Removing crucial information from manuscripts describing two experiments that made a lethal bird flu more likely to transmit among humans “maximized the benefits to society and minimized the risks,” the government’s biosecurity panel that recommended the censorship said Tuesday. In a commentary published online by both Science and Nature, the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity explained its reasoning for asking that the manuscripts from teams in Holland and Wisconsin be “greatly limited in terms of the experimental details and results.” The potential risk that a terrorist, a hostile government or a mentally unbalanced scientist could use the details to build a lethal, highly transmissible flu virus was “of unusually high magnitude,” the panel said. Physicists faced a similar dilemma in the 1940s when publishing nuclear weapons research, the panel said. The two scientific teams that created transmissible H5N1 bird flu viruses recently agreed to stop working with them for 60 days.
Archive for the ‘Computer Security’ Category
Idenix Says FDA Lifts Partial Hold On Hepatitis Drug IDX184; But Stock Down – NASDAQ
(RTTNews.com) - Idenix Pharmaceuticals Inc. (IDIX) said Friday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has lifted the partial hold placed on its lead candidate IDX184 for the treatment of Hepatitis C Virus, or HCV.
The FDA decision will allow Idenix to continue its 12-week phase IIb study of IDX184 in combination with standard care pegylated interferon and ribavirin (PegIFN/RBV) for the treatment of HCV. Nevertheless, investors were not impressed with the news and the company's shares dropped 10 percent in morning trade on the Nasdaq.
IDX184 is a pan-genotypic oral nucleotide polymerase inhibitor, and has showed a high resistance in vitro and potent antiviral activity in trials. Recent interim phase IIb data showed favorable antiviral activity and no serious events.
A clinical hold was issued by the FDA in September 2010 as a result of three cases of elevated liver function tests found during study in healthy volunteers of the combination of IDX184 and IDX320, an investigational HCV protease inhibitor.
Idenix conducted further preclinical studies, and concluded that the observed toxicity was likely caused by IDX320, whose development was later dropped.
At the start of 2011, the FDA removed a full clinical hold on IDX184, and the program was placed on partial hold. That allowed Idenix to initiate enrollment of treatment-naive genotype 1 HCV-infected patients into a randomized, double-blind, parallel group phase IIb trial of IDX184 in July 2011.
In January 2012, Idenix submitted interim phase IIb data for the first 31 patients to the FDA, along with a recommendation from the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board, and requested removal of the partial clinical hold on IDX184.
Following the FDA decision, Idenix said it can now initiate dosing of a further 30 patients and also begin a broad phase IIb study of IDX184.
Hepatitis C, one of the major causes of liver failure, is caused by hepatitis C virus, which is spread from person to person through contact with infected blood. About 3.2 million Americans, and 170 million people worldwide, are said to be chronically infected with HCV.
The standard treatment for hepatitis C is a 48-week treatment of both pegylated interferon and ribavirin. But the current standard care therapy is associated with poor response rates and significant side effects. Last year, new new drugs for Hepatitis C were approved by the FDA - Merck & Co.'s (MRK) Victrelis and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s (VRTX) Incivek.
Since its inception in May 1998, Idenix has incurred significant losses each year.
IDIX is trading at $11.81, down $1.38 or 10.46%, on a volume of 5.5 million shares on the Nasdaq.
For comments and feedback: contact editorial@rttnews.com
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Idenix Announces Removal of the Partial Clinical Hold on HCV Nucleotide … – MarketWatch (press release)
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. /quotes/zigman/90571/quotes/nls/idix IDIX -3.28% , a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of drugs for the treatment of human viral diseases, today announced that it has received notification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the partial clinical hold on IDX184 has been removed and that the Company's 12-week phase IIb study evaluating IDX184 in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin (PegIFN/RBV) may continue. IDX184, the Company's lead product candidate for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a pan-genotypic oral nucleotide polymerase inhibitor, and has demonstrated a high barrier to resistance in vitro and potent antiviral activity in both preclinical and clinical studies. Recently announced interim phase IIb data demonstrated favorable antiviral activity and no serious adverse events.
"After review of the interim safety and antiviral activity results from the IDX184 phase IIb clinical trial, the FDA removed the partial clinical hold and has allowed us to continue enrollment of this study," Ron Renaud, President and Chief Executive Officer of Idenix, commented. "Importantly, this allows us to expand the phase IIb program and evaluate IDX184 in interferon-free combination regimens with other direct-acting antivirals. We are working toward beginning all-oral combination trials as quickly as possible."
