http://www.mxlogic.com/ MX Logic Inc. is a leading managed security services provider of email and Web security services. MX Logic's patented technology and commitment to creating the most user-friendly security solutions in the industry make MX Logic the best choice for businesses that want enterprise-grade service and performance without enterprise-level complexity and cost. Subscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with Pageflakes http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/identity-theft/identity-theft-main-purpose-of-phishing.cfm
The Daily Vidette, news publication of Illinois State University, reports that malware such as spyware and viruses is often distributed with the aim of collecting personal information.

PC users are most at risk due to the fact that 85 percent of the university's students use such equipment over other types of computer, the periodical adds.

Carla Birckelbaw, director of computer infrastructure support services at the educational institution, explains that economic factors drive the use of phishing attacks for identity theft and fraud.

"Profit is certainly involved in phishing schemes ... it makes sense to target 85 percent of the market," she comments.

The university's student health services department recently revealed to the Daily Vidette that it is offering a secure web portal to students as a means of receiving the results of medical tests over the internet. ]]> Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:42:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/email-security/facebook-email-virus-reported.cfm
News provider KATU of Portland, Oregon, reports that one of its employees recently registered at social networking site Facebook.

The individual, Dan Tilkin, subsequently received an email virus masquerading as a video download from a friend.

However, the email was disguised well enough that Mr Tilkin followed the link, KATU reveals.

After clicking on the link, users are directed to a video download page that informs them that they must update their software in order to view the clip.

But the software which then downloads is a virus, the purpose of which KATU claims is unclear.

The social media site's 60 million users include numerous employees of KATU, the news provider states.

Previously, TechCrunch reported the spread of the email virus and noted that the development differs from the more conventional attacks waged on Facebook.

Generally, the internet industry review site claimed, the greatest risks faced by users of the social network are presented by phishing scams. ]]> Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:41:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/viruses-worms/space-laptops-have-no-anti-virus-protection.cfm
According to the broadcaster, astronauts are provided with computer equipment which does not have anti virus protection installed.

The news comes following the revelation by NASA that a virus-infected laptop has been sent to the International Space Station.

News resource SpaceRef was first to report the story, revealing that the Gammima.AG worm has been detected on a laptop at the space station.

However, it is not believed that any risk is posed to the work done on the facility - with NASA stating that viruses have been detected in equipment sent into space in the past.

While the infected laptop was sent into space in July, the BBC suggests that the Gammima.AG worm was first detected on Earth in early August.

Infection information resource eSecurity Planet notes that Gammima.AG proliferates by copying itself to removable media.

The information provider adds that the main function of the virus appears to be to obtain login details to online games. ]]> Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:45:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/network-security-highlighted-by-hackers.cfm
The Times reports the case of California automobile showroom Symbolic Motors, which hired a hacker known as Pyr0 to examine its network security provisions.

Pyr0 was able to install his own wireless network within the company's own local area network, enabling remote access to his associate in a vehicle outside.

To highlight the security weaknesses of the firm, he returned later that night and broke in, turning one of the vehicles in the showroom to face in the opposite direction.

Columnist Steve Boggan explains that such processes are among the ways in which ethical hackers are now helping to identify vulnerabilities which black hat operators might be able to exploit.

The Times writer Jonathan Richards previously warned that poor network security can lead to shops with wireless access being hacked and having customers' credit card details stolen. ]]> Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:43:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/viruses-worms/updated-virus-protection-is-the-first-step.cfm
Mathias Thurman writes for ComputerWorld of the steps he takes when opening new offices around the world.

Updating virus protection is the first stage in ensuring workstations are secure, he states.

"I typically ensure that desktop PCs and servers are running anti virus software and that they're up to date with patches," he writes.

Following this, Mr Thurman goes on to address any likely security risks relating to the remote access granted to other users.

"I won't give my OK without first checking things out," he affirms.

ComputerWorld has also warned of the risks of posting personally identifiable information on social networking sites.

By including the details of their grandparents, the publication pointed out that users might reveal their mother's maiden name.

This, it noted, is a common piece of information used by banks and other organizations to allow access to accounts and registration details. ]]> Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:41:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/network-security-is-overlooked.cfm
The Times reports that Paul Vlissidis, analyst with NCC Group, believes too many IT managers put too much confidence in their existing network security procedures.

"Most companies are not aware of the threat and have an unreasonable faith in their own security systems," he tells the publication.

His comments come as Lord West of Spithead, security minister in the UK, reveals the country's networks receive thousands of attacks every day.

"You're talking about a remarkable number of attempted attacks on our system," he notes.

While some of these are detected quickly, he adds that others are "much cleverer."

Also in The Times, Jonathan Richards recently reported that there are two main kinds of network security breaches.

These include attacks intended to cause widespread disruption and espionage efforts which aim to retrieve sensitive data from secure networks, he claimed. ]]> Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:55:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/spam/spam-attack-uses-second-news-agency-as-front-to-attacks.cfm
Millions of spam mail messages, which posing as content from MSNBC.com, were sent to people containing a link to a malware site.

However, this is not the first news organisation to have been used as a front for spam mails as earlier this month as many as 11 million messages per hour were sent to users - pretending to be from CNN.com.

Writing in the MX Logic blog, Sam Masiello, vice-president of information security for the firm, reported that "typically we see copycats shortly after a major campaign, but this was sent by the same people".

It was reported that the spam mail messages contain the subject title "Breaking News" in addition to fake news headlines.

Recently Google reported that July was the busiest month of the year in terms of email virus attacks. ]]> Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:00:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/spam/consumers-buying-into-spam.cfm
In research carried out by Marshal more than a quarter (29 per cent) of people were revealed to purchase items - such as sexual enhancement pills and software - from junk emails.

The firm also revealed that luxury products - for instance clothes, footwear and jewellery - are also popular things for spam mail readers to buy.

Overall, it was suggested that less then ten purchases are made for every one million spam mail messages which are sent. However it was reported that the majority of such rogue emails are blocked by spam filters meaning that they never reach consumers' inboxes

However, Bradley Anstis, vice-president of products for Marshal, pointed out: "Enough people are purchasing products from spam to make it a worthwhile and profitable endeavour for spammers."

Earlier this week Secure Computing revealed that an increasing amount of spam mail is being sent which attempts to use sensational headlines relating to the 2008 Beijing Olympic games. ]]> Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:44:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/viruses-worms/antivirus-software-is-not-all-equal.cfm
Newsfactor Business has reported that there are currently a plethora of anti-virus programs available for purchase and it can be hard to decide which offers the best protection.

Each has advantages and disadvantages; however, for the best protection the site claims that anti-virus suites will offer the highest level of cover against infection.

The article notes that, while computers may be supplied with anti-virus software already installed, this typically expires within the first month or so of ownership, potentially leaving the computer with no protection or no access to new virus definitions.

Meanwhile, the website also recently reported that up to 40 per cent of browsers could be open to attack by hackers.

Research carried out by organisations including Communications Systems Group found that only 60 per cent of web users are using patched and up-to-date browsers to surf the internet. ]]> Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:19:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/email-security/email-filtering-recommended-for-airline-scam.cfm
The news source explains that a number of emails have been detected which claim to be from airlines around the world.

Such mailings include an attachment which appears to be a digital ticket for a flight - along with a claim that the recipient's account is to be charged for the cost of the journey.

Petri Carpen, deputy chief executive officer of Finnish credit card processor Luottokunta, tells Helsingin Sanomat: "Not all customers who have received the message will call us."

In spite of this fact, hundreds of queries have already been received by the financial services provider from concerned email recipients.

Users might want to add the details to their email filtering system as the news resource advises deleting the message without delay.

Helsingin Sanomat itself apologized to its readers recently after a failure in its operating system rendered it unable to update its website with news content. ]]> Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:57:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/spam/spammers-look-to-take-advantage-of-the-olympics.cfm
According to Secure Computing, the storm malware is being spread by emails claiming to be carrying a newsworthy message about the Games.

Benjamin Low of Secure Computing said that the number of spam mail referring to the Olympics has increased by 360 million, Computerworld reports.

He warned that excitement about the Olympics could prompt users who are usually cautious to visit the malicious links.

Mr Low called for caution among users and to install the latest anti-malware and anti-spam software.

In addition, he warned that all programs and data should be backed up.

One recent spam attack has been found by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The spam, which claims that Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvill is homosexual, had more than 500 emails released in 90 minutes in a mass-spam attack, Vnunet.com reported. ]]> Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:38:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/identity-theft/consumers-urged-to-protect-online-identity.cfm
Users are urged to mind their computers, check their credit reports regularly and carry out fraud alerts.

Anti virus protection should be installed on a computer, especially if the user regularly does their banking online.

It may be possible that unsecured operations or an unencrypted wireless connection can allow thieves to access personal information.

The website also advises checking a credit report four times a year and to verify any inaccuracies.

It notes that online credit monitoring services such as Credit Expert can be downloaded for use.

Finally, anybody can have a fraud alert or credit freeze added to their credit file to ensure any potential creditors to take extra security measures before offering credit.

A new study by Consumer Reports recently found that computer viruses, phishing scams and spyware have cost the US economy $8.5 billion over the past two years.

More than 500,000 computers had to be replaced in the past six months after being infected with malware, though the report also found anti virus protection and web filtering systems are also helpful. ]]> Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:36:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/spam/georgian-conflict-used-to-evade-spam-filters.cfm
It would appear that online spammers are now using the conflict in the European country as a way of circumventing virus detection software on PCs, Vnunet.com has reported.

A mass-spam attack was detected when the file was opened which resulted in more than 500 emails in a 90-minute period.

Gary Warner, director of computer forensics research at UAB, said: "The danger is that almost no antivirus products detected this virus when it began to be distributed this morning."

He went on to report that just four out of 36 anti-virus products which were tested revealed the suspicious file.

In other news, network security analyst Gadi Evron wrote in his blog that the recent web attacks against Georgian military website were most probably the work of rogue nationalists rather than criminal gangs as was previously believed. ]]> Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:39:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/web-security/student-files-exposed-on-web.cfm
CNet News has reported that the data security accident took place due to a flaw in the website's configuration which meant any user who logged on to the site was able to access sensitive records.

Information on the site included names, dates of birth, ethnicity, whether the individual had any learning difficulties or disabilities and their level of achievement at the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test which is given to students between grades three and 11.

Following a tip off from the Times newspaper, the institute has now cut off access to this area of its website.

According to the Montreal Gazette, data security should entail more than just passwords advising that websites should now encrypt sensitive information to add a further layer of protection when attempting to maintain computer network security.

Therefore, even if hackers are able to access the data they will not be able to decode and read it. ]]> Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:37:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/web-security/social-networking-sites-in-security-struggles.cfm
In a CNet News article, it was reported that a data security breach could be possible as users of the website's mobile page can enter and view another person's emails via entering their username.

Furthermore, a computer network security problem has been highlighted whereby unauthorised users currently have the ability to delete bulletins from groups they do not control and can pin and unpin topics.

A spokesperson for the site has said: "Today, MySpace was alerted to an issue within the MySpace Mobile WAP site and is working to roll out an immediate fix."

It was also reported that there may be some IT security risks with fellow social networking website Facebook after it was revealed that the third-party application Advanced Wall may mean that people can view comments left on a member's profile even if they are not friends.

In other news, Windows machines are still vulnerable to a number of security issues even after the patching of a number of problems by the company last week.

