The threat of digital predation by a virus, or online scam seems so pervasive these days that you might have just accepted it as an inevitable part of life. When a computer virus ends up draining your bank account, however, this common scourge can hit too close to home. The good news is 97 percent of security breaches can be prevented, and if the worst happens, there are tools available to help you cut your losses and beat cyber-crooks at their own game. With the right software and a few simple techniques, digital fraud, identity theft, and sensitive data loss can be easy to thwart.

Over the past couple of years a new breed of malware has been making headlines. These new attacks are very complex, and seem to be directed at precision targets of national or military significance—suggesting that they’ve been developed by nation-states as cyber weapons. New information suggests that these threats may have been developed much earlier than previously thought, and that some of the malware attacks are still evolving and/or have not yet been discovered.

Stuxnet, Duqu, and Flame all seem to be highly sophisticated malware platforms. A coalition of security researchers has been diligently working to unravel Flame, figure out what makes it tick, and learn more about its origins and purpose. The results of the investigation are intriguing and seem to create as many questions as they answer.

It is rare to find a new PC that doesn’t come with additional bells and whistles in addition to the operating system itself. The “bloatware” that PC vendors add on often includes useful tools like third-party security software. It seems, though, that some PCs also come with something more insidious—pre-installed malware.

Microsoft researchers investigating counterfeit software in China were stunned to find that brand new systems being booted for the first time ever were already compromised with botnet malware right out of the box. Microsoft has filed a computer fraud suit against a Web domain registered to a Chinese businessman.

Apple is hosting a major media event today to unveil the iPhone 5. In the days leading up to any iPhone announcement there's always a good deal of heated speculation regarding what features and capabilities the new smartphone will have.

Smartphones and tablets store gigabytes of data. They have banking apps, and apps that access credit card or investment accounts. They connect to email, and social networks. If a mobile device falls into the wrong hands, it's possible that sensitive information and data could be compromised. That's why your smartphones and tablets need to be locked down and protected.

Thanks to the FBI, the United States government will soon have a nationwide system in place capable of monitoring and identifying “persons of interest” virtually anywhere. The Next Generation Identification (NGI) system is designed to aid the FBI in tracking down and capturing criminals.

Fingerprints have been the primary unique identifier for law enforcement agencies of all levels for a century. Even with billions of samples on record, no two fingerprints have ever been found to be alike.