http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/infosec.xml Keeping Seattle Citizens Informed Mon, 23 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 en daily 1 http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#rising-attacks Mon, 23 November 2009 +0000 >A new report prepared for Congress found that the number of cyberattacks against the U.S. government is rising sharply in 2009, and many of the attacks are coming from Chinese state and state-sponsored entities.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#ie-flaw Mon, 23 November 2009 +0000 >Researchers at Symantec say exploit code for a zero-day security vulnerability has been uncovered in Internet Explorer 6 and 7.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#iphone-flaw Mon, 23 November 2009 +0000 >The new worm is similar to the original Ikee worm (and the recently discovered iPhone hacking tool) in so much as it only infects jailbroken iPhones, where users have installed OpenSSH and not changed the default password (alpine).

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#social-flaw Mon, 23 November 2009 +0000 >A major malware botnet has sprung to life and is making a huge spam run through social networking sites.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#facebook-flaw Mon, 23 November 2009 +0000 >Security solutions firm F-Secure Malaysia says greater vigilance is needed as the use of social networking is gathering pace compared to e-mail.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#worm-flaw Mon, 23 November 2009 +0000 >The second worm to infect jailbroken iPhone users reportedly targets customers of Dutch online bank ING Direct

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#overweight-flaw Mon, 23 November 2009 +0000 >Brits that work in IT have topped a poll of the most unhealthiest employees, says Fat Free Fitness.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#broken-firefox Fri, 20 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >One of the reasons behind Firefox's popularity is the availability of a vast library of extensions. Users use them to modify the browser to their liking and make their browsing experience easier and more pleasant. The problem is, unbeknown to them, these extensions are exposing them to risk.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#dumb-code Fri, 20 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >ON THE day a new computer virus hits the internet there is little that antivirus software can do to stop it until security firms get round to writing and distributing a patch that recognises and kills the virus.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#ie8-bug Fri, 20 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >The latest version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser contains a bug that can enable serious security attacks against websites that are otherwise safe.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#ssl-attack Fri, 20 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >A Seattle computer security consultant says he's developed a new way to exploit a recently disclosed bug in the SSL protocol, used to secure communications on the Internet.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#cisco-app Fri, 20 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Cisco has made available a free iPhone app that can be used to receive more than a dozen security-related information feeds in customizable form related both to Cisco products and to general security topics, such as newly detected threats.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#facebook-happiness Fri, 20 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >As social media evolves -- and the freedom of the Internet diminishes our self-censorship -- many have run into situations where Facebook has land them in trouble.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#mozilla-patch Thu, 19 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Mozilla has made a significant tweak to this Firefox 3.6 code base to block rogue add-ons from loading in the browsers application components directory.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#viruses-malware Thu, 19 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Maker of online gaming protection software reveals why virus attacks on video games is a problem that has increased over 600 percent in the past year.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#patient-records Thu, 19 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >A health insurer lost 1.5 million patient records last May but waited six months to disclose the incident.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#fake-payment-request Thu, 19 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >A currently underway attack is attempting to trick victims with an e-mail that purports to request a verification for payment to a major company, but instead carries a Trojan.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#three-botnet Thu, 19 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Banging the drum for security awareness never gets old. As much as CSOs try to get folks to bone up on safe practices (both online and in the office), there are always going to be some who need reminding.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#hacked-firms Wed, 18 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Hackers are increasingly targeting law firms and public relations companies with a sophisticated e-mail scheme that breaks into their computer networks to steal sensitive data, often linked to large corporate clients doing business overseas.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#facebook-login Wed, 18 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >A fake Facebook page which is designed to steal social networkers login details has been uncovered by PandaLabs.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#t-mobile-data Wed, 18 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Information commissioner says "paltry fines" are not enough, only jail sentences will do

