November 12, 1999 BubbleBoy virus found on Net The BubbleBoy virus, which sent shudders through the antivirus community earlier this week, is no longer just a lab rat. MSNBC has confirmed that the virus -- and an updated version 1.1 of the program -- has now been posted on a Web page hosted in Japan devoted to collecting viruses. A look at the virus reveals a few more details about the program. http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2392757,00.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Researchers warn about 'FunLove' virus There's nothing tender about the new FunLove virus. The virus, technically called W32.FunLove, brought down the servers of a large company in Europe and has been detected in companies in the U.S., as well, according to researchers at Symantec Corp.'s AntiVirus Research Center. The good news is that it shouldn't spread all that fast because it doesn't have the ability to e-mail itself like the Melissa virus, said Charles Renert, director of research at SARC. The bad news is that it uses a new way to attack the file security system of the Windows NT operating system. The virus may also use the network to spread itself. http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,1018115,00.html FunLove virus uncommon, but may affect NT security A new computer virus dubbed "FunLove" has emerged that can attack Windows NT's file security system, officials at three top antivirus software vendors say. FunLove isn't likely to spread quickly and doesn't pose a major threat to users' systems, the officials add. http://www.networkworld.com/news/1999/1112funlove.html http://www.newsbytes.com/pubNews/99/139336.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Internet wiretapping still a threat A push by law enforcement to make the Internet wiretap-friendly hit a major snag on Wednesday, when members of the Internet Engineering Task Force -- the body responsible for setting Internet standards -- overwhelmingly said 'no' to a key question. The question: Should the IETF put features in forthcoming protocols whose sole purpose is to facilitate wiretapping? http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2392616,00.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Can Uncle Sam Protect Your Privacy? Government proposal to ward off computer intrusion and warfare may go too far. We know the U.S. military is trained to respond to conventional attacks with missiles and bombs. But what if the country faces a malicious computer attack by a virus from an unknown entity? Who responds--the military? The FBI? The CIA? "It's a very open question who responds and in what way," says Scott Charney, former chief of the computer crime and intellectual property section for the U.S. Department of Justice. Charney left the DOJ earlier this month to take a position with PricewaterhouseCoopers. http://www1.pcworld.com/pcwtoday/article/0,1510,13753,00.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Nearly a Third of Firms Monitor Workers Online Employees browsing sports Web pages, job sites and maybe taking a peek at salacious adult-oriented Web sites -- and thinking they are fooling the boss -- are in for a surprise. A new survey by an online service that deals in workplace management issues has found that nearly a third of employers say they monitor, and sometimes restrict, their employees' Internet use. http://www.apbnews.com/safetycenter/business_safety/1999/11/11/vaultsurvey1111_01.html?s=emil - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Overreacting To E-Mail Abuse Netsiren, the Internet security specialist, has warned that the growing policy of simply removing Internet access from employees in many organizations is not the best solution to the problem. The firm says that, with reports continuing to circulate on the amount of time wasted by employees surfing the Internet or sending personal e-mails, information technology (IT) managers everywhere are being sent into a flurry of panic. http://www.currents.net/newstoday/99/11/12/news8.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Strange Corporate Hacking Saga Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson may have a head full of Microsoft hoo-ha. But he's going to have to make some room for another case. No lofty antitrust issues here. This one's a weird little cyber-drama starring a personal data-sales Web site called Dig Dirt, its cybersquatting owner, and a prestigious law firm that allegedly hacked into Dig Dirt's digs. http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0%2C1283%2C32488%2C00.html http://www.computerworld.com/home/news.nsf/all/9911114hacksuit - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - China jails computer hacker for stock manipulation A Chinese court jailed a former trust firm worker for three years on Friday for hacking into a computerized stock trading system and manipulating prices, a court official said. http://www.sjmercury.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/000749.htm - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Singapore Government Website Hacked A Singapore Government Website was hacked and Web pages altered on Tuesday evening Singapore time, causing the site to be taken offline and investigators called in. The Singapore Ministry of Law's Integrated Land Information Service (INLIS) Website, at http://www.inlis.gov.sg , was hacked into around 6pm on November 9 and the front page altered. The Website was taken offline and remains offline while Singapore authorities investigate the matter. http://www.newsbytes.com/pubNews/99/139267.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Youbet.com Stops Calif Service Youbet.com, the online gaming Web portal, has suspending betting services to residents of California, pending the outcome of an investigation into its betting operation. The investigation, by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office, appears to center around whether online gaming is legal in the state of California. http://www.currents.net/newstoday/99/11/12/news10.