NewsBits for April 28, 2005 ************************************************************ Spitzer files spyware suit against Intermix New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer sued a major Internet marketer Thursday, blaming it for secretly installing software that delivers nuisance pop-up advertisements and can slow and crash personal computers. Shares of the company, Intermix Media Inc., fell 83 cents, or 17 percent, to close at $3.97 on the American Stock Exchange. Spitzer accuses Intermix of redirecting computer users to Web sites where ads get displayed, adding unnecessary toolbars to Web browsers and delivering unwanted ads that pop up on computer screens. http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/11513031.htm http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5688609.html http://computerworld.com/governmenttopics/government/legalissues/story/0,10801,101405,00.html http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/04/28/intermix_ny_adware_lawsuit/ http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=13100002MWIG http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,67375,00.html - - - - - - - - - - Malaysian Web defacement an epidemic An overwhelming number of Malaysian Web sites have been hacked and defaced this year, evidently by Indonesians upset over a territorial spat between the neighboring countries, an Internet watchdog said. At least 256 Malaysian sites were broken into in the first three months of 2005, compared with 42 intrusions reported in the previous quarter, according to Malaysia's Computer Emergency Response Team, a private organization that monitors Internet security. http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/business/technology/11505413.htm - - - - - - - - - - Officer investigated for child porn stayed on job A senior Vancouver police officer under investigation for alleged possession of child pornography remained on the job for nearly two months after police executed a search warrant at his Vancouver home, The Vancouver Sun has learned. Court documents show that a warrant to search the officer's home was executed by police on Feb. 22. http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=69065c11-b2cf-4fae-9e0d-6702615ce406 - - - - - - - - - - Police say man viewed child porn in library A Bridgeville man is accused of viewing child pornography while on a computer at the Community College of Beaver County library on two occasions in February. Center Township police Wednesday charged David Drobiezewski, 47, of 607 Chestnut St., Apartment 3, with nine counts each of criminal use of a communications facility and sexual abuse of children. http://www.timesonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14431924&BRD=2305&PAG=461&dept_id=478569&rfi=6 - - - - - - - - - - Cops Eye Possible Kid Porn Witness Detectives on Wednesday released a photograph they hope will help them identify a girl seen in a series of sexually explicit pictures that were taken at a Walt Disney World hotel and other locations and have circulated over the Internet for the past three years. The newly released photo is of another girl who investigators do not believe was sexually exploited. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/04/28/national/main691481.shtml Police Release Photo in Search for Abused Girl on the Internet http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-na-porn28apr28,1,442642.story - - - - - - - - - - Wal-Mart targets parody site run by U.S. university student A university student was forced to redesign a Web site satirizing a foundation run by Wal-Mart after the discount retail giant claimed he violated copyright law by using graphics from the company's Web site. Daniel Papasian, 20, said he was forced to change his Web site - http://www.walmart-foundation.org - after lawyers for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. sent his Web host a cease-and-desist order last week. http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--wal-martwebparody0427apr27,0,7587361.story - - - - - - - - - - California bill would ban tracking chips in IDs California lawmakers are joining the national debate on the merit of incorporating electronic identification devices in driver's licenses, student IDs and passports. A bill that would put strict limits on California's use of such devices in all state-issued identity documents is making its way through the state's legislature and was approved this week in a 6-to-1 vote by a senate judiciary committee. It's the first bill of its kind in the nation, said state Sen. Joe Simitian, the measure's author. http://news.com.com/California+bill+would+ban+tracking+chips+in+IDs/2100-1039_3-5689358.html - - - - - - - - - - 'Cyberterrorists poised to attack', warns Labour peer New legislation is needed to protect the UK's essential systems from attack by cybercriminals and terrorists, a Labour peer claimed on Tuesday. Speaking at the Infosecurity Europe conference in London, Lord Harris of Haringey claimed that Britain stood at risk of an "electronic 9/11" because the companies that run parts of the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) aren't compelled to maintain the highest levels of security against electronic attacks. http://software.silicon.com/security/0,39024655,39129961,00.htm