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#preventable-attacks Wed, 18 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >If network administrators simply instituted proper configuration policies and conducted good network monitoring, about 80 percent of commonly known cyber attacks could be prevented, a Senate committee heard Tuesday.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#mac-attacks Wed, 18 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Mac enthusiasts are just as likely to fall victim to a phishing attack as Windows users, according to a survey commissioned by security firm ESET.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#six-threats Wed, 18 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Its not a very good day when a security report concludes: Disruptive cyber activities expected to become the norm in future political and military conflicts. But such was the case today as the Government Accountability Office today took yet another critical look at the US federal security systems and found most of them lacking.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#security-products Tue, 17 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >In certification tests, many products fail in functionality or logging, ICSA/Verizon reports

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#google-safesearch Tue, 17 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Four colored balls now tell parents their children are protected against adult content while searching on Google.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#twitter-hacked Tue, 17 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >A flaw in the protocol used to secure communications over the Internet could have been used to hack Twitter accounts, according to an IBM security researcher.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#yahoo-careers Tue, 17 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Security researchers have helped to close up a blind SQL injection vulnerability on Yahoo's careers website.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#phishing-tips Tue, 17 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >If you received e-mail from your bank, PayPal, or Facebook urging you to immediately verify information or risk having your account suspended, it was undoubtedly phishing.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#working-at-home Tue, 17 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Bah Humbug!! 'Tis the season for stealing your parents' neighbor's Wi-Fi signal, struggling to set up a VPN connection while your flight gets delayed again, locking yourself in a closet to join a conference call, and trying to not catch the H1N1-type virus your sister's kid just sneezed all over your BlackBerry.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#fake-checker Mon, 16 November 2009 +0000 >Cyber-criminals have started preying on Verizon Wireless customers, sending out spam e-mail messages that say their accounts are over the limit and offering them a "balance checker" program to review their payments.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#more-adobe-flaw Mon, 16 November 2009 +0000 >A researcher has discovered a new hacker point of entry in Adobe Flash, but the software company's product security director dismissed the research as "not news."

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#iphone-password Mon, 16 November 2009 +0000 >Hackers can steal data off jailbroken iPhones by leveraging the same vulnerability that currently is being used to spread a mischievous worm.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#dns-ddos Mon, 16 November 2009 +0000 >Internet security experts say that misconfigured DSL and cable modems are worsening a well-known problem with the Internet's DNS (domain name system), making it easier for hackers to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against their victims.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#kaspersky-antivirus Mon, 16 November 2009 +0000 >It is wrong to think that a Mac operating system is safe from malware.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#job-scams Mon, 16 November 2009 +0000 >As U.S. unemployment has increased, so too has the number of job search scams identity theft rings are perpetrating against desperate job seekers.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#swine-scam Mon, 16 November 2009 +0000 >As the number of reported swine flu cases climbs, it's time a strong message was sent out against buying Tamiflu over the internet.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#microsoft-report Thu, 12 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >A researcher this week published proof-of-concept code that allows an attacker to exploit a vulnerability in Windows 7 and Server 2008 Release 2 to crash systems.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#flash-fix Thu, 12 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Researchers show how Adobe Flash can be exploited in browsers when victim visits sites that accept user-generated content

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#cutwail-spambot Thu, 12 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Several days ago we started receiving Spam Abuse reports on the IP address to our Corporate firewall

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#nacha-spam Thu, 12 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Nastygram: Beware the NACHA gotcha/Spam Campaign Targets Payment Transfer System

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#new-twitter-spam Thu, 12 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Twitter spam worm stealing user logons/Twitter DM Spam Collects Mobile Numbers/Microsoft Cracks Down On Piracy With Twitter Feed

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#hotmail-cookie Thu, 12 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Microsoft has said its new policy of requiring users to accept third party cookies to log out of Hotmail improves security.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#rouge-mcafee Thu, 12 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Rogue Security Product Copies McAfees Look and Feel

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#rouge-facebook Thu, 12 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >New Koobface Component Imitates Facebook User

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#iphone-spam Thu, 12 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >New hacking tool steals personal data off 'jailbroken' iPhones via a wireless network

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#app-vulnerabilities Thu, 12 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Flaws 'could potentially lead to the exposure of sensitive or confidential user information during transactions,' according to new report from Cenzic

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#safari-update Thu, 12 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >This document describes the security content of Safari 4.0.4.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#child-virus Tue, 10 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >PC owners caught with child porn loaded on their computers

