Must-read articles on computer security, including virus alerts and much more!
Hacker builds $1,500 cell-phone tapping device
(AP)
- <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/security/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100731/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_hacker_conference_tapping_cell_phones"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100731/capt.122c43e592b34182adf9eeac9c75995e-122c43e592b34182adf9eeac9c75995e-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=tWcQgavol.PuPAXNYsCBdw--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="In this July 30, 2010 photo, hacker Chris Paget sets up a long range RFID reading devise at the DefCon hacker conference in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)" border="0" /></a>AP - A computer security researcher has built a device for just $1,500 that can intercept some kinds of cell phone calls and record everything that's said.</p><br clear="all"/>
Hack attack hits ATM jackpots
(AFP)
- <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/security/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100731/tc_afp/usitinternetbanksoftwarecrimedefcon"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20100731/capt.photo_1280614697115-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=XQNbh89se3hqXLxPSK5Z3A--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="People take cash at an ATM machine in Bangkok. Banks use "remote management" software to monitor and control their ATMs, and a computer security researcher used a weakness in that kind of code to take control of machines by way of the Internet.(AFP/File/Nicolas Asfouri)" border="0" /></a>AFP - Computer security researcher Barnaby Jack jokes that he has resorted to hiding cash under his bed since figuring out how to crack automated teller machines remotely using the Internet.</p><br clear="all"/>
Hacker Snoops on GSM Cell Phones in Demo
(PC World)
- PC World - Despite concerns that federal authorities might fine or arrest him, hacker Chris Paget went ahead with a live demonstration of mobile phone interception at the Defcon hacking conference Saturday.
Smooth-talking hackers test hi-tech titans' skills
(AFP)
- <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/security/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100731/ts_alt_afp/usitinternethackerpsychologycrimedefcon"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20100731/capt.photo_1280558268003-1-0.jpg?x=87&y=130&q=85&sig=o2Q2Z8lTyUrvaN_4Wi.MOQ--" align="left" height="130" width="87" alt="Hackers at the infamous DefCon gathering held in Las Vegas are proving that old-fashioned telephone smooth talk is an effective rival to slick software skills when it comes to pulling off attacks on computer networks.(AFP/File/Joel Saget)" border="0" /></a>AFP - Hackers at an infamous DefCon gathering are proving that old-fashioned smooth talk rivals slick software skills when it comes to pulling off attacks on computer networks.</p><br clear="all"/>
Software released for attacking Android phones
(Reuters)
- <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/security/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100730/wr_nm/us_hackers_android"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20100730/i/r3938152622.jpg?x=130&y=92&q=85&sig=m29z018i1bWayl_ZvAQShA--" align="left" height="92" width="130" alt="A model demonstrates the Nexus One smartphone, the first mobile phone Google will sell directly to consumers based on its Android platform, after a news conference at Google headquarters in Mountain View, California January 5, 2010. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith" border="0" /></a>Reuters - Two security experts said on Friday they released a tool for attacking smartphones that use Google Inc's Android operating system to persuade manufacturers to fix a bug that lets hackers read a victim's email and text messages.</p><br clear="all"/>
Smartphones tempting new targets for hackers
(AFP)
- <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/security/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100730/ts_alt_afp/usitinternettelecomcrimeblackhat"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20100730/capt.photo_1280497960647-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=88&q=85&sig=3AB6xCRrY85ca3CMItEOcw--" align="left" height="88" width="130" alt="A shopper looks at a smartphone at a shop in Taipei on July 19. Software security experts warn that mobile phones are tempting targets for hackers in a world where people eagerly invite strange applications onto handsets packed with personal data.(AFP/File/Patrick Lin)" border="0" /></a>AFP - Software security experts warn that mobile phones are tempting targets for hackers in a world where people eagerly invite strange applications onto handsets packed with personal data.</p><br clear="all"/>
Slovene police, FBI hail ties in cyber crime probe
(AP)
- AP - An FBI official said Friday a two-year-long multinational investigation led them to nab a 23-year-old Slovenian, who allegedly created a malicious software code that infected 12 million computers worldwide.
Attacking the edges of secure Internet traffic
(AP)
- <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/security/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100730/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_hacking_conference_online_security"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100728/capt.9fa7f79184fc43998e9af51c33c0eb0e-9fa7f79184fc43998e9af51c33c0eb0e-0.jpg?x=130&y=82&q=85&sig=viQuLiPR8Q7riR4LjfpxrA--" align="left" height="82" width="130" alt="A man passes a logo of the Black Hat technology conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday, July 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)" border="0" /></a>AP - Researchers have uncovered new ways that criminals can spy on Internet users even if they're using secure connections to banks, online retailers or other sensitive Web sites.</p><br clear="all"/>
McAfee 2Q profit rises
(AP)
- AP - Computer-security software maker McAfee Inc. said Thursday that its second-quarter profit rose 38 percent, helped by growth in its corporate and consumer businesses.
