What is antivirus software and do you still need it in 2026?

Operating systems and browsers provide us with built-in antivirus protection, so do we really need standalone solutions today? Short answer: Yes, but free options work.

My 5-step security checklist for every new Windows PC

I always want to make sure my new Windows PC is protected against security threats. Here are five things I do with that goal in mind.

Self-propagating malware poisons open source software and wipes Iran-based machines

A new hacking group has been rampaging the Internet in a persistent campaign that spreads a self-propagating and never-before-seen backdoor—and curiously a data wiper that targets Iranian machines.

Fake Google security page can turn your browser into a spying tool

Security researchers say a phishing scam impersonates Google to install malware that steals 2FA codes, tracks location and ...

You’re likely already infected with a brain-eating virus you’ve never heard of

There’s a virus you may have never heard of before that is estimated to infect up to 90 percent of people and lurks quietly ...
The Independent

Many pandemic viruses emerged naturally – but there’s one that most likely came from a lab

Most pandemic viruses that have jumped from animals to humans do not show signs of special adaptations to infect people, except the 1977 influenza outbreak, which was likely “sparked by a laboratory ...
New York Post

Highly contagious virus with no treatment is taking the West Coast by storm

Cold, flu and COVID may get the most attention, but a lesser-known, highly contagious virus is taking the West Coast by storm. Wastewater SCAN data show that human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, is rampant ...
NBC Bay Area

Expert talks about respiratory virus spreading in the Bay Area

A respiratory virus with no specific treatment or vaccines is spreading in the Bay Area. According to the CDC, the spike of the Human Metapneumovirus, or HMPV for short, started in December. A high ...
Charlotte Observer

International computer virus scam with Charlotte ties duped many, took in millions

A Charlotte man was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for participating in a multi-million-dollar, international tech scam that mostly targeted elderly victims with fake online pop-up ads, federal ...
Phys.org

Giant DNA viruses encode their own eukaryote-like translation machinery, researchers discover

In a new study, published in Cell, researchers describe a newfound mechanism for creating proteins in a giant DNA virus, comparable to a mechanism in eukaryotic cells. The finding challenges the dogma ...
TechCrunch

The great computer science exodus (and where students are going instead)

Something strange happened at University of California campuses this fall. For the first time since the dot-com crash, computer science enrollment dropped. System-wide, it fell 6% last year after ...
World Screen

The Fixies Reaches 3 Million YouTube Subscribers

Animotion Media Group’s English-language YouTube channel for The Fixies, operated by WildBrain, has surpassed 3 million subscribers and reached over 3 billion total views to date. “These milestones ...