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#google-botnet Tue, 10 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Botnet masters turn to Google, social networks to avoid detection

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#big-bird-spyware Tue, 10 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >The idea of malware distributors abusing Google Trends is not new. The bad guys have once again demonstrated that they, too, can take advantage of Google Trends. This time their target is Big Birds birthday.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#firefox-flaws Tue, 10 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Apple's Safari takes second, with 35%, IE in third with 15%, says vulnerability tally

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#apple-patch Tue, 10 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Retires Tiger from security support with second Snow Leopard patch batch

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#password-tips Tue, 10 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >If you spend much time online, you probably have the same problem I do: How to remember your ever-growing list of online usernames and passwords-and stay secure at the same time.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#virus-birthday Tue, 10 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >1983: Fred Cohen, a University of Southern California graduate student, gives a prescient peek at the digital future when he demonstrates a computer virus during a security seminar at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. A quarter-century later, computer viruses have become a pandemic for which theres no inoculation.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#new-botnet Mon, 9 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Festi quickly jumps from sending about 1 percent of all spam to 5 to 6 percent, MessageLabs researchers say

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#worm-threat Mon, 9 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >The No. 1 offender to Canadian's PCs in the first half of 2009 was Win32/ZangoSearchAssistant, adware that victims probably don't even know hit them, according to a recent security report from Microsoft Corp.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#crash-bug Mon, 9 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Just a week after it last updated Firefox, Mozilla has rushed out a new version of its browser to fix a crash bug that programmers inadvertently introduced.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#backups-botch Mon, 9 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >If you watch over a lot of data, take care to avoid these mistakes

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#free-macbook Mon, 9 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >A malicious attachment in today's malware spam is in the wild.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#hotmail-block Mon, 9 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >If you are seeing the message below when signing out of Windows Live ID or Hotmail pages by Microsoft:

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#firefox-birthday Mon, 9 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Firefox Turns 5

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#cyber-awareness Fri, 6 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >October was National Cyber Security Awareness Month and we provided you with several good resources

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#gumbars-back Fri, 6 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >ScanSafe researchers are seeing renewed activity regarding Gumblar, a multifunctional piece of malware that spreads by attacking PCs visiting hacked Web pages.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#another-microsoft-patch Fri, 6 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Microsoft on Thursday said it plans to release six bulletins next week, including three critical bulletins, addressing flaws in Windows and Microsoft Office products.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#pc-to-mac Fri, 6 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Expert advice on migrating from XP or Vista to Mac OS X

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#mac-antivirus Fri, 6 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >If you want make a Mac user mad, just sidle up and whisper the words, Mac security software. Then step back as the incensed sputtering ensues.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#microsoft-patch Fri, 6 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Microsoft on Thursday revealed that it plans to distribute six patches, covering 15 vulnerabilities, as part of its November security update, scheduled for Tuesday.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#worldpress-botnet Thu, 5 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Webmasters who find an annoying error message on their sites may have caught a big break, thanks to a slip-up by the authors of the Gumblar botnet.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#id-theft Thu, 5 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >When their data is leaked by a business, individuals are four times more likely to suffer identity theft, Javelin study says

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#id-theft Thu, 5 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >A critical new flaw in SSL, or the Secure Sockets Layer used to protect Web traffic for online banking, shopping, and any other https connection, allows an attacker to break into any theoretically secured connection and add malicious commands.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#bank-fraud Thu, 5 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Criminals have tried to steal an estimated $100 million from corporate bank accounts using targeted malware and money mules, the FBI said on Tuesday.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#veternans-day-spam Thu, 5 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Just like any business owners, spammers have been using holidays to increase their revenue.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#facebook-box Thu, 5 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Warnings have been made about a new Facebook attack that promises to display hidden messages.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#office-patch Thu, 5 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Users running Microsoft Office can stump nearly three-fourths of all known attacks targeting the suite by applying just one three-year-old patch, according to recently published data.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#trojan-game Thu, 5 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Game or Trojan? You're Not the Judge

