This week, perhaps the most interesting articles include "Sloppy configurations make for unsecured VPNs," "," and "."


Earn an NSA recognized IA Masters Online - The NSA has designated Norwich University a center of Academic Excellence in Information Security. Our program offers unparalleled Infosec management education and the case study affords you unmatched consulting experience. Using interactive e-Learning technology, you can earn this esteemed degree, without disrupting your career or home life.


LinuxSecurity.com Feature Extras:

RFID with Bio-Smart Card in Linux - In this paper, we describe the integration of fingerprint template and RF smart card for clustered network, which is designed on Linux platform and Open source technology to obtain biometrics security. Combination of smart card and biometrics has achieved in two step authentication where smart card authentication is based on a Personal Identification Number (PIN) and the card holder is authenticated using the biometrics template stored in the smart card that is based on the fingerprint verification. The fingerprint verification has to be executed on central host server for security purposes. Protocol designed allows controlling entire parameters of smart security controller like PIN options, Reader delay, real-time clock, alarm option and cardholder access conditions.

pgp Key Signing Observations: Overlooked Social and Technical Considerations - While there are several sources of technical information on using pgp in general, and key signing in particular, this article emphasizes social aspects of key signing that are too often ignored, misleading or incorrect in the technical literature. There are also technical issues pointed out where I believe other documentation to be lacking. It is important to acknowledge and address social aspects in a system such as pgp, because the weakest link in the system is the human that is using it. The algorithms, protocols and applications used as part of a pgp system are relatively difficult to compromise or 'break', but the human user can often be easily fooled. Since the human is the weak link in this chain, attention must be paid to actions and decisions of that human; users must be aware of the pitfalls and know how to avoid them.

Bulletproof Virus Protection - Protect your network from costly security breaches with Guardian Digital’s multi-faceted security applications. More then just an email firewall, on demand and scheduled scanning detects and disinfects viruses found on the network. Click to find out more!

Take advantage of our Linux Security discussion list! This mailing list is for general security-related questions and comments. To subscribe send an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with "subscribe" as the subject.

Earn an NSA recognized IA Masters Online - The NSA has designated Norwich University a center of Academic Excellence in Information Security. Our program offers unparalleled Infosec management education and the case study affords you unmatched consulting experience. Using interactive e-Learning technology, you can earn this esteemed degree, without disrupting your career or home life.

Security on your mind?

Protect your home and business networks with the free, community version of EnGarde Secure Linux. Don't rely only on a firewall to protect your network, because firewalls can be bypassed. EnGarde Secure Linux is a security-focused Linux distribution made to protect your users and their data.

Guardian Digital Makes Email Safe For Business - Microsoft 365, Goo....

Thank you for reading the LinuxSecurity.com weekly security newsletter. The purpose of this document is to provide our readers with a quick summary of each week's most relevant Linux security headline.


Crypto Expert: Moore's Law Fuels App Obesity Epidemic
19th, February, 2007

Cryptography is no mean field. After all, the science was invented by humans for the purpose of concealing information from other humans. That means that the best cryptographers have to be blindingly smart, with a mastery of mathematics but also a firm grasp of human psychology and, these days, fields such as computer science.

news/cryptography/crypto-expert-moores-law-fuels-app-obesity-epidemic
Toshiba Makes Quantum Encryption Breakthrough
21st, February, 2007

A loophole in quantum cryptography that could allow a hacker to determine a secret key transmitted using the technology has been closed by new research.

Working at Toshiba Research Europe in Cambridge, scientists found that laser diodes used to transmit keys used to encrypt data, known as Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), sometimes transmitted more than one photon at a time. Quantum encryption works by transmitting key data as a stream of single photons.

news/cryptography/toshiba-makes-quantum-encryption-breakthrough
Danger inside the firewall
21st, February, 2007

Between the latest firewall technology and advanced intrusion detection systems, IT professionals are breathing a little easier. This is a big mistake. It may be easier to protect the network from external attack these days, but the greatest security risks still come from inside the DMZ. I work for a small, single-branch credit union in Minneapolis, and I am a one-man shop. If there's a technical problem, I'm the guy who has to fix it. Once a year, auditors from a large accounting firm come in to perform an audit for our year-end financial statements. In the past, the only tech support I needed to provide was to set up a local printer they could use from their laptops. I couldn't have given them access to my network if I wanted to, as their techs had their laptops locked down, and I couldn't make any changes to their setup.

news/firewall/danger-inside-the-firewall
Home routers are open to remote attack
20th, February, 2007

They have demonstrated that users could open up their router's traffic as a result of visiting a web page loaded with malicious javascript. The researchers said, "Settings on the router can be changed, including the DNS servers used by members of small, quickly erected internal networks. The attacks do not exploit any vulnerabilities in the user's browser. Instead, all they require is that the browser run JavaScript and Java Applets."

While the threat to home routers is real, said the researchers, no actual attacks have so far taken place. Users would also first have to be persuaded to visit a malicious website for any attack to take place.

news/network-security/home-routers-are-open-to-remote-attack
Sloppy configurations make for unsecured VPNs
22nd, February, 2007

The IP extension IPSec is generally considered the most secure VPN technology. But it also has its weak points that special tools can find and exploit. Prudent administrators therefore test their own network