March 31, 2008
IFRAME SEO attack spreads to over a million search queries
By Janine de Blois
The IFRAME Search engine optimization (SEO) which began last week has spread and has infected an increasing number of important sites.
The latest high profile sites found to have the IFRAMES redirecting browsers to fake security software and Zlob malware variants are:
USAToday.com
ABCNews.com
News.com
Target.com
Packard Bell.com
Walmart.com
Rediff.com
MiamiHerald.com
Bloomingdales.com
PatentStorm.us
WebShots.com
Sears.com
Forbes.com
Ugo.com
Bartleby.com
Linkedwords.com
Circuitcity.com
Allwords.com
Blogdigger.com
Epinions.com
Buyersindex.com
Jcpenney.com
Nakido.com
Uvm.edu
hobbes.nmsu.edu
jurist.law.pitt.edu
boisestate.edu
The hackers have been searching for popular keywords on sites [...]
March 31, 2008
Resco offers backup for pocket PC
By Janine de Blois
Slovakian based, Resco has added Resco Backup for v1.10 to their repretoire of over thirty products for Windows and Palm pocket PCs.
Designed for end users as well as companies the software allows a variety of options for partial and full backup and restore. It offers compression and encryption (standard AES) as well as [...]
March 31, 2008
Ubuntu Linux stands through hacking contest
By Janine de Blois
The CanSecWest contest in Vancouver has left only the Ubuntu Linux undefeated, though several attempts to crack it were made.
On the final day of the contest Shane Macaulay spent almost four hours attempting to use his exploit of a previously unknown flaw in Adobe Flash.
He alternated his attempts between Vista and [...]
March 31, 2008
Estimated 10,000 websites still contain buggy Flash Player files
By Janine de Blois
Google Security Engineer Rich Cannings discovered the widespread vulnerability in websites that are using buggy Shockwave Flash (.swf). An estimated 10,000 sites with hundreds of thousands or web pages still affected after the patch was released by Adobe two months ago. The bug could allow plishing attacks, or worse it could provide nearly [...]
March 31, 2008
Upgrade Your Software
By Lashan Clarke
Even though the computer software manufacturers have done their part to ensure their programs are free from bugs, or plugged any security holes, many site owners are still using the older versions of software that have not had the security patches applied.
In this regard, website owners are allowing their sites to be susceptible to [...]
March 31, 2008
Apple Plugs Security Holes In Mac OS
By Lashan Clarke
Since this month, technology giant Appple has made at least two new updates to its Mac OS X system. These updates have also been made to any of the open source components associated with it, along with the Safari web browser.
In regards to the security issuses, Apple has had to plug more than ninety [...]
March 30, 2008
EU pushes €10m into open source privacy management
By Dave Nixon
The European Union is contributing 10 million euro (around £8 million) in sponsorship to a project named PrimeLife, which intends to grow open source tools for personal privacy management and protection, and get the community at large to accept them.
PrimeLife’s co-ordinator is IBM’s Zurich research laboratory, and it continues from an earlier EU-backed project [...]
March 30, 2008
Spy software for mobile to become more broadly obtainable
By Dave Nixon
Spying programs for mobile phones are expected to develop in sophistication according to a top mobile analyst.
Lots of the spy programs on the market are potent, but aren’t very refined code, said Jarno Niemela, a senior anti-virus researchers for Finnish security vendor F-Secure, speaking at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas.
But [...]
March 30, 2008
Apple loses three-way hacking contest
By Dave Nixon
An Apple Mac was the first casualty in a hacker shoot-out to establish which operating system is the most secure.
A former US National Security Agency employee has won $10,000 for breaking into a MacBook Air at CanSecWest security conference’s PWN 2 OWN hacking contest. The MacBook was up against Linux and Vista PCs which [...]
March 30, 2008
Google search behind most phishing sites
By Dave Nixon
75% of phishing sites are built on hacked servers that have been tracked down using pre-programmed Google search terms, according to study from brand-protection firm MarkMonitor.
