. No, you do not need to click on that ad to scan the PC to see why it’s so slow. No. No. No. If there is something the PC needs, have your child wait until you get home and check it out. And if you aren’t sure what the software does, Google it. These few extra steps can prevent some pretty nasty malware from ending up on your PC.

4. Set clear boundaries for what your child should not share
Most kids know more about Facebook than you’d ever want to. They know how to add and erase apps or how to block this user and not that one. They know how to make their photos only available to friends of friends. But they may not know what they should NOT share. Make sure your kids know not to share their private information—email addresses, phone numbers, home addresses—in public. They should also avoid posting information about their schedule, especially vacations. Tell them that they aren’t to post when their parents are home or not. On a social network, you can never be sure whom exactly you are sharing your information with, or which of your friends might share your information to the whole world. Your kids need to know that no matter how private their settings tell them they are, anything they post on a social network should be considered as public as the front page of a newspaper—if they know what that is.

5. If you can’t beat them, join them
You should know which social networks your children are on. If you have the time, it’s a good idea to start a profile on the site and become their friend or follower. It doesn’t take long, maybe five minutes per site. This way, you’ll get a sense of what your kids are sharing with whom. You can’t watch your child every minute. But if they get the sense that you could be watching, it can only help them think before they click or post.

AV-Comparatives is an Austrian non-profit organization providing independent antivirus software tests free to the public. Its latest comparative test measured how accurately the antivirus products detect malware and if they falsely detect viruses from clean files. In addition to effective malware detection, the AV-Comparatives’ test proved that F-Secure’s antivirus is extremely good at avoiding false positives. False alarms can sometimes cause as much trouble as a real infection, according to AV-Comparatives.

Andreas Clementi, Chairman of AV-Comparatives, said, “In order to better evaluate the quality of the detection capabilities of the antivirus products, we also provide a false alarm test. F-Secure’s antivirus product scored extremely well with few false positives. It is important that an antivirus product makes the right decisions about possible malware because users don’t have the skills and don’t want to be bothered by the antivirus to make complex decisions about security issues.”

Mika Stahlberg, VP, F-Secure Labs, said, “F-Secure’s sixth Advanced+ score in the AV-Comparatives tests is very satisfying. It shows that all the effort we are putting into researching and developing our antivirus technology and improving our response processes is directly benefiting the end customer. By combining powerful malware detection with a minimal level of false positives, we make sure that our security solutions do not disturb the user and demand action unnecessarily.”

The full details of AV-Comparatives tests can be viewed at http://www.av-comparatives.org/.

F-Secure Internet Security 2010 is available at http://www.f-secure.com/en_US/products/home-office/internet-security/

F-Secure — Protecting the irreplaceable
While you concentrate on what is important to you, we make sure you are protected and safe online whether you are using a computer or a smartphone. We also backup and enable you to share your important files. Our services are available through over 200 operators around the world and trusted in millions of homes and businesses. Founded in 1988, F-Secure is listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd.
www.f-secure.com | www.twitter.com/fsecure | www.facebook.com/f-secure

Editors Note: Join the F-Secure affiliate program and earn up to 50% commission!