The email, which purports to come from PayPal, claims that the recipient's account has been the subject of fraudulent activity. However, unlike normal phishing emails, there is no internet link or response address. Instead, the email urges the recipient to call a phone number and verify their details.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123492

We are happy to announce our new LinuxSecurity.com Rating System! Now, users have the ability to rate posts in order to provide us with a better idea of what content you would like to see. Start rating posts today and keep a look out for newer features down the road.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123541

High-profile security breaches may indicate that network executives are using trial and error to sort out the best ways to secure the brave new world of mobile computing.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123551

After scanning two million images from eBay without finding any hidden messages, we extended the scope of our analysis. A detailed description of the detection framework can be found in Detecting Steganographic Content on the Internet. This page provides details about the analysis of one million images from the Internet Archive's USENET archive. Processing the one million images with stegdetect results in about 20,000 suspicious images. We launched a dictionary attack on the JSteg and JPHide positive images. The dictionary has a size of 1,800,000 words and phrases. The disconcert cluster used to distribute the dictionary attack has a peak performance of roughly 87 GFLOPS.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123497

hakin9 is bimonthly magazine about hacking and IT security, covering techniques of breaking into computer systems, defence and protection methods. Our magazine is useful for all those interested in hacking - both professionals (system administrators, security specialists) and hobbyists.

hakin9 offers an in-depth look at both attack and defense techniques and concentrates on difficult technical issues. hakin9's target readers are those responsible for IT system security, programmers, security specialists, professional administrators, as well as people taking up security issues in their free time.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123538

Security is always on the minds of system administrators. As Intranets have evolved from glorified online cafeteria menus and corporate memos to robust information portals and mission critical applications, the bar has been raised to protect the castle from critters and other unwanted spooks that go bump in the night.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123577

A new set of guidelines may pave the way for dozens of Internet service providers in the U.K. to participate in a research project into the problem of spam, estimated to make up 60% or more of the world's e-mail traffic.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123534

Data protection requirements have moved on from the purely technical question of "Did the backup work?" to the much more complex question of "Is my business protected?". The view of the backup application of success or failure is no longer relevant unless considered in the context of business policies.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123508

Linux systems are fairly resistant to intrusion attempts. However, for certain applications requiring very high security levels, the features found in standard distributions may prove insufficient. This article examines several of the most popular ways to increase Linux system security at kernel level.

The notions of a secure and insecure operating system are deceptive. The actual security level depends primarily on system configuration and system administrator skills, covering technological and non-technological means of protection, choice of software solution and the administrator’s knowledge and experience.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123537

This article shows how to install and configure mod_security. mod_security is an Apache module (for Apache 1 and 2) that provides intrusion detection and prevention for web applications. It aims at shielding web applications from known and unknown attacks, such as SQL injection attacks, cross-site scripting, path traversal attacks, etc. In the first chapter I will show how to install mod_security on Debian Sarge, Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (Dapper Drake), and on Fedora Core 5, and in the second chapter I will describe how to configure Apache for mod_security which is independent from the distribution you're using.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123540

The OpenDNS system, which will open its servers to the public Monday, wants to be a more user-friendly name resolution service than those provided by ISPs, with technology to keep fraudulent sites out of its listings, correct some typos and help browsers look up web pages faster.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123526

Visa U.S.A. Inc. and MasterCard International Inc. will release new security rules in the next 30 to 60 days for all organizations that handle credit card data, a Visa official said last week. The rules will be the first major update to the one-year-old Payment Card Industry data security standard, which analysts said is slowly but surely being adopted.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123503

Computer researchers in Europe are developing a new prototype architecture for halting distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, where a barrage of traffic is directed at a Web site or server to shut it down.