About IDX184 Phase IIb Study
In July 2011, Idenix initiated enrollment of treatment-naive genotype 1 HCV-infected patients into a randomized, double-blind, parallel group phase IIb clinical trial of IDX184. The study features two treatment arms, either 50 mg or 100 mg of IDX184 administered once-daily for 12 weeks, each arm in combination with PegIFN/RBV. Study objectives include safety and tolerability, and antiviral activity endpoints. The FDA has agreed to truncate the study from 100 patients, as in the original protocol, to a total of 60 patients, and to expand the enrollment criteria.
About IDX184 Partial Clinical Hold
A clinical hold originally was issued in September 2010 as a result of three cases of elevated liver function tests observed during a drug-drug interaction study in healthy volunteers of the combination of IDX184 and IDX320, an investigational HCV protease inhibitor. Idenix reviewed available data and conducted additional preclinical studies. With the help of independent experts and an external safety committee, the Company concluded that the observed toxicity was likely caused by IDX320 and submitted all data to the FDA. At the beginning of 2011, the FDA removed a full clinical hold on IDX184, and the program was placed on partial clinical hold allowing the Company to initiate the 12-week phase IIb study for IDX184 in July 2011. In January 2012, Idenix submitted interim phase IIb data for the first 31 patients to the FDA, along with a recommendation from the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board to continue the study, and requested removal of the partial clinical hold on IDX184. The partial clinical hold has now been removed allowing the initiation of dosing of an additional 30 patients in the ongoing phase IIb clinical trial and the initiation of a broad phase IIb program with IDX184 in the coming months.
About IDX184
IDX184 is an unpartnered, novel, liver-targeted nucleotide prodrug of 2'-methyl guanosine, which includes Idenix's proprietary liver-targeting technology. This technology enables the delivery of nucleoside monophosphate to the liver, leading to the formation of high levels of nucleoside triphosphate, potentially maximizing drug efficacy and limiting systemic side effects with low, once-daily dosing.
About Idenix
Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc., headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of drugs for the treatment of human viral diseases. Idenix's current focus is on the treatment of patients with hepatitis C infection. For further information about Idenix, please refer to www.idenix.com .
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to the statements regarding the Company's future business and financial performance. For this purpose, any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, the words "expect," "plans," "anticipates," "intends," "will," and similar expressions are also intended to identify forward-looking statements, as are expressed or implied statements with respect to the Company's potential pipeline candidates, including any expressed or implied statements regarding the efficacy and safety of IDX184 or any other drug candidate; the successful development of novel combinations of direct-acting antivirals for the treatment of hepatitis C; the likelihood and success of any future clinical trials involving our drug candidates; and expectations with respect to funding of operations and future cash balances. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to the following: there can be no guarantees that the Company will advance any clinical product candidate or other component of its potential pipeline to the clinic, to the regulatory process or to commercialization; management's expectations could be affected by unexpected regulatory actions or delays; uncertainties relating to, or unsuccessful results of, clinical trials, including additional data relating to the ongoing clinical trials evaluating its product candidates; the Company's ability to obtain additional funding required to conduct its research, development and commercialization activities; the Company's dependence on its collaboration with Novartis Pharma AG; changes in the Company's business plan or objectives; the ability of the Company to attract and retain qualified personnel; competition in general; and the Company's ability to obtain, maintain and enforce patent and other intellectual property protection for its product candidates and its discoveries. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. These and other risks which may impact management's expectations are described in greater detail under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2011, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and in any subsequent periodic or current report that the Company files with the SEC.
All forward-looking statements reflect the Company's estimates only as of the date of this release (unless another date is indicated) and should not be relied upon as reflecting the Company's views, expectations or beliefs at any date subsequent to the date of this release. While Idenix may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, even if the Company's estimates change.
Idenix Pharmaceuticals Contacts:Kelly Barry (617) 995-9033 (media)Teri Dahlman (617) 995-9807 (investors)
SOURCE Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved
Volume: 2.36M
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Warning on emails with virus – Cumberland Courier Newspapers
NORTHERN district residents are being warned about a Windows 2007 virus that is spreading.
Express Computer Repairs’ Darren Boehm said the virus seems to ride on the back of emails claiming to be from the following organisations or companies: FedEx, Australia Post, Australian Air Express (AAE), DHL, Telstra and the Australia Tax Office (ATO).
The virus comes in the form of a zip file that is compressed and when opened it automatically hides all the user’s files.
