News

IT strategy

• December 14, 2005 14 Dec'05

  Roundup: 2005's 'curious malicious code'

  These viruses, worms and Trojans sometimes escaped our notice. But it didn't get past one antivirus vendor, who rounded up some of the year's stranger offerings from the underground.

• December 12, 2005 12 Dec'05

  Two Windows patches coming, IE fix uncertain

  It remains to be seen whether the software giant on Dec. 13 will address an outstanding Internet Explorer issue that is currently the target of a malicious Trojan.

• December 12, 2005 12 Dec'05

  Titan Rain shows need for better training

  SANS says the Chinese-based attacks demonstrate the growing sophistication of hackers, and the need for IT admins who can articulate the dangers to execs.

• December 07, 2005 07 Dec'05

  Security pros gain ground in the board room

  Executives are paying more attention to their IT security managers and taking more responsibility for online threats against their companies, according to a new study.

• December 06, 2005 06 Dec'05

  Cybersecurity policy takes cooperation, trust, experts say

  At the Infosecurity confab, experts explain why sharing information -- even when it's embarrassing -- is vital to securing not only corporations, but also the national infrastructure.

• November 30, 2005 30 Nov'05

  Out-of-cycle IE patch may be imminent

  Microsoft may release a critical Internet Explorer fix before the next Patch Tuesday, amid reports that malicious code is targeting a memory corruption flaw.

• November 29, 2005 29 Nov'05

  By the numbers: The new SOX breakdown

  SOX spending for 2006 is expected to be on par with last year but it's not quite dÉjÀ vu all over again. More dough will go to technology.

• November 28, 2005 28 Nov'05

  Who owns and administers the internet's addresses?

  Given that IPv4 addresses are a finite resource, we can expect concerns over their distribution to increase in the coming years.

• November 28, 2005 28 Nov'05

  Step 6: Configuring wireless clients

  With wireless networks proliferating it is a good idea to understand what it takes to build a VPN for a wireless gateway. Contributor and Microsoft MVP Brien Posey details the necessary steps in this step-by-step guide.

• November 21, 2005 21 Nov'05

  Wireless security: Public Wi-Fi could open security holes

  A Michigan county is working to give everyone within its borders wireless Internet access. But when it comes to security, users are on their own.

• November 20, 2005 20 Nov'05

  Wireless security crucial to railway safety

  A transportation firm uses wireless technology to keep the trains running on time. But securing mobile devices isn't easy when they're spread across the globe.

• November 16, 2005 16 Nov'05

  Wireless security: Companies deal with software updates

  A health care provider found it could use wireless technology to dramatically boost patient care. But first it had to figure out how to deploy security updates over a wireless network.

• November 14, 2005 14 Nov'05

  Sony rootkit uninstaller causes bigger threat

  Princeton researchers say a security hole that appears when users try to remove Sony's copy protection software presents an even greater risk than the original rootkit.

• November 14, 2005 14 Nov'05

  Hackers installing keyloggers at a record rate

  iDefense researchers have found that keylogger infections are up 65% over the year before, putting the private data of tens of millions of users at risk.

• November 14, 2005 14 Nov'05

  Demand for development skills soars as firms seek business edge

  Computer Weekly salary survey shows IT departments eager to secure skills for the future.

• November 10, 2005 10 Nov'05

  Security Bytes: FTC cracks down on alleged spyware distributors

  Patches fix serious RealPlayer flaws, IM malcode launches phishing attacks; Microsoft warns of Macromedia Flash flaw; Liberty Alliance pushes stronger authentication; FEMA data security is in question; patches fix Veritas flaws and TransUnion ...

• November 09, 2005 09 Nov'05

  Trojans target Sony DRM and Windows

  Security researchers track two new Trojan horses. One exploits the Sony DRM program. The other could possibly take aim at the Windows flaw Microsoft patched this week.

• November 08, 2005 08 Nov'05

  Sony takes second stab at DRM patch

  But a top executive's response to criticism over the company's use of rootkit technology has added fuel to the backlash.

• October 24, 2005 24 Oct'05

  Reporter's Notebook: NYC 'controls the software industry'

  At Information Security Decisions: a security "rock star" rages against the Microsoft machine; banging the drum for enterprise security; a sour note on zero-day exploits.

• October 19, 2005 19 Oct'05

  Elements of a data protection strategy

  In this excerpt from Data Protection and Lifecycle Management, Tom Petrocelli addresses the importance of securing data for regulatory compliance and outlines the five components of a data protection strategy.

• October 17, 2005 17 Oct'05

  How avian flu could threaten IT security

  Experts say a potential bird flu pandemic could have a disastrous effect on IT infrastructures. But if companies plan well, those infrastructures could also help minimize chaos.

• October 12, 2005 12 Oct'05

  Quiz: What's your infosec IQ?

  We've collected our toughest questions to see how well you stand up to a challenge. Put your knowledge to the test and let us know how you do.

• September 27, 2005 27 Sep'05

  Secure your extended enterprise

  How do you achieve the fine balance between ensuring that there is truly free access to sensitive information, without sacrificing security?