Verizon: Data Breaches Often Caused by Configuration Errors
(PC World)
- PC World - Hackers appear to be increasingly counting on configuration problems and programming errors rather than software vulnerabilities in order to steal information from computer systems, according to a new study from Verizon.
Internet upgraded to foil cyber crooks
(AFP)
- <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/security/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100729/ts_alt_afp/usitinternetsoftwarecrimeicannblackhat"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20100729/capt.photo_1280363434715-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=91&q=85&sig=XXBfo_fOcSp08164GLYTIw--" align="left" height="91" width="130" alt="The Internet has undergone a "critical" upgrade that promises to stop cyber criminals from using fake websites that dupe people into downloading viruses or revealing personal data.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Justin Sullivan)" border="0" /></a>AFP - The Internet has undergone a key upgrade that promises to stop cyber criminals from using fake websites that dupe people into downloading viruses or revealing personal data.</p><br clear="all"/>
Bunker-busting ATM attacks show security holes
(AP)
- <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/security/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100729/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_hacker_conference_hacking_atms"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100728/capt.0c9d2a2ffa614520a1d63ea6489a2734-0c9d2a2ffa614520a1d63ea6489a2734-0.jpg?x=130&y=81&q=85&sig=pRM5dDQFpHdno85N.Gau7g--" align="left" height="81" width="130" alt="Barnaby Jack demonstrates an attack on two automated teller machines during the Black Hat technology conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday, July 28, 2010. The attacks demonstrated Wednesday targeted standalone ATMs. But they could potentially be used against the ATMs operated by mainstream banks. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)" border="0" /></a>AP - A hacker has discovered a way to force ATMs to disgorge their cash by hijacking the computers inside them.</p><br clear="all"/>
DHS Exec Takes Hard Questions on Cybersecurity
(PC World)
- PC World - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent its highest-ranking official ever to speak at the Black Hat conference this week, and its Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute ended up fielding a few tough questions from skeptical computer security professionals in attendance.
Suspected 'Mariposa Botnet' creator arrested
(AFP)
- <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/security/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100728/pl_afp/usspainsloveniaitcomputersecuritycrimeinternet"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20100728/capt.photo_1280337183351-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=90&q=85&sig=_91lloJoCIb7v7mjXAtceQ--" align="left" height="90" width="130" alt="US, Spanish and Slovenian law enforcement authorities on Wednesday announced the arrest of the suspected creator of the notorious "Mariposa Botnet" used by criminal hackers around the world. The suspect, a 23-year-old Slovenian citizen identified only as "Iserdo," was arrested by Slovenian police last week, the FBI, the Slovenian Criminal Police and the Spanish Guardia Civil said.(AFP/File/Mandel Ngan)" border="0" /></a>AFP - US, Spanish and Slovenian law enforcement authorities on Wednesday announced the arrest of the suspected creator of the "Mariposa Botnet," a vast network of virus-infected computers used by criminal hackers.</p><br clear="all"/>
Software rivals turning to allies to battle cyber crime
(AFP)
- <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/security/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100728/tc_afp/usitcomputersecuritycrimeinternetmicrosoftblackhat"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20100728/capt.photo_1280334903318-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=84&q=85&sig=su7TTMQF5zvlsrkrGcJ4kw--" align="left" height="84" width="130" alt="An attendee tries an interactive display at the Microsoft booth at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas, Nevada, in January 2010. As a major computer security conference kicked off here Wednesday, Microsoft announced that teamwork between technology rivals is paying off in the perpetual arms race with hackers.(AFP/File/Robyn Beck)" border="0" /></a>AFP - As a major computer security conference kicked off here Wednesday, Microsoft announced that teamwork between technology rivals is paying off in the perpetual arms race with hackers.</p><br clear="all"/>
Kerry Prepping Online Privacy Bill
(PC Magazine)
- PC Magazine - Sen. John Kerry said Tuesday that he will join his House colleagues and take a crack at privacy legislation.
Fake Firefox Update Page Pushes Malware
(PC Magazine)
- PC Magazine - Thanks to F-Secure for revealing the latest in rogue anti-malware: A fake Firefox "Just Updated" page which pushes you to install an update to Flash.
APNewsBreak: FBI says mastermind of botnet nabbed
(AP)
- AP - International authorities have arrested a computer hacker believed responsible for creating the malicious computer code that infected as many as 12 million computers, invading major banks and corporations around the world, FBI officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
UK Launches Computer Security Training Exercises
(PC World)
- PC World - The U.K.'s Cyber Security Challenge began accepting registrations Monday for a series of computer security exercises designed to spur interest in the field.
