[ISN] How Security Ripple Effects Affect You

From: InfoSec News (alerts@private)
Date: Thu Apr 05 2007 - 07:45:40 PDT


Forwarded with permission from: Security UPDATE <Security_UPDATE (at) list.windowsitpro.com>

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=== CONTENTS ===================================================

IN FOCUS: How Security Ripple Effects Affect You 

NEWS AND FEATURES
   - Animated Cursors Being Used to Infiltrate Windows 
   - Kaspersky on Keyloggers
   - SANS Launches Security Certification for Programmers
   - Recent Security Vulnerabilities

GIVE AND TAKE
   - Security Matters Blog: Linux on the Desktop
   - FAQ: Extracting Standalone Update Files
   - From the Forum: Are XP Guest Logons Hack Attempts? 
   - Tell Us About the Products You Love!
   - Share Your Security Tips
   - Microsoft Learning Paths for Security: Securing Your Messaging 
Infrastructure

PRODUCTS
   - Free Internet Security Product for Home Use

RESOURCES AND EVENTS

FEATURED WHITE PAPER

ANNOUNCEMENTS


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=== IN FOCUS: How Security Ripple Effects Affect You ===========
   by Mark Joseph Edwards, News Editor, mark at ntsecurity / net

Like so many things, network security is subject to ripple effects such 
that one action (or lack of action) can cause a significant change 
elsewhere. One case in point is software development. When developers 
write less-than-secure code, that impact is far reaching. For the 
enterprise, at a minimum, it typically means a lot more work for 
administrators. Of course, the impact can be much more severe and reach 
nearly every corner of the enterprise--information could leak, systems 
could be hijacked, the corporate image could suffer, and the list goes 
on. 

The obvious solution is to get programmers to write better code. A news 
story on our Web site, "SANS Launches Security Certification for 
Programmers" (you can link to it in the Security News and Features 
section below), discusses a new testing and certification program that 
could have a positive ripple effect. If you're a programmer, even as a 
hobby, be sure to read the story and click the links. You'll find some 
practice tests that might help you, and you'll find out how you can 
become certified. 

Another case in point is inadequate system security resulting in 
malware infestation and spam. When companies don't protect their 
systems adequately, those systems are bound to become infiltrated by 
malware. Most blackhats these days don't develop and spread malware 
just to idle or destroy a few companies' data or systems. Today's 
malware has a wider range of purposes, one of which is to make money by 
sending spam. So when your company slacks off on security and becomes 
infected with malware, that could very well result in an increase in 
spam for people all over the world. 

I read an interesting story last week at The Register (URL below) about 
systems inside the networks of very well-known companies sending spam. 
Obviously those companies aren't taking care of security as best they 
could. Among the guilty companies identified were HP, Oracle, and Best 
Buy. 
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=50ABB:57B62BBB09A69279BA158A5266EA2E88

The Register's story is based on data collected by Support 
Intelligence, a security monitoring solution provider. Support 
Intelligence operates a number of spam traps and analyzes the headers 
of email messages received by those traps. That header data includes 
the IP addresses of the mail servers used to transmit the message, and 
those addresses can be used to identify the operator of the network 
that uses the addresses. 

Support Intelligence's blog says that the company is using its spam 
trap data to identify Fortune 1000 companies that have bots operating 
inside their networks. Support Intelligence goes on to say that it will 
continue publishing its findings "until corporate America is clean." 

If Fortune 1000 companies clean up their networks, everyone will most 
likely receive far less spam, and that's a good thing. However the same 
holds true for any other company, and it's a real shame that companies 
have to be publicly embarrassed by news outlets such as The Register 
and companies such as Support Intelligence before they'll do what they 
should already be doing. That holds especially true for companies such 
as Oracle and HP, both of which would like us to think of them as 
pinnacles of best practice and leaders in various areas of security. 

If you're interested in this particular spam monitoring trend, keep an 
eye on the Support Intelligence blog, at the URL below. 
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=50AC8:57B62BBB09A69279BA158A5266EA2E88


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=== SECURITY NEWS AND FEATURES =================================

Animated Cursors Being Used to Infiltrate Windows
   Microsoft issued an advisory about exploits that take advantage of a 
flaw in the way animated cursor (.ani) files are handled in Windows. 
The company followed the advisory with a patch (a week ahead of the 
regularly scheduled monthly Microsoft patches) for the vulnerability.
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=50ABE:57B62BBB09A69279BA158A5266EA2E88

Kaspersky on Keyloggers
   Kaspersky Lab released the first of a two-part report about 
keyloggers, which pose a considerable threat when they go undetected.
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=50ABD:57B62BBB09A69279BA158A5266EA2E88

SANS Launches Security Certification for Programmers
  SANS Institute launched the Software Security Institute, a 
certification program designed to help assess software developers' 
ability to write secure code.
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=50ABF:57B62BBB09A69279BA158A5266EA2E88

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
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=50AB7:57B62BBB09A69279BA158A5266EA2E88


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=== GIVE AND TAKE ==============================================

SECURITY MATTERS BLOG: Linux on the Desktop
   by Mark Joseph Edwards, http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=50AC6:57B62BBB09A69279BA158A5266EA2E88

Dell said it will soon start offering Linux on desktop and notebook 
systems. My recent experience with Linux on Dell notebooks has been 
interesting.
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=50AC0:57B62BBB09A69279BA158A5266EA2E88

FAQ: Extracting Standalone Update Files
   by John Savill, http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=50AC4:57B62BBB09A69279BA158A5266EA2E88 

Q: How can I extract the files from a Windows Vista Microsoft Update 
Standalone Package (MSU)?

Find the answer at
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=50AC1:57B62BBB09A69279BA158A5266EA2E88

FROM THE FORUM: Are XP Guest Logons Hack Attempts?
   A forum participant writes, "I'm no newbie to using event viewer, 
and typically it's an important tool for my daily assessment of what's 
going on with my [Windows] XP computer. I realize [that] occasionally 
XP will use the system account to log on and do routine maintenance. 
But have any of you ever seen XP cite instances of 'guest' logging in 
and out, especially when the 'guest' account is disabled?" Join the 
discussion at 
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=== RESOURCES AND EVENTS =======================================
   For more security-related resources, visit
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