September 11, 2001 ********************** SPECIAL NOTE *********************** Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost family, friends and coworkers in today's indidents in NY, DC and PA. Our condolences to those on NYPD, NYFD, DoD and other Federal agencies. RJL *********************************************************** Spacecom on alert for cyberattacks U.S. Space Command has not yet detected any increase in cyberattacks either in conjunction with or following today's terrorist attacks on major U.S. targets, including the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. The theory within information warfare circles in recent years has been that a massive terrorist or state attack of this magnitude could be preceded by, conducted in concert with or followed by massive cyberattacks on the nation's critical infrastructure. http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2001/0910/web-cyber-09-11-01.asp http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/tech/027853.htm - - - - - - - - Spy satellite system looks for clues But terror attacks raise questions about intelligence gaps. America’s highly classified intelligence-gathering satellites were given new tasks in the wake of Tuesday’s attacks on New York’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon, a source told Space.com. However, the terrorist strikes have called into question the utility of spacecraft to provide early warning of such threats. http://www.msnbc.com/news/627158.asp - - - - - - - - FBI operation penetrates hacker underground The FBI has gained a foothold in the hacker underground thanks to an 18-month undercover operation launched during the height of the U.S. military's 1999 bombing campaign in Kosovo. http://www.computerworld.com/storyba/0,4125,NAV47_STO63711,00.html - - - - - - - - Code Blue rears up in Asia Code Blue is making itself cosy in Australia, kicking its red emissary out of the loop and doing its own thing in the world of worm propagation. Code Blue is a more virulent strain of the Code Red virus, protecting itself from other versions of the worm and reinfecting servers previously infected by its Code Red predecessor, according to Glenn Miller, MD of security software specialist Janteknology. http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2811812,00.html Code Blue Could Be Misguided But Good Worm http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,61424,00.asp - - - - - - - - New Hotmail Hack Evades Filters A new technique for attacking MSN Hotmail users has been discovered, the latest in a cat-and-mouse game between Microsoft and Javascript security holes. By adding Javascript to the "From" line of a message sent to a Hotmail user, an attacker can evade the filters Microsoft has put in place to protect the millions who rely on MSN's popular Web-based e-mail service, Newsbytes has confirmed. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/169934.html - - - - - - - - Cybercrime treaty may not cut it Critics say European treaty doesn’t do enough for privacy. The first international treaty to combat cybercrime, including malicious hacking, financial fraud, and child pornography over the Internet, is headed for ratification by the Council of Europe this November. Given the global nature of Internet crime, the treaty is an essential first step. But critics say it doesn’t go far enough to protect privacy and individual rights. http://www.msnbc.com/news/626859.asp - - - - - - - - Draft bill calls for gov't copyright standard Hardware manufacturers would be required to create and install a government-approved anti-copying scheme in PCs and other digital devices under a draft bill making the rounds on Capitol Hill, according to sources. Known as the Security Systems Standards and Certification Act (SSSA), the draft legislation plans to make illegal the manufacture or trade of any "interactive digital device" that does not have a "certified security technology" embedded in it. http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,5096838,00.html Hollywood Loves Hollings' Bill http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,46671,00.html New World Order, Copyright Style http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,46676,00.html - - - - - - - - Judges oppose monitoring of Internet use A committee of federal judges on Monday pared down a proposal requiring judiciary staff to forfeit their right to online privacy in the workplace after lawmakers hotly criticized the measure. On the eve of a hearing addressing electronic surveillance of executive-branch employees, Edwin Nelson, chairman of a 14-judge committee on Automation and Technology, removed a section of the proposal on employee Internet use. http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,5096842,00.html http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2811812,00.html - - - - - - - - Final security guide arrives The National Institute of Standards and Technology released the final version of a step-by-step guide for agencies to measure the effectiveness of their information security programs and plans. The special publication, "Security Self-Assessment Guide for Information Technology Systems," is a how-to guide that complements the CIO Council's Federal IT Security Assessment Framework. http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2001/0910/web-nist-09-11-01.asp - - - - - - - - Tool copies hackers to detect flaws New online tool uses AI to mimic hackers, but some experts question how effective it can really be UK firm ProCheckUp has developed an online tool to expose network security flaws by using artificial intelligence (AI) to mimic the actions of a hacker. However, experts question how successful the software will be at detecting security holes. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t269-s2094843,00.html - - - - - - - - Training is key to minimising virus damage Employees must be properly trained in the use of email and other virus propagation methods in order to save costly virus attacks. Viruses continue to cause huge amounts of financial damage worldwide, despite the efforts of businesses and government to combat them, according to IT research firm Computer Economics. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t269-s2095015,00.html - - - - - - - - World's first DeCSS executable prime number Mathematician Phil Carmody, who in March of this year managed to encode the DeCSS source in a prime number, has upped the ante by producing a prime number which represents an executable version of the banned CSS descrambler. http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/55/21591.html - - - - - - - - Report Questions Effectiveness Of RC4 Encryption Anyone who assumes 802.11 wireless local area networking (WLAN) systems are inherently secure will get a wake-up call next week with the release of a report that claims there are significant weakness in the RC4 encryption algorithm used to secure such systems. http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20010807S0002 - - - - - - - - Randy vicar exposed by emails Churchgoers in Bristol were shocked earlier this week when Simon Waddington burst into St Anne's church in Oldland and shouted at the vicar giving the sermon: "You are a fornicating adulterer." Rev Martin Parry, a 57-year-old married cleric, exclaimed "How dare you!" http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/21598.html - - - - - - - - Police to use phone text messages to warn firms Police in the West Midlands are to use mobile phone text messages to alert local businesses to crime problems in their area. Police said Tuesday that new software would allow messages to be sent from a Birmingham control room to a database of thousands of companies across the city. http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/reuters_wire/1475391l.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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