CRIME [Fwd: [Information_technology] Daily News 12/26/02]

lylel@private

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [Information_technology] Daily News 12/26/02
Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2002 11:30:15 -0800
From: "NIPC Watch" <nipc.watch@private>
To: <information_technology@private>

December 23, NewsFactor Network - The code that cuts both ways - the debate
over full disclosure.
The focus on computer security has never been more intense, and the debate
over disclosure has never been hotter. On one hand, mailing lists like
BugTraq can give vendors an incentive to fix security holes by making them
public. But some vendors say full disclosure only helps crackers, so they
urge security experts to wait before making information available. Should
security experts publicize vulnerability information, especially when
releasing that data could result in functional attacks on security holes
before a patch is released? Cate Quirk, an analyst with AMR Research, told
NewsFactor that lists like BugTraq are necessary. "It certainly gets people
on the ball, that they do need to patch security holes," she said. But
despite widespread agreement that public disclosure of security flaws is
necessary, experts differ on how much information should be made available,
or how quickly that information should be released. Many people who discover
security holes are "white hats" -- hackers who want to find vulnerabilities
and have them fixed before would-be attackers can exploit them to the
detriment of computer users. But white hats face several practical and
ethical issues in disclosing security problems. On the other hand, if a
white hat chooses to remain silent, the vulnerability in question may go
unreported and unrepaired -- but crackers may also discover it independently
and exploit it in secret.
Source: http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/20319.html

December 23, Wired News - IDC says that tech bucks and hack threats are up.
In a series of predictions for the coming year, IDC analysts said the
economy could expect a boost from an increase in corporate IT spending.
Every year, IDC makes 10 predictions for the upcoming year. In the six years
it has made such forecasts, it has usually gotten seven out of 10
predictions right, says IDC chief research officer John Gantz. IDC fears
that a war with Iraq will galvanize hackers to use their skills, perhaps in
a coordinated way, to create "economic disruptions" through
denial-of-service attacks and even physical attacks on key networks. IDC
went as far as to say that such an attack would bring the Internet "down to
its knees" for a day or two. IDC based this prediction on an Oct. 22 DoS
attack against 13 "root servers" that provide the primary roadmap for almost
all Internet communications. Although investigators considered it the
largest and most sophisticated attack ever against the Internet, users
worldwide were largely unaffected. Still, IDC considered the attack a
"blueprint" for events to come.
Source: http://www.wired.com/news/infostructure/0,1377,56902,00.html

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