Hackers: Archive: October 2002

Pressure Grows For IT Security Pros

IT and security administrators have a big job ahead of them in 2003, with analysts predicting they'll have to stay on top of system patches and merge their technical efforts with straight-up business thinking -- all under the tight constraints of a flat IT budget.

Holey Microsoft!

Redmond issues three security alerts to spackle holes in its Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol, Windows 2000 platform and versions of the Internet Information Server.

Mapping the Lack of Security

Look both ways when crossing the streets this week: the second WorldWide WarDrive is going on in major cities around the world as WLAN security activists drive around to expose the large number of unencrypted access points.

Viruses, Worms Up The Ante

Security analysts are warning corporate administrators to stay vigilant and keep their software patched and up-to-date as viruses and worms continue to grow in sophistication and potential for damage.

Massive DDoS Attack Hit DNS Root Servers

The 'ping-flooding' attack interrupted Web traffic on nine of the 13 DNS root servers but experts dismissed the overall threat as 'minimal.'

Wireless Security Lessons To Learn

The world of wireless communications can learn much from the mistakes long made in the wired world, according to a corporate information security administrator and wireless security author.

Web Vandalism on the Rise

The danger, according to the Web site tracking defacements around the world, is that hackers who have access to the Web page likely have access to a company's entire network.

Another 9 Exploits Found in IE

A week after finding a serious flaw in Internet Explorer versions 5.5 and 6, GreyMagic found another vulnerability, this time in the browser's caching object script.

SQL Server Privilege Level Flaw Fixed

UPDATE: An intruder could use the flaw to elevate privilege levels and make unauthorized changes; Two other patches are issued for flaws in MS Word, MS Excel and Windows XP.

Firm Reports New Internet Explorer Flaw

UPDATE: GreyMagic Software details an Internet Explorer browser flaw that lets attackers steal cookies from any site, forge content, read local files and execute arbitrary programs.

Outlook Express Bug; MSN IM Worm Detected

Microsoft issues a fix for a flaw in the Outlook Express S/MIME parsing functions.

CERT: Sendmail Hacked

Copies of the Sendmail source code have been hacked and now contain a Trojan horse.

Hacker Book Author: Companies Too Stingy About Security

The author of a book on network security warns that most companies aren't spending enough money to adequately protect themselves and most IT administrators are out of control of their own networks.

Free! Expert Help Fixing Your Top Security Problems

If an expert pointed to the top 20 security vulnerabilities in your network, then told you how to correct them in a manner that would cost you next to nothing, wouldn't you trip over yourself to take the advice?

Apache Fixes Bugs in Server Upgrade

Fixes to three security vulnerabilities and several new features have been added to the latest release of the Apache HTTP Server.

Should You Hack Your Own Network?

Whether it's a hacker on the outside, or the Bugbear virus inside, your network is constantly being probed for vulnerabilities. If there are holes in your security, you should find them -- before the bad guys do.

Network Vulnerabilities Surge In Q3

There was a 65% increase in network vulnerabilities in the third quarter of this year compared to the same time last year, according to a new study from Internet Security Systems.

Information Theft Reaches Estimated $59 Billion

A new report shows that U.S. corporations lost $59 billion in proprietary information and intellectual property in the past year, though experts say that number is 'very conservative.'

'Critical' Windows Help, SQL Flaws Patched

Microsoft plugs 'critical' security holes in the Windows HTML Help facility and the SQL Server products.

Bugbear/Tanatos E-mail Worm Detected

A mass-mailing worm with keylogging and potentially dangerous backdoor capabilities is squirming in the wild.