Among additional activities, MarkMonitor tracks phishing attacks that target brand names.
Researchers assembled a list of 750 Google search terms that are used to track down websites liable to [...]
March 30, 2008
US service tracks absent backup tapes
By Dave Nixon
An innovative system has been launched in the United States, which uses GPS technology to trace missing backup tapes.
Fujifilm Recording Media teamed up with SC-Integrity (SCI) to establish the Fujifilm Tape Tracker, which can be placed in a standard cartridge so it appears like any other half-inch digital tape, and transported along with a [...]
March 30, 2008
EMC launches new range of security services
By Dave Nixon
EMC has launched a set of services that it maintains would allow companies to improve on-site security by combining user authentication, backup and content management capabilities with IP video surveillance.
The new EMC Physical Security Solutions line includes assessment, design and implementation services, EMC said.
EMC is furthermore offering turnkey systems, with products from EMC [...]
March 28, 2008
Fix issued for ‘critical’ Firefox flaws
By Isabelle Chaize
Mozilla has released an update for its open source browser, Firefox. The fix corrects various security related problems with the browser.
There are nine flaws addressed in the update, including two ‘critical’ flaws. ‘Critical’ is the highest risk level in Mozilla’s threat rating system.
One of the two critical vulnerabilities is to do with the way [...]
March 28, 2008
Google Calendar used to deliver spam
By Isabelle Chaize
According to Trend Micro, the Google Calendar tool is being used by spammers to get round spam filters, which is the first time they have seen such a mechanism being used.
Trend Micro have been tracking spam in all its different forms over the last 12 months, and have discovered this new method for delivering [...]
March 28, 2008
Mac Os X First To Go Down
By Lashan Clarke
The first attempt to attack a computer during the PWN2OWN hacking competition was successful on the Apple Mac operating system. The analyst who was successful in the security breach was able to win the computer and $10,000 for his efforts. The security breach was completed against the Safari browser.
The breach carried out by [...]
March 28, 2008
Greynet Enterprise Manager upgrades to ensure secure use of Skype
By Janine de Blois
FaceTime Communications, a leader in internet and unified communications (UC), has announced its exclusive security product to monitor Skype usage.
Working with Skype for over a year their newest release of Greynet Enterprise Manager (GEM) is designed to detect malicious urls via Skype instant messaging.
It is the only vendor with the ability [...]
March 28, 2008
Finjan discovers website offering volume purchase of stolen credit cards
By Janine de Blois
“If further proof were needed that there is a very serious problem facing the card acceptance and processing industry, this is it,” said Yuval Ben-Itzhak, chief technology officer at Finjan.
“Prices are segmented depending on whether a card is a Classic Visa or MasterCard, a premium account such as a Gold, Platinum or Business/Corporate [...]
March 27, 2008
Ringside offers seamless intregration of Facebook, social applications to any website
By Janine de Blois
On Tuesday, Ringside Networks, Inc. launched its company and its innovative open-source software Ringside Social Application Server™. The software allows existing websites to intregrate with social networks. The beta version for working with Facebook applications is available now for both end users and developers. Different versions, which vary depending on [...]
March 27, 2008
Euro 2008 ticket sales site attacked by hackers
By Isabelle Chaize
A malicious code has been discovered in one of the official websites selling tickets for this summer’s European Championship football competition.
The site containing the code ranks high in search engine results, and has sponsored links to it from other sites, meaning that the potential target group for the hackers could be huge.
Once a hopeful [...]
March 27, 2008
Hackers break into Facebook
By Isabelle Chaize
Hackers recently managed to break through Facebook’s security barriers, raising concerns for businesses whose employees use social networking sites.
The security lapse allowed open access to private photos, supposed to be visible only to members’ friends.
The photos belonged to celebrities such as ‘it-girl’ Paris Hilton, as well as Facbook founder Mark Zuckerburg.
With the explosion in the [...]