1. In Focus: Defending Against Online Fraud
2. Announcements
- InfoSec World Conference and Expo/2004, Orlando, FL, March
22-24, 2004
- The Windows & .NET Magazine Network VIP Web Site/Super CD Has
It All!
3. Security News and Features
- Recent Security Vulnerabilities
- News: New Trojan Horse Claims to Be Microsoft Patch
- Feature: Windows XP SP2 Beta In-Depth
- Feature: Plug the Mobile Worm Hole
4. Instant Poll
- Results of Previous Poll: System Security in 2004
- New Instant Poll: Fraud Victim
5. Security Toolkit
- Virus Center
- FAQ: How Can I Quickly Lock the Console on Windows Server 2003
and Windows XP?
- Featured Thread: Browser Highjackers and Other Security Issues
6. Event
- New Web Seminar: Email Is a Service--Manage It Like One
7. New and Improved
- Protect Your Network Perimeter
- Guard Your Important Data
- Tell Us About a Hot Product and Get a T-Shirt
8. Contact Us
See this section for a list of ways to contact us.
==== 1. In Focus: Defending Against Online Fraud ====
Internet-based fraud; whether identity theft, false advertising, or
some other ploy, is a growing problem. Some of the more frequently
used scams involve a combination of email messages and spoofed Web
sites in which the sender tries to trick the recipient into providing
private information such as bank account or credit card information
and related logon credentials.
Two organizations, Netcraft and Brightmail, have recently launched
security services aimed at helping to curb fraud. Netcraft, known for
its popular Web server surveys, has launched a service designed to
alert banks and other financial institutions to Internet-based fraud
attempts. Netcraft scans some 46 million Web sites looking for the
misuse of a financial institution's domain names, trademarks, and
familiar phrases. Netcraft also monitors in other ways, including
pattern matching of DNS scans and common names used in Secure Sockets
Layer (SSL) certificates. Financial institutions that use the Netcraft
antifraud service can be alerted to potentially malicious sites,
ideally before these sites have a chance to fool anyone.
Brightmail's Anti-Fraud service is designed to help financial
institutions, governments, and other services guard against email
fraud and brand spoofing. Brightmail maintains a "probe network"--a
collection of more than 2 million email addresses that the company
uses as decoys to help collect information about spam and, now, fraud.
If the company detects a potential fraud attempt via email, it will
alert the involved organization, which can then take action.
Fraud situations can lead to embarrassment and hassles for companies
whose identities are spoofed and for individuals who provide their
personal information. So how can companies and individuals help
prevent these situations? Companies that operate a significant
e-commerce site can consider using the new antifraud services.
Individuals can help by raising their own and others' awareness about
online fraud. If you're interested in helping to prevent online
financial fraud, be sure to visit Anti-Phishing.org, a new Web site at
which you can join a working group focused on finding ways to curb
online fraud, find links to similar organizations, read news stories
and reports about the latest fraud attempts, and more.
==== 2. Announcements ====
(from Windows & .NET Magazine and its partners)
InfoSec World Conference and Expo/2004, Orlando, FL, March 22-24, 2004
Get dynamic techniques, real-world strategies, and innovative
solutions for mitigating risk, securing critical data, and
strengthening the enterprise at InfoSec World 2004. Featuring 80+
sessions, the CISO Executive Summit, in-demand keynoters, a huge
vendor expo, optional workshops, and more, InfoSec World will deliver
everything you need to meet today's tough information security
challenges! For details and to register, go to:
The Windows & .NET Magazine Network VIP Web Site/Super CD Has It All!
With a VIP Web site/Super CD subscription, you'll get online access
to all of our publications, a print subscription to Windows & .NET
Magazine, and a subscription to our VIP Web site, a banner-free
resource loaded with articles you can't find anywhere else. Click here
to find out how you can get it all at 25 percent off!
