Lyne Bourque

In 1984, I was introduced to my first home computer: a Macintosh. It was straightforward, easy to use and fit neatly on my desk. I pretty much used Mac through most of my life until I got into security. It was then that I realized that most issues were related to and targeted at Windows […]

So how do you actually go about removing malware? The reality is that most detection software, even after all this time, is still in the growing stage. Depending on whom you ask, the proactive success rate is potentially as low as 40 percent (or a detection failure rate as high as 60 percent). Which means […]

By the Numbers I recently had a look at the most recent CSI security survey. While a lot of things have changed over the past year, one thing is definitely consistent: attacks happen. At one point, attacks on companies were as high as 70 percent (in 2000) but today we see that the reported amount […]

So as the year trudges forward and the ominous threat of recession looms, thoughts of implementing and enhancing security seem moot. As often happens, security is viewed as a cost center, even more so during times of financial belt tightening. But is now really the time? This is the time to implement security or add […]

Well, after waiting and waiting for it, the CSI Survey for 2007 was finally released. And after 12 years, it still fills an important role in determining that state of IT security today. The first and most obvious change this year was the FBI’s absence in the title. This doesn’t indicate a lack of involvement, […]

A few weeks ago, a new variant of the Storm Worm (Small.DAM) appeared. Like most worms, this one starts off by propagating via email. In this case, rather than use celebrities or the allure of sex to attract readers, it relies on the most watched newsmakers of the last few years: the weather. And as […]

Privacy, it seems, is something that has been sacrificed in favor of thwarting criminals and stamping out injustice. While it’s important to keep vigilant, we shouldn’t be sacrificing our freedoms and right to privacy in the process. Along with this sacrifice, I have found we have opened ourselves to even more spam. We trawl the […]

With the start of a new school year and the Q4 crunch that befalls businesses, it is sometimes a good idea to return to basics. We get caught up in the importance of advanced security and advanced tools that we forget that sometimes it’s the more day-to-day routine stuff that will help us the most. […]

This month in Canadian politics, we’ve been inundated with debates and arguments about what is right or wrong for our country. Within the security industry there remains an ongoing debate about how to handle the disclosure of security flaws, particularly when releasing proof of concepts (POCs). I think, given some recent events on the AntiOnline […]

So, here we are at the start of a new year. And what has this past year brought us? A few things have changed compared to last year’s review and some things haven’t. How’s that for a generalized statement? Two things still stand out as highlights (or lows) for the past year: phishing and the […]