A decade ago, I observed that commercial certificate authorities protect you from anyone from whom they are unwilling to take money. That turns out to be wrong; they don't even do that much. SSL certificates are the primary mechanism for ensuring that secure web sites -- those displaying that reassuring "padlock" icon in the address bar -- really are who they purport to be. In order for your browser to display the padlock icon, a web site must first present a "certificate", digitally signed by a trusted "root" authority, that attests to its identity and encryption keys.. Unfortunately, through a confluence of sloppy design, naked commercial maneuvering, and bad user interfaces, today's web browsers have evolved to accept certificates issued by a surprisingly large number of root authorities, from tiny, obscure businesses to various national governments. And a certificate from any one of them is usually sufficient to bless any web connection as being "secure". What this means is that an eavesdropper who can obtain fake certificates from any certificate authority can successfully impersonate every encrypted web site someone might visit. Most browsers will happily (and silently) accept new certificates from any valid authority, even for web sites for which certificates had already been obtained. An eavesdropper with fake certificates and access to a target's internet connection can thus quietly interpose itself as a "man-in-the-middle", observing and recording all encrypted web traffic traffic, with the user none the wiser. But how much of a threat is this in practice? Are there really eavesdroppers out there -- be they criminals, spies, or law enforcement agencies -- using bogus certificates to intercept encrypted web traffic? Or is this merely idle speculation, of only theoretical concern? The link for this article located at Matt Blaze Blog is no longer available. . SSL certificate authorities (CAs) are essential for internet security but have vulnerabilities that can lead to significantrisks, including MITM attacks and misuse of certificates. SSL Certificates, Web Security Threats, Man-in-the-Middle Attacks, Certificate Authority Flaws. . LinuxSecurity.com Team
The IETF has identified many security threats related to IPv6, the long-anticipated upgrade to the Internet's main communications protocol. Security concerns around IPv6 deployment are real, although the number of IPv6-based attacks remains small.. "Obviously, as the protocol gets adopted, we're going to see more attacks," says Greg Brown, senior director of McAfee's Network Defense business unit. "Because IPv6 is not broadly deployed, we haven't seen a lot of attacks." Nonetheless, the number of IPv6-based attacks is on the rise, experts say. "We're not seeing denial-of-service attacks on IPv6 because most of the targets that people want to attack aren't IPv6,' says Jason Schiller, senior Internet network engineer, Global IP Network Engineering for the Public IP Network at Verizon Business. But Schiller says he is seeing "quite a bit" of botnet command and control traffic using IPv6. The link for this article located at Network World is no longer available. . As organizations adopt IPv6, new security vulnerabilities arise, urging experts to address challenges like misconfigurations and inadequate monitoring tools. IPv6 Security, Network Threats, Botnet Risks, Internet Protocol, CIO Insights. . Anthony Pell
VMware's recent release of a large number of patches for its virtualization offerings is likely to be the first of many, as hackers increasingly focus their attention on virtualized environments. That is according to security vendor, Fortify Software, which is urging caution among those companies looking to adopt virtualization technology. This article looks into the recent security patches for VMware's virtualization software. Do you still trust VMware as a secure platform after this?. The link for this article located at InfoWorld is no longer available. . Anticipate increased threats in virtual environments following VMware's release of essential updates; maintaining high security awareness is crucial.. VMware Security Insights, Virtualization Attack Risks, Cybersecurity Updates. . LinuxSecurity.com Team
A vulnerability within Microsoft's WINS (Windows Internet Naming Service), a component of popular server software such as Windows Server 2003, has been heavily exploited since the last day of 2004, several security organizations reported Tuesday. . Although the vulnerability was patched in mid-December by Microsoft, the Internet Storm Center and the Research and Education Networking Information Sharing and Analysis Center (REN-ISAC) at the Indiana University have seen a drastic increase in the number of probes directed at WINS services (TCP and UDP ports 42). "Patching these systems is now overdue," said the SAN Institute's Internet Storm Center in an online alert. Additionally, WINS services probably should not cross your border router...so block these ports and keep the rif-raf out in case your local Windows Server Admins have not patched for this," the Center continued. The link for this article located at securitypipeline.com is no longer available. . Heightened scrutiny of compromised Adobe Flash components demands immediate updates and enhanced protective protocols.. WINS Exploit Monitoring, Windows Server Security, Network Security Practices. . LinuxSecurity.com Team
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