What is Cyber Stalking? 06/26/2006

Cyberstalking can be defined as threatening behavior or unwanted advances directed at another using the Internet and other forms of online and computer communications. Cyberstalking occurs when electronic mediums such as the Internet are used to pursue, harass or contact another in an unsolicited fashion. Internet CyberStalking is used to slander and endanger victims, taking on a public rather than private dimension. What is Cyberstalking?

Missile Defense System 06/26/2006

The United States could use an experimental anti-missile system to try to defend itself if a North Korean missile were aimed at US territory, US National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley said Thursday. "We have a missile defense system . . . that is basically a research, development, training, test kind of system" but it has "some limited operational capability," Hadley told reporters in Budapest, where he was travelling with US President George W. Bush before returning to Washington.

Hacker breaks into USDA computer system 06/26/2006

A hacker broke into the Agriculture Department’s computer system and may have obtained names, Social Security numbers and photos of 26,000 Washington-area employees and contractors, the department said Wednesday. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said the department will provide free credit monitoring for one year to anyone who might have been affected.

Information Stolen the Old Fashioned Way 06/26/2006

The thefts of personal data on nearly a million people have been revealed in the last two days, in one case from a server collecting insurance-proposal information over the Internet. But the actual loss of data took place the old fashioned way—by a burglar breaking in to locked premises and carrying off the computers. Consequently, police and insurance officials hope the physical hardware was the target, not the data. Those whose data was lost in the theft are being notified by letter this week. Complete Article

Medical ID Threat 06/26/2006

The last thing consumers need to worry about is another identity threat. As if it wasn't enough that thieves can ruin a stranger's credit history and bury them under mountains of debt, a new scam can be even more difficult to uncover and correct - medical ID fraud.

EU Wants to Improve Security 06/24/2006

Governments and businesses must do more to improve IT security if the European Union (EU) is to achieve its goal of becoming the world’s leading knowledge economy by 2010. Andrea Pirotti, executive director of the EU’s European Network Information Security Agency (Enisa), says member states and online businesses must work harder to assure users that the internet is a safe place to transact.

IBM Offers Developers Security 06/23/2006

IBM released free security software tools for business application developers on Thursday, a move the company said will help stem security breaches and hacker attacks. IBM said the software allows developers to build security into their applications from the start, rather than fix problems later with patches after security holes are discovered.

University Hackers Stole Social Security Numbers 06/23/2006

Ohio University said Tuesday it has suspended two information technology supervisors over recent breaches by hackers who may have stolen 173,000 Social Security numbers from school computers. Both were suspended pending the school's investigation of the breaches, five of which have happened since March 2005.

Man Looking for Alien Hacked NASA Computer 06/23/2006

The search for proof of the existence of UFOs landed Gary McKinnon in a world of trouble. After allegedly hacking into NASA websites -- where he says he found images of what looked like extraterrestrial spaceships -- the 40-year-old Briton faces extradition to the United States from his North London home. If convicted, McKinnon could receive a 70-year prison term and up to $2 million in fines. Complete Article

Teen Sues MySpace over Lax Security 06/22/2006

A 14-year-old girl and her mother have filed a lawsuit against News Corp.'s social networking site, MySpace.com, alleging that its security measures are ineffective and enabled a sexual predator to attack the teenager. The lawsuit, filed by Barry & Loewy LLP on Monday, seeks at least $30 million in penalties against the site, which is popular among teenagers. The suit claims that a 19-year-old contacted the girl through MySpace.com in April, claiming he was a high-school senior. According to the suit, the man obtained her personal details and, after several e-mails and phone calls, took her on a date, after which he assaulted her. The man was arrested on May 19, according to media reports. Complete Article

Security Spending Decreasing 06/22/2006

According to a new survey of North American CISOs released by New York-based investment bankers Merrill Lynch & Co., enterprises are hoping to throttle down their spending on new IT security technologies over the second half of 2006. On average, the IT security executives interviewed by Merrill Lynch said they only plan to increase spending by 2.9 percent over the next 12-18 months, whereas CISOs had indicated plans to increase spending by 11.4 percent when the survey was last conducted in March 2006.