==== 3. Security News and Features ====
Recent Security Vulnerabilities
If you subscribe to this newsletter, you also receive Security
Alerts, which inform you about recently discovered security
vulnerabilities. You can also find information about these discoveries
at
News: New Trojan Horse Claims to Be Microsoft Patch
A new Trojan horse program claims to be a critical patch from
Microsoft. When run, the Trojan horse attempts to download software
from a remote site and, if successful, installs a back door into the
user's computer. According to iDEFENSE, the Trojan horse was purposely
coded to try to avoid detection by antivirus software.
Feature: Windows XP SP2 Beta In-Depth
Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) is almost entirely centered on what
Microsoft calls "safety technologies," so although the release will
contain a collection of bug fixes, it will also include a slew of new
features. Paul Thurrott discusses the new features in the first XP SP2
beta. However, keep in mind that Microsoft said this beta isn't
complete and that other features might be added in future betas.
Feature: Plug the Mobile Worm Hole
The problems started the day Michael Otey returned from a recent
trip. About an hour after he started working, he saw his router's WAN
activity light turn solid white and stay that way. A little detective
work revealed that he'd picked up a worm on his laptop from another
system while working on a public wireless network. Find out how Mike
tracked and eliminated the worm in this article on our Web site.
==== 4. Instant Poll ====
Results of Previous Poll: System Security in 2004
The voting has closed in the Windows & .NET Magazine Network
Security Web page nonscientific Instant Poll for the question, "Which
of the following factors do you think will have the greatest impact on
system security in 2004?" Here are the results from the 133 votes.
- 28% Viruses and worms
- 17% Junk email
- 49% Patch management
- 7% Managed security services
(Deviations from 100 percent are due to rounding.)
New Instant Poll: Fraud Victim
The next Instant Poll question is, "Have you, your company, or
someone you know been a victim of online fraud?
==== 5. Security Toolkit ====
Virus Center
Panda Software and the Windows & .NET Magazine Network have teamed
to bring you the Center for Virus Control. Visit the site often to
remain informed about the latest threats to your system security.
FAQ: How Can I Quickly Lock the Console on Windows Server 2003 and
Windows XP?
A. A reader, Jeff Lambert, sent us this tip: If you need to step away
from your workstation for a few minutes, you might want to lock it to
prevent passersby from being able to access your data. To lock your XP
workstation, press the Windows key (i.e., the key with the Windows
logo) + L. This trick doesn't work on Windows 2000, but it works on
Windows 2003.
Featured Thread: Browser Highjackers and Other Security Issues
(Three messages in this thread)
A user writes that he recently had a computer that was infected
with a Web browser hijacking tool and another computer infected with
an unauthorized ad program. He wants to know whether a way exists to
block this kind of occurrence at the router, firewall, or server
levels. Lend a hand or read the responses:
==== 6. Event ====
New Web Seminar: Email Is a Service--Manage It Like One
True end-to-end management of the messaging infrastructure requires
an integrated, service-oriented approach. This free Web seminar
introduces service-driven management and best practices for managing
and monitoring the key elements crucial to ensuring email health and
performance, including Exchange Server, Active Directory, network, and
storage.
==== 7. New and Improved ====
Protect Your Network Perimeter
GFI Software released a freeware version of GFI DownloadSecurity
for Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 6.0, which checks
files downloaded from the Internet for Trojan horse programs, viruses,
and other objectionable content. The freeware version uses the
BitDefender antivirus engine to scan HTTP and FTP downloads at the
network perimeter. GFI DownloadSecurity automatically updates its
BitDefender definition files as new files become available. To
download GFI DownloadSecurity for ISA Server 6.0, contact GFI on the
Web.
Guard Your Important Data
Everstrike Software announced Universal Shield 3.0, a security tool
that lets you hide and password-protect files, folders, and drives.
You can set data-access rights for local users and administrators,
prevent the deletion of specific files, and encrypt data. The tool
also lets you control program startup and uninstallation. Universal
Shield 3.0 runs on Windows XP/2000/NT and costs $34.95 for a
single-user license.
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