ZDNet blogger Ryan Naraine noted that one of the main causes for concern is a security vulnerability within the Windows Media Player product. ]]> Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:40:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/viruses-worms/infected-spam-getting-worse-says-google.cfm
In a post in its official enterprise blog, the search engine giant notes that the numbers peaked at nearly ten million spam messages on July 24th.

The firm notes that one of the more prominent attacks during the 31-day period involved a faked UPS tracking link that was intended to lure recipients into clicking it; an act that would result in the downloading of malware.

It notes that viruses tend to increase during the summer months, adding that a number of new forms of such malware have been identified so far in August.

"On August 5th, we saw a large inflow of messages with an encrypted .RAR attachment. The overall 2008 trend has been a decrease in the use of attachments, so this new virus is confirmation that spam doesn't follow trends for long," Google states.

Meanwhile, Security Watch notes that news alerts spam emails are continuing to develop, with CNN recently being the target of a latest wave.
]]> Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:53:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/email-security/spear-phishing-results-in-60hour-spam-attack.cfm
The users gained access to the University of Otago in New Zealand's staff email server after tricking four members of staff into revealing their login details, a blog post by Danco Danchev on web resource ZDNet notes.

As a result of the IT security failure, which resulted in the "huge volume" of unwanted mail being sent, legitimate emails were rejected or delayed by other systems, information services manager Mike Harte said.

The staff members had responded to spear phishing emails which purported to be from the college's IT department and asked users to reconfirm their passwords and emails or have their accounts closed down.

In recent days, it was reported by Secure Computing that Angelina Jolie is the most popular celebrity name used to tempt people into opening online spam email.
]]> Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:47:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/web-security/hackers-using-fake-antivirus-products.cfm
Such is the claim of WebUser, which has quoted web security researchers as saying that users are targeted by spam email campaigns encouraging them to click on a link purporting to relate to a celebrity scandal.

At that point, a popup message appears onscreen informing the user that their machine has been compromised by a virus and urging them to download antivirus protection to remove it.

In fact, the antivirus product is a trojan horse program which further undermines system security.

"Perhaps it's because this is the time of the year when the more legitimate security suites are releasing their latest software updates," said network security analyst Paul Oliveria.

In other developments, the Los Angeles Times has alerted users to a spam email campaign claiming to originate from major news sources such as MSNBC and CNN in which it states that Elizabeth Taylor has been murdered. ]]> Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:14:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/web-security/windows-still-vulnerable-to-critical-flaws.cfm
Such is the claim of ZDNet blogger Ryan Naraine, who has noted that despite issuing patches for 26 vulnerabilities this month, it is yet to release a fix for a widely-publicized vulnerability in the Windows Media Player (WMP) program.

Furthermore, other long-known network security issues affecting a slew of programs developed by the company are still to be fixed, he stated.

Among these was a carpet bombing attack known to affect Internet Explorer, while a web proxy auto-discovery flaw has not been addressed, despite being publicly discussed at a security conference in December.

He continued: "The list above applies only to publicly known issues. Can you imagine what's out there that's not yet public?"

The WMP flaw was identified in the company's advanced security bulletin, although a patch was held back this month because of "last-minute quality issues". ]]> Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:14:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/email-security/dns-patch-still-leaves-firms-vulnerable.cfm
According to the New York Times, Evgeniy Polyakov has claimed to have tricked a DNS server into redirecting a website request to a fake page in ten hours, despite the fact that the server had been updated with a patch against the flaw.

Network security was compromised using just two computers and a high-speed internet connection.

"Internet experts who reviewed the posting said the approach appeared to be effective," the newspaper reported.

Earlier in the month, Dan Kaminsky - who first identified the network security vulnerability - warned attendees at the Black Hat security conference that the problem affected a larger number of systems than had originally been reported.

He noted that email security could be compromised by a malicious user intercepting messages while they are in transit without the sender or recipient being aware. ]]> Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:13:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/viruses-worms/hackers-unravel-antivirus-software-in-hours.cfm
Betanews has noted that the Race to Zero contest is designed to test the strength of signature-based antivirus products and challenged hackers to modify existing viruses to bypass security filters.

"Signature-based antivirus is the original technique that blocks programs that match known malicious signatures, based on pattern matching," the website explained.

One team was able to compete the entire task in under two hours, highlighting wide-ranging vulnerabilities in Microsoft Word and Vista in the process, as well as exploits in older versions of Windows 2000.

The group noted that many antivirus product developers are now moving away from signature-based detection and into more behavioral virus analysis.

According to the organizers, another principal aim of the activity is to highlight that some antivirus products are more effective than others. ]]> Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:11:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/analyst-wired-networks-are-more-secure.cfm
Network security analyst Jon Green has told Forbes.com that the exploit - which involved a process known as sniffing - highlights how a lack of data encryption can allow hackers to monitor wired network traffic.

"If you plug into any wired network out there, you can basically capture what is happening on that network," he claimed.

However, data security standards used on wireless networks prevent this sort of exploit by ensuring that if attackers do listen in on network traffic, the information will be unreadable.

Mr Green added that despite perceptions that wireless networks are more unstable, such standards have in fact made them more secure than their wired counterparts in certain respects.

Elsewhere, InformationWeek has reported that data security analysts at the BlackHat conference have also highlighted the instability of social networking sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook. ]]> Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:07:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/georgian-hacks-are-not-cyberwar.cfm
Such is the claim of NewsFactor, which has noted that while web security experts are still at work identifying the source of the recent exploit, it is unlikely that it was a military attack.

Prominent network security analyst Gadi Evron argued on his blog that while the attacks were undoubtedly political, they were probably the work of rogue nationalists and not organized criminal gangs as some had suggested.

However, network security commentator Andrew Storms noted that it is important not to undermine the impact of such attacks.

"According to some of the statistics provided, very few Web sites would have been able to withstand these onslaughts," he commented.

The attacks on Georgian websites began as early as July 20th, with the New York Times reporting that the sites were inundated with data containing the message "win+love+in+Rusia". ]]> Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:04:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/microsoft-reveals-security-threat-details.cfm
With seven critical updates issued, the company has identified wide-ranging system and network security threats, advanced details of which were made available yesterday (August 12th).

However, with the patches now publicly available, the software giant has announced that the critical flaws affected a number of products including Internet Explorer, Excel, PowerPoint and ActiveX controls.

Meanwhile, important flaws affecting email security for Outlook Express and Windows Mail users were also identified.

"The vulnerability could allow information disclosure if a user visits a specially crafted web page using Internet Explorer," the firm announced.

Businesses were also warned that an important flaw in Microsoft Word could allow attackers to view and delete data as well as install malicious software on compromised machines.

Elsewhere, the Washington Post has announced that it is the largest round of updates made since August 2006. ]]> Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:17:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/spam/state-attorneys-not-prosecuting-hackers.cfm
Conducted by the Center for American Progress and Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), the study suggested that despite a few high-profile exceptions, complaints about the number of online threats are not being acted upon by state authorities.

The group noted that prosecution efforts have been focused on instances of sexual predation of minors and similar offences, which accounted for 60 per cent of cases.

However, actions against those committing identity theft and fraud and parties involved in perpetrating phishing scams have often escaped punishment.

Among the cases included in the study, 8.9 per cent involved data security, while crimes related to adware, phishing scams, spam email and spyware accounted for 8.3 per cent.

The CDT is a non-profit organization which aims to guide public policy towards the creation of open and secure internet standards. ]]> Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:16:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/web-security/vmware-network-security-bug-locks-out-users.cfm
The publication noted that the problem arose due to a licensing time-out feature which led systems to believe user licenses had expired.

Accountholders logging on yesterday morning were greeted by an error message indicating that the system's "power on" function had failed because of a license expiry.

In a subsequent blog posting VMware insisted that the problem was not the result of a network attack and that the cause of the bug had been located.

"Several customers have been worried that their ESX systems had been compromised by an attack and that this was the cause for not booting," the group noted.

An express patch is currently being developed to resolve the issue.

Earlier this week, CBR Online noted that network security researchers who identified potential network security flaws in cloud-based systems have explained that a strong security strategy can help to reduce risk exposure to the bugs. ]]> Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:13:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/microsoft-identifies-12-network-security-flaws.cfm
In its monthly security advisory, the group announced that of these, seven are "critical" problems and all relate to remote code execution and information disclosure vulnerabilities.

The group made the announcement ahead of its monthly patch updates to fix security flaws in its various products.

Full details of the network security threats have not been disclosed ahead of the patch in an effort to limit the flaws being exploited in the wild.

In addition to the seven critical fixes, the group also identified five "important" flaws in versions of Windows, Office, Outlook and Mail.

Last month's announcement saw four network security flaws addressed, including the widely publicized DNS spoofing flaw identified by researcher Dan Kaminsky.

Microsoft explained that the flaw had the potential to allow malicious users to redirect internet traffic. ]]> Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:38:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/tech-could-patch-cloud-network-vulnerabilities.cfm
According to CBR Online, network security researchers from ISACA - formerly the Information Systems Audit and Control Association - have insisted that vulnerabilities pointed out by US military science professor Greg Conti at the recent Defcon conference can be patched using strong security standards.

Speaking to the online magazine, Sarb Sembhi, president of the ISACA London Chapter, explained: "Conti pointed out that early examples of this technology, such as the simple web-based email services offered by Google and others, are difficult to secure when using standard web interfaces."

However, he noted that businesses could limit exposure to these flaws by employing encrypted virtual private network connections and two-way authentication protocols.

According to a recent survey conducted by the group, firms are yet to identify specific cloud computing network security threats, with compliance information security management topping the list of enterprise network security concerns.

Earlier this month, CRN noted that security software vendors are increasingly providing cloud-based antivirus, anti-spam and firewall services. ]]> Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:36:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/identity-theft/san-fran-case-highlights-network-security-risks.cfm
Administrator of the city's police, court, payroll, jail and health networks Terry Childs set a password known only to himself and blocked all other users from accessing the system, according to the publication.

Even after his arrest on July 13th, the 43-year-old refused to reveal what the new password was.

The Washington Post notes that city officials are now contemplating bringing in network security experts to identify oversights in its safety measures.

Mr Childs - who finally told mayor Gavin Newsom the password while in jail on July 21st - now faces four felony charges of tampering with the network.

InformationWeek previously claimed that the administrator had established a "booby trap" designed to delete files from the system - which stores around 60 percent of the city's documents - if it was triggered. ]]> Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:11:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/hackers-silenced-over-ma-traffic-network-security-flaws.cfm
The hackers were due to tell attendees at the Defcon 16 conference of how it may be possible to use the system to receive free tickets, reports iTWire.

But the restraining order, which was granted on Friday, August 8th, banned them from revealing the exploit for ten days.

According to the publication, the justification for such a move was that "the transit system would be irreparably harmed otherwise".

Davey Winder, who wrote the article, notes that this year's Defcon event has become controversial not for the nature of the network security breach itself, but for the fact that the hackers were not permitted to discuss its details.

InformationWeek adds that further controversy surrounded the failure of three other hackers to appear at a Defcon 16 press conference to explain why they had breached network security at the earlier Black Hat convention.

Their actions involved sniffing packets sent over the network in order to discover the login credentials used by journalists in attendance, the publication asserts. ]]> Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:09:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/businesses-vulnerable-to-many-rootkits.cfm
Network World reports on the "dirty half-dozen", which range from those which hide in the computer's basic input-output system (BIOS) to some which require breaches of email security in order to install.