Cybercrime: Eleventh UN Crime Congress http://www.crime-research.org/news/04.28.2005/1188/ - - - - - - - - - - Wiretaps in U.S. jump 19 percent in 2004 The number of secret court-authorized wiretaps across the country surged by 19 percent last year, according to court records which also showed that not a single application was denied. http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/04/28/increased.wiretaps.ap/index.html - - - - - - - - - - BPOs need cyber crime safeguards Efforts to combat cyber crime received heightened attention, with European and American experts participating in a two-day seminar organised by the Indo-US Cyber Security Forum recently. In focus were a slew of hi-tech crimes like identity thefts, which have emerged as a major threat to the Indian business process outsourcing (BPO) industry. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1090105.cms Card fraudsters on e-shopping spree http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1091127.cms - - - - - - - - - - VXer targets Romanian gypsy music A mass-mailing virus designed to wipe Romanian gypsy music off PCs is spreading rapidly across the east European country. The virus, dubbed Antiman-A, uses a recent story about the kidnapping of three Romanian journalists - abducted by a little-known terrorist Iraqi group approximately a month ago - to trap curious punters. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/04/28/manele-hating_malware/ - - - - - - - - - - Gabby IM Worm Muzzled A worm that zipped through America Online's instant message network Tuesday was quickly shut down by the Internet service provider, a security company said Wednesday. Gabby.a, a worm very much like the Kelvir family that's been knocking at Microsoft's instant messaging network (and actually knocked the Microsoft- based Reuters messaging service offline for a day two weeks ago), had been spreading through AOL's IM users. http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=161601191 - - - - - - - - - - Latest Trojan is disguised as security warning Don't be deceived by a piece of malware that claims your network connection is insecure As the Infosecurity Europe exhibition wound down on Thursday, security experts warned that virus writers have been busy distributing bogus security programs on the Internet. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39196730,00.htm - - - - - - - - - - Google used in phishing attack Phishers are trying to spread malware via a Web site whose address is one character out from that of the search behemoth's home page Security researchers have discovered an attack aimed at would-be visitors to Google.com, one that attempts to download malicious programs onto the computers of people who simply mistype the search giant's Web address. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39196614,00.htm - - - - - - - - - - Blocking Spyware at the Network Gateway Layered defenses have become standard procedure for blocking the current generation of security threats. To block against viruses, spam and intruders, organizations deploy countermeasures at the network gateway and again in individual client systems. http://www.it-observer.com/news.php?id=4989 IT Vigilance Urged to Fight Malware, Bots, Root Kits http://www.it-observer.com/news.php?id=4988 Trend Micro aims at corporate spyware http://www.it-observer.com/news.php?id=4986 Spitzer files spyware suit against Intermix http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/11513031.htm - - - - - - - - - - 64-bit Windows wide open to viruses Users of the latest 64-bit version of Microsoft's Windows XP Professional x64 Edition operating system will not have the option to install Norton or McAfee antivirus software, vnunet.com can reveal. http://www.vnunet.com/news/1162755 - - - - - - - - - - Smart phone owners are savvy about viruses Most people with smart phones are aware of emerging security threats to the devices, but many of them still keep sensitive data on them, according to a new study. In a survey of 300 American adults published Thursday, security company Symantec found that 73 percent of smart phones users knew about viruses and other attacks that target the devices, which marry PC-like features such as e-mail and Internet access to a mobile handset. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5688916.html - - - - - - - - - - CIOs asking if it's time to outsource security Attendees at this week's InfoSecurity Europe event with some budget in their pockets are facing a decision over whether they keep their security in-house or outsource it. The move towards managed security services is gathering momentum and "nobody is sitting on the fence" according to one player. http://software.silicon.com/security/0,39024655,39129968,00.htm Royal Mail cautious over outsourced security Handing over the running of your IT security can mean big cost savings, but only if you handle the negotiations correctly, warns one UK security officer. The Royal Mail warned on Thursday of the pitfalls of outsourcing IT security. