Hackers target the Terminator
Digital desperados may have hacked into Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger's computer system and downloaded a privately taped
conversation, a spokesman for the governor told the Reuters news
service Monday. The recording is now causing problems for
Schwarzenegger because during the conversation, he spoke of African
Americans and Latinos, including a Hispanic state lawmaker, as
having "hot" blood, or being passionate.
Democrats have lashed out at Schwarzenegger, a Republican
seeking re-election in November, over the comments. State Treasurer
Phil Angelides, the Democratic candidate for governor, called the
comments offensive and embarrassing, Reuters reported.
Schwarzenegger has apologized for the comments.
Computer hacking, not a leak within Schwarzenegger's office, is
suspected. "We can confirm that we are looking into the security of
the governor's office computer system," Fran Clader, a spokeswoman
with the California Highway Patrol, told Reuters. The recording was
stored on digital files in state computers with only a few people
authorized to access them.
Symantec upgrades its Norton product line
Rootkit detection and removal capabilities have been added to the
2007 edition of Symantec Corp.'s Norton AntiVirus product, along
with a so-called "zero-hour protection" feature that will be
updated every time a new flaw is uncovered on a Windows machine.
The Cupertino, Calif.-based antivirus giant announced the upgrades
Monday along with upgrades to Norton Internet Security and a new
offering called Norton Confidential, designed to protect online
business transactions.
Rootkit scanning will also be a new feature in Norton Internet
Security 2007. The firewall function in Internet Security has also
been tweaked to address configuration problems customers have
grappled with, Symantec officials said. Internet Security 2007 will
also include a new security history feature IT administrators can
use to view the actions the software took and undo them if
necessary.
Meanwhile, Symantec said it developed Norton Confidential to
address the risks of online commerce. The software is designed to
keep users away from known or suspected phishing sites. The product
blocks access to those sites, and can also scan Web sites and block
any malware that tries to compromise the desktop.
Norton Confidential does not contain the full
antivirus/antispyware protection of Norton AntiVirus. The product
is meant to compliment Norton AntiVirus, Symantec officials
said.
A summer surge in phishing activity
The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) said Monday that the number
of phishing sites in cyberspace exploded this summer, as phishers
found new ways to go on the attack. The number of fraudulent Web
sites trying to dupe people out of their sensitive personal
information rose to 14,191 in July, an 18% increase over May, the
previous all-time high, according to the APWG.
The phishing sites also mimicked a record 154 brands, up 20%
over June and 12% over the previous high in May, APWG said. The
organization said digital miscreants are trying to diversify and go
after smaller financial institutions, Internet service providers
and government agencies. Despite the shift, the financial services
industry is still the top target, with more than nine out of 10
phishing sites aimed these companies.
Overall, the United States hosts nearly 30% of all phishing
sites, followed by South Korea at 13% and China at 12%, APWG
said.
The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) describes itself as a
global pan-industrial and law enforcement association focused on
eliminating the fraud and identity theft caused by phishing,
pharming and email spoofing.