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Linux Network Security - Page 50

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Mydoom Worm Threat: Email Tips for Securing Zip File Risks

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E-mail users who were slow to update their antivirus software last week may have been surprised to receive a flood of e-mail messages containing .zip files from long-lost acquaintances, business partners and complete strangers. The e-mail was sent by the recent Mydoom e-mail worm. The zipped attachments were evidence of what antivirus experts say is a new trend in virus-writing circles: using compressed files to hide viruses and elude detection by antivirus engines. . . .

Mydoom.A: The Fastest Spreading Malware Affecting Businesses

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Mydoom.A is the fastest spreading malicious code in history, causing the greatest epidemic ever seen. It is now estimated that over half a million computers around the world have been infected, including many thousands of businesses. In fact, 1 in 4 e-mails in circulation -a total of more than 8 million- have been infected by this worm. To help users better understand the situation, Panda Software has published a timeline of the Mydoom.A epidemic since it first appeared. . . .

MyDoom Virus Exposes Weaknesses in Email Security Strategies

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The virus, which has combined many old attack techniques into a successful package, was hardly blunted by antivirus programs during the first few hours of its exponential spread. That's a problem, said Shlomo Touboul, CEO of security software maker Finjan Software. "The MyDoom attack should never have propagated so far into the Internet," he said. "It is obvious that we need another layer (of software) to protect during the first hours of attack." . . .

MyDoom Virus Outbreak: Challenges for Anti-Virus Strategies

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After years of success deploying more effective and smarter defenses, anti-virus researchers contacted last week in the wake of the MyDoom outbreak acknowledged for one of the first times that the battle may be getting away from them. The MyDoom virus, which hit Jan. 26 and infected several-hundred-thousand machines, is the fastest-spreading virus in the history of the Internet, experts said. At its peak late last week, MyDoom had infected one in every 12 pieces of e-mail, according to MessageLabs Inc., a New York-based e-mail security company. MyDoom also is the latest in a line of recent viruses that, while not particularly innovative, have been maddeningly effective. . . .

Spammers Adapt to Can-Spam Act: Compliance Illusion Tactics

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Susan Getgood, SurfControl's vice president of marketing, said the total volume of spam the company is tracking has not changed since the beginning of January. Francois Lavaste, vice president of marketing at e-mail-filtering company Brightmail, said his company's statistics showed similar results and, if anything, a slight increase in spam volume since the beginning of the year. . . .

MyDoom Worm Targets SCO Group with Denial-of-Service Attacks

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A likely target appears to be The SCO Group, a provider of Unix software based in Lindon, Utah. SCO has stirred emotions in the Linux community by claiming that important pieces of the open-source operating system are covered by SCO's Unix copyright. The worm is programmed to instruct infected PCs to send a flood of bogus traffic, or a denial-of-service attack, to SCO's Web server Feb. 1 through Feb. 12. The worm can also drop a backdoor program onto a PC, allowing an intruder to take control of the machine, Huger said. . . .

Examining the Role of SSL VPNs in Ensuring Secure Remote Access in 2004

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Adoption of virtual private networks (VPNs) based on the browser-based SSL technology is shaping up to be one of the key trends of 2004, especially as enterprises mobilize their workforces. SSL allows for secure access to corporate networks from virtually any browser and so provides flexibility for roaming workers with laptops or smartphones, as well as simple mechanisms that reduce support costs. . . .

Effective VPN Management Solutions for Modern Workplaces

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For many systems administrators, choosing and managing a VPN system is often quite a headache. Inflexible clients, servers, and protocols often prevent VPN's from being smoothly integrated into an already functioning network. The fact that many VPN clients are installed on users' home computers, well out of the reach of the systems administration team, often means that troubleshooting and upgrading VPN systems is time consuming and a struggle for both admins and users. . . .

Designing Network Security Book Review: A Practical Guide by Merike Kaeo

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This is a very good book. It provides a good foundation of basic universal security practice and then goes into detail on how to implement network security using Cisco hardware and software. No single aspect is covered in exceptional depth- the book is meant to give a little information on the whole range of security rather than mastering any one area of network security. . . .

Mobile Security Strategies To Protect Sensitive Data Effectively

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Nothing can be guaranteed, but by following these rules, you can show that you have taken adequate steps to protect your organisations information and hopefully rest at night, safe in the knowledge that when thousands of mobile devices get lost or stolen this year, yours won't be the one hitting the papers with embarrassing and expensive consequences. . . .

Essential Wireless Network Security Strategies for Protection

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You've just bought a wireless router so you can use your laptop all over the house. You get it all setup and surprise, surprise it works. Now that should be the end of it right? Wrong. The default setup for wireless networks is setup to get the network up and running but does nothing to protect your network. . . .

Gartner Report Reveals Cyberwarfare Risks From Internet Dependency

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Dependence on the Internet for voice communications and data distribution will increase the likelihood of cyberwarfare, a high-tech research firm said Thursday. Much like the nuclear threat during the Cold War in the last century, cyberwarfare is a potential catastrophe that the U.S. and other nations must be prepared to combat, Gartner Inc. said. Given the rate of adoption of Internet-based technology, nations will have the ability to conduct cyberwarfare by 2005. . . .

Can-Spam Act Sees High Spam Volume Despite Regulatory Efforts

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A federal law intended to curb the scourge of junk e-mail appears to have had little effect so far in discouraging spammers from deluging inboxes. In the two weeks since the Can-Spam Act, a U.S. law barring unscrupulous bulk e-mailing practices, took effect this year, providers of spam-filtering software say they're blocking more messages than ever. Spammers, they say, are either ignoring the law or pretending to comply with guidelines for legitimate e-mail marketing. . . .

Exploring Strong Authentication Alternatives And Biometric Security Issues

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This article proposes a viable alternative to biometrics for those who need very strong authentication. At the same time, it points to certain very important security gotchas in the biometrics model, if used alone. However, other than price, it is not clear how the alternative is much better when used alone. Is the author intentionally confusing first sign-in authentication with token/ticket authentication, even though the two are complementary and usually used in tandem? You decide! . . .

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