Such email security failures could include clicking on a link in a phishing email, the publication explains.

Those which hide in the BIOS could prove difficult to eliminate, Network World continues, due to their ability to reinstall the next time the system is powered up.

"It's hard to say how prevalent rootkits are because they're so darn hard to find," the periodical reports.

But it adds: "One need only look at the rate of rootkits being used in families of profit-driven malware."

The article concludes that, with technologies such as virtualization emerging into the market, the range of different types of rootkit witnessed is likely to grow further. ]]> Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:06:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/disclosure-increases-vulnerability-exploits.cfm
Findings from the survey showed that 94 per cent of web-based exploits occurred within a day of an official announcement of the problem.

Internetnews.com has explained that the majority of web and network security attacks are launched using rootkits which are distributed over the internet once a vulnerability has been announced.

As such, Holly Stewart, an IT security researcher involved in the study, argued that the results should force the industry to reconsider whether full disclosure of product vulnerabilities is the best course of action.

"I think we have to shift gears and reconsider this full disclosure policy and [whether it is] doing the best thing for the greater good," she commented.

Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that it would offer software vendors advanced details of security vulnerabilities to allow them to develop patches ahead of a full public disclosure. ]]> Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:15:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/email-security/virtualization-presents-security-and-cost-risks.cfm
Commenting at the Black Hat conference, IT security researcher Christopher Hoff, said that virtualization can have a serious impact on system resilience, scalability and performance.

He insisted that the current rush towards virtualized networks is creating an increasingly messy security situation, Networkworld.com reported.

Mr Hoff claimed: "[With virtualization,] you won't get rid of host-based security software. As we add more solutions, we add complexity."

Meanwhile, fellow network security researcher Joanna Rutkowska explained that full disclosure could lead to an increased proliferation of rootkit exploits.

Other recent developments at the Black Hat conference included the assertion by Dan Kaminsky that the much publicised domain name service flaw could affect email security as well.

According to the Associated Press, he told delegates that the bug could allow hackers to intercept emails silently while they are in transit. ]]> Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:11:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/identity-theft/dns-flaw-also-affects-email.cfm
Commenting on Wednesday, Dan Kaminsky said that the flaw allowed malicious users to bypass email filters and intercept messages.

The Associated Press reported that the sensitive nature of email correspondence means that this silent attack could have large email security implications.

Kaminksy explained that hackers could potentially plant themselves between senders and recipients and grab copies of messages while in transit.

However, speaking at the Black Hat security conference, he praised major players for a rapid response in developing patches for the flaw.

"The industry has rallied like we've never seen the industry rally before," he told attendees at the expo.

Originally identified last month, Kaminsky withheld details of the network security vulnerability to allow vendors to develop fixes to the problem, although explanations of the DNS flaw were leaked on the internet prior to the Black Hat conference. ]]> Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:07:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/identity-theft/analysts-critical-of-google-security.cfm
Information Week has reported that researchers giving a speech at the Black Hat security conference have asserted that the search giant has been unresponsive to demands to fix web security vulnerabilities.

Network security researcher Robert Hansen insisted that a full fix for a phishing scam exploit identified four years ago still has not been implemented, although other vulnerable sites Visa and DoubleClick patched the hole within hours or days.

Information Week noted that Google has declined to comment on the failure to fix the bug since it was confronted about the problem two weeks ago.

In the presentation, he explained that the phishing scam exploited a vulnerability in Google gadgets that allows malicious code to be inserted into web applications.

"We alerted them to it and they decided not to fix it and now we're just demonstrating what we found," Hansen explained in an earlier Information Week article. ]]> Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:03:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/spam/feds-charge-11-for-fraud.cfm
Nine major US retailers are thought to have been targeted by the group, who are said to be responsible for the largest case of identity theft and fraud ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice.

Among the defendants are three US citizens, alongside people from Ukraine, China, Belarus and Estonia.

The group are said to have obtained the card details via a process known as war-driving, where computer hackers drive around commercial neighbourhoods seeking out unprotected wireless computer networks.

In a prepared statement, Attorney General Michael BMukasey, warned: "Consumers, companies and governments from around the world must further develop ways to protect our sensitive personal and business information."

Other recent warnings from the FBI have urged businesses and consumers to protect themselves against the Storm virus, which is attempting to spread itself via spam email purporting to divulge details about the organization and social networking site Facebook. ]]> Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:24:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/viruses-worms/phishing-costs-85-billion.cfm
Published by Consumer Reports, the study showed that more than 500,000 computers have had to be replaced during the past six months because they are infected with various forms of malware.

However, the group indicated that there are signs that antivirus protection and web filters are combating threats more effectively.

Research showed that people currently have a one in six chance of becoming a victim of identity theft and fraud, down from one in four in 2007.

Despite this, it reiterated the threat that phishing scams pose.

"Phishing still thrives it's easy for criminals to download sophisticated and cheap phishing kits that feature authentic-looking corporate logos and other tools," the report explained.

Elsewhere, ZDNet has recently reported that a growing number of phishing scams are targeting other fraudsters to further widen their nets. ]]> Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:22:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/spam/businesses-need-to-keep-updated.cfm
Online publication PC World has explained that while it is vital to make sure operating systems are equipped with the most recent patches, IT security staff should not neglect other software definitions either.

The magazine explained that computer hackers often attempt to breach network security by exploiting flaws in older versions of commonly used software such as compression programs or media players.

It suggested: "The days of big splashy viruses that announce themselves to PC users are over. The modern cybercriminal prefers to invisibly take control of your PC."

Meanwhile, Market Watch has explained that computer viruses remain one of the biggest threats to network security.

As such, it is important not to ignore the risk posed by such programs.

To limit risks, the website urged businesses to invest in strong antivirus products and web filters that offer continual updates to catch the latest threats. ]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:07:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/identity-theft/hacker-for-hire-infects-thousands.cfm
The Russian man, thought to be in his 20s and known only as A-Z, has made considerable sums selling a program called ZeuS to fellow hackers.

As such, he has had a hand in a number of high profile network security breaches that have dealt a considerable financial blow to businesses and consumers.

One such incident involved German hackers, who targeted banks in the US, UK, Spain and Italy and successfully skimmed more than $6 million from private and commercial accounts.

ZeuS was also responsible for the recent network security attacks on Monster.com, where more than 150,000 accounts were hijacked and held to ransom.

According to USAToday, A-Z dismisses his responsibility for the crimes on the grounds that he expects buyers to use the program for lawful purposes.

In other recent developments, British computer hacker Gary McKinnon has lost his appeal against extradition to the US to face charges relating to network security breaches at the Pentagon and other government agencies. ]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:03:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/security-researchers-to-outline-photo-attack.cfm
At the upcoming Black Hat network security conference, attendees will be given details of how the hybrid file - known as a GIFAR - can leave users of social networking and web-based image services at risk of having accounts hijacked.

The publication explains that while web filters view the file as a normal GIF image, java applets will handle the file differently and allow it to run code within the web browser.

Network World noted: "The attack could work on any site that allows users to upload files, potentially even on Web sites that are used to upload banking card photos or even Amazon.com."

In a separate article, the network security website has also noted that Cisco wireless services will also be put under the spotlight by researchers at the upcoming Black Hat conference. ]]> Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:12:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/fbi-makes-countrywide-arrests.cfm
Defendants Rene Rebollo Jr and Wahid Siddiqi, have both been taken into custody for offences against the mortgage lender Countrywide Financial and its customers.

Rebollo, a former employee of the firm, is thought to have bypassed network security and stolen customer details, which he then attempted to sell to Siddiqi, according to vnunet.com.

The FBI has issued a statement claiming that Rebollo has admitted to putting sensitive data on flash drives and opening up a bank account for the proceeds of his illegal activities.

He is thought to have earned between $50,000 and $70,000 as a result of his offences.

"Rebollo is charged with exceeding authorised access to the computer of a financial institution, a charge that carries a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison," the publication explained.

In other developments, the Wall Street Journal recently reported that authorities are preparing to offer a New Zealand computer hacker known as AKILL a job as network security tester. ]]> Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:08:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/hacker-to-be-extradited.cfm
The Glaswegian received the news following the dismissal of his appeal against the charges by the Law Lords.

Originally, Mr McKinnon lost his case against extradition back in 2006 but was allowed to remain in the UK while his case was appealed.

Now, however, the 42-year-old is set to come to the US to face trial.

He has admitted to entering the computers illegally, however, he claims his motives were harmless as he was not intent on causing damage but was looking for evidence of UFOs.

Meanwhile, British newspaper the Guardian claims the decision to extradite Mr McKinnon could be a mistake, as US officials may be out to save face on what is an embarrassing episode for the government, revealing flaws in network security.

The article claims the US judiciary could hand out a disproportionately harsh sentence for an offence that in the UK would be dealt with more leniently. ]]> Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:02:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/web-security/hackers-focus-on-twitter.cfm
PC Advisor reports that Aviv Raff, a security researcher, said the program contains a possible flaw whereby an attacker can follow the activities of a user by getting them to click on a malicious link.

According to the website, he said: "It can force people to follow you, which means all your twits will be showed in their Twitter home page, including potentially malicious links."

This bug is the second found by Mr Raff in the Twitter software, the first regarded the ability of hackers to send malicious links via email to other users.

In other news, PC Advisor also reports that Apple Mac users are being warned that hackers could soon target software for their platform more aggressively - somethng that could affect data security.
]]> Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:00:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/viruses-worms/rio-cinema-hit-by-virus.cfm
The Daily Times has noted that the Rio 10 Cinemas website began hosting the virus - deceptively titled Antivirus 2008 or Antivirus 2009 - around ten days ago.

Syd Hall, net security administrator for Rio Entertainment, told the paper that the virus seems to originate from its own web-hosting server, which has infected the Rio site three times.

Visitors navigating to the site via a search engine are greeted by the message: "Your computer is running slower than normal, maybe it is infected with viruses, adware or spyware. Win Antivir 2008 will perform a quick and completely FREE scan of your system."

Those who agree to the scan will then become hosts for the virus.

Rio Entertainment has since shut down its web services pending a solution to the problem.

In other developments, the US CERT reported earlier this month that businesses and residents have been targeted by a computer virus attempting to infect systems using emails purporting to cover dramatic developments concerning military action with Iran.
]]> Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:58:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/web-security/firms-need-to-look-at-urls.cfm
Commenting recently, network security blogger Markus Jakobsson alerted firms to the practice of using cousin name domains, where fraudsters attempt to lure people to addresses that are semantically similar to well-known websites.

He uses the example of www.democratic-party.us, which could be mistaken for the official website of the political organization.

In fact, the site has been developed by Jakobsson to alert people to precisely this practice and is a part of the securitycartoon.com network.

While this site is harmless, more malicious sites could leave people vulnerable to phishing scams.

"The problem is made worse by companies that register and use domains that have nothing in particular to do with their brand," he warns.

In an effort to limit the impact of phishing scams, he urges firms to educate employees about the use of deceptive domain name practices to lure people in. ]]> Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:44:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/web-filters-key-in-biannual-reports.cfm
Such is the suggestion of NetworkWorld, which indicated that the early months of 2008 will be remembered for widespread SQL injection vulnerabilities which targeted hundreds of thousands of websites and left visitors open to attack.

A report from the magazine covering the event earlier in the year noted that the attacks seemed to have originated in Eastern Europe.

