-----Original Message----- From: NIPC Watch [mailto:nipc.watch@private] Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2002 5:54 AM To: Daily Distribution Subject: NIPC Daily Report, 3 January 2002 NIPC Daily Report, 3 January 2002 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. General Interest - Roger Thompson, director of malicious code research for TruSecure Corporation, expects 2002 to have as many highly-publicized information security exploits as 2001. Thompson, whose job includes monitoring emerging threats and risks posed by the latest malicious code, predicts that in 2002 there will be more macro and script viruses, more Remote Access Trojans (RATs) or backdoors, more mass-mailing Win32 viruses, a new Code Red-type worm, and another W32/Nimda v1.0. (Internet News, 2 January) In what is believed to be one of the first private enforcement acts taken against cross-border computer hacking affecting a publicly-traded US company, attorneys for software maker Nvidia Corporation nabbed two men in the Netherlands who had hacked into Nvidia's internal communications network and posed as Nvidia and Microsoft employees in e-mails to obtain proprietary intellectual property. According to Robert Christopher, managing partner for the Northern California offices of Coudert Brothers, who headed Nvidia's legal team, Nvidia's information technology experts traced the e-mails back to their source in the Netherlands and, with the help of Dutch counsel, were able to quickly obtain a seizure order and confiscate the hacker's personal computers as evidence. (San Jose Business Central, 2 January) Power and Utility Services - Maureen Helmer, chairman of the New York Public Service Commission, estimates it will take "months" to complete permanent repairs to New York City electrical and natural gas services damaged in the 11 September terrorist attacks. About 24,000 customers lost electrical power in lower Manhattan, and about 6000 customers had their gas interrupted. The utility company also stopped stem service to 300 large commercial customers in the affected area. Verizon Communications lost service to 306,000 exchange lines, 4.3 million special service circuits, and 55,596 interoffice trunks. AT&T lost about 1.1 million circuits at the WTC. (OGJ, 2 January) Telecommunications - The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has endorsed a batch of Internet service providers (ISPs) that AOL Time Warner has invited to provide competitive Internet access through the communication and media giant's cable systems. The FTC approval of four ISPs helps shore up AOL's compliance with the open-access conditions that the FTC placed on its approval of the America Online/Time Warner merger. Under the deal set one year ago, in order to offer its own high-speed version of America Online, AOL must provide access cable system access for three "non-affiliated" ISPs in each market. (Newsbytes, 2 January)
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Sun May 26 2002 - 11:38:14 PDT