Security Industry News

Hackers say they can ?jailbreak? iPhone 4.1 software

Dean Takahashi( Venture Beat - 9/9/2010 12:00:00 AM )
Less than a day after Apple released its iOS 4.1 operating system, hackers say they have jailbroken the software for the iPhone 4. In doing so, hackers have shown time and again that they can beat the security systems that Apple puts in place to keep control of its hardware devices.

SMB Cloud Is A Hacker's Paradise

Tim Negris( .NET Developer's Journal - 9/9/2010 12:00:00 AM )
Abetted by user ignorance, provider apathy, and the high cost of security solutions, hackers are turning to cloud computing and social media as an easier, cheaper alternative to botnets; and they are finding small business tenants and users to be accessible, inexpensive targets for crime and violence.

RBS WorldPay hacker gets four years' probation

Robert McMillan( CIO - 9/9/2010 12:00:00 AM )
The mastermind behind one of the biggest hacking paydays in history has been sentenced to four years' probation and an $8.9million(£5.8million) fine, according to reports. Victor Pleshchuk, 28, was sentenced to four years' probation on Wednesday, according to Bloomberg News. He is considered the leader of a group of criminals who organised a 2008 precision strike on RBS WorldPay, the payment processing division of the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Symantec: Hacking victims blame themselves

Robert McMillan( IDG News Service - 9/8/2010 12:00:00 AM )
Just under two-thirds of all Internet users have been hit by some sort of cybercrime, and while most of them are angry about it, a surprisingly large percentage feel guilt too, according to a survey commissioned by Symantec.

Spammers exploit second Facebook bug in a week

Gregg Keizer( IT World - 9/8/2010 12:00:00 AM )
Last week, Facebook quashed a different bug in its photo upload service that let a spammer post thousands of unwanted wall messages . The newest worm was noticed Monday by researchers at a pair of antivirus vendors, Finland-based F-Secure and U.K.-based Sophos. "A clever spammer has discovered a Facebook vulnerability that allows for auto-replicating links," said Sean Sullivan, an F-secure security researcher. "Until now, typical Facebook spam has required the use of some social engineering to spread."

New Gmail Account Phishing Campaign in Circulation

Lucian Constantin( Softpedia - 9/8/2010 12:00:00 AM )
Security researchers from Sunbelt warn of a new wave of spam emails, which masquerades as official communications from Google in an attempt to steal login credentials from Gmail users. The fake emails are well formulated and display visual elements associated with Web search giant, such as the Google accounts logo or the copyright notice.

Hackers Create 57,000 Fake Web Addresses To Trick Or Infect Users ? Every Week!

Luis Corrons( Business Computing World - 9/7/2010 12:00:00 AM )
Every week, hackers are creating 57,000 new Web addresses which they position and index on leading search engines in the hope that unwary users will click them by mistake. Those who do, will see their computers infected or any data they enter on these pages fall into the hands of criminals. To do this, they use an average of 375 company brands and names of private institutions from all over the world, all of them instantly recognisable. eBay, Western Union and Visa top the rankings of the most frequently used keywords; followed by Amazon, Bank of America, Paypal and the US revenue service.

NIST Finalizes Smart Grid Cyber Security Guidelines

Staff Writer( Sustainable Business - 9/7/2010 12:00:00 AM )
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issued its first Guidelines for Smart Grid Cyber Security. The guidelines include high-level security requirements, a framework for assessing risks, an evaluation of privacy issues at personal residences, and additional information for businesses and organizations to use as they craft strategies to protect the modernizing power grid from attacks, malicious code, cascading errors, and other threats.

UK police urge NY Times to show hacking evidence

Staff Writer( Yahoo - 9/7/2010 12:00:00 AM )
British police urged the New York Times on Tuesday to hand over any evidence it has about tabloid phone hacking allegations that threaten the position of a close aide to the prime minister. Andy Coulson, Prime Minister David Cameron's director of communications, has denied that he encouraged reporters to illegally hack voicemail messages in his previous role as editor of the News of the World tabloid.

Facebook adds hacker tracker tool

Staff Writer( Tech Central - 9/6/2010 12:00:00 AM )
The primary use for the new tool, currently being rolled out and available via the Account Security section of Account Settings, will be as a remote log-out facility for people that have forgotten to sign off when they have been using a public or friend's computer. However, Facebook said the tool would also be useful in monitoring accounts if they had been hacked and give users the option to kick the hackers out of their accounts and change the password.

