Author: David Balaban

David BalabanDavid Balaban is a computer security researcher with over 15 years of experience in malware analysis and antivirus software evaluation. David runs the Privacy-PC.com project which presents expert opinions on contemporary information security matters, including social engineering, penetration testing, threat intelligence, online privacy, and white hat hacking. David has a strong malware troubleshooting background, with the recent focus on ransomware countermeasures.

From the Fall 2020 Issue

Ransomware Data Leaks Timeline

Author(s):

David Balaban, Editor, Privacy PC

Ransomeware

The cyber-extortion plague involving file-encrypting ransomware has hit some major roadblocks since it went pro in 2013. It survived a series of successful law enforcement operations, a sharp turn toward the enterprise as the primary target, and the cryptojacking boom that eclipsed ransomware in terms of potential profits. Having gone through a lot of trial … Read more

From the Winter 2020 Issue

A Short History of Mac Malware

Author(s):

David Balaban, Editor, Privacy PC

Mac Malware

Do Mac viruses exist? In a nutshell, yes. Wondering why? Here’s the thing: lots of people refer to all forms of malicious code as viruses. Strictly speaking, this is a misconception because computer viruses are programs that exhibit self-replication capabilities. However, there is an aspect that blurs the categorization. Present-day malware can be modular, which … Read more