One researcher told the publication that up to 60 per cent of the world's 100 most popular websites had been hosting or distributing malicious code.

NetworkWorld also explained that for the first time, open source software has been found to be vulnerable to these and other attacks, joining the major proprietary software vendors on lists of top producers of vulnerabilities.

Another key network security issue to be addressed was the growing number of vulnerabilities identified on a host of social network sites. ]]> Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:17:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/web-security/small-firms-overlooking-security.cfm
So reports the Independent Street blog of the Wall Street Journal in a recent article, quoting research which indicates that 45 per cent of businesses with between 2 and 1,000 employees feel that their firm is not a valuable target for computer hackers.

Furthermore, SMEs were found to be far more likely to rely on default security settings installed on antivirus protection and firewalls.

In an effort to reduce the likelihood of having network security compromised, the author of the report urged firms to establish clear policies on downloading music and playing games, as well as to adopt strong password and account management procedures.

Another tip was to make sure that unused programs were uninstalled from employees' machines.

"If your business isn't using software or ports, disable them," the vendor added.

Elsewhere, NetworkWorld has noted that as computer systems grow increasingly complex, businesses need to be sure that their network security strategies grow and develop in response. ]]> Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:16:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/identity-theft/charter-oak-hooked-by-phishers.cfm
In a recent report, the Day noted that the wide-reaching attack targeted many users in the areas of Groton and New London in Connecticut on both landlines and cell phones.

Brian Orenstein, the credit union's chief executive, said Groton police had told him they had been inundated with calls about the phishing scams.

However, he was quick to make it clear that financial data about the company had not been compromised and all instances of identity theft and fraud had occurred on the individual level.

"There was no data breach of any kind ... As of right now, no members have lost any money at all," he told the paper.

As soon as Charter Oak began receiving calls about the phishing scam, they contacted the FBI, who had blocked the fraudsters phone numbers within three hours.

Elsewhere, LancasterOnline has also recently warned of a phishing scam which targeted accountholders at the Bank of Lancaster County. ]]> Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:52:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/spam/new-victims-of-ups-virus.cfm
According to BizTimes Daily, the virus was circulating widely last week and had bypassed email filters at a number of enterprises, causing many systems to crash.

Ariel Donahue, remote team leader for Stamm Business Technologies in Milwaukee, told the publication: "We have had at least ten computers come in from our clients just this week. For a single virus, that is pretty high, so it has spread pretty fast."

She went on to explain that the virus works as a door which allows for other network security breaches to operate.

Earlier this month, the computer virus was identified in an advisory posted on the UPS website.

The group explained that users are targeted by a message claiming that a parcel addressed to them could not be delivered.

It advised anyone who receives the email to delete it immediately. ]]> Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:08:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/web-security/new-vulnerability-unveiled-in-bea-weblogic.cfm
The web journal has noted that systems running the software could be left exposed to the risk of system crashes, as well as remote code execution.

Two major IT security analysts have identified the flaw as critical, with all versions between 5 and 10 said to be affected.

No security patches are currently available for the flaw and the only way to minimize exposure is to limit network access to compromised systems.

In its weekly roundup, Tech Republic also alerted businesses that full details of the widely publicized DNS exploit reported earlier this month are now circulating on the web.

Following publication of the flaw, vnunet.com has noted that hackers have now developed a module capable of exploiting the vulnerability.

The problem was originally identified by network security researcher Dan Kaminsky, although he did not give out full details of the fault. ]]> Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:07:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/identity-theft/phishing-scam-gridlocks-carleton.cfm
Canada.com reported that hackers were able to send more than 10,000 spam messages to college addresses after one student's email was compromised.

Employees explained that although there were email filters in place, the bulk messages still brought network traffic to a standstill for a number of hours on Monday of this week.

It took network security staff two days to clear the backlog.

Commenting on the need for an enhanced email filter, Ralph Michaelis, Carleton's chief information officer, said: "The best defence is to not do certain things and one of them is to not give out passwords over email."

He said such email security breaches occur periodically and are a considerable drain on resources.

Elsewhere, the Daily Collegian has noted that a number of phishing scams urging Penn State students to "update your PSU email now" have been logged in recent days. ]]> Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:47:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/web-security/new-network-security-tech-touted.cfm
In a recent report from Network World, the tool - developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) - is said to have the potential to allow IT staff to stay ahead of the curve in terms of network security.

The technology is in the patent pending stage and operates using attack graphs to determine the likelihood of certain breaches occurring.

Meanwhile, Science Daily reported scientist Anoop Singhal as saying: "We analyze all of the paths that system attackers could penetrate through a network."

In formulating risk models, NIST accesses the National Vulnerability Database, which is a repository for a wide range of known exploits that hackers can attack in order to compromise network security and gain access to systems.

The next stage of the research project will see staff attempting to carry out analyses on an enterprise-wide level. ]]> Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:44:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/many-govt-agencies-are-still-insecure.cfm
Such is the suggestion of NewsFactor, which noted that a shift from mainframe to network systems in the mid-1990s opened up a slew of possible security exploits that have yet to be fully addressed.

FISMA, introduced in 2002, aimed to address these problems after a number of high-profile network security breaches brought the vulnerabilities into sharp relief.

However, many of the federal systems falling under the jurisdiction of the act have received a failing grade, while the number of network security attacks has continued to escalate, the website noted.

"The security of these systems and data is essential to prevent data tampering, disruptions in critical operations, fraud and the inappropriate disclosure of sensitive information," the Government Accountability Office has warned.

In another recent article, NewsFactor warned private firms that password systems alone were not robust enough to limit exposure to identity theft and fraud. ]]> Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:43:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/web-security/banking-sector-suffering-from-design-flaws.cfm
According to Network World, a study by the University of Michigan has shown that 75 per cent of such institutions operated websites that contained at least one IT security vulnerability.

Full findings from the report will be announced at the upcoming Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security (Soups) meeting on Friday (July 25th) at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

The web publication noted that while the data was collected in 2006, many of the security flaws identified in the study are still prevalent today.

An underutilization of secure web processing protocols was identified as a key vulnerability, with 47 per cent of banks found to have failed to implement secure socket layer technology to handle logins.

Prominent on the agenda for the Soups event will be the discussion of human-interaction-proofs for companies looking to maintain secure authentication practices. ]]> Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:08:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/network-security-vulnerabilities-decreasing.cfm
Carried out by UK-based firm Orthus, the survey examined networks across a range of different sectors including banking, insurance, finance, retail, manufacturing, transport, utilities, health and education.

Principal among the firm's findings was the fact that all tests revealed at least one network security vulnerability.

However, the group indicated that organizations are adopting an ever-hardening approach to network threats.

While businesses are tackling these threats more effectively, the number of application weaknesses has increased eight per cent between 2004 and 2008.

Richard Hollis, managing director of the firm, advised: "Companies need to adopt secure coding guidelines as part of a comprehensive secure software development lifecycle."

An earlier report also released by the group found that IT departments were the biggest culprits in terms of data leakages.

IT security personnel were said to be responsible for 30 per cent of such occurrences. ]]> Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:20:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/email-security/romanian-gets-prison-term-for-phishing-scam.cfm
In addition, Ovidiu-Ionut Nicola-Roman also faces possible fines and restitutions charges after pleading guilty to identity theft and fraud charges.

He is one of 38 people arrested as part of a crackdown on the number of phishing scams in operation, Business Week reported.

It is thought that Nicola-Roman is personally responsible for thefts totaling $400,000 misappropriated from numerous organizations and consumers through fraudulent spam emails.

The publication explained that once they have bypassed email filters, such messages also often attempt to compromise machines by installing computer viruses and other forms of malware once they have been opened.

In other developments, thewhir.com has alerted businesses to a new phishing scam which appears to originate from major credit card lenders and attempts to glean information from users with promises of cash prizes and a luxury trip to Las Vegas. ]]> Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:07:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/firms-alerted-to-asprox-risk.cfm
Technewsworld.com has reported that the virus spreads by first infecting web servers and then targeting unwitting visitors to the sites.

According to security researchers, the Asprox virus poses a substantial threat to both businesses and consumers.

Businesses have been warned that while most viruses rely on spam email or malicious websites to spread, the Asprox trojan lies in wait on official sites.

The publication noted that among the companies and organizations affected are San Francisco's city and county services, Coca-Cola, Snapple and the University of California in Irvine.

Elsewhere, reports have also indicated that governmental sites in the UK are among the latest bodies to fall victim to the network security attack.

Many of those who were victim to the attack only found out after they had discovered that money had been withdrawn from their bank account.

British national the Times has reported that Eastern European computer hackers are believed to be behind the attacks. ]]> Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:03:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/email-security/have-open-source-coders-dropped-the-ball.cfm
In a new report, IT security analysts have accused researchers working on open source projects of dropping the ball when it came to testing that programs were bug-free.

Prepared by consultant Larry Suto, the review examined 11 commonly used Java applications.

Testing several different versions of the software packages, the probe identified 22,828 instances of cross-site scripting network security exploits and 15,612 SQL injection vulnerabilities.

According to IT Pro, Howard A Schmidt, a former web security officer in the White House, said: "The mechanisms to test and analyze software code need to be done with great rigour in open source communities to influence a secure development process."

However, network security analyst Nick Selby told eWeek that it was wrong to suggest that open source software was more vulnerable than other commercial programs.

Selby insisted that while the study showed vulnerabilities, it was important to remember that all software, commercial or otherwise, was potentially open to exploitation. ]]> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:23:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/it-managers-wasting-weeks-on-upgrades.cfm
According to vnunet.com, a new study has indicated that with medium to large enterprises owning an average of 3,700 PCs, every software update - such as those needed for web browsers, email filters or antivirus products - takes 2,744 hours to implement throughout the organization.

If one person was to manage this task, they would have to work around the clock for 16 weeks to get it completed, the online magazine noted.

As such, researchers responsible for the study said that virtualization was a successful way to reduce the amount of time required to maintain strong network security throughout a firm.

One commentator noted making such a move allows organizations to allocate more resources to business development by streamlining upgrade processes.

Elsewhere, Network World has also recently advised those looking to streamline with flat IT budgets that overhauls of network infrastructure at branch offices is an effective way to cut costs. ]]> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:19:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/identity-theft/gartner-addresses-cloud-computing-security.cfm
In a recent report, the industry analyst forecast that the number of cloud security services employed by private organizations will more than triple within the next five years.

However, John Pescatore, vice-president and distinguished analyst at Gartner, said that firms will need to re-evaluate the way they manage data security when mobile workers are using outsourced cloud services to do their work.

"Inexpensive cloud-based processing will make it easier and cheaper to break encryption keys or find vulnerabilities in software and financially motivated criminals will certainly seek to take advantage of that," he warned.

In another recent report, Gartner also predicted firms will have to be quick to adopt emerging technologies in order to keep their demanding workforce happy.

The group predicted that more than 50 percent of users will be dissatisfied with the rate of technology adoption within their organization by 2013. ]]> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:04:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/email-security/fox-21-warns-of-news-viruses.cfm
It explained that it had received multiple messages with titles like "Obama caught with pants down", "drug related shooting leaves two NFL stars fighting for their lives" and "Paris Hilton stabbed by stalker".

Commenting on the risks associated with this type of virus, network security researcher Joe Case told the broadcaster that the attention-grabbing headlines are proving to be effective methods of virus transmission as employees are inticed into clicking on the links.