Security Feeds 06/20/2006

Locate security feeds about virus alerts, homeland security, computer security and internet security. The directory is browsable by category or searchable by keyword.

Planes, Trains and Rail Under Scrutiny 06/19/2006

In Canada airline passengers' bags will be scrutinized more thoroughly, railway security will be bolstered and port workers will face more strenuous background checks under a series of new federal measures to combat terrorism on public transit.

Low Marks on Emergency Preparedness 06/18/2006

New Orleans, New York, and Washington, the states most effected by major emergencies in the last several years, reportedly got low ratings for emergency preparedness, according to a Homeland Security report. 50 states, 75 cities, and six territories were rated after President George Bush ordered the area's emergency plans be reviewed shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit last year. Evacuation plans, medical care, shelters, and public alerts were all under scrutiny and only 10 states' disaster response plans got a sufficient rating.

Ex-Security Officials Making Big Money 06/18/2006

Dozens of members of the Bush administration's domestic-security team, assembled after the 2001 terrorist attacks, are collecting bigger paychecks in different roles: working on behalf of companies that sell security products, many directly to the federal agencies the officials once helped run. At least 90 officials at the Department of Homeland Security or the White House Office of Homeland Security — including the department's former secretary, Tom Ridge; the former deputy secretary, Adm. James Loy; and the former undersecretary, Asa Hutchinson — are executives, consultants or lobbyists for companies that collectively do billions of dollars' worth of domestic-security business.

Homeland Security Spending Draws Ire 06/17/2006

Critics question whether various local outlays merit federal funding. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security spent about $150 million in Wisconsin from 2003 through 2005 — on everything from traffic equipment to a jet boat and digital recorders for police — under a funding formula that guarantees every state a minimum amount regardless of the size of threat it faces.

Security Threatens Love 06/14/2006

True love waits for no one _ except maybe the Homeland Security Department. Red tape has put wedding bells on hold for about 10,000 U.S. citizens seeking visas for their foreign brides and grooms as the department works on new paperwork for their applications. The form change was required as part of a law, enacted in March, to protect foreign mail-order brides from abusive American spouses. But Homeland Security missed its deadline three months ago, putting the visa applications of thousands of law-abiding lovers in limbo. Complete Article

Panda Launches Security Suite 06/13/2006

Panda Software has launched its new security suites onto the market for large businesses and SMEs (Panda BusinesSecure 2006 with TruPrevent Technologies). Both products offer integral protection for all levels of the corporate network, from laptops to gateways, by combining reactive and proactive technologies which are exclusive to Panda Software.

Encrypted Instant Messaging 06/15/2006

MessageLabs launched on Monday encrypted instant messaging software, targeting companies that use consumer IM clients for collaboration and document sharing. The company's Enterprise Instant Messenger (EIM) is derived from MessageLabs' October acquisition of Omnipod, which focused on IM and file-transfer services, said David Hahn, group product manager. The software addresses some of the concerns raised around increased use of IM in the enterprise, such as confidentiality, compliance and intellectual-property leaks.

Security Breaches 06/14/2006

NTA Monitor's 2006 Annual Security Report has discovered that 61 per cent of companies tested have one or more high risk vulnerability in their Internet connections. NTA classifies a high risk flaw as a vulnerability that allows unauthorised external users to obtain system access. The vulnerability is widely known and actively exploited by hackers, leaving companies susceptible to Denial of Service attacks or remote system compromise. NTA Security Concern

Wire Tap on Internet Calls 06/13/2006

A federal appeals court on Friday backed a Bush administration effort to make it easier to wiretap Internet-based phone calls, a ruling that supporters say will seal off a safe haven for criminals and terrorists and that critics fear could erode privacy rights. In its 2-1 decision, a three-judge panel of the appeals court for Washington, D.C., ruled that the Federal Communications Commission had the right to expand the reach of a 12-year-old telephone wiretap law into cyberspace. Wire Tap on Internet Calls

VoIP Security Alert: Hackers Start Attacking For Cash 06/13/2006

IP phone crooks are learning how to rake in the dough. An owner of two small Miami Voice over IP telephone companies was arrested last week and charged with making more than $1 million by breaking into third-party VoIP services and routing calls through their lines. That let him collect from customers without paying any fees to route calls. Complete Article

AOL Security Services 06/12/2006

The security software market is about to get even more crowded. Time Warner's AOL plans to take the plunge with a product package, Total Care, that will be available to consumers as well as its own subscribers, according to a person familiar with the matter. Total Care begins beta testing in the coming weeks.

