NewsBits for March 16, 2004 sponsored by, Southeast Cybercrime Institute - www.cybercrime.kennesaw.edu ************************************************************ Two charged with illegally exporting sensitive technology to China Two men have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Florida on charges of illegally exporting sensitive technology to China that can be used in missile guidance systems. The indictment names Ting-Ih Hsu, a naturalized U.S. citizen and president of Azure Systems Inc. of Orlando, Fla., and Hai Lin Nee, a Chinese citizen who works at Azure Systems. They are charged with violating the Export Control Act, conspiracy and making false statements. http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/8199575.htm - - - - - - - - - - Computer crime at workplace Police arrested a bank local department's employee who allegedly appropriated $20 thousand andmore than 16 thousand UAH (about $3 thousand) with help of simple machinations. 27-year-old man held a position of an account manager in the individual business department of the bank. From May till December 2003 illegally issued 75 credit cards for men of straw and set financial limits in national and foreign currencies at the total sum of 130 thousand UAH (near $25 thosand). http://www.crime-research.org/news/16.03.2004/136 - - - - - - - - - - Boy grabs knife after dad unplugs video game A 13-year-old Hong Kong boy flew into a rage and threatened his parents with a kitchen knife after his father pulled the plug on his computer game, police said on Monday. "The boy's mother told police the boy was thrashing about with a knife. Nobody was charged," a police spokeswoman said. http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/fun.games/03/16/boy.videogame.reut/index.html - - - - - - - - - - Hundreds hit by alleged Net drug scam A Web site promising discounted prescription drugs from Canada has been taking thousands of dollars from checking accounts around the United States -- but the account owners say they'd never even heard of the service until they spotted the transaction on their bank statements. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4534338/ - - - - - - - - - - PayPal Warns Its Customers To Safeguard Personal Data Online payment giant PayPal warned users yesterday that scam artists have obtained select customer aliases, mailing addresses, e-mail addresses and transaction data by using phony e-mails to fool retailers into revealing the information. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61566-2004Mar15.html - - - - - - - - - - Plaxo plugs phishing vulnerability Plaxo has plugged a gaping security hole in its Web site that could have exposed its members' online address books. Online contacts management company Plaxo plugged a serious security hole in its Web site on Monday that left its members' contact lists vulnerable to be stolen, modified or deleted. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39149309,00.htm - - - - - - - - - - Court orders Interior to disconnect Internet again The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia late yesterday ordered the Interior Department to sever Internet connections at nine agencies, again finding fault with the departments systems security. http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/25261-1.html http://www.fcw.com/geb/articles/2004/0315/web-indian-03-16-04.asp http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/computersecurity/2004-03-16-interior-comp-sec-again_x.htm GAO offers security guide http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2004/0315/web-gao-03-16-04.asp Security: getting the facts about cybergeddon http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/55/36277.html - - - - - - - - - - MPs look at revising Computer Misuse Act A group of MPs are scheduled to hold a public hearing into whether the Computer Misuse Act needs updating The All-Party Internet Group (APIG) will be holding a public hearing into whether the Computer Misuse Act needs bringing up to date. The APIG is an organisation that attempts to bridge the gap between new media companies and MPs. The group will be holding a public hearing in the House of Commons on 29 April, when MPs will have a chance to discuss suggested revisions to the Computer Misuse Act (CMA). http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39149315,00.htm http://www.vnunet.com/News/1153547 http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/55/36300.html - - - - - - - - - - Europe Considers Harsh Piracy Law The European Parliament approved a controversial piracy law that would allow local police to raid the homes and offices of suspected intellectual- property pirates, search their financial records and even freeze suspects' bank accounts. The European Union's directive covers selling everything from pirated CDs and counterfeit toys to fake Chanel and Viagra. http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,62677,00.html Firms skimp on privacy protection spending Investment in privacy protection is significantly lower than in other corporate compliance initiatives such as environmental or ethics program. http://www.vnunet.com/News/1153534 Letter by Calif. AG hints at file-swap scrutiny http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2004-03-16-file-swap-calif_x.htm Uploaders not pirates,' court told http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040315.rrmus0315/BNStory/Business/ - - - - - - - - - - Treasury IG will outsource FISMA reporting Last years creation of the Homeland Security Department slowed down reports mandated by the Federal Information Security Management Act for at least one Cabinet department, a congressional panel learned today. The Treasury Department lost 70 percent of its inspector generals auditing staff to DHS, causing a three-month delay in the IG completing Treasurys FISMA report for the Office of Management and Budget. http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/25266-1.html - - - - - - - - - - Bagle eats Netsky as the worm turns The latest variants of the Bagle worm are designed to attack and destroy the Netsky worm, in a development that has security companies worried that even more spam is on the way. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39149316,00.htm - - - - - - - - - - Explosive Cold War Trojan has lessons for Open Source exporters China has irked US wireless manufacturers by insisting that they conform to the PRC's encryption technology, we reported last week. Some commentators have castigated China for protecting its own fledgling tech industry. But that excludes the country's very understandable security concerns. http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/36270.html - - - - - - - - - - Electronic voting component wasn't fully tested State election officials knew in the days leading up to the March 2 election that a key component of San Diego County's electronic voting system had not undergone the full testing set forth by federal standards, according to internal government correspondence. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20040313-9999-news_7m13election.html Hackers voted in their own way http://www.crime-research.org/news/16.03.2004/135 - - - - - - - - - - Attack concerns slow Microsoft's pace Security concerns are slowing things down at Microsoft, but the company is still chugging along with its more ambitious projects including Windows Longhorn, a company executive said on Tuesday. The need to make its current software more resilient to attack is part of the reason that several projects have fallen behind schedule, Senior Vice President Bob Muglia said in an interview. http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104_2-5173575.html - - - - - - - - - - High-tech gadgets could boost auto safety It all used to be done with mirrors, and a quick turn of the head. But high-tech companies are creating sophisticated gizmos that will help motorists see where they've never seen before. By 2007, automakers are expected to introduce vehicles equipped with high-tech radar systems that can help drivers "see" just over their shoulders and outside their peripheral vision the dreaded blind spots, responsible for an estimated 830,000 accidents per year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2004-03-16-auto-gadgets_x.htm - - - - - - - - - - Davis questions border cards Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) has concerns about Homeland Security Department officials' plans to use border- crossing cards for some Mexican citizens in place of the visitor tracking system. In a letter sent to DHS Secretary Tom Ridge, House Government Reform Committee Chairman Davis said he supported the use of border-crossing cards rather than enrolling in the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program as a temporary solution to potential crowds at the land border. http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2004/0315/web-usvisit-03-16-04.asp *********************************************************** Computer Forensics Training - Online. An intense, 150 hour, instructor lead program that teaches you computer forensics and helps prepare you for the Certified Computer Examiner exam. 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