He advised that if such messages get past email filters, people should simply not click on them to avoid running the risk of compromising their machine.

Antivirus software and regular backups should also be employed, he urged.

Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Times also alerted businesses to a new email virus which attempts to lure people in with headlines relating to military escalations in Iran. ]]> Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:09:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/experts-blame-sf-hijacking-on-poor-network-security.cfm
Problems started when Terry Childs, a 43-year-old computer technician, changed administrator passwords and locked users out of the network.

Although he has been arrested, he is holding out on information vital to get employees back online.

Network security experts have speculated that Childs never should never have been given a super-level pass and insisted that the breach could have been avoided had proper safeguards been in place.

"This doesn't happen on the trading floors in Manhattan because access is segmented out ... No one person should have access to everything," exclaimed Lina Liberti, vice-president for security management at analyst firm CA.

Meanwhile, Ron Vinson, deputy-director of the San Francisco department of telecommunications and information systems, told Wired's Threat Level that it officials were working on wresting control from Childs, although he added that they were unsure of the extent to which access had been limited. ]]> Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:04:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/email-security/gmail-username-vulnerability-logged.cfm
In a security advisory, Securiteam researcher Aviram Jenik noted that by opting to share calendar details with other Gmail users, the utility will return the accountholder's first and last name.

Jenik advised anyone who has received personally addressed spam emails or phishing scams in their Gmail inboxes that this is a likely method of details being obtained.

He noted that it is likely that Google is aware of the flaw because when the real name for admin@gmail.com is requested, the result returned is derogatory.

Elsewhere, email security researcher Holden has noted in a recent blog post that the problem is not limited to those who have already signed up to the Calendar program.

Further research also showed that the flaw affected Google App Domain accounts too, something which potentially allows malicious users to launch personalized phishing scams against pupils at educational institutions across the US. ]]> Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:23:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/web-security/police-to-employ-nz-hacker.cfm
Following a court ruling ordering Owen Thor Walker to pay damages for developing the computer virus, officials said they were keen to use his skills in the fight against various IT security threats.

While the judge ordered reparations for his role in developing the botnet virus, she dismissed charges made against him for breaching network security at a US university.

The BBC reported that Judge Judith Porter told the court that convicting him of these charges would undoubtedly jeopardize his "bright" career opportunities.

Elsewhere, the Telegraph reported that detectives were astonished to discover that Walker was the mastermind behind the multimillion dollar botnet program, which he sold to an international gang of computer hackers known as the A-Team.

The teenager is not thought to have benefited financially from the group's use of the program, which involved committing multimillion dollar identity theft and fraud. ]]> Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:20:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/officials-struggling-with-network-security.cfm
As such, Terry Childs, a 43-year-old systems administrator, has gained full access to payroll files and law enforcement data.

Prosecutors have arrested the employee and have charged him with four counts of data tampering, vnunet.com reported.

In a statement, the city's district attorney said: "Defendant Childs was arrested on 13 July at his home in Pittsburg, California by members of the San Francisco Police Department and was immediately taken into custody."

He is thought to have refused to handover the passwords to the authorities.

In other developments, the online publication noted that a 23-year-old Chinese man has been sentenced to two years in jail for hacking into Red Cross servers in order to steal donations destined for victims of the recent earthquakes in the country.
]]> Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:00:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/spam/monster-phishing-scam-exposed.cfm
Web security analysts have announced that members are being tricked into entering personal details into websites masquerading as the recruitment portal in order to commit identity theft and fraud.

According to SC magazine, network security researchers have described this as a "very big lure".

It appears that the phishing scam is hosted on a UK domain, with victims redirected to a Turkish botnet server.

Gartner researcher Avivah Litan said that website developers need to be more proactive in order to make sure that users remain protected in the face of proliferating phishing attacks.

"Companies like Monster need to make sure they have the security on their end to prevent the information from being stolen," she said.

According to UK fraud prevention service CIFAS, the number of phishing scams in the country has increased 182 per cent in the second quarter of 2008 when compared to last year's figures. ]]> Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:53:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/spam/spam-king-sentencing-delayed.cfm
Judge Marsha Pechman set the case to reconvene on July 22nd in order to hear further testimony.

Computer World reported that witnesses had already been in the stand for two full days.

It noted that while the sentence is uncertain, it is highly probable that Soloway will receive jail time for his actions, with the government asking that he get 14 years.

An earlier private case saw Microsoft successfully sue Soloway for $7.8 million in recompense for the spam he sent to Hotmail users which got around email filters.

He was also ordered to pay a small Oklahoman internet service provider $10 million after emails evaded their web filters.

Soloway faces a number of charges, including mail fraud, email fraud and tax evasion. The first two carry a maximum jail sentence of 20 years and five years respectively. ]]> Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:45:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/email-security/network-security-is-about-reputation.cfm
Such is the suggestion of TechWorld which has urged firms to educate employees to ensure they do not leave themselves vulnerable to a proliferating array of threats such as phishing scams, email viruses and trojan exploits.

The publication noted that the amount of malware on the internet is growing, with 88 per cent of all email sent during August of last year identified as spam.

"For companies, education is the key to ensuring employees do not unwittingly expose themselves to such threats while accessing corporate email or enterprise applications," it insisted.

As such, it urged organizations to adopt a strong enterprise network security strategy in order to develop a holistic approach to combating threats as they evolve and develop.

Elsewhere, Computerworld Australia asked firms to visualize their network security strategy as a fortified castle, with defenses necessary on both the inside and outside. ]]> Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:45:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/spam/news-site-compromised-by-virus.cfm
Network security teams noticed the breach after numerous visitors were alerted that viewing certain pages on the site may expose them to the virus by Google web filtering software.

Responding to the threat, the paper removed all ads from its site in order to protect readers.

The advertisements were later put up when the virus had been isolated and removed.

In a recent article, the publication noted that the problem arose after its advertisement hosting site was compromised by an Asprox SQL injection attack.

"Although the virus is not believed to be malicious, users who accessed the website Sunday morning should run anti-virus programs to remove any potential threat," it advised.

In other developments, 9News.com alerted residents and businesses in Boulder, Colorado to a spam email message urging people to sell discounted electronic goods from China. ]]> Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:58:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/researchers-developers-need-to-act-on-dns-flaws.cfm
According to Paul Mockapetris, who helped to develop the set of rules, it will not be long before hackers begin to exploit the web security vulnerability in the wild, potentially compromising business systems.

Computerworld.com reported that because of the widespread nature of the problem, vendors and businesses need to make sure they secure systems quickly.

It noted that Dan Kaminsky, who identified the problem, intends to explain the network security exploit in more detail at the upcoming Black Hat USA 2008 conference next month.

"The new vulnerability Kaminsky found is so serious because it appears to offer a far more effective means of guessing packet identifiers than any [DNS] flaws found earlier," the magazine commented.

Kaminsky first identified the problem last week after months of cooperation between software vendors to get the problem fixed. ]]> Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:07:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/web-security/going-global-requires-strong-network-security.cfm
The publication has warned that while procedures such as outsourcing can bring a range of efficiency benefits, workers in overseas countries may not be well trained in implementing US IT security standards.

"As companies expand into these regions, several issues must be examined, including placement of network infrastructure, corporate protection and the risks associated with remote users," the magazine indicated.

It advised that the principal consideration in infrastructural location is where the resources will be sited and how effectively network security can be managed at these locations.

Ultimately, economic benefits must be weighed against effective network security management strategies, firms were warned.

In another recent report, SC Magazine warned businesses that IT security services need to evolve in order to combat increasingly complex phishing scams and other social engineering attacks. ]]> Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:30:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/storm-preys-on-iran-missile-fears.cfm
Users are targeted via spam email which includes a link to a website purporting to contain coverage of the heightened Middle East security situation.

When the website opens, employees and consumers are asked to download a file entitled iran_occupation.exe.

If they do so, the Storm variant will then infect machines and use address details to spread further within organizations.

Among the subject lines being used are "20000 US soldiers in Iran", "Iran USA conflict developed into war" and "More than 10000 Iranians were murdered".

To minimize the email security risk, US CERT urged administrators to make sure that all virus protection signature files are up to date.

Earlier this week, the organization also warned firms about a newly identified flaw in the Microsoft Word program, which could lead to an escalation of privileges and compromised network security. ]]> Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:10:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/email-security/firmsalertedtomswordflaw.cfm
In a recent advisory, the software giant said it was responding to reports of a flaw in the way that attachments are viewed in versions of the software using Microsoft Office Word 2002 Service Pack 3.

As a result of the flaw, an attacker could send a spam email with a specially coded Word document which would cause the program to crash.

From there, they could execute code remotely with the same privileges as the local user, potentially gaining full control of systems.

It is the second time this week that the firm has issued reported on IT security threats arising from vulnerabilities in its programs.

An earlier advisory warned businesses and consumers about an ActiveX scripting bug in the Access program which would allow for remote code execution. ]]> Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:12:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/reportsshowdatabreacheswerepreventable.cfm
Cited by CNet.com, one study found that nine out of ten corporate data breaches could have been avoided if appropriate security measures had been in place.

Data from more than 500 forensic investigations was analysed in the report.

Among the cases investigated were three of the largest corporate data breaches ever reported.

The study found that 73 percent of all data security attacks came from outside sources, with 18 percent arising from insiders.

It also found that in 75 percent of cases, the breaches were discovered by third-party organizations.

Meanwhile, another study from the Identity Theft Resource Center found that 62 percent of identity theft victims had warrants for their arrest issued after thieves had committed crimes under their name.

Elsewhere, Network World has noted that from November, banks and other institutions will have to enforce "red flag" rules which alert businesses and consumers to possible cases of identity theft. ]]> Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:05:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/microsoftstallsonsecurityupdates.cfm
The state-run Korea Internet Security Center said recently that the firm has been slower to issue fixes for various computer network security vulnerabilities this year than it was in 2007.

Following reports of an IT security flaw categorized as critical, it took an average of 115 days for Microsoft to respond. Last year, it took 64 days.

Meanwhile, issuing fixes for "important" flaws took an average of 80 days, up from 53 in 2007, the Korea Times reported.

"Although Microsoft is improving its security functions, Windows users are advised to stay alert, making sure that their programs are protected by strengthening protection through the use of extra software," a researcher working for the institute told the paper.

Microsoft's latest security bulletin identifies four important network security flaws, including one affecting the SQL Server program used by many businesses. ]]> Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:32:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/firmswarnedofdnsrisk.cfm
In a conference call yesterday, security analyst Dan Kaminsky explained to journalists that flaws in current randomization strategies used in converting web URLs to their IP address could potentially allow hackers to take control of large amounts of internet traffic.

CNet explained that Kaminsky and fellow network security researchers have been working on a resolution to the problem privately to limit the likelihood that the flaw would be exploited in the wild.

Following the release of a software update, Kaminsky and colleagues will wait an additional 30 days to give other commercial vendors and administrators time to get the problem solved before releasing full details of the exploit.

Meanwhile, fellow researcher Rich Mogul described the potential extent of the problem.

"It's a very fundamental issue with how the entire addressing scheme of the internet works ... You'd have the internet, but it wouldn't be the internet you expect. [Hackers] would control everything," he said. ]]> Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:03:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/web-security/microsoftwarnsofofficebug.cfm
Identified by the software giant yesterday, the exploit works by leveraging a vulnerability in the Snapshot Viewer utility in Microsoft Access.

