NewsBits for October 6, 2004 ************************************************************ New Trojan program squashes adware A new Trojan horse program that attacks and removes troublesome advertising software, known as adware, is circulating on the Internet, according to antivirus company Symantec Corp. The program, called Downloader.Lunii, was discovered on Monday. When run, it attempts to kill off computer processes and delete files used by common adware programs like Powerscan and BargainBuddy. However, Lunii isn't entirely benevolent. Like other Trojan horse programs, it also modifies the configuration of Microsoft Windows machines and attempts to download files from a remote location, Symantec warned. http://computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/holes/story/0,10801,96455,00.html http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39169061,00.htm - - - - - - - - - - Child porn producer sentenced to more than 50 years A man convicted of producing child pornography for distribution over the Internet was sentenced to more than 50 years in prison. Robert Earl Smith, 53, of Eugene pleaded guilty last month to sexual abuse and sodomy involving an infant who was less than a year old. http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-8/109696524991860.xml - - - - - - - - - - Teacher sentenced for child porn A teacher who downloaded child porn on to a computer he later donated to his school has been sentenced to a three-month community rehabilitation order. Nigel Chambers, 36, of Rodborough, Yate, near Bristol, had admitted one count of making indecent photos of children between 1999 and 2002. The images were found on the PC he gave to Rednock Comprehensive, Dursley. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/bristol/somerset/3720732.stm - - - - - - - - - - Ex-Police Constable Spared Jail over Child Porn A former police constable who used his computer to view images of child abuse walked free from court today after being ordered to take part in a sex offender treatment programme. Ivan David Howell, who was dismissed from Warwickshire Police last month, was also sentenced to a three-year community rehabilitation order and told to pay prosecution costs of PS2,500. http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3590526 - - - - - - - - - - Dutch police in massive crackdown on child porn Police raided 173 addresses and arrested two people on Tuesday in a large-scale operation against the spread of child pornography in the Netherlands, the public prosecutor's office (OM) has revealed. Police also seized 280 computers and thousands of CDs, videotapes, DVDs and discs during the nationwide raids. Officers had raided 33 addresses in recent weeks leading up to Tuesday's operation. http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=19&story_id=12571&name=Dutch+police+in+massivecrackdown+on+child+porn - - - - - - - - - - Former Deputy Arraigned on Child Porn Charges A former Monroe County sheriff's deputy was arraigned on child pornography charges Wednesday morning. Prosecutors say 49-year-old Ronald Sheffer used his computer at work to download the child porn. He faces 16 separate felony counts. http://www.wroctv.com/news/story.asp?id=15190&r=l - - - - - - - - - - Child porn: principal investigated A CATHOLIC school principal from a Victorian seaside town has been stood down as police investigate allegations he accessed child pornography on the Internet. Terry Wescott, of St Therese Catholic primary school at Torquay, south-west of Melbourne, was interviewed over the allegations yesterday but has not been charged, the Catholic Education Office said today. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,10988337%255E1702,00.html - - - - - - - - - - Island teacher investigated in online child porn case A local school teacher is being investigated for downloading child pornography from a Yahoo user group onto classroom computers, police said Tuesday. The teacher, a mathematics instructor at Wood Middle School, is believed to have used the computers also to post child pornography on the Internet, Alameda police Detective Ron Simmons said. http://www.timesstar.com/Stories/0,1413,125~1486~2449091,00.html - - - - - - - - - - Child porn arrest On Monday, October 4, 2004, Peel Regional Police arrested a 46-year-old Mississauga resident and soccer coach, at his residence for Possessing Child Pornography. During an unrelated police investigation, information was obtained that warranted further investigation of the accused. Peel Police obtained a criminal code search warrant and seized a computer from his residence on September 30, 2004. Investigation revealed several images of young boys engaged in sexual activity. http://www.cnw.ca/fr/releases/archive/October2004/05/c7367.html - - - - - - - - - - Students Arrested For Illegal Internet Access And Information Theft Three first-year students from Baranovichi (Brest Region, Byelorussia) and graduating pupil of local gymnasia were using illegal Internet access having a password of the manager of one Brests company during 3 years. According to Brest Police Department, in August the victimized manager informed police that someone uses his password and identities for Internet access from October, 2002 to August, 2004. http://www.crime-research.org/news/06.10.2004/691/ - - - - - - - - - - E-mail scam plays on US elections People are being warned about a scam e-mail which uses the US presidential poll to con them out of their money. A junk e-mail invites people to dial a premium rate number to express their support for President George W Bush or rival John Kerry. E-mail filtering firm BlackSpider estimates that almost a quarter of a million are being sent out every day. In the past, net fraudsters have tried to use the 9/11 attacks and the tragedy in Beslan to get money. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3714944.stm - - - - - - - - - - U.S. House passes tough computer anti-spyware bill The U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday voted to crack down on deceptive "spyware" that hides in users' computers and secretly monitors their activities. By a vote of 399 to 1, the House moved to outlaw a range of aggressive advertising and surveillance activities that have outraged consumers over the past two years. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/internetprivacy/2004-10-06-spyware-bill_x.htm http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,65238,00.html http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/internet/10/05/internet.spyware.ap/index.html - - - - - - - - - - Senate Wants Database Dragnet The Senate could pass a bill as early as Wednesday evening that would let government counter-terrorist investigators instantly query a massive system of interconnected commercial and government databases that hold billions of records on Americans. The proposed network is based on the Markle Foundation Task Force's December 2003 report, which envisioned a system that would allow FBI and CIA agents, as well as police officers and some companies, to quickly search intelligence, criminal and commercial databases. http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,65242,00.html - - - - - - - - - - Naming of interim cyber chief not the solution, industry says The naming of an interim director for cybersecurity at the Homeland Security Department would not resolve larger problems of how the issue is addressed in the federal government, industry sources said Wednesday. Sources said the department internally circulated the announcement Tuesday that Donald "Andy" Purdy, the deputy director of the department's cybersecurity division, soon will be named to replace former director Amit Yoran, who resigned on short notice last week. http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1004/100604tdpm1.htm Official's departure revives push for promoting DHS cyber chief http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1004/100504tdpm1.htm - - - - - - - - - - Gov't has done little to stop online child porn--advocate A PHILIPPINE-BASED advocate has criticized government anew on its inaction against the growing amount of child pornography produced in the Philippines and distributed over the Internet. "Little has been done to stop it," said Fr. Shay Cullen, an Irish Catholic priest fighting for the rights of children against abuse and exploitation on the Internet. http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?index=7&story_id=14045 - - - - - - - - - - The Internet: A Breeding Ground for Online Pedophiles Have you ever had the opportunity to watch a youngster play on the computer? It.s amazing how they instinctively move the mouse or bang on the keyboard. Ask any grandparent and they are most likely to say that their grandchildren are light years ahead of them when it comes to technology. http://www.crime-research.org/articles/Fried10/ - - - - - - - - - - Virus writers seek cash from chaos Last month Trend Micro, the anti-virus firm, recorded a six-fold increase in malware compared to September 2003. It detected 1,485 new items of malware last month, compared to 250 new types of malicious code in the same period last year. TrendLabs attributes the increase in malware to a change of motives among virus writers. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/06/vxers_cash_in/ - - - - - - - - - - Symantec releases data recovery tools Security company Symantec Corp. yesterday announced the availability of new versions of its LiveState data recovery software. The company is releasing updated versions of its LiveState Recovery Advanced Server, Standard Server and Desktop products. These products allow companies to copy important files or even entire applications and operating systems, which can be restored if a computer fails or is infected by a virus, Symantec said in a statement. http://computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/story/0,10801,96446,00.html - - - - - - - - - - Vendors sharpen vulnerability-assessment tools A pair of vulnerability-assessment and remediation tool vendors are separately upgrading their products so that customers more easily can prioritize which networked systems need to be fixed. Citadel Security Software Inc. says Version 3.5 of its Hercules desktop and server software includes new technology called AssetGuard that helps companies determine what needs fixing by examining vulnerability-assessment data collected from assorted scanners against an inventory of applications running on the network. http://computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/story/0,10801,96453,00.html - - - - - - - - - - IBM extends ID management IBM Corp. officials announced new identity management solutions and services today designed to simplify the complex and costly task of managing user identities across an organization. Company officials introduced the Integrated Identity and Access Management Services to help organizations automate and administer complex identity management business processes. http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2004/1004/web-ibm-10-06-04.asp - - - - - - - - - - RFID Driver's Licenses Debated Some federal and state government officials want to make state driver's licenses harder to counterfeit or steal, by adding computer chips that emit a radio signal bearing a license holder's unique, personal information. Today's the Day. In Virginia, where several of the 9/11 hijackers obtained driver's licenses, state legislators Wednesday will hear testimony about how radio frequency identification, or RFID, tags may prevent identity fraud and help thwart terrorists using falsified documents to move about the country. http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,65243,00.html - - - - - - - - - - Andreessen: IE faces one-two punch The Web browser wars may have been reignited, according to browser pioneer Marc Andreessen. This time, it's not Andreessen's former company Netscape Communications that's taking on Microsoft's Internet Explorer; it's the emerging popularity of smaller products such as Apple Computer's Safari and open-source browser Firefox, Andreessen said. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-5399954.html - - - - - - - - - - Wanted: Simple home security How much data can fit through broadband pipes? The next big broadband battle is going to turn on that very question. With data speeds increasing and monthly charges now within range of most family budgets, you should expect a sharp increase in Internet usage across a range of devices from PCs and telephones to stereos and refrigerators. But that will inevitably invite more attacks from worms, viruses, Trojan horses and malicious hackers. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5399390.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. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however copies may not be sold, and NewsBits (www.newsbits.net) should be cited as the source of the information. Copyright 2000-2004, NewsBits.net, Campbell, CA.