Russias Security Forces 06/12/2006

Russia`s parliament is expected to approve allowing the domestic FSB security agency to expand its activities into foreign countries, the Moscow Times reports. The bill covering the boundaries of the Federal Security Service has little opposition, and is expected to pass through the Duma on second reading sometime this month, the newspaper said.

Microsoft Issues Security Patches on Tuesday 06/11/2006

Microsoft Corp. plans to issue a dozen security alerts on Tuesday -- some carrying the highest risk rating of critical -- as part of a monthly security update to fix flaws in its software.

Poor Grant Results in Less Security Money 06/11/2006

The Department of Homeland Security sharply cut the Washington region's anti-terrorism funding in part because its grant application was among the weakest nationwide -- with one proposal scoring so low that money cannot be drawn without federal permission, officials said. Complete Article

G8 Meeting Results in Increased Call for Security 06/11/2006

G8 finance ministers confirmed their belief in the need for greater security of supply and for international rules in the energy sector. 'We discussed the current situation in the energy markets and the risks that high oil prices pose for the global economy going forward,' ministers said in the final version of a statement issued after their two-day meeting here. Complete Article

Airport Security Concerns 06/10/2006

A security lapse at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport that let the controversial Armenian brothers to brandish guns in a restricted area has been described as "very dangerous". "Thank God they were not terrorists. If they were, they would have finished their job by the time police caught up with them," said a security consultant, asking not to be named. The brothers, Artur Margaryan and Artur Sagarsyan, assaulted a Customs official when he insisted on checking the bags of a woman passenger who had just flown in. Complete Article

A Hacking Degree 06/08/2006

The University of Advancing Technology, is marketing its new Network Security program as a way to get a degree in hacking. The school is drawing the interest of geeks who use Windows, Linux, and Macintosh, according to UAT's IT manager Raymond Todd Blackwood, and even a few who want to go to the dark side of network security. Hacking Degree

UN Involved in Sudan 06/08/2006

The United Nations Security Council descends on Sudan for the first time on Monday to try to convince the Khartoum government that a U.N. peacekeeping operation in Darfur was not tantamount to an invasion force. At the same time, several of the 15 council members intend to tell Sudanese leaders that they have not done enough to protect their own people, regardless of who started the conflict, which has cost tens of thousands of lives.

Linksys Looks at Security 06/07/2006

Networking gear maker Cisco Systems is taking the first steps of what could be a major initiative aimed at expanding its business into the growing market for products that integrate IT and physical security technologies. The company's Linksys consumer and small business division has launched a new wireless camera system aimed at helping customers marry their physical security tools with computer networks.

Chat Rooms are Jihadist Undoing 06/07/2006

When a shadowy group of disaffected urban youth began talking in an Internet chat room in the fall of 2004 espousing anti-Western views, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service was listening. The spy agency, and an alphabet soup of other security agencies across the continent, closely monitor such sites, where talk may sometimes turn to buildings and bombs and bringing global jihad home to North America, to Canada.

Gamers Warned About Security Issues 06/06/2006

Gamblers and players of MMORPGs are being warned of Trojan horses that steal credit card information or virtual characters whose items are also being sold for real money. Internet security firm Fortinet reported that the “Poker Trojan” is being used by criminals.

Juniper Provides Security to Microsoft 06/06/2006

Computer network equipment maker Juniper Networks Inc. will offer security services for Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Protocol television (IPTV) software, the companies said on Monday. Microsoft TV's IPTV Edition is software that help phone and cable companies deliver services such as interactive program guides, digital video recording, and on-demand programming. Juniper will provide firewall services that protect Microsoft's IPTV software from malicious traffic, viruses, and spyware, they said.