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Prosecutors eye offshore gambling sites From casino-type games such as slot machines, blackjack and video poker to betting on the National Football League, World Cup soccer and professional golf, gambling is big business on the Internet and getting bigger. No one knows for sure how much money is being gambled on the Net. One research firm estimates that worldwide online gambling revenue will total $1.2 billion this year and could grow to$2.1 billion in 2001. http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2391928,00.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - IETF Not Ready To Formally Reject Wiretapping Despite initial reports that the Internet Engineering Taskforce (IETF) generally rejected the idea of wiretapping the Internet, the head of that organization said that there is enough dissension to refrain from making this idea formal policy. "The IETF is not at this time prepared to make a formal announcement," IETF Chairman Fred Baker told Newsbytes. "We are not against law enforcement per se, but may not be convinced of the mandate to give law enforcement special support unneeded elsewhere." http://www.newsbytes.com/pubNews/99/139338.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Rampant Piracy Harms Vietnam's Software Industry Software pirates in Vietnam are threatening the livelihood of home-grown software firms as they target packages written for the local market as well as popular international packages such as Windows 2000, the country's Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) said in a report issued this week. Now, local technology companies are accusing each other of piracy, while overseas software vendors have been scared away from the sector altogether, the report stated. http://www.idgnews.net/intl/international.nsf/pages/002565AF0072E401482568270017FB73 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Rogers says it can't remove porn on Web 'We don't get involved with the content people post,' company says in response to complaints Rogers Communications Inc. says it can't remove a pornographic Web site on its system which shows such things as people being whipped and clubbed and spanked with paddles. The creator, a 26-year-old man from Vancouver identified on the site only as Matthew, tells viewers he is trying to help people make spanking a part of their lives. He is proud of the fact his site has received over one million hits. http://news.globetechnology.com/search97cgi/s97_cgi?action=View&VdkVgwKey=%2Fjules1%2Fusr%2Flocal%2Fnewglobetechnology%2Farchive%2Fgam%2FNews%2F19991111%2FUPORNN%2Ehtml&DocOffset=7&DocsFound=744&QueryZip=source+%3Ccontains%3E+news&Collection=Tech&SortField=sortdate&ViewTemplate=TechDocView%2Ehts&SearchUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fnews%2Eglobetechnology%2Ecom%2Fsearch97cgi%2Fs97%5Fcgi%3FQueryZip%3Dsource%2B%253Ccontains%253E%2Bnews%26ResultTemplate%3DTechResults%252Ehts%26QueryText%3Dsource%2B%253Ccontains%253E%2Bnews%26Collection%3DTech%26SortField%3Dsortdate%26ViewTemplate%3DTechDocView%252Ehts%26ResultStart%3D1%26ResultCount%3D10& - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - One thing after another for red-faced spymasters In past few months, Canada's espionage agencies have been embarrassed by several security lapses. Canada's espionage agencies enjoy operating deep in the shadows. No press, for spies, is usually good press. By that measure, the past few months have not been the best of times for this nation's spymasters. A string of embarrassing revelations have them, once again, looking for cover. In September, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and its sister organization, the Communications Security Establishment, were rocked by news that one of their spooks had posted the names, even pictures on the World Wide Web, of Canadian fighter pilots who served in the Balkans war. http://www.globetechnology.com/archive/gam/News/19991112/UMESSM.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - In Response To: Computer Crime-Abetting Sites... Original Article: Computer Crime-Abetting Sites Will Dramatically Increase Costs for Businesses and Consumers It was only weeks ago that I wrote an article on inflated damage figures. After reading several pieces on supposed damage figures for various computer crimes, a pattern began to form that did not sit easy with me. http://www.aviary-mag.com/Martin/Computer_Crime_Sites/computer_crime_sites.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Internet Wars, Episode One: The AntiOnline Menace If you are familiar with the Internet I am sure you know that there are millions of sites online covering everything from how to change a flat tire to how to get rich quick. As you may also undoubtedly know, there are a ton of nuts out there, and self-proclaimed "kings of the Internet" who are online gods in their own minds. Well I am going to tell you a tale about John Vranesevich, or "JP," as he likes to be called online. JP runs a site called Antionline.Com, which he proclaims is a sort of headquarters for people fighting hackers around the world. http://www.thesynthesis.com/tech/antionline/index.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Warning: Cyber Sentinel Is Watching Get an alert when someone views "inappropriate content" on your PC. In the past 15 minutes you received three messages on your pager. The first was from a client. The second was from your mother. And the third was from a software program, informing you that your child is up to no good on the Internet. http://www1.pcworld.com/pcwtoday/article/0,1510,13750,00.html