“The standard antivirus software sometimes removes it but is useless once the payload is released by unzipping the file,” Mr Boehm said. “Don’t try to rescue the files. All files are usually still on the computer but are in places you won’t expect.
“Attempting self removal will often see the virus re-spawn and damage system files on the computer.”
Pensioners who have been affected by the virus can have their computers cleaned for a discounted price.
For help in cleaning your computer visit Express Computer Repairs at 785 Victoria Rd, Ryde or phone 9877 6992.
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Austin Computer Repair Company Launches Signal Booster Service for Best Cell … – MarketWatch (press release)
AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Austin Mobile Computer Repair is pleased to announce that it is now offering a new signal booster and wireless extender service for homeowners and companies throughout the Austin area to help them get the best cell phone reception.
The mobile technical support and computer repair service firm provides many essential repair and upgrade services including computer and laptop repair, data recovery, virus and spyware removal, and software or operating system upgrades.
As mobile devices have become increasingly useful with ever renewed functionality, the company has expanded its services to include technical support on wireless-related issues, such as ensuring quality wireless signal reception for cell phones and other wireless devices at homes and offices by using the micro cell technology.
Austin Mobile Computer Repair now offers micro cell tower installation, a new service that helps establish stable wireless signal reception in certain indoor areas, such as homes, where receptions are either weak or non-existent. A micro cell tower is a low-power cellular base station, enabling the micro cell to cover a limited area (i.e. inside a home) with quality cell signals. A home-installed micro cell tower is connected to the outside normal cellular network through broadband such as DSL or cable. Using a micro cell tower at home ensures no more dropped calls and loss of web connections and makes it possible to get the best cell phone reception.
Micro cell technology and micro cell towers sometimes are used by wireless providers in their mobile phone networks for certain commercial settings on a temporary basis. For example, to add network capacity at a stadium for an upcoming event, a wireless service provider may decide to install a certain number of micro cell towers around the stadium to accommodate the expected dense usage of phones and other mobile devices by attendees during the event. But the technology has not been widely applied in the home.
Austin Mobile Computer Repair has been tapping into this available technology and using it for home installation with much success. With a micro cell tower, consumers not only benefit from the improved coverage and potentially better voice quality and Internet page loading, but also see less impact on the battery life of their devices.
Contact:
Ryan BowersAustin Mobile Computer Repair http://www.AustinMobileComputerRepair.com 512-921-6517
This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com .
SOURCE Austin Mobile Computer Repair
Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved
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Q&A: Restoring Hidden Icons, Okay to Uninstall Visual C++ Versions? – PCWorld
Last night my sister-in-law called me, just about in tears. Something had happened to her laptop and everything seemed to be gone: all her desktop and Start menu icons, and, even scarier, all her data. It was like aliens had abducted her desktop. Not aliens: hackers. Her system had been infected by a virus, and it took me a few sweeps with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to get rid of it. (Here's a great malware-removal tutorial from PCWorld's Eric Geier.)
Just one problem: Removing the virus hadn't restored all my sister-in-law's icons and data. The hard drive still showed nearly full, meaning nothing had actually been erased, but for all intents and purposes, the stuff was still MIA.
Fortunately, I found a utility that worked a seemingly major miracle: It brought everything back.
It's called UnHide. This free, self-contained utility is available via BleepingComputer courtesy of a user named Grinler. Just download and run the program, then be prepared to wait. On my system, it took 10-15 minutes to restore everything.
But restore everything it did: desktop icons, the Start Menu, and all the seemingly vanished data.
This was a first for me; I'd never encountered a virus that made almost the entire desktop disappear. Scary stuff!
If you find yourself in a similar situation, don't panic. I think it's the rare virus that actually does wipe out data. That said, this is probably a good time to remind you to make regular backups--not just to an external drive, but also to the cloud. Better safe than sorry!
Reader Don posed this excellent question: "I use Revo Uninstaller. Under Programs Present I see many different versions of [Microsoft Visual] C++. Can I delete some of them without messing up my PC?"
I'm a Revo user, too, Don, and I've seen firsthand what you're talking about. Of course, even running Windows' own program uninstaller can reveal multiple instances of Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable, often with diffferent years and version numbers.
On my system, in fact, I count 13 of them.
It's logical to think that Windows probably needs only one of these versions--the most recent. And it's also logical to think that by clearing out the older ones, you'll reclaim some hard drive space and maybe lighten the Registry's load a bit.
My advice: leave those C++ installations alone. The reality is that they're small, usually no more than a couple megabytes, and different versions may be linked to different programs you've installed. It's darn near impossible to know which one is associated with which, and deleting one might render a program inoperable--a hassle you definitely don't need.
