NewsBits for October 18, 2004 ************************************************************ 12 arrested in HK phishing scam A dozen people have been arrested in Hong Kong in connection with a banking phishing scam. Six of the suspects, including a Russian man, have been charged with theft amid allegations that they hoodwinked HK$600,000 (PS47,000) in an internet banking scam. If found guilty, the suspects face up to ten years in jail. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/18/hk_phishing/ Phishers are using e-mail to get information from people http://www.crime-research.org/news/17.10.2004/719/ - - - - - - - - - - British court orders ISPs to identify 28 alleged music pirates The High Court in London has ordered Internet service providers to hand over the names and addresses of 28 alleged music pirates to Britain's trade body for the recording industry. The British Phonographic Industry Ltd., or BPI, Friday welcomed the court order by Justice William Blackburne as the first step to suing people it accuses of promoting the illegal downloading of copyrighted music. http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/9929097.htm Much smoke to BPI's fileshare suits, but where's the fire? http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/18/law_and_bpi_lawsuits/ - - - - - - - - - - Pedophile clues sat for months Acting on a tip from state child welfare workers seven months ago, county prosecutors in South Jersey seized a computer from a Bellmawr man that could have led them to a network of suspected pedophiles in at least three states. Robert Pelle's hard drive was a virtual scrapbook of child pornography. Besides photographs, it held easily accessible links to Web sites and e-mail from other men who as a group called themselves "boylovers," arranged field trips and sought sex with children, according to investigators and court documents. http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-18/1097648099103290.xml http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-nj--pedophileinvestig1013oct13,0,7203505.story - - - - - - - - - - On-line casino under cyber attacks English computer security experts assert that number of gambling web-sites attacked by hackers is growing. Exact number of cyber attacks on these sites is difficult to determine, because the most of victimized companies refuse to report incidents to avoid breathing on their reputation. According to experts, there is no gambling web-portal which doesnt pay to hackers. http://www.gamblingmagazine.com/managearticle.asp?C=500&A=12232 - - - - - - - - - - Latest Netsky variant spreading fast Security experts have warned users to beware a new version of the prolific W32/Netsky virus. According to McAfee's Avert antivirus research team, the Netsky.ag variant is a prolific mass- mailing worm that spreads via email, sending itself to addresses found on the victim's machine. http://www.vnunet.com/news/1158813 - - - - - - - - - - MyDoom seeks to destroy antivirus firms Antivirus companies are perplexed by a spate of recent viruses that contain messages in which the writers threaten to attack them. Worm writers are threatening to attack antivirus companies F-Secure, Symantec, Trend Micro and McAfee. In the latest version of MyDoom--MyDoom.AE-- the authors embedded a message ridiculing rival worm Netsky and promising to attack the antivirus companies. http://news.com.com/MyDoom+seeks+to+destroy+antivirus+firms/2100-7349_3-5415086.html http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5415086.html - - - - - - - - - - Google Desktop privacy branded 'unacceptable' Google's Desktop represents a privacy disaster just waiting to happen, a rival has warned. David Burns, Copernic CEO, says users should know that the giant ad broker intends to mix public and private queries in the future, leveraging its key moneyspinning product: contextual advertising. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/15/google_desktop_privacy/ - - - - - - - - - - DTI launches new anti-fraud Web site The Department for Trade and Industry has launched an online service to help people protect themselves from scams. A new section of the consumer direct website, launched on 18 October 2004, will provide regularly updated information on specific rip-offs; tips on spotting a scam; advice on preventing unwanted sales calls, faxes, emails and text messages; and contacts for reporting scams or obtaining further information. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,39020369,39170579,00.htm http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/18/national_consumer_week/ Public sector not ready for Freedom of Information http://www.vnunet.com/news/1158825 - - - - - - - - - - York deputy chief joins child porn task force A new committee to co-ordinate a provincewide strategy to fight Internet child pornography will meet tomorrow (Monday) in Newmarket and include York Regional Police deputy chief Bruce Herridge. The province announced Wednesday it would be working closely with police across the province to combat Internet crimes against children. http://www.yorkregion.com/yr/newscentre/erabanner/story/2278867p-2641200c.html - - - - - - - - - - Security chiefs pass test The number of certified security professionals in the UK has jumped in the past three years, and experts now predict the profession will eventually become as regulated as engineering or accounting. There are now over 1,000 Certified Information Systems Security Professionals (CISSPs) in the UK, up from 40 three years ago. Globally, there are 27,000 across 106 countries, and experts predict further growth. http://www.vnunet.com/news/1158804 - - - - - - - - - - Seven new members for Liberty Alliance Adobe and Telewest Broadband are two of the latest companies to sign up to Liberty Alliance, the Web Services identity standards consortium Liberty Alliance, a far-reaching body working on identity standards for Web services, has signed up seven new members. At an event held in Tokyo on Monday it announced Adobe, DAI-Labor, Deny All, M-Tech Information Technology, OpenNetwork Technologies, Senforce Technologies and Telewest Broadband are joining up. