Tag: Tripwrite

Lenovo installed malware on laptops

lenovo_hqA security firm made the alarming assertion that Lenovo had pre-installed software on notebooks it sells that makes them more likely to be hacked.

The program called Superfish, which Lenovo installed on computers intended for home use was software that auto-displays adverts.

And according to Reuters, Errata Security, an American company, said Superfish opens up encrypted connections, so letting hackers take over PCs.

Lenovo officials are on holiday for the Chinese New Year and so far have not responded to the allegations.

However, Ken Westin, a senior security analyst at Tripwire had plenty to say on the matter.

“With increasingly security and privacy conscious buyers, laptop and mobile phone manufacturers may well be doing themselves a disservice by seeking outdated advertising based monetisation strategies,” he said.

“If the findings are true and Lenovo is installing their own self-signed certificates, they have not only betrayed their customers’ trust, but also put them at increased risk,” he added.