FW: NIPC Daily Report, 17 October 01

From: George Heuston (georgeh@private)
Date: Wed Oct 17 2001 - 15:03:51 PDT

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    -----Original Message-----
    From: NIPC Watch
    To: daily
    Sent: 10/17/01 8:46 AM
    Subject: NIPC Daily Report, 17 October 01
    
    NIPC Daily Report, 17 October 01
    
    NOTE:  Please understand that this is for informational purposes only
    and does not constitute any verification of the information contained in
    the report nor does this constitute endorsement by the NIPC or the FBI.
    
    Significant Changes and Assessment - The National Infrastructure
    Protection Center (NIPC) issued "Cyber Protest: The Threat to the US
    Information Infrastructure, October 2001."  This analytical paper
    discusses political events and emerging international situations that
    will increasingly lead to cyber protests. This information is posted on
    the NIPC Web site at  http://www.nipc.gov/cyberprotests.pdf .
    
    Private Sector - Novell Inc. is urging users of its GroupWise software
    for messaging and collaboration to patch a security hole that could
    allow an intruder to view any file on a GroupWise server via the
    application's Web interface.  The problem is found in the WebAccess
    system of the GroupWise 5.5 Enhancement Pack and in the most-recent
    GroupWise 6 release, Novell said.  However, since GroupWise, like the
    competing Microsoft Exchange server, is most often found behind the
    firewalls of corporate intranets, those who might exploit the security
    hole are most likely to come from a company's own disgruntled ranks.
    Novell has additional information and a patch for the problem online at
    http://www.novell.com/products/groupwise.  (Source: Newsbytes, 16
    October)
    
    Computer security experts said on 16 October that a computer virus
    purporting to provide information about anthrax and its side effects has
    been discovered.  The new computer virus, VBS.VBSWG.AF, which is
    technically a worm because it is self-propagating, is spreading through
    e-mail systems and instant relay chat channels on the Internet where
    people "talk" in real-time, according to Steven Sundermeier, product
    manager at Central Command which monitors corporate e-mail systems for
    viruses.  The e-mail, written in Spanish, has a subject line that says
    "Antrax Info."  The message claims that the attachment is a photo that
    shows what the side effects of anthrax are.  Once the attachment is
    opened the worm spreads itself to everyone listed in the e-mail address
    book.  The worm also can overwrite certain files on remote drives.
    (Source:  Reuters, 16 October)  (NIPC Comment:  Major US anti-virus
    vendors are currently rating this worm a low threat and view the chances
    for significant propagation as very unlikely.  NIPC will continue to
    monitor and advise of any changes.)
    
    A former employee of a company that makes guidance systems for the DoD
    has pleaded no contest to hacking into the company's computer system and
    shutting it down for 24 hours.  Armen Oganesyan's trial was scheduled to
    start 16 October, but he pleaded no contest to one count of computer
    access and fraud.  He also admitted causing more than $150,000 in
    property damage, prosecutors said.  Oganesyan faces up to five years in
    state prison and restitution claims of more than $250,000 when he is
    sentenced on 19 November.  Oganesyan, 27, was employed by H.R. Textron,
    a Valencia-based DoD contractor. He was let go in February 2000 after
    admitting hacking into the computer. Four separate locations including
    one in Ohio were affected. (Source: Associated Press, 16 October)
    
    Government - President Bush formed a new panel on 16 October, to fight
    cyberterrorism, noting that the nation's information systems are vital
    to business, government and national defense.  The President's Critical
    Infrastructure Board will be charged with preventing disruptions of
    "critical infrastructure," Bush said in an executive order.  A key task
    of the board will be coordinating with private industry, which runs many
    of the nation's information networks, the order states.  Cabinet members
    will constitute most of the board, along with a host of other top
    presidential aides.  There was no firm number for how many people will
    serve on the panel.  (Source:  Associated Press, 16 October)
    
    International - A leading IT security expert warned that one of the
    greatest terrorist threats to Britain lay in attacks on key computer
    systems  and the public should  be on  alert for hackers seeking to
    cause havoc in IT systems. Andrew Steet, a partner at leading City
    consultants KPMG, said not only to protect the computer systems of
    financial firms, but also those of government, transport and public
    utilities.  The US Congress of Science has already met to discuss the
    dangerous implications. "Computers in government, transport, public
    utilities, air traffic control, road systems, police and  number of key
    installations are vulnerable to attack," he said.
    (Source: London Press Association, 16 October)
    
    Military -NTR
    
    U.S. SECTOR INFORMATION:
    
    Water Supply - A terrorist threat advisory to water supplies has been
    extended through 11 December and despite the lack of credible threats,
    water utilities have been encouraged to maintain security at "critical
    nodes" such as tunnels, pumping and storage facilities, and distribution
    systems.  Potential bacterial, viral, and chemical sabotage substances
    have never been encountered in waters.  Therefore, tests for them have
    not been incorporated into drinking water treatment unit product designs
    or performance standards.  This means that no drinking water treatment
    products have been tested and certified for their effectiveness in
    reducing these exotic chemical or biological health threats. (Source:
    PR Newswire, 16 October)
    
    Gas and Oil Storage Distribution - An El Paso Energy Partners subsidiary
    said 16 October it has signed a letter of intent to build a 37-mile
    (60-km) pipeline that would deliver natural gas from the deep waters of
    the US Gulf of Mexico to markets in the Midwest and Northeast.  Under
    the plan, a 12-inch diameter pipeline capable of shipping 160 million
    cubic feet a day would be built.  The gas volumes would be about enough
    to drive a 1,000 megawatt gas-fired power plant.  Construction of the
    pipeline is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2002 with first
    production expected in the fourth quarter of the same year.  (Source:
    Reuters, 16 October)
    
    Transportation - NTR
    Telecommunications - NTR
    Electrical Power - NTR
    Government Services - NTR
    Banking and Finance -NTR
    Emergency Services - NTR
    



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