NewsBits for February 7, 2005 ************************************************************ AOL man pleads guilty to selling 92m email addies An ex-AOL employee has pleaded guilty to stealing 92m customer names and email addresses from the ISP's database. The 24-year old, Jason Smathers, sold the email addresses for $28,000. Smathers sold the names to Sean Dunaway who used the names to promote his offshore gambling site before selling them on to other spammers. Charges against Dunaway are pending. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02/07/aol_email_theft/ http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2005-02-04-aol-spam-guilty-plea_x.htm - - - - - - - - - - UK man arrested in phishing probe An investigation into an attempt to con customers of the online bank Smile has led to the arrest of a 21-year-old man in Blackpool. UK Police have arrested a 21-year-old man they suspect of running a phishing scam that targeted customers of online bank Smile. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39186972,00.htm - - - - - - - - - - Couple Convicted of Running Prostitution Ring Out of Home A South Bay couple accused of running an Internet prostitution ring out of their home were convicted this week of multiple counts of pimping, pandering and drug possession. Jill Ellen McGrath, 37, and her husband, Christopher Davis, 35, were convicted Thursday by a Torrance jury after two days of deliberations. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 24. McGrath remains in custody. (LA Times article, free registration required) http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-me-prostitute5feb05,1,3584029.story - - - - - - - - - - Child porn suspect charged A county magistrate in Indiana on Wednesday ordered Stephen D. Puckett, 58, of Crawfordsville, Ind., to be held in jail on $100,000 bond. Puckett, who was arrested after a tip from Wichita police, was charged with three counts of child exploitation, 45 counts of possession of child pornography and one count of possession of a controlled substance. http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/local/10811537.htm - - - - - - - - - - FBI Turns Off Unclassified E-Mail System The FBI said Friday it has shut down an e-mail system that it uses to communicate with the public because of a possible security breach. The bureau is investigating whether someone hacked into the www.fbi.gov e-mail system, which is run by a private company, officials said. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/computersecurity/2005-02-06-fbi-security_x.htm http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_title=FBI-Turns-Off-Unclassified-E-Mail-System&story_id=30300 - - - - - - - - - - Bush backs boost for cybersecurity President Bush's proposed budget for fiscal 2006 would spend 7 percent more on information technology security year-over-year and add cybersecurity to the stable of cross-agency lines of business. The budget request calls for a 7.2 percent increase in IT security spending for the coming year to $1.685 billion, up from the $1.572 billion congressional appropriations approved for fiscal 2005. http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2005/0207/web-lob-02-07-05.asp http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0205/020705p1.htm Lawmakers call for DOD CIO http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2005/0207/web-dodcio-02-07-05.asp Pentagon requests $30B for IT http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2005/0207/web-dodbgt-02-07-05.asp http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0205/020705tdpm1.htm - - - - - - - - - - Senator to push for stiffer penalties on child porn on Net A SENATOR is drafting a law that would make possession of child pornography a criminal act in the Philippines. Senator Maria Ana Consuelo "Jamby" Madrigal said in an interview that the measure would also mete stiffer penalties on people caught distributing, creating, and purveying child pornography in the Philippines in various media including the Internet. http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?index=7&story_id=26636 - - - - - - - - - - EU countries to coordinate anti-spam activities The European Union head office called for closer coordination Monday among all member governments to hunt down and prosecute those illegally spreading unsolicited e-mails across the 25-nation bloc. http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/10839026.htm http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/internetprivacy/2005-02-07-eu-fights-spam_x.htm - - - - - - - - - - MCI accused of harbouring spammers Anti-spam campaigner Spamhaus has accused US-based Internet service provider MCI of hosting a Web site that distributes malware used by spammers. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020330,39187084,00.htm http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02/07/spamhaus_mci/ Harry Potter spells profit for spammers http://www.vnunet.com/news/1161075 Spam approaches 95 per cent of all email http://www.vnunet.com/news/1161057 Spamhaus rebuts vendor accusations http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39186958,00.htm http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_title=Spamhaus-org--Warning--Taken-Out-of-Context-&story_id=30307 - - - - - - - - - - Politicians seek ban on graphic video games Local politicians in the U.S. capital are trying to ban the sale of violent and sexually explicit video games to minors in Washington despite failed efforts in other parts of the country. http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/fun.games/02/07/dc.videogames.reut/index.html - - - - - - - - - - Firefox spoofing flaw goes international A security loophole in Mozilla and Firefox browser could be used to spoof the URL displayed in the address bar, SSL certificate and status bar. The vulnerability also affects Opera and Konqueror and stems from a flawed IDN (International Domain Name) implementation within the browsers. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02/07/browsers_idn_spoofing/ Feature in non-IE browsers could make scams easier An Internet browser feature meant to permit Web addresses in Chinese, Arabic and other languages could encourage online fraudsters by making scam Web sites look legitimate to visitors. For once, the affected browser is not the industry-leading Internet Explorer from Microsoft Corp. but rather several of its more robust competitors. http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/10840401.htm Phishing flaw a danger to alternative browsers http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5566517.html Surfers could fall for a wizard prang http://www.vnunet.com/news/1161076 - - - - - - - - - - SuSE releases critical patches Novell's SuSE has released a number of "highly critical" patches, according to a report released Monday. The patches are designed to address vulnerabilities that can be exploited for cross- site scripting attacks, remote system access, exposure of sensitive information, spoofing and denial-of-service attacks, according to the report from security information provider Secunia. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5565997.html - - - - - - - - - - Identity thieves can lurk at Wi-Fi spots Coffee shop Web surfers beware: An evil twin may be lurking near your favorite wireless hotspot. Thieves are using wireless devices to impersonate legitimate Internet access points to steal credit ard numbers and other personal information, security experts warn. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2005-02-06-evil-twin-usat_x.htm - - - - - - - - - - Hacking fears hit e-voting plans The Irish government intends to push on with its e-voting programme despite criticism over costs and security from a parliamentary committee. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39186974,00.htm - - - - - - - - - - Users want security rethink IT user group the Jericho Forum will release a report at the end of February calling for new security standards to be developed to meet the needs of user organisations, rather than vendors. It also proposes the development of a secure network architecture to help companies collaborate and do business online. http://www.vnunet.com/news/1161039 Data safety goes to top of class http://www.vnunet.com/news/1161062 - - - - - - - - - - Sophos to license firewall technology from Agnitum U.K. antivirus company Sophos PLC plans to bolster its business security products with firewall technology licensed from Agnitum Ltd. Sophos today said it is licensing Agnitum's Outpost personal firewall technology for integration into its enterprise and small business products by the end of this year. http://computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/story/0,10801,99598,00.html - - - - - - - - - - Quantum crypto firm charts way to mainstream Magiq Technologies is creating a new line of products this year that it says could help make quantum encryption--theoretically impossible to crack--more palatable to mainstream customers. The New York-based company said it has signed a deal with Cavium Networks, under which Cavium's network security chips will be included inside Magiq's servers and networking boards. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5564288.html - - - - - - - - - - FinCEN to deploy data-sharing system The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network will launch a system March 1 so law enforcement and financial institutions can transmit information about people they suspect of financing terrorist activities or laundering money. The new Web-based system will replace requests now made by e-mail. http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/35020-1.html - - - - - - - - - - Fingerprints, iris scans to tighten U.K. borders The United Kingdom plans to implement a controversial biometric system to record the fingerprints of immigrants coming into the country. In a move that's likely to raise the political stakes on the issue of immigration, Home Secretary Charles Clarke announced Monday that all visa applicants will be fingerprinted once they arrive at U.K. ports of entry. http://news.com.com/Fingerprints%2C+iris+scans+to+tighten+U.K.+borders/2100-1029_3-5566612.html - - - - - - - - - - Hold the Phone, VOIP Isn't Safe In recognition of the fact that new technologies are just as valuable to wrongdoers as to those in the right, a new industry group has formed to look at the security threats inherent in voice over internet protocol. The VOIP Security Alliance, or VOIPSA, launches on Monday. http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,66512,00.html http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_title=VoIP-Security-Alliance-Forms&story_id=30279 http://computerworld.com/networkingtopics/networking/voip/story/0,10801,99605,00.html - - - - - - - - - - The flip side of database snooping Adm. John Poindexter, the Bush administration official responsible for the Total Information Awareness project, is not exactly chastened by Congress's pulling the plug on his idea. "One of the remarkable things about ideas is that once you surface an idea, and it is a good idea, in the long term there is very little that can be done to stop it," Poindexter says of his proposals for aggressive data mining. "So I am convinced that research and development will continue, one way or another." http://news.com.com/The+flip+side+of+database+snooping/2010-7348_3-5563897.html - - - - - - - - - - Your Statements Went Where? Last May, Ryan Pirozzi visited his mailbox in Edina, Minn., and found it overflowing with more than a dozen bank statements. All were made out to his address. All held sensitive information about various accounts. He just wishes some of them had been his. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A439-2005Feb5.html - - - - - - - - - - Silicon Valley's China syndrome Just when you thought politicians in Washington, D.C., could not be more out to lunch, here come House members Henry Hyde, Duncan Hunter and Don Manzullo to prove that stupidity should be reclassified as a contagious disease. Hyde, Hunter and Manzullo have successfully pressured the government to begin a review of the sale of IBM's PC business to China's Lenovo on national security grounds. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-5565722.html - - - - - - - - - - Security cameras patrol Big Easy's dangerous areas The intent was obvious. The man aimed an AK47 at the newly installed crime camera and fired away. "All it did was get him arrested," chuckled New Orleans' chief technology officer Greg Meffert. "The camera immediately notified the police and tracked him until he was caught." http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/surveillance/2005-02-05-crime-cams_x.htm - - - - - - - - - - Hate messages on Google site draw concern Over the last year, millions of Internet users have gravitated to Orkut, a Web site created and run by Google that permits people, by invitation only, to join any of a long list of online communities. Communities have been created around a shared interest in photography, Miles Davis's music and travel to offbeat places. A small minority, however, advance a hatred for Jews, blacks or gays, including a "Death to the Jews" site and a site called "Death to Blacks." http://news.com.com/Hate+messages+on+Google+site+draw+concern/2100-1024_3-5565535.html Company backlash strikes gripe sites http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2005-02-07-gripe-sites_x.htm Office memo: Blogging can get you bounced http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2005-02-07-blogging-danger_x.htm *********************************************************** 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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