• September 26, 2005 26 Sep'05

  IT spending at midsized companies: How much does size matter?

• September 26, 2005 26 Sep'05

  Secure the interests of your extended enterprise

  How do you achieve the fine balance between ensuring that there is truly free access to sensitive information and applications from both inside and outside the firewall, without sacrificing security?

• September 22, 2005 22 Sep'05

  Telework key to surviving security disaster, expert says

  Cybersecurity Industry Alliance Executive Director Paul Kurtz explains why telework may be crucial to surviving The Big One.

• September 22, 2005 22 Sep'05

  Who best to avert data security disaster: government or business?

  People look to government to prevent catastrophe. But in the Information Age, some of those people, namely those working in IT shops, need to do their part to protect us.

• September 21, 2005 21 Sep'05

  Leave no trace: Understanding attackers' motives

  This excerpt from Chapter 1 of "Rootkits: Subverting the Windows Kernel," explains the purpose of back doors and how hackers use them, as well as how stealth plays a major role in most successful attacks.

• September 21, 2005 21 Sep'05

  Catastrophic cyberattack unlikely, experts say

  Predictions of a cataclysmic disaster have been around for awhile. But one security officer cites reasons why the Internet can never be brought down.

• September 20, 2005 20 Sep'05

  Security tools help reduce insider threat.

• September 20, 2005 20 Sep'05

  SAS drives product roundup

  Serial-attached SCSI (or SAS) drives offer significant storage capacity at a much lower cost, while maintaining reasonable performance. Find out who the vendors are in this market.

• September 20, 2005 20 Sep'05

  Insider threat seen as biggest data security issue

  Whether they oversee physical or online defenses, security officers say the disaster scenario that scares them most begins with an insider with malicious intentions.

• September 18, 2005 18 Sep'05

  Ensure that legal responsibilities are clear -- Especially when trouble strikes

  Excerpt from Chapter 15 of Information Nation Warrior: Information Management Compliance Boot Camp.

• September 11, 2005 11 Sep'05

  VoIP turns up the heat on firewalls

  New research shows that many organizations are increasingly concerned about VoIP security and plan to augment their firewalls within the next year, changing the landscape of the firewall market.

• September 06, 2005 06 Sep'05

  Firewalls can help or hurt, so plan carefully

• September 05, 2005 05 Sep'05

  Which data backup software is best? - Page 2

• September 05, 2005 05 Sep'05

  Which data backup software is best? - Page 3

• September 05, 2005 05 Sep'05

  IE 7.0 may usher in wave of RSS exploits

  Experts warn that Web-feed enhancements in Microsoft's new Web browser may be just the thing crackers need to compromise networks and private data.

• September 05, 2005 05 Sep'05

  Which data backup software is best? - Page 4

• September 05, 2005 05 Sep'05

  Extending perimeters

  The news that, up until 2006, 70% of successful wireless local area network (WLAN) attacks will be because of the misconfiguration of WLAN access points and client software is disquieting on a number of levels.

• August 30, 2005 30 Aug'05

  Myfip's Titan Rain connection

  LURHQ researchers say the Myfip worm is a good example of the malcode Chinese hackers are using in the so-called Titan Rain attacks against U.S. government networks.

• August 30, 2005 30 Aug'05

  Antivirus can introduce dangerous network security holes into any OS

  AV software is one of the most basic security steps available. It's also yet another gateway for security breaches.

• August 30, 2005 30 Aug'05

  Passive fingerprinting: Applications and prevention

  In this excerpt from the book Silence on the Wire, author Michal Zalewski discusses both malicious and beneficial uses for passive fingerprinting, and how to prevent successful passive fingerprinting on your network.

• August 26, 2005 26 Aug'05

  High profile breach brings security to top of agenda

  There’s nothing like an apparent breach at a global company to concentrate the mind when it comes to information and data security.

• August 23, 2005 23 Aug'05

  HP sales boost as restructuring costs

  HP reported a 10% increase in sales for the third quarter, and said it would spend $900m (£530m) on redundancy costs in the final quarter.

• August 16, 2005 16 Aug'05

  Reduce risks of disaster recovery testing

  Untested business continuity plans can leave your firm in the lurch, but taking down live environments is risky and complicated.

• August 02, 2005 02 Aug'05

  Raising risk prospects with a new SQL injection threat

  "Inference attacks" could deliver up your so-called secure database to an attacker.

• July 31, 2005 31 Jul'05

  Attack: USB could be the death of me

  Seemingly innocent Universal Serial Bus driver bugs may allow device attacks that many won't see coming, according to Black Hat presenters.

• July 28, 2005 28 Jul'05

  Sarbox compliance costing companies

  Companies’ required investments to attain compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley data security legislation has come at the expense of dealing with other security threats, according to the Information Security Forum (ISF).

• July 27, 2005 27 Jul'05

  Combining technology and social engineering: Hacking behind bars

  In this excerpt from Chapter 11 of "The Art of Deception: Controlling the Human Element of Security," authors Kevin Mitnick and William L. Simon begin a story that shows how social engineering can be used with technology.