NewsBits for August 10, 2005 ************************************************************ UK hacking suspect located in Greece Police on the island of Crete have searched the home of a British computer scientist who allegedly hacked into the site of a British insurance company to extort money from the firm, authorities say. The 54-year-old man from London, who was not otherwise identified, was located following cooperation with British authorities, police said in a statement. http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking/uk-hacking-suspect-located-in-greece/2005/08/10/1123353327433.html - - - - - - - - - - Woman admits to receiving child porn A 54-year old Fort Wayne woman pleaded guilty in federal court to receiving child pornography, just days before her trial was set to begin. Yolande Saunders pleaded guilty last week to one of four charges from an indictment filed in late July. That indictment superseded an earlier indictment filed last September. She was scheduled to go to trial Tuesday. http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/fortwayne/news/local/12347296.htm - - - - - - - - - - Legislators propose anti-spam bill that would threaten prison time We've been trying to contact you. Spend less on medicines. Re: Your loan request. Your order is confirmed. Sound familiar? Come-on spam notices ranging from love potions to lower mortgage rates jam personal and business e-mail accounts by the thousands each week. And two South Florida legislators want to bring the state's computer users some relief. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-fspam09aug09,0,6842600.story - - - - - - - - - - New York law requires notification after data breaches New York Governor George Pataki on Wednesday signed a bill that requires businesses and state government agencies to notify consumers if sensitive data is nabbed in a security breach. This places New York on the list of states such as California that have adopted similar rules-- while many other states and the federal government are considering them. http://news.com.com/New+York+law+requires+notification+after+data+breaches/2110-7348_3-5827712.html - - - - - - - - - - Hackers Hijacking Phones, Running Up Huge Bills Consumers are now accustomed to protecting their computers from viruses, pop-up ads, spyware and identity theft. But now, hackers are making a new effort to hit people where it hurts -- the wallet. http://www.newsnet5.com/dontwasteyourmoney/4827952/detail.html - - - - - - - - - - Spammers exploit Iran nuclear crisis As Iran is threatening to resume uranium- converting operations at a nuclear facility in Isfahan, spammers are taking advantage of the situation with another bogus junk email campaign. The emails, which link to Trojan spreading websites, are purporting to contain news stories of the nuclear stand-off between the EU and Iran, according to antivirus firm Sophos. The campaign is the latest bid to fool internet users into downloading malware. http://www.silicon.com/research/specialreports/thespamreport/0,39025001,39151237,00.htm - - - - - - - - - - Expert: Windows weakness similar to those hit by major worms Microsoft Corp. is attempting to plug a glaring hole in some versions of its Windows software, a weakness similar to those exploited by the devastating "Blaster" and "Sasser" attacks, a security expert said. The patch, included in the company's monthly security bulletin, fixes a hole that could allow hackers to take complete control of computer systems, Microsoft said. http://news.findlaw.com/ap/ht/58/08-10-2005/ab8a001ce245a77b.html New Microsoft security system scours Web http://computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/story/0,10801,103820,00.html Microsoft patches three 'critical' Windows flaws http://www.computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/story/0,10801,103800,00.html - - - - - - - - - - FBI director criticizes companies' code of silence FBI Director Robert Mueller said that many companies are maintaining a code of silence by not reporting cyberattacks. Such behavior will harm companies and the nation, he added. A recent exception was Atlanta-based Card Systems, which quickly reported the theft of hundreds of thousands of records to the FBI, Mueller said. But many other incidents haven't been reported, he said. http://www.fcw.com/article89853-08-10-05-Web - - - - - - - - - - Microsoft to fight crime with spammer's money Software giant Microsoft will invest the $7 million it is expecting from a damages settlement with "spam king" Scott Richter into fighting Internet crimes, paying its legal bills and "rewarding" the state of New York. The announcement was made by Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith in an open letter posted on the company's Web site. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5826561.html - - - - - - - - - - NIST releases vulnerability database The National Institute of Standards and Technology has launched a comprehensive cybersecurity vulnerability database that is updated daily with the latest information on vulnerabilities in popular products. http://www.fcw.com/article89852-08-10-05-Web - - - - - - - - - - New Security Features for DVDs Are Unveiled One of the two groups vying to produce the next generation of DVDs rolled out new security features to entice entertainment and electronics companies to adopt its technology. The Blu-ray Disc Assn. said it planned to fight piracy by embedding an identification mark on movies, music and video games that can be read only by equipment with its technology. http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-rup10.4aug10,1,992149.story - - - - - - - - - - Gateway puts a trace on laptops Gateway is plugging two security devices into its machines, including a LoJack-style technology to help customers track down lost or stolen laptops. The Mobile Theft Protection product is now available in Gateway's M250, M460 and M680 notebooks, the PC maker said on Tuesday. The hardware, which uses technology from Absolute Software's Computrace, promises to locate computers that have gone astray. It includes a so-called Data Delete feature that removes sensitive personal or corporate data by remote control. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5827500.html - - - - - - - - - - U.S. to Use Computer Chips in Passports The United States will begin issuing electronic passports in December to help tighten border and identity security, the State Department said. A computer chip will be embedded in passport covers and will hold the same information that is written on the inside: name, date of birth, gender, place of birth, dates of passport issuance and expiration, passport number and a photo. The chip will be designed to protect the data from tampering. (LA Times article, free registration required) http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-na-briefs10.5aug10,1,5990234.story - - - - - - - - - - Italy spends $15m on ID cards More spent on identifying foreigners than nationals... Italy is buying $15m worth of optical memory cards as it rolls out a national biometric identity programme to its citizens. California-based LaserCard claims to have received purchase orders from the Italian government of $7m for biometric citizen cards and $8m for foreigner ID cards. http://management.silicon.com/government/0,39024677,39151228,00.htm - - - - - - - - - - Buried in data? Help is on the way The proliferation of data and the need to better secure it have raised storage's profile among agencies. Consider the following factors: the unprecedented growth of all types of data, from structured databases to unstructured text and e-mail messages; a regulatory environment that compels agencies to save more data for longer periods of time; and a heightened concern about data protection. http://www.fcw.com/article89792-08-08-05-Print - - - - - - - - - - Network Solutions Inc., the one-time monopoly registrar of .com domain names, is shifting gears, evolving into a provider of online business services and making a major push into the small-business market. Network Solutions Chairman and CEO Champ Mitchell talked with Computerworld's Sharon Machlis about his company's plans, explained how the Hushmail domain hijacking really happened and weighed in on the security of the domain name system. http://www.computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/story/0,10801,103793,00.html - - - - - - - - - - The Web's A Dangerous Place Home Internet users have a one in three chance of suffering computer damage, financial loss, or both because of a computer virus or spyware, according to the conclusions of the 2005 Consumer Reports State of the Net survey of online consumers. The survey found that viruses, spyware and phishing are on the rise; but that spam is easing. http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/cr_web.html - - - - - - - - - - Terror threat sharpens focus on urban spy cameras The striking images of London subway bombers captured by the city's extensive video surveillance system, and a rising sense that similar attacks could happen in the United States, is stirring renewed interest in expanding police camera surveillance of America's public places. http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/12350080.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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