The company is yet to issue a patch for the problem, but has offered a manual workaround solution which is said to protect against attack vectors identified at this stage.

"An attacker would have to convince users to visit the web site, typically by getting them to click a link in an email or Instant Messenger message that takes users to the attacker's web site," the security advisory explained.

Malicious users could then adopt the same account rights as the local user, potentially posing a substantial threat to enterprise network security.

Following the release, a security researcher working for the firm urged those using the software to follow instructions to manually counteract the problem. ]]> Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:45:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/enterprisesoftwareneedsauditing.cfm
Such is the suggestion of ZDNet enterprise network security blogger Dennis Howlett, who has noted in a recent entry that many firms are facing the prospect of data breaches as their reliance on virtualized enterprise software grows.

Howlett noted that while there are many benefits to using virtualized business services, an effective data security standard needs to be developed in order to minimize the risk of data leaks in the auditing process.

The current auditing standard - the Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) 70 - may not be able to carry out effective security evaluation as the number of virtualized services and providers proliferates.

Many of these software developers are neglecting their responsibilities as set out by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Howlett suggested.

As such, he concluded: "The SAS70 issue can be addressed but in my opinion requires a different type of audit - one that is informed by systems thinking and not based on financial accounting." ]]> Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:41:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/viruses-worms/critical_thinking_a_key_phishing_countermeasure.cfm
Armed with up-to-date antivirus protection and an investigative attitude to potential email threats, businesses can significantly reduce the likelihood of being caught out by phishing exploits, Tuaw.com has noted.

Using the newest versions of a secure browser is also recommended, with in-built network security facilities protecting against requests for personal information coming from illegitimate websites.

One of the principal things to check when being asked for information is the originating website address for authenticity, the online publication commented.

Doing so is becoming increasingly necessary as the number and complexity of phishing scams escalate, it advised.

Elsewhere, Macphishingprotection.com has advised firms to make sure that an email content filter is put in place in order to limit the number of phishing scams that employees are exposed to.

By adopting this type of anti-spam filter, firms can save time by avoiding the need to assess whether individual emails are genuine or not. ]]> Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:19:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/important_flaws_identified_in_sql_server.cfm
The announcement came in its monthly security bulletin, which also identified three other flaws in Windows products, all of which were categorized as important.

While full details of the vulnerability have not been made public at this time, the company did state that if left unpatched the exploit could lead to an escalation of privileges.

The same flaw was announced to also affect various versions of the Windows operating system.

In line with company policy, full details have not been given in order that IT security is not compromised prior to a release of a patch to fix the issue.

Other security flaws identified would have allowed for remote code execution on compromised machines as well as an IP spoofing enterprise network security vulnerability.

Downloadable patches for the exploits are scheduled to be made available on July 8.

Commenting on the announcement, Computer World noted that while it had labelled the remote code execution vulnerable as important - the company's second highest rating - in the past such threats had been labelled as critical. ]]> Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:13:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/web-security/hackers_infect_sony_website.cfm
Web security journal ITBusiness.ca has indicated that the attack - which occurred late last week - has since been fixed, although many more companies are still vulnerable to the exploit.

Known as an SQL injection, the IT security threat has ballooned in popularity in recent months, with thousands of legitimate business webpages compromised and transformed into facilities for spreading spyware viruses and other forms of malware.

Citing statistics from a web security vendor, the website noted: "There is now a new malware-infected web page every five seconds ... That's three times the rate of infection compared to last year."

Furthermore, 80 per cent of websites targeted belong to legitimate businesses.

Elsewhere, the Register has warned that phishing and pharming on large US jobsites has become a lucrative business for criminals, with new tools putting thousands of employees' personal and occupational details at risk. ]]> Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:11:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/identity-theft/sms_phishing_on_the_increase.cfm
An article in Biz Community reveals that those companies who keep in touch with their clients by sending them text messages to their mobile phones could see their customers left at risk of phishers.

It was stated SMS phishing usually takes place when customers receive a message from what appears to a reputable financial organisation asking them to call a phone number to settle an alleged problem with their account.

Upon doing so they are then asked to give PIN numbers and other personal information which fraudsters then use to access consumers' accounts.

The publication warned businesses to make sure they send personalised SMS content to their customer and contain information in their messages which phishers would not have access to.

In their attempts at phishing protection, it was also reported that firms should ensure clients are aware of their SMS policies and that their overall marketing material is consistent.

Earlier this year, Janna Kiehl from the Better Business Bureau pointed out that attempts at identify theft on the part of internet fraudsters is "rampant" with such criminals now targeting prospective victims via SMS and email. ]]> Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:58:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/identity-theft/dutch_hacker_collared.cfm
National newpaper NRC Handlesblad originally reported that the 20-year-old hacker had been caught by the Team High Tech Crime squad last week.

IT Examiner reported that he is thought to be behind crimes totalling millions of dollars.

These included compromising network security and stealing data from two online games servers, as well as lifting payment data from thousands of users of an English online ticket website.

He is then reported to have spent €13 million ($20.5 million) on online gaming sites and computer hardware.

Calling himself MaddoxX, the hacker is also charged with stealing the code of a game being developed by Activision which, if released prior to its launch date, would have cost the company $25 million.

Back in April 2007, the hacker is said to have contacted the Register to explain his reasoning behind one of his crimes.

"It is just to show how lax they are with their security," he said. ]]> Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:02:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/spam/new_419_phishing_scam_unveiled.cfm
Cited by IT Business, the report shows that fraudsters are now targeting the address book contacts of unsuspecting users who have had their email accounts hacked.

The phishing scam attempted to add further credibility by appending the user's auto-signature at the bottom of the email.

However, the email security attack did not end there, with compromised accounts scanned for auction site login details.

"The hacker then began bidding on a number of laptops being sold in the UK and instructed that the laptops be sent to Nigeria," the report noted.

Such attacks were logged across multiple organizations and webmail accounts.

Online advisory service Millersmiles has noted that 419 names are so-called because this is the Nigerian penal code which the phishing scams are logged under. ]]> Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:00:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/viruses-worms/nugache_botnet_author_reined_in.cfm
According to the Los Angeles Times, Jason Michael Milmont, 19, has since pleaded guilty to federal felony offences at a court hearing in his home town of Cheyenne, Wyoming.

The Nugache worm, as Milmont's program is known, is attributed as being one of the first to use peer-to-peer filesharing to spread.

He first distributed the botnet by offering users a modified version of the Limewire program which would then spread to other machines once it had been installed.

Its virulence was also increased via instant messaging programs, with users invited to view infected photos on fake MySpace and Photobucket pages.

Milmont told the paper in an email: "Most of the illegal activity took place before I was 18 and I wouldn't do it today."

Earlier this year Network World reported that the Nugache worm had the potential to overtake the Storm virus as the the world's most dangerous botnet. ]]> Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:26:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/web-security/online_antivirus_sales_surpass_physical_purchase.cfm
According to the NPD Group's Security Software Topical Report, online downloads of network security and antivirus software now account for 62 per cent of all sales in the market.

Other statistics indicated that more than half of all purchases are conducted directly through vendor's websites.

Respondents to the study noted that there most prominent security concerns were antivirus protection (80 per cent), followed by identity theft prevention (73 per cent).

Meanwhile, in terms of physical purchases, 62 per cent of sales were made directly off the shelf, while 25 per cent came with the purchase of a new PC.

Research from the group indicated a high level of awareness among buyers about the various capabilities of antivirus products, although only 32 per cent said they understood what a virus signature update was.

An earlier study, published by the firm last month, showed that spending on technology in the US had also bounced back in May after four months of flat sales. ]]> Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:02:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/email-security/us_is_most_spammed_nation.cfm
Cited by the San Francisco Chronicle, new statistics show that the US received 22 per cent of all spam sent during a test period, while Brazil and Italy were tied for second place.

Of the other countries included - Britain, France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and Australia - Germany received the lowest number of spam email messages.

The test was conducted by sending 50 computer users in all of the studied countries a new laptop with minimal web filtering and email security software and encouraged them to spend a month replying to as much spam as they could.

By the end of the test, more than 104,000 emails had been received, with one user in Illinois reported to have been sent more than 600 emails a day.

"There were emails seeking personal information - a tactic known as phishing; hardcore pornography - most prevalent among the U.S. participants; and the well-known Nigerian scams," the newspaper noted.

Late last month the Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group published guidelines designed to help users combat spam abuse. ]]> Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:38:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/web-security/phishers_target_google_calendar.cfm
Citing findings from security researcher Phillip Lenssen, Cnet.com has reported that Google users have been sent emails concerning legitimate events in the Calendar program.

Within the email, accountholders are warned that the search engine is purging a number of email addresses in an effort to reduce "congestions."

The message continues: "Your account was among those to be deleted. We are sending you this email to so that you can verify and let us know if you still want to use this account."

Google has urged all users not click on links within suspicious emails and report any suspected phishing scams to its IT security teams.

Responding to a concerned user on a help forum, a Google IT security analyst confirmed that it had not been sent by the search giant and should not be responded to. ]]> Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:33:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/hp_openview_vulnerability_noted.cfm
If left unpatched, the firm warned that the exploit could allow hackers to execute code remotely and gain control of users' machines.

As such, it urged businesses and all other organizations using the utility to download patches immediately in order to maintain enterprise network security.

The flaw was said to be present in various versions of the program and could potentially affect networks operating on Windows, Solaris, Linux and HP-UX systems.

In a prepared statement, the firm said: "HP recommends that all users determine the applicability of this information to their individual situations and take appropriate action."

HP notes that the aim of the OpenView Network Node Manager is to allow businesses to adopt a scalable networking solution across multiple platforms.

Among the features offered are event correlation and automated business network monitoring. ]]> Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:00:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/vulnerabilities_should_be_treated_as_defects.cfm
Such is the suggestion of ZDNet security blogger Nathan McFeters, who has explained that current vulnerability reporting responses are leaving many bugs unpatched.

Citing recent comments from a fellow network security research blogger writing for Matasano.com, McFeters explained that some software developers are treating vulnerability reports as suggestions for improving the program and are as such, leaving bugs unfixed until later versions.

"This is not an acceptable way of handling a vulnerability," he insisted.

In order to remedy the situation, McFeters called on software firms to begin to count IT security holes as defects and reward coders who deliver programs with the fewest flaws.

The original Matasano post focused on software developer 37Signals and suggested that the firm had in fact treated a vulnerability report as a product improvement suggestion. ]]> Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:08:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/identity-theft/security_still_stifling_in_summer.cfm
So states Network World in a recent article examining some of the enterprise network security obstacles being tackled by IT staff at various universities, hospitals and commercial organizations.

For OhioHealth, the healthcare provider behind the Dublin Methodist hospital, this summer's big project is the installation of biometric finger-scanners needed in order to comply with new State Board Pharmacy prescription guidelines.

In Iowa meanwhile, Meredith Corp is hard at work implementing a new data leak prevention appliance, which Dan Carlson, director of IT security, said will allow the company to keep an eye on emerging identity theft and fraud threats.

Data security is also top of the agenda at Baylor University, where IT staff are looking to install the latest whole-disk encryption software on about 150 machines.

Earlier this month, Network World reminded businesses of the need to maintain high levels of network security protection in order to make them a less appealing target to online criminals. ]]> Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:00:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/web-security/researchers_warn_of_new_ie_6_attack.cfm
According to analysts, network security could be compromised if an exploit in the Adobe Flash program is used in conjunction with IE 6.