Iran Was Prime Target of SCADA Worm
(PC World)
- PC World - Computers in Iran have been hardest hit by a dangerous computer worm that tries to steal information from industrial control systems.
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Researcher detained at U.S. border, questioned about Wikileaks
- Jacob Appelbaum, who volunteers with Wikileaks, is questioned for three hours and has mobile phones confiscated on his way back to the U.S. for hacker show.
Contest finds workers at big firms handing data to hackers
- Organizers of contest at hacking confab hope showing how easy it is to get data from cold calls to companies will help alert firms to the threat of social engineering.
Tighter security coming in Firefox 4
- At Black Hat, a trio of security representatives from Mozilla detailed how the company plans to push the browser to be more secure for users while nudging developers toward safer coding practices.
Microsoft rushes fix for Windows shortcut hole
- Attackers exploiting a hole involving how Windows handles shortcut, or .lnk, files prompt Microsoft to rush out an emergency patch, well before its next scheduled Patch Tuesday.
Did Dell tech support display woman's naked pics?
- A woman calls Dell tech support to ask for help in locating pictures of herself on her computer. The pictures end up on a newly created Web site. She accuses the support representative of creating the site.
Did we pronounce privacy dead this week?
- Academics Jeff Jarvis and Danah Boyd, on stage at Supernova, can't pinpoint a solution to online privacy controversies, but agree misguided attempts to define privacy are part of the problem.
Report: Google, CIA fund predictive analytics firm
- Google Ventures and CIA's investment arm fund Recorded Future, a start-up that monitors Web and connects dots between people, places, events, Wired says.
Black Hat shines light on security (roundup)
- Las Vegas is the setting this week for two of the most popular annual security events. First comes Black Hat for the professional crowd, followed by the more antic Defcon gathering.
Can your mobile calls be intercepted? This tool can tell
- Airprobe software, combined with hardware and crypto cracker tool allows people to test the snoop-factor of their GSM phones, and even intercept calls of others.
U.S. military cyberwar: What's off-limits?
- Ex-NSA and CIA head tells Black Hat crowd that rules for when military can attack foreign networks might exempt power grids and financial networks.
Searchable Facebook user data posted to Pirate Bay
- The names and Facebook profile Web addresses for 171 million accounts are scraped from the site and posted on file-sharing site Pirate Bay.
Expert: Critical system flaws a 'ticking time bomb'
- Combining legacy SCADA systems that have their own weaknesses with Internet technologies is a dangerous mix for protecting systems that provide energy, water and other basic needs, Black Hat presenter says.
Security researcher demonstrates ATM hacking
- IOActive's Barnaby Jack reveals at Black Hat how he found ways to remotely log into ATMs without a password and force them to spit out cash.
DHS tries to defuse privacy criticism, asks for help
- At Black Hat, Homeland Security's second in command receives mixed response when trying to downplay privacy concerns, asks attendees for help.
Adobe to follow Microsoft plan of sharing security info
- The company will begin sharing vulnerability information early with security vendors just as Microsoft does. Plus: a new toolkit from Redmond.
U.K.: Privacy abuse unlikely in Google Street View flap
- Information Commissioner's Office finds no "meaningful personal details" in the data collected in the Street View snapshots of Wi-Fi networks.
Check counterfeiting using botnets and money mules
- SecureWorks uncovers bizarre criminal operation that uses digital techniques to aid in old-school check counterfeiting.
Senators fail to agree on privacy approach
- During marathon hearing, politicians worry about everything from Facebook to peer-to-peer software, spam, NebuAd, cancer patients, and advertising, with no consensus on what to do next.
Report: Most data breaches tied to organized crime
- Verizon's annual data breach report combines data from the U.S. Secret Service and covers more than 143 million compromised records.
Tabs get tweaked in Firefox 4 beta 2
- Firefox 4 beta 2 continues Mozilla's push to release new features and under-the-hood improvements to beta testers faster.
Juniper Networks to acquire SMobile Systems
- Acquisition price for mobile security provider SMobile is about $70 million in cash, companies say.
App Genome Project eyes iPhone, Android security
- Researchers at mobile security firm Lookout say many security issues with Android and iPhone apps result from innocent coding mistakes in third-party software.
Hackers to flock to Black Hat, Defcon this week
- Researcher to give talk on ATM security holes that was canceled a year ago, but talk on Chinese cyber army is axed after Taiwan complains.
Google fixes Chrome holes, seeks security reform
- Seven holes are fixed, six researchers who found them are paid bounties, and Google urges all software makers to fix serious problems within 60 days.
Webroot adds functions to security software (podcast)
- A new version of Webroot Internet Security Complete has backup, PC synchronization and password management along with the usual security features
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