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39196622,00.htm - - - - - - - - - - Kroll Ontrack Ranks as Most Used Electronic Discovery Solution Legal Assistant Today published the results of its 4th Annual Technology Survey in its May/June 2005 issue, available April 26. In this year's survey, Kroll Ontrack(R) was identified as the most used electronic discovery solution among all other providers. The survey details technology use among readers of Legal Assistant Today from across the country. http://minneapolis.dbusinessnews.com/shownews.php?newsid=23082&type_news=past - - - - - - - - - - 'The end is nigh'... for email viruses Attendees at the InfoSec conference in London have predicted the end of email-borne viruses, suggesting the problem has simply had its day. However, the most severe issue users now face is the growing problem of spyware, according to some, which is more than ready, willing and able to fill the void. http://software.silicon.com/security/0,39024655,39129962,00.htm http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5688726.html http://news.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020330,39196727,00.htm Infosecurity conference sees Russian invasion Russia is already well known as a hotbed of cybercrime. Now, its security companies want to take on their Western rivals. Forty-three Russian security companies were sizing up the competition at the InfoSecurity Europe exhibition this week. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39196729,00.htm All eyes on security products this week With the Infosec show and conference on in London, this has been a busy week for the security industry. Here's a few of the stories you might have missed thus far. http://www.techworld.com/security/news/index.cfm?NewsID=3570 - - - - - - - - - - Criminal IT: The crime you can still get away with While the law is quickly catching up with computer crimes, there is still one offence police can't nail you for. Fortunately, says Neil Barrett, that is set to change - and not a moment too soon. In the field of computer crime, there is one glaring problem: the law. Until relatively recently, there was no law to criminalise what might be recognised as obvious 'mischiefs' performed against computers; there was no legal framework to make hacking, viruses, denial of service or the theft of intellectual property positively illegal. That these were unwelcome activities was obvious but finding a law within which such actions could be prosecuted and punished was simply not possible. http://software.silicon.com/security/0,39024655,39129892,00.htm - - - - - - - - - - Fight fraud not ID theft ID theft is a misnomer which is hurting the fight against fraud, according to encryption guru Bruce Schneier. Instead of talking about ID theft it's better to talk about fraud due to impersonation, he claimed. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/04/28/id_fraud/ - - - - - - - - - - Kids, blogs and too much information Marcy's 13-year-old daughter has a knack for switching computer screens or shutting the laptop when mom walks in the room. Like in many families, the two often argue about whether mom has the right to see what her daughter is doing online. The conversation is never really resolved. But a few months ago, Marcy's need to keep up with her daughter's Internet travels took on a new urgency when she found an unfinished message on the screen urging a friend to check out her daughter's picture on a special Web page her daughter had set up. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7668788/ - - - - - - - - - - Manufacturers go for RFID, but not Linux Survey: Vendors need to stop selling technologies for their own sake and start to tout the business benefits, according to Datamonitor. Manufacturers in Europe and North America are finally getting turned on to RFID but they're jumping rather than being pushed. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/business/management/0,39020654,39196615,00.htm - - - - - - - - - - HP to build EU's biometric ID, terror database A consortium headed by Hewlett-Packard is to develop Europe's 'Big Brother' system for the European Commission. Along with Steria, Mummert in Germany and Primesphere in Luxembourg, HP is to produce a "high-quality technology model" for the second generation of the Schengen Information System (SIS) II and the Visa Information System (VIS) - Europe's Justice and Home Affairs Committee envisages these two systems replacing a border control system (SIS I) with a far more pervasive one of surveillance, controls and information exchange. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/04/28/hp_sis_ii_contract/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/04/28/hp_euro_deal/ - - - - - - - - - - High-tech pen allows handwriting identification The Bio-Pen should be able to identify someone by their signature, but a hands-on demonstration showed up some glitches. Signing on the dotted line could soon become a way to digitally authenticate oneself, according to one company that has started selling a USB-connected pen that they claim can identify a user from the pressure and velocity of their handwriting,. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/hardware/emergingtech/0,39020357,39196621,00.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. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however copies may not be sold, and NewsBits (www.newsbits.net) should be cited as the source of the information. Copyright 2000-2005, NewsBits.net, Campbell, CA.