The problem relates to the way in which the browser handles the "location.href" property of a window object.

Because of an error in scripting, a malicious hacker could prepare a web page that, when visited, launches arbitrary code on the user's machine, potentially leaving enterprise network security at risk.

Companies are advised that IE 7 - the latest version of the browser - does not contain this vulnerability.

An IT security update from US-CERT cited by ZDNet noted that the exploit had the potential to allow remote attackers to perform a variety of actions including stealing authentication credentials and cookies as well as hijacking web sessions. ]]> Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:03:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/author_proposes_tax_on_buggy_software.cfm
In an interview with Forbes, Rice insisted that software bugs were costing the US economy as much as $180 billion every year.

He also noted that there were other significant non-economic costs, blaming buggy software for data breaches at the US State Department as well as an aircraft crash which occurred in 2005.

To address the problem, he suggested that software developers need to be held to account for failing to put their software through rigorous testing before releasing it into the commercial sphere.

Rice noted: "When you look at what hackers do, they're really just trying to discover defects with tests that the software manufacturers could be performing themselves."

One company recently criticised for IT security flaw present in its software was Adobe.

Computer World noted that researchers had found an "epidemic" of vulnerabilities in a number of its products. ]]> Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:01:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/spam/spam_threats_growing_faster_than_ever.cfm
According to Network World, the Srizbi botnet is responsible for almost half (46 per cent) of all malicious spam traffic recorded.

New figures have shown that spam emails designed to compromise IT security account for ten percent of all spam emails sent so far during June, the online magazine noted.

In May, this figure stood at three per cent.

"Srizbi is duping recipients by including the first part of their email address in the subject line with the suggestion that they look "stupid" in a video," Network World reported.

Users are then invited to click on a link which takes them to a website exposing them to malware.

Earlier this month, New York Times technology correspondent David Pogue noted that he has received an increasing number of emails with titles like "you look really stupid" and "what a stupid face you have here", both of which are examples of the Srizbi botnet in action. ]]> Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:01:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/spam/banks_have_antiphishing_responsibility.cfm
He told the Wall Street Journal Business Technology Blog that while the financial institutions had no legal requirement to do so, ensuring that exposure to phishing scams was kept to a minimum was an important commercial policy.

MacPhee's comments followed a recent instance in which businesses and consumers were targeted by fraudsters who sent out spam emails requesting that customers call an 800 number to discuss account information using email addresses appearing to belong to KCS.

In order to put an end to the spam abuse, the bank worked with its internet service provider to track the email to an address in Virginia and shut down the 800 number.

Elsewhere, the Herald-Banner also reported that the number of phishing scams involving banks is on the rise throughout Greenville, South Carolina. ]]> Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:59:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/web-security/firms_warned_of_facebook_risks.cfm
Such is the suggestion of vnunet.com after a number of analysts recognized a growing number of identity theft scams targeting social network users.

As such, firms are being warned that IT security and sensitive data could be compromised if usage is not monitored closely.

Facebook and other similar sites have been identified by security analysts as "greynets", the website reported.

"These are programs which pose a security risk because they are difficult to monitor and control with conventional administrative and security software," it explained.

It concluded by suggesting that the threat may go beyond phishing scams and leave businesses at risk of corporate espionage.

Using LinkedIn, rival firms can retrieve data on recent hires and initiatives by scrutinizing employees' user profile update, it suggested.

According to a recent ZDNet report, one recent Facebook phishing scam attempted to lure people in by posting a message on user's wall luring them to a false login page. ]]> Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:15:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/adobe_vulnerability_exposed.cfm
In a security bulletin, the company advises users to upgrade systems in order to reduce risk of attack.

The vulnerability relates to a javascript coding flaw which could potentially allow a remote user to gain control of systems, as well as causing terminals to crash.

A fix for the Adobe Reader fault has been made available in a security patch, while users of the Acrobat program are advised to update their product installations to remedy the network security problem.

The company advises businesses that there are reports of the vulnerability being exploited in the wild.

Earlier this month, the company also announced another enterprise IT security risk in its Flex 3 software development kit.

The patch for the problem was described as an important update. The company recommended all affected users to upgrade to a newer version of the product. ]]> Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:11:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/email-security/hackers_recruiting_techsavvy_grads.cfm
Such is the claim of the UK-based Serious Organized Crime Agency, which suggested that criminals may be looking to bankroll students while they are at college in return for the development of new network attack strategies.

The group also suggested that criminals may be developing a presence at security conferences, where they can lure computer programmers in with substantial cash incentives.

According to the magazine, many organized gangs are better funded than traditional IT security firms and can offer graduates and students more attractive deals than their legitimate competitors.

In other recent developments, the Korea Times has reported that web filtering technology may becoming increasingly important as criminals look to compromise network security by hijacking official, respectable websites. ]]> Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:05:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/viruses-worms/businesses_should_think_like_hackers.cfm
In a recent article, the resource noted that many firms fail to enact proactive security strategies that prevent attacks rather than react to them.

However, the publication insisted that such a strategy should be the norm rather than the exception, with network downtime and commercial identity theft posing huge problems for businesses.

As such, it advises firms to carry out a comprehensive network security audit examining all vulnerable devices and services that are active on the business network.

"Vulnerabilities should be patched, or services disabled, before an attack can occur," it stated.

It also advises firms to assign a business value and priority to each vulnerability in order to sharpen security strategies.

Elsewhere, smallbusinesscomputing.com editor Laura Simonds has recently asserted that the principal threat to network security within an organization is a lack of awareness among employees. ]]> Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:02:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/mobile_malware_will_threaten_business.cfm
According to Network World, the rise of smartphones has meant that an increasing amount of sensitive corporate information is stored on mobile devices, making them a prominent target for malicious hackers.

However, the online publication noted that there is a risk that the network security threat is being overlooked by commercial organizations.

The phone has advanced exponentially, while users have not caught up and realized that they are walking around with a computer," Mark Olson, Manager at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, told the resource.

In an effort to combat the emergent threat, Network World urges businesses to think systematically about security measures - such as limiting access to mobile services - that can be put in place.

Elsewhere, the UC San Diego division of the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology has implemented on-campus scanning systems to evaluate the potential threat of Bluetooth virus attacks. ]]> Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:59:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/email-security/fake_news_used_by_spammers.cfm
Research revealed that fabricated headlines such as 'Donald Trump kidnapped, feared missing' and 'Eiffel Tower damaged in massive earthquake' have already been seen.

Within the body of the email are links that supposedly lead to more information on the story but instead take users to a website resembling adult site Pornotube.

If users then click on any of the videos, an executable is activated which installs storm malware on to the computer.

Kevin McGhee from McAfee said that this technique "plays on people's inquisitiveness about news of natural disasters and celebrities".

He added that spammers have moved from real world events to "creating their own fictional events".

"This high-volume spam campaign is using some wacky subjects to lure people into clicking on the links," he added.

Other headlines to look out for include 'DA rolls over on Britney foot-fault case', 'Dutch disqualified from Euro championships' and 'Opponents to gay marriage stay quiet'. ]]> Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:44:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/firms_open_to_attack_from_security_holes.cfm
Industry resource reports that a trio of recent studies demonstrate how lax security practices throughout organizations are making them a target for hackers.

One piece of research cited by the resource found that 81 percent of 580 corporate computers tested around the world were found to have out of date software patches and had firewall programs disabled.

According to another study, finance, government, legal, retail and utilities sectors have all seen an increase in the number of network security vulnerabilities to which they are exposed.

Roy Hills, technical director at research firm NTA, said in a statement: "These high-risk vulnerabilities are widely known and actively exploited by hackers, leaving many companies susceptible to attack."

In recent web security developments, Mozilla has confirmed that there is a critical vulnerability in the newest version of its Firefox program. ]]> Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:16:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/email-security/businesses_warned_of_olympic_storm_risk.cfm
US Cert has reported that the spam email has been circulated widely.

The group warns businesses to be on the lookout for the IT security threat, which can compromise systems by launching a trojan virus attack.

According to vnunet.com, the message invites users to click on a link which is purportedly anchored to a video but in fact directs them to an executable file entitled beijing.exe, which launches the virus.

The email security exploit is a variant of the Storm trojan, which first received its name in reference to severe weather conditions in Europe.

ZDNet recently reported that another version of the virus attempted to coax users into downloading the loveyou.exe file in an email expressing an erotic interest in the recipient. ]]> Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:48:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/web-security/antivirus_solution_comes_with_a_catch.cfm
Creators of the malware, which scrambles files on PCs, demanded a ransom for the unlock key, reported InfoWorld.

Files can be recovered, but it requires a high level of technical ability and the PC must not have been switched off.

Ideally, users would have a clean computer to download a fix for the process.

Creators of the virus could yet again breach IT security by releasing a variant even if the key to unlock files easily is discovered.

Some researchers have said Kaspersky's attempts to crack the key are "futile", according to Computerworld.

The website also quoted a spokesman from Kaspersky admitting there was no progress in cracking the key and adding that it was "not possible" to decrypt files scrambled by Gpcode.ak without it. ]]> Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:33:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/identity-theft/phishers_widening_their_nets.cfm
According to the industry resource, recent events have shown that the cyber-criminals are not above playing the charity card in order to capture banking information and other details.

Following the recent earthquakes in China, for example, hackers infiltrated the Red Cross website in an attempt to launch a phishing scam targeting unwitting donors.

"It's an ugly word that describes an ugly scenario - scam merchants trying to fraudulently take your money via the internet," the publication asserted.

The number of phishing scams in operation more than trebled in the first three months of 2008 when compared to the previous year's figures, it stated.

In an effort to reduce the exposure to phishing, businesses are urged to increase awareness among workers that official-looking websites could in fact be a front for an identity theft scam, with banking sites identified as common points of attack.

Elsewhere, warnings about a new phishing scam targeting those claiming benefits have recently been issued by the FBI. ]]> Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:22:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/defrag_to_avoid_downtime.cfm
According to ecoustics.com, preventing network security failures is far more manageable than combating more unpredictable events such as natural disasters.

The publication noted that many firms look to install network security solutions that prevent spam email and viruses from infiltrating systems in an effort to minimize the risk of a network going down.

However, it suggested that businesses often overlook the importance of protecting against fragmentation.

"Fragmentation is not something that is imported onto the hard drive but rather originates there and just like any other disease it will continue to get worse over time as it goes untreated," it insisted.

In an effort to maintain IT security, it urged businesses to make sure adequate defragmentation software was installed.

Elsewhere, the publication has noted that slow web browsing is a common - but not commonly recognized - symptom of fragmentation. ]]> Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:16:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/email-security/firms_warned_of_security_it_mistakes.cfm
The Ray Friel Recreation Complex's site was infected between May 14 and 21 and could have infected the computers of users who visited in that time.

Such users may now be at risk of spam abuse, fraud or identity theft, CBC News reports.

The server was infected after the company managing it failed to download a patch to fix a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows.

It had virus-scanning software, but the type of code distributing the virus could not be detected by it.

Updated virus protection in the server would have detected the redirection of the users by the virus, but users without the protection would not have known.

People whose virus protection is not up to date should carry out a manual virus check, the City of Ottowa advises.

Last year, an annual report released by the Cyber Security Industry Alliance offered a D grade to US cyber security efforts.

