Privacy, Hacking and Virus Alerts

A new digital plague has hit the Internet, infecting millions of personal and business computers in what seems to be the first step of a multistage attack.

"We’re heartsick over this."

The list is being hailed as a major breakthrough that should gradually make the Internet much safer.

You may want to stop using your Internet Explorer browser — at least for the next day or so.

Have you noticed less spam and phishing e-mails over the last few weeks from banks saying your “account has been compromised” or pitches from online pharmacies selling all kinds of pills?

"A few other viruses have tried to use Facebook in similar ways to propagate themselves," Facebook spokesman Barry Schnitt said in an e-mail. He said a "very small percentage of users" had been affected by these viruses.

The botnet Srizbi was knocked offline Nov. 11 along with Web-hosting firm McColo, which Internet security experts say hosted machines that controlled the flow of 75 percent of the world’s spam.

The power of the press.

How else to describe the impact of an investigative piece by ace reporter Brian Krebs of the Washington Post, which led to the take down of McColo, a Web-hosting company responsible for a ton of spam.

The polls have been closed for less than 24 hours, and already hackers are launching a new malware campaign.

Truly alert Internet users can still see the telltale warning signs