The rising attractiveness of online video attracts the interest of malicious hackers and hi-tech criminals.Security firms are reporting more and more instances of infected Windows codecs - file compressors - required to play some video formats.

Some of the codecs let individuals play internet videos, but also have spyware and adware wrapped inside.

Hackers have released code that could let an aggressor render Windows Firewall inoperative on some Windows XP machines.

The code, which was uploaded on the Internet early Sunday morning, could be used to disable Windows Firewall on a fully patched Windows XP PC running Windows' Internet Connection Service (ICS). This service allows Windows users to basically turn theirs PCs into routers and share their Internet connections with other systems on a LAN. It is usually used by home and small-business users.

IObit has released Advanced WindowsCare Pro version 2, a dominant Windows 2000/XP software that analyzes and fixes Windows problems without human intervention, all the while protecting users from spyware and from threats to their privacy. Unlike difficult patch up and defense programs that are designed for network administrators and computer consultants, Advanced WindowsCare Pro lets home users and business people detect blockages, eliminate freeze-ups, and lock out privacy threats and spyware. After users install Advanced WindowsCare Pro, it works silently in the background, keeping their business and home computer safe.

The world’s largest financial institutions experienced a surge in the number of security attacks over the past year, specifically from external sources. More than three-quarters (78%, up from 26% in 2005) of respondents confirmed a security breach from outside the organization and almost half (49%, up from 35% in 2005) experienced at least one internal breach.

An identity-theft scheme that could have an effect on thousands of Americans has been exposed in Denver, the district attorney's offices advised in a customer alert Friday.

"The possible damage to citizens is enormous," said Lynn Kimbrough, spokesman for the prosecutor's office. "The possible is there that could affect thousands by the incredible misuse of tax reports and banking information."

Security experts are warning that cyber criminals are harvesting the biggest botnet for over two years – by now close to a million PCs – online.

No one knows yet exactly what despicable activity the army of owned PCs will be used for. But the chances are it will be a massive attack of phishing aimed at defrauding web consumers in the run up to Christmas.

High-tech hackers using spyware are costing US discount brokerages millions of dollars in repayments to clients who have been victimised by fraud, the brokerages have revealed.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission notified earlier this month that scammers were hijacking online brokerage accounts, using spyware and operating from remote locations.

Web hosting provider, Planeetta Internet Oy, has chosen distributed denial of service (DDoS) Firewall security appliance firm's IG200 DDoS Firewall solution, to protect its over 5000 clients.

The incident happened over Labor Day weekend, and it is possible that the hackers accessed names, addresses, birth dates, and Social Security numbers of about 230,000 patients and their families, as well as a database containing the bank-account information of about 12,000 donors.

Denver law-enforcement officials are warning people who use file-sharing software, principally LimeWire, to be very cautious for a computer security breach that could put their personal data into the wrong hands.