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#another-money-mule-scam Wed, 4 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Cyberthieves are hacking into small- and medium-sized organizations every week and stealing millions of dollars in an ongoing scam that has moved about US$100 million out of U.S. bank accounts, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation warned Tuesday.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#windows-viruses Wed, 4 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Now that we in the northern hemisphere have had some time to digest the Windows 7 hype and settle in for the coming winter, we thought we would get some more hard data regarding Windows 7 security

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#adobe-fixed Wed, 4 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Adobe Systems has issued an update for five vulnerabilities in its Shockwave Player, which is installed on some 450 million PCs.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#java-fixes Wed, 4 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Sun Microsystems and Research In Motion have issued critical bug fixes for security issues with their products.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#red-hat Wed, 4 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Red Hat Tuesday made good on its promise to deliver a stand-alone hypervisor and a set of management tools as its gears up to go toe-to-toe with VMware and Microsoft to become a top-tier provider of virtualization and cloud computing infrastructure.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#evoting-system Wed, 4 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >A new electronic voting system being used today for the first time in a government election in the U.S. will allow voters and elections auditors in Takoma Park, Md. to go online and verify whether votes have been correctly recorded.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#more-money-mule-scam Tue, 3 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >The hackers looting bank accounts of small and mid-sized businesses around the county are hitting new victims every week, and have now racked up approximately $100 million in attempted losses, the FBI said Tuesday.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#facebook-zombie Tue, 3 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Crimeware distributors have begun using Facebook as a command and control channel for a Trojan that turns compromised Windows PCs into zombie drones.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#banking-software Tue, 3 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >A U.K. security company is giving to banks, for free, security software that it says can block malicious software from manipulating online banking transactions or stealing data, even if the computer is infected.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#facebook-ads Tue, 3 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >I've written a bit lately about how cyberthieves using social media to scam people. It turns out the most egregious scammers are many "legitimate" companies that run deceptive ads on these networks.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#web-based-attacks Mon, 2 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Web-based attacks are continuing to become a popular method for attackers to spread malware, create zombie computers and harvest account credentials, according to two new security reports. The spam that lures victims to malicious websites is also increasing, helping fuel the trend.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#worms-up Mon, 2 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Microsoft today released its biannual Security Intelligence Report which demonstrates some surprising conclusions about the threat landscape impacting enterprise networks.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#boss-malware Mon, 2 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Trend Micro threat analysts found spammed messages that pretend to be a letter coming from the boss.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#christmas-spam Mon, 2 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >With Christmas just right around the corner, spammers are already flooding users' inboxes with unwanted emails.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#hack-advice Mon, 2 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Microsoft has wagged its finger at users to dissuade them from hacking upgrade versions of Windows 7 to get a full copy of the new operating system on their PC.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#free-downloads Mon, 2 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >A gallery of free and cheap tools to help you migrate to and settle in with Microsoft's newest operating system.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#ebay-phishing Mon, 2 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >The eBay email fraud campaign, which took place in May this year, and aimed to get users of the online auction site to disclose their bank details has been named this year's scariest email blunder by Proofpoint.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#security-awareness Mon, 2 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Skip the 'Wall of Shame' and instead try promotional events, penetration testing your users

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#firefox-features Mon, 2 November 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >After promises of an early release, a "test build" teaser, and then an unexpected delay, Firefox 3.6 beta is finally available for download. You can grab a copy for the PC, Mac and Linux on the Mozilla Web site.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#halloween-antivirus Fri, 30 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Hackers are exploiting web users searching for Halloween-related content on the web, says Panda Security.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#usb-security Fri, 30 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >USB sticks have been found to contain a significant security flaw which could be exploited to break into millions of computers around the world, according to researchers at MWR InfoSecurity.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#microsoft-cleanup Fri, 30 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >After releasing its largest-ever group of security patches two weeks ago, Microsoft has done a little cleaning up

