Infosecurity News
Fake anti-virus team exploits September 11 anniversary
Online scams related to holidays, global events, and popular news stories are common, but September 11 scammers really scraped the bottom of the moral barrel last week. Scareware scammers are using the eighth anniversary of the September 11 attacks to sell their fake anti-virus software to unsuspecting users.
Security software spending up 4% in 2010
Security software budgets are expected to grow 4% in 2010, and security services budgets could grow almost 3%, according to Gartner.
Wigan council lost personal data on children and teenagers
Wigan Council has been been forced to sign an undertaking with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) following the theft of a laptop, which resulted into the personal data on around 43 000 children and teenagers being potentially open to abuse.
Low-cost security tag for mobile phones
An Edinburgh-based company has developed a relatively low-cost security tag that alerts users when a linked mobile phone moves more than 25 metres away. The Bluetooth-enabled keyring tab - known as Nio - comes with its own USB-rechargeable battery and sells for around £40.
Home Gateway broadband and networking hub reaches fruition
After four years in gestation, the Home Gateway (HG) - an intelligent broadband/networking interface device designed to act as a hub for homes and small offices - is reaching fruition.
Barclays fined £2.45m after IT errors
Barclays' investment arm has been fined £2.45m by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) for failing to report its investment details correctly.
Delphi programming tool hit by virus
A ‘proof of concept’ virus called Win32/Induc.A is causing problems for programmers – including malware writers, according to this month’s ESET ThreatSense Report.
Card spending research reveals UK electronic fraud hotspots
Research by the 3rd Man, an electronic fraud and security specialist, has uncovered some interesting statistics about cardholder-not-present transactions, as well as fraudulent mail order plus online card purchases in the UK.
O2 and Plusnet respond to potential XSS modem security issues
O2 - as well as BT subsidiary internet service provider Plusnet - have both responded to a potential XSS security flaw identified in the Thomson TG565 and TG565n wireless broadband routers they issue to their internet users.
Eight million chip and PIN users at risk of ID fraud
Research carried out by LV (formerly Liverpool & Victoria) Home Insurance claims that, over the last 12 months, eight million adults in the UK have given their cards - plus their PIN details - to someone else to make a purchase on their behalf or get cash from an ATM leaving the vulnerable to ID fraud.
Council left with £500 000 bill from virus infected memory stick
Ealing Council's computer system was crippled by a virus after an infected memory stick was plugged into the IT resource. The council has been landed with a £500 000 bill to clean up the security mess that has resulted.
Learn about how to keep security and IT ready for a pandemic
With the recent scares about the swine flu, more and more businesses feel the need to plan for a pandemic, but are their security and IT up to the challenge?
Toll-free PBX hack highlights need for code auditing
Reports that a North Carolina business has been left with a US$2500 phone bill after phone phreakers hacked its PBX via the firm's toll-free number shows the danger of failing to audit all aspects of a systems' software, said Fortify, the application vulnerability specialist.
Cross-site scripting (XSS) security problem hits broadband routers
The problem of cross-site scripting (XSS) security flaws - which have affected hundreds of websites this year - has spread to broadband routers, as a security researcher claims that the Thomson wireless box III supplied by O2 leaves internet users "wide open" to the issue.
Bloxx warns on anonymous proxies
Bloxx, a web filtering firm, has issued a warning that anonymous proxies - which are now being used by students to bypass campus blocks on inappropriate content - pose a serious information security threat to young people.
US could get slower broadband than the UK
The US could end up with slower broadband speeds than the UK if the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) accepts submissions on the definition of broadband from US internet service providers (ISPs).
Home Office denies CRB plans to store fingerprints
The Home Office has denied that the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) will set up a database to collect and store the fingerprints of people who apply to work with children and vulnerable people.
Windows Mobile refresh to launch in October
Microsoft will launch the latest version of its operating system for mobile devices next month.
Weekly brief – September 1, 2009
In this week’s information security news: Trojan eavesdrops on Skype; Snow Leopard only recognizes two Trojans; private messages are sent to wrong recipients; search warrants are needed for digital data; and more…
US Civil Liberties Union tells UK to defend McKinnon
The American Civil Liberties Union has called on the UK foreign secretary to review the "lopsided" extradition treaty to prevent people like UFO hacker Gary McKinnon being "unfairly" removed from their home country to stand trial abroad.
