security

A security expert has produced proof that Internet phone calls could be hacked. Peter Cox has produced a program named SIPtap, which is designed to monitor VOIP (voice over Internet protocol) streams that carry phone calls through services such as ... Skype. The program can record conversations as audio files and even index the calls by date or caller. The software only needs to be installed on one machine (through a virus) to record all the calls made on the network. A skilled hacker could even install it across an entire Internet service provider's system. Mr. Cox has only used SIPtap to prove ... (view more)

"Black Friday" really isn't so bad. Despite the fact that Friday, November 23 represents the busiest shopping day of the year, it's certainly no Black Tuesday: the infamous October 29, 1929 stock market crash that sent the world into a decade of ... desperate poverty. "Black Friday" doesn't really stack up. Or, does it? According to some security experts, Black Friday could indeed prove a frightening day for the world's web users. Vice president of strategic accounts for Secure Computing Paul Henry recently warned all Internet surfers to be especially vigilant today. "The holiday season in ... (view more)

In a recent article written by Bruce Schneier, noted cryptographer from e-media mag Wired.com, the author examines the research (PDF) of security experts Niels Ferguson and Dan Shumow, presenters at the CRYPTO 2007 conference this past August. ... Ferguson and Shumow suggest that an algorithm for generating random numbers included in an official standard document (PDF) by the National Institute of Standards and Technology ( NIST ) contains a weakness that can only be described as a backdoor . Earlier this year the U.S. government released a new official standard for random-number generators that ... (view more)

We hear a lot about Internet threats as they develop, but how are these scares addressed by the government? According to one survey, the potential for disaster has convinced about 65% of the country's government-employed IT managers to spend more ... time on security than they did in 2006. The recent survey was conducted by Cisco Systems, no slouch in the security sphere. The security firm found that spyware and bots remain the top concern of most answering the survey, with security breaches and poor training finishing second and third. Part of the reason for spyware's infamous rise has something ... (view more)

Tucked away behind that Iron Curtain, for a long time we didn't hear much from Eastern Europe. With the fall of the Soviet Union less than twenty years ago, travelers began to uncover more than just the area's brooding discontent. Unfortunately for ... the web's security companies Russia remains a bit wild; in fact, some might consider it a hacker haven. That's certainly the impression after the discovery of a new website that uses an impressive botnet to infect vulnerable PCs -- on demand. Although the website itself hasn't been bookmarked for immediately filling a visitor's system with malware ... (view more)

Just last week, I happily reported that a University of California researcher had provided firm evidence that the dreaded Storm Worm virus was drying up under the heat of security companies and new, protective programs. Unfortunately, it appears to ... be a rare case. Other research suggests malicious code is instead on the rise, increasing five-fold throughout the first half of 2007. (Source: zdnet.com ) According to research conducted and released by Microsoft, the maliciousness associated with Trojans, phishing schemes, keyboard logging, and other nasty habits made an impressive jump during ... (view more)

Concerned about gaping holes in Microsoft Word, Outlook Express, or Internet Explorer? With a handful of updates recently made available, users of these programs can rest a bit easier. Microsoft has now made available six security updates for its ... products, filling holes in the above programs plus Kodak Image Viewer (which ships with Windows). The update itself fixes a total of nine bugs in MS software, four of which have been deemed critical. (Source: informationweek.com ) Perhaps the most frightening of the bugs is the one staring down college students as they ready for fall essays and exams ... (view more)

If you have signed into your Windows Live or MSN Messenger services lately, you may have had to upgrade. Microsoft is forcing its users to switch to the newest versions of its instant messaging programs due to a security threat with these systems. ... Although this upgrade will take place on a voluntary basis, those who do not modify their Windows Live or MSN Messenger services will not be able to sign in until they accept the new versions. The services affected by the security vulnerability include versions 6.2, 7.0, and 7.5 of MSN Messenger, and version 8.0 of Windows Live Messenger. When the ... (view more)

Most of us in the tech "biz" are familiar with Zango. It's not a loving relationship. One of the most prolific spyware vendors, Zango recently failed to crawl out from underneath federal law that allows security companies to target its software. ... Since a name change from 180solutions to Zango, the adware company has been suing just about anyone in the security market. Proceedings have not gone well. A federal judge recently told Zango that companies like PC Tools and Web Sweeper can identify and target any program they like, including software from 180solutions (or whatever its name may be). ... (view more)

Not feeling secure in your Microsoft software? Well, the company appears ready to make at least nine steps towards giving you some comfort while using Windows, Office, and development program Virtual Basic. Security updates are nothing new for ... Microsoft, which typically releases similar patches on a monthly basis. However, this update is a bit special given its size and the number of applications it seeks to improve. Patches are a mix of critical and not-so critical. Windows XP and Vista will receive security improvements addressing both minor and major holes (not outlined by Microsoft), ... (view more)