House votes to stiffen cybercrime penalties. The US House of Representatives voted on 15 July, to increase online surveillance and stiffen penalties for computer crime. By a vote of 385 to 3, the House approved a bill that seeks to better coordinate efforts to fight cybercrime while increasing recommended sentences for those found guilty. Under current law, punishments for cybercrimes are based on the economic damage they cause, which often results in little or no jail time. The author of the "Melissa" computer virus, which caused $1.2 billion in damage, was sentenced in May to 20 months in prison and a $5,000 fine. (Reuters, 16 Jul) National plan ready to help halt hackers. The US government will be releasing standards and a software program that will help computer users configure their systems for maximum security against hackers and thieves. The program will be made available free to anyone and mandated for some agencies. The Pentagon, National Security Agency and other agencies joined with private partners in announcing the security standards for computers that run the commonly used operating system, Microsoft Windows 2000. The program probes computers for known security flaws and makes suggestions on how to block holes used by hackers. The unprecedented effort will have a direct impact as all Department of Defense computers will have to meet the standards immediately. The White House is considering making the rest of the government follow suit. (HoustonChronicle.com, 16 Jul) FDIC faulted for weak IT security. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) was faulted by the US General Accounting Office (GAO) for access policies that give hundreds of end users privileges, allowing them to modify financial software, as well as read, modify, and copy financial data. It was discovered that many end users had access to 'powerful' system commands, including 26 help desk employees and 14 database staffers who did not need access to this information. The GAO had previously faulted the FDIC for its IT security practices, but did acknowledge that the FDIC has taken steps to improve its operations. In a written response, the FDIC said the GAO's findings would help it improve security. (Computer Wold, 15 Jul) _______________________________________________ Infragard_unsecured mailing list Infragard_unsecured@private http://listserv.leo.gov/mailman/listinfo/infragard_unsecured
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