I totally get the appeal of sifting through your uninstaller in search of programs you can send packing. However, when in doubt, don't throw it out.
Instead, if you're looking to optimize your system, free up some drive space, etc., try a utility like Advanced SystemCare 5 Free. It works pretty well, and it's less likely to delete something you'll need.
If you've got a hassle that needs solving, send it my way. I can't promise a response, but I'll definitely read every e-mail I get--and do my best to address at least some of them in the PCWorld Hassle-Free PC blog. My 411: hasslefree@pcworld.com. You can also sign up to have the Hassle-Free PC newsletter e-mailed to you each week.
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Panel Praises Removal of Details on Bird Flu – New York Times
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NSABB: Studies show how H5N1 can jump natural barrier – CIDRAP
Robert Roos 
News Editor
Jan 31, 2012 (CIDRAP News) – The core of a US biosecurity advisory board's concern about two controversial, as-yet-unpublished studies on H5N1 viruses is that the studies have shown how to remove the apparent natural barrier that keeps the viruses from spreading efficiently in mammals, members of the board said in statements published today.
Removal of this barrier creates the potential for a catastrophic pandemic if such mutant viruses were released by bioterrorists or by accident, said members of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB), which has focused mainly on the perceived risk of bioterrorism. The board has recommended withholding details of the studies from publication.
"The artificial evolution of a new mammal-adapted H5N1 virus, as reported in these two papers, has removed the natural barriers that might have existed. Accomplishing this in the lab, however, doesn't mean that it can occur naturally," said Paul Keim, PhD, acting chair of the NSABB, in a question-and-answer interview published in Nature.
A statement signed by all the NSABB members was published simultaneously in Nature and Science. The findings of the two studies are "very important because, before these experiments were done, it was uncertain whether avian influenza A/H5N1 could ever acquire the capacity for mammal-to-mammal transmission," the statement says.
"Now that this information is known, society can take steps globally to prepare for when nature might generate such a virus spontaneously."
Although NSABB members have talked to reporters in recent weeks, today's publications were the first formal statements from the board since its recommendation against full publication was announced by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Dec 20. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) endorsed the board's recommendation and forwarded it to Science and Nature, the journals considering publishing the studies.
Though often fatal, human infections with H5N1 are rare—fewer than 600 cases have been documented since 2003—and transmission from person to person is even rarer. In the two studies in question, researchers generated a mutant H5N1 virus and an H5N1-H1N1 hybrid virus that spread by airborne droplets among ferrets, which are considered the best animal models for studying human flu.
Ron Fouchier, PhD, of Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam led a team that generated mutations in an H5N1 strain and then allowed it to evolve naturally in ferrets, leading to more mutations that produced a variant that was efficiently transmissible and remained lethal to the ferrets. The study was submitted to Science.
In the other study, a team led by Yoshihiro Kawaoka, DVM, PhD, of the University of Wisconsin and the University of Tokyo combined the hemagglutinin (HA) gene from an H5N1 virus with seven other genes from a pandemic 2009 H1N1 virus. This, too, produced a virus that could spread by air, but it was no more pathogenic than the 2009 H1N1 virus and did not kill any of the ferrets, Kawaoka has said.
Rationale for targeting Kawaoka study
Much of Keim's interview today dealt with why the NSABB included Kawaoka's study in its recommendation, given that it involves a virus that was not lethal in ferrets and was a reassortant rather than a strictly H5N1 strain.
Responding to questions from Nature's editors, Keim wrote that though the reassortant is no more pathogenic than the 2009 H1N1 virus, "we believe that the techniques described could be used to generate other viruses with H5 HA that have potentially much greater pathogenicity." In addition, the fact that people have had no previous exposure to H5 viruses could lead to a much broader pandemic than that of 2009, he said.
The editors said the mutations described in Kawaoka's paper are insufficient to provide a blueprint for a transmissible, highly pathogenic, wholly avian H5N1 virus, suggesting that publishing the full study is not risky.
Keim replied, "The fact that Kawaoka's specific virus and mutations might not be the feared H5N1 pandemic strain is not the point. It is that this laboratory created a virus that has now bypassed apparent barriers to evolution in the wild. If this virus were to escape by error or by terror, we must ask whether it would cause a pandemic. The probability is unknown, but it is not zero."
He added that Kawaoka's study "significantly advances the ability to construct an H5 virus with catastrophic potential. This altered H5 HA gene could be combined with other influenza virus genes possibly leading to a pandemic."
