NewsBits for March 8, 2004 sponsored by, Southeast Cybercrime Institute - www.cybercrime.kennesaw.edu ************************************************************ Worm Masquerades as Microsoft Patch A new worm purporting to contain a patch to defend against MyDoom is attacking Windows machines throughout Europe and parts of North America. Sober.D appeared Sunday and began spreading in Germany and the United Kingdom. The worm arrives in an e-mail message with a subject line of "Microsoft Alert: Please Read!" and carries a sending address with a Microsoft domain. http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,4149,1544482,00.asp http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105_2-5171243.html http://news.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020330,39148116,00.htm http://www.vnunet.com/News/1153314 Beware sober worm bearing gifts http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/56/36081.html SCO.com emerges from virus battle http://news.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020330,39148122,00.htm Novarg/MyDooM: total damage increases http://www.crime-research.org/news/06.03.2004/117 - - - - - - - - - - Feds: email subpoena ruling hurts law enforcement A federal appeals court has declined to reverse last year's decision that the issuance of an egregiously overbroad subpoena for email can qualify as a computer intrusion in violation of anti-hacking laws. This is despite an argument by the Justice Department that a side-effect of the ruling has already made it harder for law enforcement officials to obtain Americans' private email. http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/55/36067.html - - - - - - - - - - PayPal antifraud process scrutinized Online payment processor PayPal.com said Monday it would clarify the rights of consumers hit by fraud as part of a settlement with the New York state Attorney General's Office over its handling of such cases. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4479880/ - - - - - - - - - - A Software Program Aimed at Taming File-Sharing The record industry is hoping that a little magic will solve its problems with online piracy by file sharers. The Recording Industry Association of America has been talking up a company named Audible Magic to lawmakers and regulators in Washington in recent weeks in an attempt to show that file-sharing networks can be tamed. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/08/technology/08music.html Kazaa fails to overturn music biz data seizure orders http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/36089.html One File Swapper, One Lawsuit http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,62576,00.html - - - - - - - - - - Rights groups target antipiracy directive Civil liberties groups are engaging in a last-minute attempt to alter a controversial intellectual-property law that they claim will lead to a flood of frivolous lawsuits against consumers and small businesses. http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104-5171387.html - - - - - - - - - - Linux kernel vuln reloaded Security researchers have discovered a potentialy serious security vulnerability within a Linux kernel memory management module. The vulnerability is not remotely executable but it does allow privilege escalation. A hacker who obtains access to a local PC could be able to root a box. http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/55/36097.html - - - - - - - - - - Victim's mother seeks ban on violent Net porn The mother of murdered schoolteacher Jane Longhurst has today launched a national petition calling for tighter regulation of pornographic content on the Internet. Seventy-two-year-old Mrs Longhurst wants certain adult pornography, such as that showing violence towards women and necrophilia, outlawed in the same way as images of child sexual abuse. http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/36086.html 50% of porn sites come from former USSR http://www.crime-research.org/news/06.03.2004/118 - - - - - - - - - - Sniffing out computer crime Thinking of sneaking a peek at a pornographic Web site from your company's computers? Or sending a trade secret to the competition? Better think again. From San Gabriel Valley police departments to the FBI, law enforcement agencies across the country are using sophisticated forensics software to track down white-collar criminals. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/Stories/0,1413,206~11848~1999459,00.html - - - - - - - - - - Boot Camp Teaches 'Ethical Hacking' It is before 10 a.m. on Monday morning. In a white- walled room at the Dulles Airport Holiday Inn conference center, the trash bins are already filled with Pepsi cans and coffee-stained cups. For 18 people trying to defend computer networks, this windowless room is where they will learn how to attack. Fueled by caffeine and sugar, they have a week to learn to think like a hacker. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39145-2004Mar7.html http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105_2-5171382.html Security vendors switch to offensive http://insight.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020415,39148107,00.htm - - - - - - - - - - Backing Sellers and Protecting Buyers Online Steven L. Woda was an intern at a technology company during the summer of 2000 when he decided it was time to buy a personal digital assistant. So the business school student forked over nearly $400 to purchase one in an eBay auction. His credit card was charged, but the device never came. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39132-2004Mar7.html - - - - - - - - - - New Treasury office to fight terrorist financing By creating a new Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, the Bush administration today combined the Treasury Department high-tech units that track finances to identify and stem funds supporting terrorists. http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/25205-1.html - - - - - - - - - - Start-up ups ante on Wi-Fi security AirMagnet is taking intrusion detection and prevention a step further in the wireless local area network market with a new version of its software that can block and disable rogue users. http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105_2-5171417.html - - - - - - - - - - Application firewalls add Web services Teros announced today that its Secure Application Gateway family of appliances protects applications that pass XML data in addition to existing HTML applications. http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/03/08/10NNteros_1.html - - - - - - - - - - Computer Crime & Organised Crime The mi2g informed Thursday that correlation between organised crime, politically and ideologically motivated hacker attacks as well as physical militant activity against government targets and large global businesses is increasing with every passing month according to the mi2g Intelligence Unit's "A Priori" project. http://www.crime-research.org/news/07.03.2004/120 - - - - - - - - - - Ashcroft's antiporn crusade When John Ashcroft testified before Congress during his confirmation hearings, he left no doubt that he believed the Internet was replete with pornographers who needed to be imprisoned, preferably for a very long time. http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1107_2-5171308.html - - - - - - - - - - Lurking "spyware" may be a security weak spot One in twenty computers with an internet connection may be harbouring unwanted "spyware" programs that can record a user's computer use, generate nuisance pop-up ads and may pose a security risk, suggests a US study. http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994745 - - - - - - - - - - TSA teaches privacy The Transportation Security Administration embarked on a series of educational programs this week to keep employees informed on privacy issues. http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2004/0308/web-tsa-03-08-04.asp Animal ID cost pegged at $545M http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2004/0308/web-animal-03-08-04.asp - - - - - - - - - - FBI's DNA database has helped ID thousands of suspects The FBI's DNA database, filled with genetic samples from prison inmates nationwide, has helped local authorities identify suspects in more than 11,000 cases in what is becoming the 21st century equivalent of fingerprinting. http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/8135957.htm Las Vegas coroner posts photos of unidentified corpses online to solve cases http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/8135033.htm - - - - - - - - - - Corpse pics earns cop the sack A policeman has been sacked after taking photos of two corpses while visiting a hospital mortuary. The probationary Pc - who has not been named - used a camera phone to take the snaps while visiting Derriford Hospital in Plymouth as part of an induction course. http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/68/36069.html *********************************************************** Computer Forensics Training - Online. An intense, 150 hour, instructor lead program that teaches you computer forensics and helps prepare you for the Certified Computer Examiner exam. For more information see; www.cybercrime.kennesaw.edu *********************************************************** Search the NewsBits.net Archive at: http://www.newsbits.net/search.html *********************************************************** The source material may be copyrighted and all rights are retained by the original author/publisher. The information is provided to you for non-profit research and educational purposes. 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