Abbas Security Forces 06/05/2006

A newly-formed unit of the Palestinian security forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas were deployed in the West Bank city of Jenin on Sunday, Palestinian security sources said. The new unit, named the "Special Protection Unit", was deployed in Jenin in order to reinforce the regular police there to help maintain order, said the sources. The unit consists of around 2,500 young men, most of them members of Abbas' Fatah movement.

Canadian Terror Plot Threatens US 06/05/2006

Lawmakers in Washington said on Sunday that an apparent foiled terror plot in Canada raises concerns that the United States could be vulnerable to attack launched from across its northern border.

New Security Advisory From Microsoft 06/05/2006

Microsoft is investigating new public reports of limited “zero-day” attacks using a vulnerability in Microsoft Word XP and Microsoft Word 2003. In order for this attack to be carried out, a user must first open a malicious Word document attached to an e-mail or otherwise provided to them by an attacker. Microsoft will continue to investigate the public reports to help provide additional guidance for customers as necessary. Microsoft is completing development of a security update for Microsoft Word that addresses this vulnerability. The security update is now being finalized through testing to ensure quality and application compatibility and is on schedule to be released as part of the June security updates on June 13, 2006, or sooner as warranted. Microsoft is concerned that this new report of a vulnerability in Word was not disclosed responsibly, potentially putting computer users at risk. We continue to encourage responsible disclosure of vulnerabilities. We believe the commonly accepted practice of reporting vulnerabilities directly to a vendor serves everyone's best interests. This practice helps to ensure that customers receive comprehensive, high-quality updates for security vulnerabilities without exposure to malicious attackers while the update is being developed. More Details

Kaspersky Tracks Virus Popularity 06/04/2006

Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content management solutions for protection against viruses, hacker attacks and spam has published its Virus Top Twenty for May 2006. The overall ratings are calculated based on figures for malicious programs, detected from email traffic and statistics compiled from the Kaspersky Online Scanner system. Virus Alerts

Encryption Standard Challenged 06/04/2006

The agency promoting China's wireless encryption standard has accused a U.S. engineers' group of waging a conspiracy that led a global organization to reject the Chinese system, the country's official news agency said Monday. China made the accusation in its appeal against the International Standards Organization's decision in March to reject its encryption system, known as WAPI, the Xinhua News Agency said. Encryption Standard Challenged

US Weekly Hacking Attempt 06/03/2006

The FBI searched the home of a paparazzi agency's co-owner to determine whether someone tried to hack into the computers of the gossip magazine Us Weekly, it was reported Friday. FBI agents on Tuesday seized at least one computer while searching Jill Ishkanian's home in the Topanga Canyon area, her spokesman, Glenn Feldman, told the Los Angeles Times.

Google a Cause for Concern 06/03/2006

Anti-Google sentiment is on the rise. Web pundits have tossed around monopoly theories and privacy advocates have warned of a day of reckoning. While Google has made friends on Wallstreet, it has disappointed the technical evangelists who were once its fiercest followers. Google has grown into a big scary company and web watchers are expressing their concerns about the information Google gleans from their various services. Google A Cause for Concern

Google Security 06/02/2006

Google Should Suppress Searches: I  am opposed to censorship, but I also support privacy rights. Google’s massive database of anything and everything coupled with powerful search technologies have utterly destroyed privacy as we once knew it. An entire community of Google-Enabled hacking and mayhem has arisen around the search giant, including the popular johnny.ihackstuff.com . Below, I have compiled a list of the top 8 searches that Google should suppress to protect privacy of millions of people across the internet.

PDA's for Security 06/01/2006

Should a wayward passenger breach a security area, cameras inside the airport can shoot photos or video, which can be sent immediately to an officer's PDA. That way, they do not have to rely on someone's attempt to describe a suspect via radio; they will immediately have video or pictures in their hand after an incident.

MdTA police chief disclosed details on security measures at BWI 06/01/2006

The names of the Secret Service detail guarding President Bush's daughter Barbara. The number of agents providing protection to former President George H.W. Bush. The cover name the FBI director's wife uses so she can travel incognito. The arrangements for top National Security Agency officials to avoid airport screening. Cell phone numbers of security officials. Cover Released

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