Denial-of-service (DoS) and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks have been around for years, but with reports that 4,000 DoS attacks are launched each week, it's clear the problem isn't close to being resolved. In fact, in a recent poll of Information Security readers, 90 percent said they remained either "very concerned" or "somewhat concerned" about DoS or DDoS.
This week, advisories were released for uucp, man, openssh, squid, and setserial. The vendors include Conectiva, Mandrake, and Red Hat. It has been another slow advisory week. Again, we recommend taking time to make sure that no previous advisories have been missed.
In sworn testimony before a House committee Wednesday, computer security experts said U.S. computer networks, both governmental and private, are very vulnerable to cyber-terrorism. Rep. Stephen Horn, R-Calif., chairman of the House Subcommittee on Government Efficiency, Financial Management and Intergovernmental Relations, convened the hearing to examine how, in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the country's critical infrastructure could cope with a concerted cyber-attack against its computer-related assets.
Computer systems can never be fully protected from viruses or hackers as the brains behind such attacks are always a step ahead of security measures, experts say. Computer users and security system managers can, however, identify vulnerable sections of their systems and prevent repetitions of the same crime, they said.
"The bad guys out there are getting cleverer. And nothing is 100 percent secure," said Joy Ghosh, India head of Symantec Corp, a leading provider of security software and services.
TravelMate 740 includes a built-in sensor that uses fingerprint recognition to keep sensitive data safe. Acer is offering improved security in the company's latest laptop computer. The TravelMate 740 notebook, unveiled Thursday, offers an integrated fingerprint-recognition security system in order to restrict access to sensitive data.
The TravelMate 740 has a fingerprint sensor built into the notebook's palm rest, and can be configured so that a valid fingerprint is required to boot the machine or decrypt files.
A new worm shows added layers of sophistication, and should be a warning to us all.
In a world where viruses are gaining in functionality, it is becoming increasingly important to reduce the opportunities for infection to occur. Recent attacks from Code Red worms, followed by last week's appearance of the Nimda virus, underline the need for constant vigilance and, specifically, the crucial requirement to keep up with security patch deployment.
WASHINGTON -- A congressional committee was told Wednesday that the U.S. war on terrorism could increase the number cyberattacks aimed at U.S. companies already struggling to repair an increasing array of vulnerabilities to Internet-connected systems.
An analysis of the Nimda worm and other far-reaching indications that we are not prepared for a large-scale attack. Good article. "CERT Analysis Center, established just last year, addresses the threat posed by rapidly evolving, technologically advanced forms of cyber attacks. Working with sponsors and associates, the CERT Analysis Center collects and analyzes information assurance data to develop detection and mitigation strategies that provide high-leverage solutions to information assurance problems, including countermeasures for new vulnerabilities and emerging threats.
Business users with 802.11b wireless LANs should encrypt their data, say the grassroots 'freenet' builders. Companies transferring data on 802.11b wireless LANs should treat the systems as they would the Internet and encrypt sensitive network activity rather than rely on the inbuilt security protocols, according to a coordinator behind one of the WLAN community network projects that are springing up in the US and Europe.
A digital security company is launching a cross-sector index of security awareness among staff, to encourage firms to shore up their electronic defences. PentaSafe Security Technologies has launched an online survey to measure the level of awareness of information security policies and initiatives within organisations.