Facebook glitch allows spammer to post thousands of messages to walls

Robert McMillan( Tech World - 9/6/2010 12:00:00 AM )
A clever spammer found a glitch in Facebook's photo upload system and used it to post thousands of unwanted Wall messages this week. Facebook confirmed the bug Friday, after notifying affected users of the issue.

Wireless car hacking a direct result of poor security at vehicle software design stage says Fortify Software

Staff Writer( Global Security Mag - 9/6/2010 12:00:00 AM )
Research from the University of California San Diego and the University of Washington - and which concludes that modern cars are susceptible to wireless hacking - is the result of a security issues being ignored at the car electronics software design stage, say Fortify Software. And, says the software security assurance specialist, with the latest cars now coming with as many as 50 or more interconnected computer systems - controlling everything from the brakes to the door locks and ignition system - now that the vehicles are becoming wirelessly-enabled, they are a lot easier to electronically hack into.

Indonesia Turns Up Heat over Encrypted BlackBerry Phones

Ismira Lutfia( Jakarta Globe - 9/5/2010 12:00:00 AM )
Indonesia appears to have stepped up the pressure on BlackBerry maker Research in Motion, as a minister says a team from the country’s anticorruption agency paid a visit to the company’s headquarters in Waterloo, Canada. Law enforcement officials, he said, could be interested in the heavily encrypted BlackBerry communications system. "People say that if [communications on] BlackBerry Messengers were deciphered, it would create a huge buzz because so much secret information is exchanged there," Tifatul said late on Thursday.

US may stop cyber attacks at source

Ellen Nakashima( Washington Post - 9/5/2010 12:00:00 AM )
The Pentagon is contemplating an aggressive approach to defending its computer systems that includes preemptive actions such as knocking out parts of an adversary’s computer network overseas - but it is still wrestling with how to pursue the strategy legally. The department is developing a range of weapons capabilities, including tools that would allow "attack and exploitation of adversary information systems’’ and that can "deceive, deny, disrupt, degrade, and destroy" information and information systems, according to Defense Department budget documents.

Hackers Give Sony Two Finger Salute After PS3 Ban Granted

David Richards( Channel News - 9/5/2010 12:00:00 AM )
Despite being granted a permanent ban on the sale of a PSJailbreak "dongle" Sony Computer Entertainment have been given a two finger salute by hackers who have now released the software for free on the Internet as PS Groove. The ban which was granted on Friday in the Federal Court allowed Sony to block the distribution of a hack for its PlayStation 3 (PS3) console. It also prevents local distributors, OzModChips, ModSupplier and Quantronics from importing or distributing the device in Australia.

Hackers Miss Their Target -- By About 2,000 Miles

Tim Wilson( Dark Reading - 9/4/2010 12:00:00 AM )
Missed it by that much. A group of Algerian "cyber-pirates" found itself a bit embarrassed earlier this week when, in an attempt to deface the website of a well-known Israeli stronghold -- Belvoir Fortress -- it ended up defacing an English tourist attraction --Belvoir Castle.

Firewalls Top Purchase Priority In 2010, Survey Says

Kelly Jackson Higgins( Dark Reading - 9/4/2010 12:00:00 AM )
IT professionals rank mobile computing the number one security threat today, followed by social networks, and cloud computing. But they expect cloud computing to bump social networking for the number two spot within the next two years, a new survey found. The survey of IT pros and C-level executives from 450 Fortune 1000 companies -- commissioned by FishNet Security -- also found that 45 percent say firewalls are their priority security purchase, followed by antivirus (39 percent), and authentication (31 percent) and anti-malware tools (31 percent).

Phishing Campaign Lures McDonald's Fans

Staff Writer( EFY Times - 9/4/2010 12:00:00 AM )
IT security and control firm Sophos is warning computer users to be cautious following the discovery of a widespread spam campaign that is promising cash in return for completing a McDonald's customer satisfaction survey. The emails, claiming to be sent by 'McDonald's Survey Department' and with the subject line 'McDonald's Customer Survey' direct recipients to the survey that poses questions on McDonald's food.