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#leopard-cleanup Fri, 30 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >This is the checker used by applications such as TextEdit and Stickies. Namely, the Ignore button in the Spelling and Grammar dialog is itself ignored.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#h1n1-internet Fri, 30 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Could the H1N1 flu virus give networks a bad case of congestion? It could if workers and students are forced to stay home because of the pandemic.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#facebook-zeus Thu, 29 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Another email attack leveraging Facebook is pummeling inboxes this week, according to researchers.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#money-mules Thu, 29 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Bank customers are increasingly being duped into acting as money mules for hackers, unwittingly laundering cash stolen from business bank accounts, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation warned the nations financial institutions on Thursday.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#malicious-urls Thu, 29 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Extensive analysis of links posted on the popular Twitter microblogging service has found that Twitter users are contributing to the spread of malicious URLs posted on the site.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#twitter-attack Thu, 29 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Twitter warned users Tuesday of a new phishing scam on the social networking site

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#windows-security Thu, 29 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Microsoft says Windows 7 is the most secure version of the Windows operating system ever developed. Big deal, right? I am pretty sure that Microsoft has made that claim for every new version of Microsoft Windows in the past 15 years, and that it is a valid claim.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#mac-esc Thu, 29 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >The Esc key has long been the "get me outta here" panacea for many things: canceling a dialog box, getting rid of a button-less splash screen, closing a menu that you clicked open.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#internet-birthday Thu, 29 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >On October 29, 1969, the Internet came in not with a bang, but with a lo.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#bank-spam Wed, 28 October 2009 +0000 >Spam lures victims to a phony FDIC site to check if they are insured, tries to capture banking passwords

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#web-infection Wed, 28 October 2009 +0000 >An estimated 5.8 million pages belonging to 640,000 websites were infected with code designed to launch malware attacks on visitors, according to a report released Tuesday.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#firefox-bug-patch Wed, 28 October 2009 +0000 >Security update also patches 9 bugs in older Firefox 3.0

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#norton-beta Wed, 28 October 2009 +0000 >Symantec has made a new beta version of its Norton 360 all-in-one security software publicly available.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#reboot-answers Wed, 28 October 2009 +0000 >Microsoft support offers ideas, but some PCs still crippled after upgrade attempt

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#facebook-password Tue, 27 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Threat Type: Malicious Web Site / Malicious Code

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#blogger-routers Tue, 27 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >A blogger who stumbled across a vulnerability in more than 65,000 Time Warner Cable customer routers says the routers are still vulnerable to remote attack, despite claims by the company last week that it patched the routers.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#microsoft-blame Tue, 27 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Microsoft yesterday blamed user confusion for the problems many have encountered trying to move from Vista to Windows 7 after buying a discounted upgrade offered to college students.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#paralyzes-upgrade Mon, 26 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Some users trying to upgrade from Windows Vista to Windows 7 have seen their PCs crippled by an endless series of reboots, according to reports on Microsoft's support forum.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#guardian-hack Mon, 26 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Sensitive personal data belonging to 500,000 job hunters have been exposed after hackers attacked The Guardian's Jobs website.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#flash-cookies Mon, 26 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Even if you delete normal tracking cookies regularly to evade tracking by snooping sites and eager advertisers, little-known Flash cookies may be making an end run around your attempts to preserve your privacy.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#bug-fixes Mon, 26 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Essential OS fixes are big this month. And fans of free software need to update their Firefox and OpenOffice copies

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#awareness-more Fri, 23 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Still another great National Cyber Security Awareness Month information security resource from Google Online Security Blog - a great website with education, stories and lots of links to more information.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#spear-phishing-attack Fri, 23 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Experiment successfully slips fake LinkedIn invite from Bill Gates into inboxes

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#seven-security Fri, 23 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Experts express consternation over early vulnerabilities, UAC configuration issues

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#leopard-tool Fri, 23 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Apple released a server diagnostic download on Thursday that the company says will test servers running Mac OS X Server 10.6 for hardware issues.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#mozilla-raindrop Fri, 23 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >Mozilla has launched a software project designed to let people better manage the ever more voluminous stream of messages coming from sources such as Twitter and Facebook into their e-mail.

]]> http://www.seattle.gov/informationsecurity/newslttr.htm#halloween-spam Fri, 23 October 2009 16:30:00 +0000 >With Halloween nearing, users should be on alert for spam and other attacks exploiting the holiday, and experts expect social network websites to serve as a major vector this year.

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