The Diadem Firewall deploys both hardware and software on the edge of a provider's network rather than within, said Georg Carle, chair of the computing and Internet department at the University of Tübingen in Germany. Diadem uses data filtering and intrusion-prevention technologies to detect rogue activity, then coordinates an automatic reaction based on policies, Carle said. Current firewalls don't incorporate policies into their capabilities, he said.Consortium build

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123572

Professional networking sites are unwittingly providing hackers with the possible means to carry out sophisticated social engineering scams, a UK security consultancy warns.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123583

CA has announced a security survey of 642 large North American organisations which shows that more than 84% experienced a security incident over the past 12 months, and that the number of breaches continues to rise.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123488

Members of Cornell's Global Positioning System (GPS) Laboratory have cracked the so-called pseudo random number (PRN) codes of Europe's first global navigation satellite, despite efforts to keep the codes secret. That means free access for consumers who use navigation devices -- including handheld receivers and systems installed in vehicles -- that need PRNs to listen to satellites. The codes and the methods used to extract them were published in the June issue of GPS World.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123496

To ensure continued developments in the area of information communication technologies (ICT), the European Commission has supported the SecurIST project, a European-wide taskforce charged with establishing the Strategic Research Agenda for ICT Security and Dependability research and development in Europe for 2007 – 2013.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123500

Computer hackers are increasingly tailoring attacks using Trojan horse programs for certain businesses in hopes of filching intellectual property, a new security report released Thursday said.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123501

Secure Computing Corporation warn that familiar phishing attacks have now evolved into phone scams. Secure Computing engineers have been tracking news group sites and open disclosure discussion groups that have been buzzing with talk about a new technique called “vishing.” This new method exploits the low cost of VoIP and combines it with the social engineering aspects of phishing to extract financial information from unsuspecting credit card and banking customers.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123502

On the first day of class in college, mechanical engineering students find out first hand what happens when engineering designs fail by watching the Tacoma Narrows bridge shake itself to death. By contrast, computer science students are asked to write "hello world" in C and told that they can build almost anything they can imagine. It's no wonder that we have a large and growing software security problem! We seem to have forgotten that software can fail.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123507

If you are used to sharing data over the Internet or your enterprise's intranet, apply caution. A network worm that will eventually bring in dangerous Trojans to your computer, is on the prowl.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123525

A little-known capability in Google Inc.'s search engine has helped security vendor Websense Inc. uncover thousands of malicious Web sites, as well as several legitimate sites that have been hacked.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123535

In the not-too-distant future, trips to your bank or office may include a little palm reading. With its first round of funding, Snowflake Technologies is betting that its vein-viewing technology will become the new standard in biometrics. Using the same near-infrared scan technology developed by its parent company, Luminetx, Snowflake plans to bring to market next year a device to verify an individual's identity by reading vein patterns in the palm. This week, it plans to announce private funding of $6 million. The deal was brokered by Starlight Investments through wealth managers Santi.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123539

A mind map of how to pen test a site along with many helpful links.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123542

OpenDNS says its free address-lookup service makes Web sites load faster, and that it blocks malicious, data-thieving phishing schemes and other threats. Furthermore, the service corrects obvious typos in URLs, sending people to the site they intended to visit, it says.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123576

Spammers are increasingly turning to mobile text-messaging, Web-based instant messaging, blogs and social-networking communities such as MySpace.com, according to mail services company MessageLabs.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123578

Ohio University's CIO has stepped down following previously reported security breaches that compromised 367,000 personal records containing Social Security Numbers and other private data. In a public statement published by the university, current CIO William Sams has said, "...it has become clear to me that a new energy level and skill set is going to be required in order to allow our IT organization to realize its potential."

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123564

U.S. companies that outsource their IT security functions dramatically contributed to the volume of business sent overseas this year, according to a new survey.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123574

I am probably preaching to the converted with respect to the distinguished visitors at this venue. Notwithstanding, please humor me for a few minutes and carefully read and consider the assertions below in the hope that it may give you some ideas to help “loosen the purse strings” of those in your organization who make training budget decisions.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123575

As the creator of the Metasploit Project, an open-source tool for automating the exploitation of vulnerabilities, Moore has had his share of contentious debates with other security professionals. However, his latest endeavor--releasing a browser bug every day during the month of July--has raised hackles on both sides of the security equation, among the black-hat as well as white-hat researchers.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123580

At the recent London Internet Exchange (LINX) AGM, the 200 strong membership agreed operational principles for spam management teams to share information while ensuring that customer privacy is not infringed. The decision was made following a review of a Best Current Practice (BCP) document on spam-busting techniques.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123506

The FBI has drafted sweeping legislation that would require Internet service providers to create wiretapping hubs for police surveillance and force makers of networking gear to build in backdoors for eavesdropping, CNET News.com has learned.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123504

Computers and networks, and the degree to which we rely on them, have changed almost beyond recognition since 1990, but the framework of the Act remains effective. But to reflect the changed environment, the government is proposing to increase the penalties for unauthorised access and modification of computers in the Police and Justice Bill currently before Parliament.

