-----Original Message----- From: information_technology-admin@private [mailto:information_technology-admin@private] On Behalf Of InfraGard Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2003 6:50 AM To: Information Technology Subject: [Information_technology] Daily News 10/14/03 October 14, IDG News Service - EU approves creation of cybersecurity agency. The European Parliament approved a proposal last week to set up a European cybersecurity agency. The European Network and Information Security Agency is slated to begin on January 1, 2004, and last until December 31, 2008, with a budget of $28.7 million. In addition to forming a Europe-wide handling of security issues, the agency will also be charged with making sure that assistance on security issues is easily accessible to small and medium-size businesses (SMBs), the Parliament's Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy decided Tuesday, October 6. The agency will also work on problems such as preventing network failures, computer crashes, viruses and unauthorized interception on communications, the Industry Committee said. In addition, the agency will also be charged with advising the European Commission, Parliament and other business and community bodies on information security matters. Source: http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/10/09/HNeuagency_1.html October 12, New York Times - Computer viruses are frustrating insurers, too. Despite the potential losses, companies are not buying insurance against electronic sabotage, in many cases because they are not aware that their existing policies do not cover it. Those who try to get insurance find that there are no policies being written against viruses, although they can buy limited coverage against hackers whose attacks are more local. The lack of insurance exists because insurers do not know how to provide adequately for possible losses. A hacker attack -- by nature an isolated occurrence -- typically is covered, Urs Baumeister of reinsurance company Swiss Re said. But data loss and business interruptions are not covered if they are caused by a virus, because a virus has the potential to attack worldwide. The traditional way insurers protect themselves -- by spreading risk -- does not work in this case. In addition to spreading their policies in a variety of areas, like life insurance as well as property insurance, companies transfer some risk to reinsurance companies. Now, though, the reinsurers are refusing to take on the risk of electronic attacks. Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/12/business/yourmoney/12insu.html October 09, National Journal - Ridge pushes public-private technology partnerships. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Tom Ridge said on Thursday, October 8, that continued federal investments in security technology and government partnerships with the technology industry, if done correctly, will mean more freedom and collateral benefits for Americans, not less. "Homeland security is about building bridges to one another as we build barriers to terrorists," Ridge said at the CEO Forum of the Business Software Alliance. Homeland Security makes no distinction between physical and cyber infrastructure, Ridge said, and re-emphasized the department's commitment to cybersecurity through its division on information analysis and infrastructure protection, the Terrorist Threat Integration Center, and a cyber-security tracking center to monitor threats in conjunction with Carnegie Mellon University's computer-emergency response team. "Most cyber attacks are the work of hackers," Ridge said, but they will come from terrorists in the future. "The enemies of freedom use the same technology that we do." Ridge said developing security technology will remain a department priority for the foreseeable future, with $75 million to fund prototype development included in Homeland Security's fiscal 2004 budget. Source: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1003/100903td1.htm AlertCon: 1 out of 4 https://gtoc.iss.net Security Focus ThreatCon: 1 out of 4 http://analyzer.securityfocus.com/ Current Virus and Port Attacks Virus: #1 Virus in the United States: WORM_LOVGATE.G Source: http://wtc.trendmicro.com/wtc/wmap.html, Trend World Micro Virus Tracking Center [Infected Computers, North America, Past 24 hours, #1 in United States] Top 10 Target Ports 135 (epmap), 1434 (ms?sql?m), 137 (netbios?ns), 445 (microsoft?ds), 1433 (ms?sql?s), 80 (www), 17300 (Kuang2TheVirus), 139 (netbios?ssn), 4662 (eDonkey2000), 27374 (SubSeven) Source: http://isc.incidents.org/top10.html; Internet Storm Center _______________________________________________ Information_technology mailing list Information_technology@listserv
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