The Nature editors also said independent advisers voiced doubt that Kawaoka's virus could be exploited by bioterrorists, since it couldn't be aimed at a specific population and because vaccines and drugs are available.
Keim acknowledged that bioterrorist uses of the virus would be "low-probability events, but they could introduce a new evolutionary seed into the environment that seems not to exist in nature. This might not cause a pandemic instantly, but it could start the virus on a new path for pandemic evolution." He also agreed that H5N1 vaccines and flu antivirals exist, but said supplies are not sufficient anywhere in the world.
Keim also was one of three commentators today writing on the issue in the open-access journal mBio (see related CIDRAP News story).
NSABB statement more general
The statement from the full NSABB is more general than Keim's comments and does not cover much new ground. The article focuses mainly on the risk of bioterrorism, with little mention of the risk for release of dangerous H5N1 viruses through lab accidents.
"We found the potential risk of public harm to be of unusually high magnitude," the board said, adding that the members were unanimous in concluding that the full details of the two studies should not be published.
"Our concern is that publishing these experiments in detail would provide information to some person, organization or government that would help them to develop similar mammal-adapted influenza A/H5N1 viruses for harmful purposes," the statement says.
But the board also sees the studies as clearly beneficial in that they alert the world to the threat of readily transmissible H5N1 and should spur greater preparedness and research on better defenses. Publishing the basic findings but not the full details will maximize the benefits and minimize the risks, the panel said.
As members have commented before, the board also called for a broad international discussion aiming for a consensus policy on dual-use research on H5N1. The World Health Organization recently said it would take the lead on such efforts and expressed the hope of holding a conference on the issues in February.
The board drew a parallel between the current situation and the controversy over recombinant DNA research in the 1970s. At that time researchers voluntarily imposed a moratorium on the work until they could develop guidelines on how to do it safely and responsibly.
Leading flu researchers announced on Jan 20 their own moratorium on studies that could lead to the generation of more-transmissible H5N1 viruses. The 60-day break is intended to allow time for discussion of the risks, benefits, and oversight.
Meanwhile, Science has agreed to postpone publication of the Fouchier study until March, "to allow the international conversations about the research to move forward," spokeswoman Kathy Wren told CIDRAP News today. She said no publication date has been set, however. Nature officials declined to comment on the timeline for publishing the Kawaoka report.
Fouchier expressed disappointment with the NSABB statement today, according to a Canadian Press (CP) report.
"I was hoping for an explanation of the risks of communicating the results of our study via normal publication. There is none," he told the CP. "Our information is useless to small bioterrorist groups, and larger organizations and rogue countries can replicate our work without our manuscript."
See also:
Jan 31 NSABB statement in Nature and Science
Introduction to Jan 31 Paul Keim comments in Nature
Jan 31 CP story quoting Fouchier
Jan 31 CIDRAP News story "Experts continue to clash over NSABB recommendation"
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Infections of the Reproductive System: Human Papillomavirus – EmpowHer
[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Infections of the Reproductive System: Human Papillomavirus EmpowHer By Stacy Lloyd HERWriter January 30, 2012 - 2:25pm The Illinois Department of Public Health said that human papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of viruses. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said that genital HPV is one of the most ... |
Comodo Cleaning Essentials Identifies and Removes Malware and Unsafe Processes … – MarketWatch (press release)
JERSEY CITY, NJ, Jan 31, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Comodo ( http://www.comodo.com/ ), one of the top certificate authorities and Internet security organizations, announced the release of Comodo(R) Cleaning Essentials, a set of powerful security tools designed to help users identify and remove malware and unsafe processes from infected Windows computers.
A portable application, Comodo Cleaning Essentials requires no installation and can be run directly from removable media such as a USB stick. This free, fast and easy-to-use software, which recently earned PC Magazine's coveted Editor's Choice, utilizes two core technologies -- KillSwitch and Malware scanner.
KillSwitch is an advanced system monitoring tool that allows users to identify, monitor and stop potentially unsafe processes that are running on endpoint systems. Unique for a product of its type, KillSwitch uses Comodo's whitelist database to isolate untrusted processes with an extremely high degree of accuracy -- improving IT operational efficiency by reducing false positives and reducing the amount of time needed to troubleshoot an endpoint machine.
Malware Scanner is a fully featured malware scanner capable of unearthing and removing viruses, rootkits, hidden files and malicious registry keys hidden deep within a system. This highly configurable scanner uses the latest heuristic techniques to detect previously unknown viruses, features first-class malware removal capabilities and is capable of detecting hidden drivers and services loaded during system start-up.