Hacking and malware have also expanded and, more worryingly, in recent years we have seen an explosion in the availability of hacking tools and services and their use by organised criminals. To target them, we are proposing a new offence to criminalise those individuals who make and distribute hacking tools.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123559

It was one year ago that Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff announced a departmental reorganization that would create an assistant secretary for cybersecurity and telecommunications. “Our department must drive improvement with a sense of urgency,” Chertoff said July 13, 2005. “Our enemy constantly changes and adapts, so we as a department must be nimble and decisive.”

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123566

The U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program's RFID system has not done enough to secure personal data stored in its Automated Identification Management System (AIDMS) database, according to a recent partially-censored report issued by Richard Skinner, the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security. US-VISIT is a program established in 2004 by DHS to control and monitor the entry, visa status and exit of foreign visitors to the U.S.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123569

On the surface, the results of the 11th annual CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey are positive, with fewer companies reporting financial loss from data breaches compared to last year. But a majority of companies are still reluctant to report security breaches to law enforcement, suggesting that the survey isn't capturing the full extent of the problem.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123581

A Briton accused of hacking into the Pentagon's computers is to be extradited to the US, the Home Office has confirmed. Gary McKinnon, from north London, stands accused of what American prosecutors call the "biggest military hack of all time", and potentially faces a sentence of 70 years if found guilty.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123489

Security experts have long touted the need for financial Web sites to move beyond mere passwords and implement so-called "two-factor authentication" -- the second factor being something the user has in their physical possession like an access card -- as the answer to protecting customers from phishing attacks that use phony e-mails and bogus Web sites to trick users into forking over their personal and financial data

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123533

Early this morning we discovered that someone had managed to compromise gluck.debian.org. We've taken the machine offline and are preparing to reinstall it. This means the following debian.org services are currently offline:

cvs, ddtp, lintian, people, popcon, planet, ports, release

Based on the results of our initial investigation we've locked down most other debian.org machines, limiting access to DSA only, until they can be fixed for what we suspect is the exploit used to compromise gluck. We're still investigating exactly what happened and the extent of the damage. We'll post more info as soon as we reasonably can.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123547

Just as Internet surfers have gotten wise to the fine art of phishing, along comes a new scam utilizing a new technology. Creative thieves are now switching their efforts to "vishing," which uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones instead of a misdirected Web link to steal user information.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123550

A poll of over 500 IT professionals has found opinion is split over whether a British man should be extradited to the US for allegedly breaking into Pentagon and NASA computers. Gary McKinnon, a computer enthusiast from North London, is alleged to have hacked into computers belonging to the US Army, US Navy, US Air Force, Department of Defense and NASA. British Home Secretary, John Reid, signed the order approving the extradition on July 6th.

In an online poll of 565 respondents conducted by online security firm Sophos, 52 per cent said McKinnon should not be extradited, while 48 per cent said it was correct for him to face a US court.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123558

The Debian GNU/Linux project today admitted a hacker had compromised one of its internal servers. "Early this morning we discovered that someone had managed to compromise gluck.debian.org," Debian developer James Troup wrote in an e-mail to the Debian community shortly before 4am AEST. "We've taken the machine offline and are preparing to reinstall it," Troup continued, noting a number of key services were currently offline as a result.

The developer said Debian had initiated a security lock-down on most of its other servers, enforcing limited access to the resources.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123560

Western Illinois University is notifying more than 180,000 people that their personal data is at risk after hackers entered its networks.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123579

Attacks aimed at lightly protected instant messaging systems and spam that replaces text with images in an effort to dupe filtering software are growing in popularity, according to new research released by Postini.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123573

The State Department is investigating an intruder breaking into unclassified department IT systems, starting with embassies and offices in the East Asia/Pacific region and migrating to department headquarters.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123567

Phishers are seeking to circumvent two-factor authentication schemes using man-in-the-middle attacks. Last October, US federal regulators urged banks to adopt two-factor authentication as a means to combat the growing problem of online account fraud.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123568

Your network is under attack. You've checked for penetration by outside attackers, and by insiders using servers or client machines. But this attack isn't coming from any of those sources; it's coming from the one place you're least likely to look: your printer/copier.

http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/123582