From the monthly archives:

February 2008

Malware: US-CERT Warns of Microsoft Windows CE Trojan

by Shanmuga

"The WinCE/InfoJack Trojan hijacks the infected device’s serial number, operating system and other information and uploads it to an attacker-controlled Web site.

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Goolag Scanner brings Google hacking to the masses

by Shanmuga

"An infamous hacking group called Cult of the Dead Cow (cDc) recently released a tool called Goolag Scanner, which simplifies and automates Google hacking.

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Mozilla releases Thunderbird 2.0.0.12

by Shanmuga

Mozilla’s Thunderbird 2 email application is updated to version 2.0.0.12 from 2.0.0.9, looks to be a bug fix release. It fixes 5 security issues among a host of other issues. Their official web log states that "The Gecko 1.8.1.x branch (Thunderbird 2.0.0.x series) will not include any groundbreaking features that Gecko 1.9 will bring, since

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Privacy: Google Says IP Addresses Aren’t Personal

by Shanmuga

"Google has responded to European regulators who have suggested that Internet Protocol addresses of users be considered personally identifiable information. Not surprisingly, it disagrees.

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Hacked: Researchers figure out how to crack GSM phone security

by Shanmuga

"Two enterprising researchers claim to have figured out a way to eavesdrop on calls made using GSM mobile phones, cracking open its much-vaunted encryption.

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Malware: Does RealPlayer Deserve Badware Label?

by Shanmuga

"The Google-backed StopBadware.org group has explained the thinking behind its decision to slap the "badware" label on two versions of RealNetworks’ RealPlayer software, insisting there are serious problems with the installation process and behavior of the products.

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Security: Disk encryption may not be secure enough

by Shanmuga

"Computer scientists have discovered a novel way to bypass the encryption used in programs like Microsoft’s BitLocker and Apple’s FileVault and then view the contents of supposedly secure files.

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A History of Hacking Culture

by Shanmuga

"The appearance of professional Internet criminals was predicted in fiction long before the Internet became a mass medium. During the early years of the Web, we spent a great deal of time and energy looking for ways to defeat the professional thief. The mischief maker, the prankster, and the juvenile delinquent were overlooked. Then a

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Vulnerabilities: Serious Browser Bugs Spoil Opera Tune

by Shanmuga

"Opera has shipped a high-priority update to its flagship Web browser to correct multiple flaws that put Windows users at risk of malicious hacker attacks.

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Spam: Mega spammer arrested in Japan for sending 2.2 billion emails

by Shanmuga

"A 25-year-old Japanese man has been arrested in Tokyo for allegedly sending 2.2 billion spam messages advertising gambling and dating services under the guise of a fake identity, according to Japanese media reports.

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Security: Behind the Scenes at Microsoft’s Secure Windows Initiative

by Shanmuga

"Microsoft’s Secure Windows Initiative unit has emerged from the shadows, promising a new level of transparency, as well as details of software vulnerabilities and security bulletins.

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Hacking: DoS attack prevents access to WordPress.com blogs

by Shanmuga

"The WordPress.com blog-hosting service suffered a DoS (denial-of-service) attack that began Saturday and was still preventing users from logging in or posting to their blogs on Tuesday.

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Malware: Russian hosting network running a protection racket

by Shanmuga

"The Russian Business Network, a notorious hacker and malware hosting network, runs a protection racket that extorts as much as $2,000 a month in fees for "protective Web services" from borderline sites, a researcher alleged today.

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Security: New BotSniffer better able to detect foul stench of botnets

by Shanmuga

"Researchers at Georgia Tech have published a paper on BotSniffer—a program they’ve designed to detect and disable botnets. Botsniffer is not the only bot-detection program available, but the Georgia Tech research team believes that the program’s approach to the botnet issue results in a better correlation rate and a lower number of false positives.

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How Internet Censorship Works

by Shanmuga

"One of the early nicknames for the Internet was the "information superhighway" because it was supposed to provide the average person with fast access to a practically limitless amount of data. For many users, that’s exactly what accessing the Internet is like. For others, it’s as if the information superhighway has some major roadblocks in

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Security: How secure is a Gmail account?

by Shanmuga

"At the last DefCon event, one of the attendees, ‘Hamster’ showed off how the cookies sent by your computer when signing into a Google account can be copied, allowing the account to be cloned by the hacker, and all the implications that carried.

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Security: Limelight kills botnets better than cops do

by Shanmuga

"Botnet operators have become public enemy number-one as consumers, businesses and governments fall foul to identity theft, DDoS attacks and spam. Yet no one appears to be able to stop the spread of bots — except maybe the media.

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Security: What IT can learn from botnets

by Shanmuga

"Josh Corman is the host protection architect for Internet Security Systems, Inc. (ISS), with more than eight years of experience in security and networking software. What was refreshing was Corman’s out-of-the-box thinking on the distributed networks currently being used by online criminals. Of the most popular of these networks, he said "Storm did a lot

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Security: Microsoft wants to worm its way into your PC

by Shanmuga

"Microsoft is taking a leaf out of the virus writers’ handbook, hoping to use friendly "worms" to distribute software patches surreptitiously.

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The Anonymity Experiment

by Shanmuga

"During a week of attempting to cloak every aspect of daily life, our correspondent found that in an information age, leaving no trace is nearly impossible….

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