Other Comodo Cleaning Essentials features include:
-- The ability to classify the threat level of all objects and processes
currently loaded into memory and highlights those that are not
trusted;
-- Extremely efficient malware removal routines that thoroughly disinfect
virus stricken endpoints;
-- Integration with Comodo cloud scanning technology, delivering instant
behavioral analysis of unknown processes;
-- A quick repair feature that allows fast restoration of important
Windows settings;
-- Lightweight design that requires no installation and can be run right
from a USB stick
The focus of Comodo Cleaning Essentials spotlights Comodo's unique approach to Internet security, which is based on the fact that ridding an infected PC of malware is not the same as protecting a clean PC from potential threats. This distinction is explained in a Comodo video titled "Virus Protection vs. Virus Cleaning."
"Many Internet security vendors claim their software both cleans and protects, but that is not the case, and Comodo is working to educate consumers about the dangers of this misconception," said Melih Abdulhayoglu, Comodo's CEO and chief security architect. "Just as vitamins are designed to prevent illness and antibiotics are designed to cure illness, the software that cleans an infected computer is not the best solution for protecting a computer -- although other vendors will say otherwise. For this reason, we believe Comodo Cleaning Essentials is an indispensable tool that enables users to scan and remove viruses powered by a VB100 rated/ICSA Labs Certified COMODO Internet Security antivirus engine."
While Comodo Cleaning Essentials is designed to clean an infected PC, other products such as Comodo Internet Security are specifically designed to protect a PC, using an auto sandbox technology -- another Comodo differentiator. Other Internet security vendors promote the same "default-allow" technology that has left consumers vulnerable to e-threats -- and later forces them to turn to the same providers that allow access to the infected files to clean up the problems. Comodo's "default deny" approach not only stops obvious malware but also automatically sandboxes the unknown files until they're determined to be "good or bad."
This approach is spotlighted in Comodo's video "The Good, the Bad and the Unknown."
About Comodo Comodo(R) is a leading Internet security company. With U.S. Headquarters in New Jersey and global resources in UK, China, India, Ukraine, and Romania, Comodo provides businesses and consumers worldwide with security services, including digital certificates, PCI scanning, desktop security, and remote PC support. Securing online transactions for more than 200,000 businesses, and with more than 35 million desktop security software installations, including an award-winning firewall and antivirus software, Comodo is Creating Trust Online(R). To learn more, visit Comodo's website: http://www.comodo.com/ .
For more information, reporters and analysts may contact:
Liz O'Donnell
781-404-2442
lodonnell@topazpartners.com
SOURCE: Comodo
mailto:lodonnell@topazpartners.com
Copyright 2012 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.
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Kaspersky WindowsUnblocker 1.0.3 – PC Advisor
Kaspersky is a name readily associated with virus and malware removal and the company has a variety of tools that can be used to protect your computer and remove infections that may have found their way onto your system. A slightly rarer form of malware is known as ransom malware and it is notable for the way in which your computer is held to ransom. The way individual forms of ransom malware works varies somewhat, but you will generally be blocked from accessing your computer until you call a premium rate number or SMS.
Kaspersky WindowsUnblocker is a free tool that can be used to boot an otherwise unbootable computer and start the process of cleansing the registry of unwanted entries that have been added by malware. The software is supplied as an ISO image that can be burned to CD or DVD, or used to create a bootable USB drive – you then simply need to ensure that your computer is configure to boot from that drive and you’re ready to start cleaning up your system.
The WindowsUnblocker is provided as part of a Linux environment which can be used in both graphic and text based bode. The process of actually using the tool is a very hands-off process. There are no options to configure and you can simply set the tool running and leave it to its own devices. Once the scanning and disinfecting process is complete you will be provided with a report log
This is the sort of tool that you hope that you will never have to use, but it is a good idea to have your rescue media prepared in advance so it’s ready to use in case the need arises. When compared to other malware removal tools, WindowsUnlocker is not the most user-friendly app you will encounter and there is a fair degree of legwork to undertake before you can even get it up and running. The lack of control over the scanning and repair process is slightly disconcerting, but it could get you out of a sticky situation.
Platforms: Windows 2000, Windows 7 (32 bit), Windows 7 (64 bit), Windows 8, Windows Vista (32 bit), Windows Vista (64 bit), Windows XP
Version: 1.0.3
Licence: Freeware
Manufacturer: Kaspersky
Date Added: 2012-01-30 16:26:00.0
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