December 5, 2001 `Goner' worm invades e-mail inboxes A new computer worm invaded corporate and personal e-mail inboxes Tuesday, sending antivirus companies scrambling to guard against the attack that came disguised as a friendly message about a new screen saver. The worm, nicknamed ``Goner'' by antivirus companies, spreads through e-mail sent in Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express and through ICQ instant-messaging and Internet Relay Chat programs. It can delete critical security files and antivirus programs. http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/svfront/worm120501.htm http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/172686.html Help & How To: Goner http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t269-s2100431,00.html 'Goner' worm wreaks havoc http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/internet/12/05/goner.worm/index.html 'Goner' Today, and Forgotten http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,48858,00.html Goner Computer worm not a Goner yet http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/reuters_wire/1695491l.htm Goner: Social viruses still a threat http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2830136,00.html They Looked, They Clicked, a New E-Mail Virus Conquered http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/05/technology/05VIRU.html 'Goner' computer worm wriggles into Europe http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/tech/031500.htm http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,5100282,00.html 'Goner' computer worm goes to ground in Asia http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/tech/012487.htm - - - - - - - - Hacker arrest prompts warning A 17-year-old from Wellington has been charged with using a prolific "Trojan" virus to hack into other people's computers. But the arrest last Friday has raised concerns that not enough people are using anti-virus software. Electronic Crime Lab national manager Maarten Kleintjes said thousands of computers nationwide were infected with the "Subseven" Trojan-style virus without their operators' knowledge. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=231634 - - - - - - - - New Weapon Against Badtrans Antivirus companies release new scan and removal tools to counter the worm. Badtrans just won't go away. In fact, the insidious Internet worm that was first reported in November hasn't even shown signs of slowing down. http://www.techtv.com/news/virus/story/0,24195,3363526,00.html - - - - - - - - CERT: Hacker-tracking site attacked The Computer Emergency Response Team's Coordination Center, an important national clearinghouse for computer-security information, came under attack Wednesday, leaving its main Web site only intermittently reachable. The so- called denial-of-service attack didn't affect the group's ability to push security incident information to its members, but made public access to its sites a crap shoot. http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,5100341,00.html http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-8077103.html http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/172687.html http://www.msnbc.com/news/668019.asp - - - - - - - - MCI Security Hole Put AOL, Others, In Hacker's Crosshairs MCI WorldCom recently moved to secure several vulnerable portions of their network that allowed a researcher to obtain the keys to private network routers for dozens of Fortune 500 companies. AOL Time Warner, Bank of America, Citicorp, Fox News Corp., JP Morgan, McDonald's, and Sun Microsystems - to name just a few - were among those firms whose internal systems information was vulnerable to compromise. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/172720.html http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/tech/080991.htm http://www.securityfocus.com/news/296 http://www.msnbc.com/news/667871.asp http://www.nandotimes.com/technology/story/188024p-1820489c.html - - - - - - - - Bills aim at cyber R&D Members of the House Science Committee introduced two bills Dec. 4 aimed at increasing funding and attention for cybersecurity and information technology research and development. The Cyber Security Research and Development Act, introduced by the committee chairman, Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.), addresses many of the security challenges government faces. http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2001/1203/web-science-12-05-01.asp - - - - - - - - FBI fixes focus on technology An ambitious overhaul of the FBI will focus new attention on cybercrime and stress upgrades to the agency's information technology, director Robert Mueller announced. The FBI also plans to let state and local police handle more crimes, such as bank robberies and drug offenses, so that federal investigators can concentrate on counterterrorism and counterintelligence, Mueller said Dec. 3. http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2001/1203/web-fbi-12-05-01.asp - - - - - - - - Vote Due On Increasing Security Research Funds The House Science Committee will mark up two bills on Thursday designed to substantially boost federal spending on information technology (IT) and cyber-security research. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/172723.html - - - - - - - - Snooping on behalf of national security A new Bill could give the police unprecedented access to emails. THE House of Lords will today debate another contentious aspect of the Government's Anti-Terrorism Bill which would make it mandatory for communications companies to retain email and phone call data. The Government believes that this data is an important tool for investigating crimes, particularly terrorist activity. http://www.connected.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2001/12/03/ecfeatt04.xml - - - - - - - - Tech CEOs call for better government security practices The Chief Executive Officers of 11 top software companies called for better government security practices and stronger enforcement of laws against hackers and copyright infringers on Wednesday. http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1201/120501td1.htm - - - - - - - - Commerce Secretary confirms encryption standard Commerce Secretary Donald Evans has announced finalization of the Federal Information Processing Standard for the Advanced Encryption Standard. The adoption of FIPS-197 is the last step in replacing the aging Data Encryption Standard and caps a four-year search for a stronger means of encryption. DES and Triple DES will continue to be used in government and commercial markets, but AES now is the standard for federal use and DES will be phased out. http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/17569-1.html http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/172719.html http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-8074055.html - - - - - - - - Security Patches Take Time Studies, surveys and statistics can be misleading. They are often confusing and it is something of a rarity for them to really help clarify a situation. However, a recent study by Activis, a UK based managed security service provider makes interesting reading if you have any interest in the security of your systems. http://www.it-director.com/article.php?id=2393 - - - - - - - - Get your filthy hands off my CDs By the middle of next year, the music industry will have put the controversy of BMG's bungled attempt to prevent Natalie Imbruglia' While Lilies Island CD from being copied behind it and will have thoroughly embraced copy-protection technology. Major labels and independents alike will embrace products like Macrovision's SafeAudio and use them to control how fans listen to new songs. http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/23207.html - - - - - - - - Afilias Tweaks Plan To Challenge Fraudulent .Info Addresses Afilias - the company that manages the recently christened ".info" Internet domain - is modifying its plan to deal with .info addresses registered under false pretenses during the company's pre- registration period earlier this year, a company spokesman said today. Afilias Chief Marketing Officer Roland LaPlante today said that the company has made three small but important changes to its "sunrise challenge" process, which was implemented to purge the worldwide .info directory of fraudulently obtained names. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/172726.html - - - - - - - - Gigabit-speed intrusion-detection systems miss attacks There's a persistent problem with today's new breed of gigabit-speed intrusion-detection systems: They simply cannot plow through IP traffic fast enough to provide blanket protection on networks running at gigabit speed, according to industry experts and at least three vendors who make such products. http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2001/1203ids.html - - - - - - - - Internet anonymity for Windows power users Our previous article, "Do-it-yourself Internet anonymity" was targeted towards average Windows users. It generated a startling number of e-mail requests for some advanced tactics, which I'm happy to supply. However, power user or not, I'd recommend at least skimming the earlier article if you haven't read it, just to ensure that you're not forgetting something obvious and useful. http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/23208.html - - - - - - - - Internet kiosks help domestic violence victims London women are turning to public Internet points to access information and advice about domestic abuse. A pilot scheme that allows victims of domestic violence to seek help through Internet kiosks is proving very successful among London women. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t269-s2100421,00.html *********************************************************** 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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