Like the starfighter pilots in a chaotic science fiction battle, companies are frequently under attack by malware and sometimes even hackers. Data breaches can take only minutes—even seconds—to occur, but the financial and reputational damages that victim organizations suffer as a result can be quite long-lasting.

Microsoft has released a security alert stating that its MS-signed certificates have been compromised by the complicated malware known as Flame, which can now use Microsoft Update to dispense malware and attack computer systems under the guise of Microsoft. Microsoft has released a patch to protect PC users from the problem.

Security measures are stronger now than ever, but there are two malicious viruses that require immediate action to protect your systems—to operate your computer properly or to even browse the Internet at all.

Over the last few months, GURU’s helpdesk has seen an increase in the amount of calls related to spyware and malware disguising itself in the form of an antivirus program. This week, Google confirmed GURU’s findings, reporting that the number of fake antivirus warnings, designed to scam computer users out of money, has increased five times over the past year. Google reports that these fake antivirus warnings now represent about 15% of all malware that Google detects on its websites.