Greg Garcia, assistant secretary for cybersecurity at the Department of Homeland Security said the technology existed but the will was lacking, according to ZDnet. ]]> Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:08:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/outdated_system_causes_grading_troubles.cfm
Teachers at Lockhurst Elementary school had to input entries by hand after antiquated virus protection software left systems vulnerable to a host of IT security threats.

Staff found the network clogged as a malicious virus hijacked connections to send spam email to multiple recipients.

Commenting on the email security infiltration, Tony Tortorice, chief information officer for the Los Angeles Unified School District, told the LA Times: "The virus gained entry on computers whose virus software had not been set to update automatically."

Meanwhile, teacher Rod Wylie said that it was frustrating having to manage grading tasks manually when the technology was available to do it online.

The outdated system is not due to be upgraded until 2010, the paper reported.

Elsewhere, CBCnews issues an IT security warning after a recreational centre's website infected users with a computer virus, exposing them to spam abuse and other malicious exploits. ]]> Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:00:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/data_breaches_could_wipe_out_a_small_business.cfm
The publication notes that IT security threats can come from a range of sources, with wireless identified as a prominent attack point along side website exploits.

Furthermore, it notes that because companies are held responsible for employees' use of the network, firms need to keep a tab on the kind of content that is stored on machines.

In an effort to help secure systems with limited resources, the publication urges companies to adopt unified threat management (UTM) solutions, which incorporate email and web filtering, as well as a range of other aspects of network security.

"UTM security appliances offer one-stop 'security-in-a-box' protection that even part-time network administrators can deploy," the paper advises.

Elsewhere, the Economic Times asserts that UTM goes beyond virus protection and protects system from emerging threats such as phishing scams, spyware, trojans, pharming and data breaches. ]]> Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:04:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/email-security/businesses_should_be_proactive_in_preventing_phishing.cfm
According to eChannelLine, there is a growing need to secure networks and working environments against this type of threats.

Indeed, industry analyst Gartner has predicted that the economic impact of phishing scams now runs into billions of dollars.

"Website owners should make sure their sites are as secure as possible from outside attacks by maintaining up-to-date firewalls," the resource urged.

It also advised businesses to avoid using web domains featuring visible IP addresses in an effort to reduce the risk of being targeted by phishers.

Concluding, the publication asserts that, regardless of specific anti-phishing policies pursued, businesses should always operate with a greater degree of caution.

Last month, PC World reported that 38 people in the US and Romania were arrested in connection with a phishing scam which sought to steal thousands of debit and credit card numbers. ]]> Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:03:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/viruses-worms/worker_loses_job_over_viruses.cfm
Investigators explained that Michael Fiola, who lost his job at the Department of Industrial Accidents in March 2007, had outdated email security software on his machine.

As a result, multiple viruses, trojans and other malware compromised his system and began to download indecent images on to the company notebook without his knowledge.

Nationally recognized computer forensic analyst Tami Loehrs told the Boston Herald that Mr Fiola's case was one of the worst she had witnessed as an IT security investigator.

Meanwhile, Mr Fiola said the ordeal had been "destroying" his and his wife's lives, with his friends deserting after him after he was fired.

Elsewhere, in a recent Prospect article internet expert Jonathan Zittrain has suggested that virus protection measures are failing as new threats continue to emerge and overrun the internet. ]]> Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:56:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/microsoft_patch_flaw_preventing_business_updates.cfm attacks due to a flaw in the recent security update issued by Microsoft earlier this month.

The software giant announced its awareness of the problem on Friday of last week.

It is thought that the enterprise network security threat affects companies using System Center Configuration Manager 2007 and System Management Server 2003 client software.

Microsoft also announced that it does not consider the issue a specific data security threat.

However, it noted: "We are communicating the availability of an update that affects your ability to perform subsequent updates, including security updates."

As such, the group suggested that the problem identified was concerned more with overall network security than any single vulnerability.

Computer World reported that the company is currently working on a patch to address the compatibility issue.

In its most recent monthly update the company issued seven security patches designed to fix flaws in programs and application extensions including Internet Explorer and Flash. ]]> Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:45:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/identity-theft/vishing_threats_growing.cfm
Such is the assertion of Security Pro News analyst David Utter, who has suggested that while people have come to adopt more robust email security strategies, voice phishing - or vishing - scams are still leaving businesses open to data theft.

Mr Utter notes that problems with vishing were identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in a report published earlier this year in which it noted that the online identity theft threat was growing at an alarming rate.

"Vishing operates like phishing by persuading consumers to divulge their personally identifiable information, claiming their account was suspended, deactivated, or terminated," the report explained.

In an effort to reduce risks, Mr Utter urged businesses to limit calls to financial institutions to numbers provided in statements, noting that any new number could lead to a trap.

Elsewhere, CNBC on the Money commentator Carmen Wong Ulrich recently urged firms to call financial services firms back on designated customer service numbers if they ever receive a call concerning their account. ]]> Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:30:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/nasa_hacker_fighting_extradition.cfm
According to ZDnet, Gary McKinnon will put his appeal to Law Lords in a two-hour hearing.

His defence rests on the allegation that Mr McKinnon was threatened by American authorities during the plea bargaining process.

Lawyers representing the defendant will tell the panel of judges that US government officials warned that if he failed to cooperate they would seek to hold his trial in New Jersey, where the strictest laws govern criminal computer breaches.

Mr McKinnon's IT security attack is alleged to have caused $700,000 worth of damage to Nasa, US Army, Air Force, Department of Defence systems.

If the Law Lords rule that there had been an abuse of process, the extradition process will be put to an end, although he may still be tried under UK laws.

Elsewhere, Representative Frank Wolf, a Virginia Republican, has accused the Chinese government of hacking into four of his machines in 2006, while New Jersey Republican Chris Smith said two of his machines had been compromised between 2006 and 2007. ]]> Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:19:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/email-security/phishing_scams_grow_more_sophisticated.cfm
Commenting recently, resource contributor Carl Weinschenk notes that instances of spear phishing and whaling are becoming particularly pronounced.

Spear phishing takes the opposite approach to older mass mailing phishing scams which target many thousands of users at a time.

However, spear phishing researches potential victims thoroughly and uses personal lures in an attempt to glean information from them in order to commit identity fraud and theft, he explained.

"Whaling aims for top executives, often by name and with specific information that suggests the messages' authenticity. All these definitions are amorphous and flexible, however," he continued.

For businesses looking to prevent such attacks, Mr Weinschenk concluded by suggesting that the first action area should be staff training.

The news follows a recent statement from the US Army announcing that a recent phishing scam has targeted families of fallen soldiers by claiming to offer compensation. ]]> Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:30:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/us_infrastructure_vulnerable_to_attack.cfm
Such is the suggestion of the Register, after recent enterprise network security vulnerability was identified in control mechanisms known as SCADA, which are used by companies operating in petroleum, aerospace, food and manufacturing industries.

"In theory, the bug should be of little consequence, since there is general agreement that SCADA systems, remote terminal units and other critical industrial controls should never be exposed to the internet," the online resource noted.

However, it explains that in actuality, this often turns out to be the case, with companies leaving themselves open to a buffer overflow vulnerability that would allow malicious users to execute code remotely on machines.

The Register noted that it is the second time that the US has been made aware of this vulnerability, with North America's national grid lambasted by lawmakers for failing to prevent these and other IT security threats. ]]> Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:00:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/web-security/companies_warned_of_web_security_risks.cfm
Commenting on IT Business, industry expert Caleb Sima noted that many companies are leaving themselves open to attack by failing to integrate web filtering and other network security solutions into the applications they develop from the start.

"Many businesses find they have more web applications and vulnerabilities than security professionals to test and remedy them," Mr Sima said.

He added that the problem becomes particularly pronounced when vulnerability testing is undertaken after the program has been sent to production.

Not only does this compromise data security, but also undermines regulatory compliance efforts, Mr Sima suggested.

Under new online trading compliance guidelines outlined by the Payment Card industry, US firms will have to ensure that robust network security solutions are in place by the end of this month in order to meet regulatory requirements. ]]> Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:15:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/email-security/ftc_spam_amendments_weak.cfm
Writing on Infoworld.com, Ed Foster asserted that only one of the new additions could have any positive effect on anti spamcampaigns.

This is the clarification that mail recipients cannot be required to provide information other than their email address or pay a fee to opt out from receiving spam.

However, he added that another provision will further damage an already insufficient email security measure.

Mr Foster notes that the anti spam flaw that requires users to opt out of mass-mailing campaigns using clauses defined by spammers is made worse by the new regulations.

"In scenarios where multiple marketers use a single e-mail message to spam you, only one of the senders need be designated the official sender," he notes, meaning that other senders do not need to honor opt-outs.

The FTC announced the changes on May 12th. ]]> Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:36:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/microsoft_issues_seven_patches_to_address_security_issues.cfm
Prior to its release, network security analyst Andrew Storms told Computer Weekly that the bulletin responded to a diverse range of security issues.

IT security threats affecting a number of Windows versions were identified, some of which would allow for a full escalation of privileges if left unchecked.

Mr Storms specifically identified the DirectX kill-bit security update, which prevents the third-party program from being executed on updated machines.

Microsoft noted that a privately reported IT security vulnerability in the program would allow malicious users to take complete control of an affected system via a remote code execution exploit.

Collectively, the IT security patches attempt to tackle a number of Windows vulnerabilities, as well as specific data security weaknesses in Internet Explorer and DirectX.

Other remote exploits were identified in Internet Explorer and Bluetooth drivers, both of which could result in full privilege escalation. ]]> Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:35:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/it_security_driving_storage_software_market.cfm
Analyst IDC explains that businesses are increasingly turning to software which helps to maintain IT security across their storage networks.

The assertion is based on figures which show an annual increase in sales of such software to the first quarter of 2008, despite seasonal effects which typically see revenue drop at the start of the year.

Research analyst at the firm Michael Margossian says: "The first quarter of the calendar year can be slow for some vendors but the market showed relatively strong growth from a year ago."

In all, the market grew in value by 9.4 per cent in the year ending with the first three months of 2008.

The analyst previously recommended that firms "future-proof" their IT security investments in light of increasing expenditure on such solutions from corporate customers. ]]> Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:18:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/network-security/network_security_key_to_compliance.cfm
Writing for ZDNet, George Shih notes that the extent to which a company may be held liable for its network being used unknowingly to launch a botnet attack has not yet been established.

But he advises that network security remains an important element in establishing compliance with a growing number of regulations.

He writes: "Bots and botnets may not necessarily lead to expensive downtime, but they could be a lot more costly to your company in other ways."

Mr Shih adds that follow-on effects from a lapse in network security could include the loss of trust from business partners and clients alike.

The comments come as California resident Gregory King has been sentenced to a two-year sentence after pleading guilty to charges of launching distributed denial of service attacks in 2007. ]]> Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:17:00 -0600 http://www.mxlogic.com/securitynews/spam/bbb_working_with_government_on_anti_spam_efforts.cfm
Such work is being undertaken in light of the organization's name appearing in a number of phishing emails.

While they may initially appear to be official communications, these emails may carry a virus as an attachment.

The BBB explains that, when opened, the attachment installs the virus in the form of a screensaver file and begins monitoring sensitive information such as passwords.

Other departments which may appear as the sender of the email include the US Department of Justice, Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration.

Connecticut BBB president Paulette Hotton says: "BBB and government authorities are working together to stop these continued attacks."

Anti spam guidance from the BBB recommends that users take simple measures such as checking the privacy policies of websites before providing them with their email address. ]]> Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:17:00 -0600