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/webservices/0,39020378,39170578,00.htm Liberty Alliance names first director, new members http://computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/story/0,10801,96752,00.html - - - - - - - - - - FBI stocks up on data-warehousing tools The FBI has bought business intelligence software to mine its Investigative Data Warehouse, an information-sharing system for agents and analysts. The agency doled out $720,000 for analytic software and related support services from MicroStrategy Inc. of McLean, Va. The software will provide a way for FBI workers to comb through the data warehouses counterterrorism material and compile reports, the company said. http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/27643-1.html Public interest group challenges FBI over terrorist screening http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1004/101804tdpm1.htm - - - - - - - - - - Blue Coat tool targets spyware Blue Coat Systems Inc. today introduced a tool that detects spyware at the Internet gateway and desktop to stop it from affecting network security and performance. The proxy-based gateway antispyware tool from Blue Coat, which makes proxy servers, supports and enhances performance of URL filtering and antivirus spyware blocking on the company's proxy appliance, Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Blue Coat said in a statement. http://computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/privacy/story/0,10801,96757,00.html - - - - - - - - - - Clarke: Using technology to secure IDs is vital More secure identity cards are necessary to defend the United States against terrorists, former U.S. presidential adviser Richard Clarke said during a keynote on Monday. While not advocating a national ID card, Clarke said that, at the very least, drivers' licenses must be made more secure and that incentives for adopting technology such as smart cards should be proposed. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5416054.html Homeland security--Throwing money at technology http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5414724.html Homeland Security--Throwing money at technology (page 2) http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5414774.html Homeland Security: Throwing money at technology (page 3) http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5414794.html Homeland security appropriations bill becomes law http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/27645-1.html - - - - - - - - - - Airport security cards to have biometric data Airport employees will soon have their biometric data scanned before gaining access to restricted areas, Transport Canada and the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority announced Friday. A new restricted-area card will include either the fingerprint or iris measurement of the cardholder. http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20041016.gtnats16-4/BNStory/Technology/ - - - - - - - - - - Tougher laws needed to fight 'counterfeit reality' Tougher global laws must be passed to prevent criminals creating "an entire world of digital forgeries" that will become virtually impossible to distinguish from reality. The rise of so-called 'counterfeit reality' will lead to disputes over interpretations of social, political, legal and business realities that the judicial system and other institutions of conflict resolution are not equipped to resolve, analyst Gartner has warned. http://www.vnunet.com/news/1158815 - - - - - - - - - - CherryOS Not BS, Author Says Despite being widely accused of code theft, fraud and other chicanery, the author of the controversial CherryOS Mac emulator is sticking to his guns: It's all on the up and up, says programmer Arben Kryeziu. As previously reported, CherryOS purports to be a Mac emulator that allows Mac OS X to run on Windows PCs. The complex system was ostensibly written in four months by Kryeziu alone, who claims it performs at about 80 percent of the speed of the PC host's hardware. http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,65368,00.html - - - - - - - - - - Ranking network security breaches IN a 2004 CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey, security practitioners from major US corporations, financial, medical institutions and government agencies participated in a recent CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey. The declining trend year-on-year of total loss is a good sign of cyber security awareness in the US. http://news.inq7.net/infotech/index.php?index=1&story_id=15199&col=52 - - - - - - - - - - RFID, coming to a library near you For a glimpse of how RFID technology could transform stores, factories and people's everyday lives, you may only need to look as far as your local library. Hundreds of city and college libraries are placing special microchips, known as RFID (radio frequency identification) tags, on books in an effort to make libraries more efficient. The tags are central to a new breed of digital tracking system that can speed checkouts, keep collections in better order, and even alleviate repetitive strain injuries among librarians. http://news.com.com/RFID%2C+coming+to+a+library+near+you/2100-1012_3-5411657.html - - - - - - - - - - STORY FROM THE WEIRD FILE: Cops track emergency call to malfunctioning TV Talk about unwanted new features in fancy televisions, college student Chris van Rossman got more than he wanted with his Toshiba set-- as he learned when emergency and law enforcement officials came knocking. Earlier this month, Rossman's year-old 20-inch flat screen TV started broadcasting over the 121.5MHz frequency, the channel used for distress signals. Such signals are used by search and rescue workers to find airplanes that have crashed or boats that are lost or missing. http://news.com.com/Cops+track+emergency+call+to+malfunctioning+TV/2100-1041_3-5415719.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.