30 December 2004 - Corporate Executives Engaging in CyberCrime
Corporate America faces a new kind of cracker. Information-technology managers and chief technology officers-the people charged with safeguarding corporate networks-are engaging in acts of digital espionage. In the past two years, a half-dozen cases have hit the courts, charging that technology executives have broken into the computer systems of a rival. Keep the fingers of your competitors off secrets you now store on hard drives and servers.
http://www.baselinemag.com/article2/0,1397,1744061,00.asp

30 December 2004 - Dutch Regulator Slaps Fines on Spammers
Dutch telecommunications regulator OPTA has imposed large fines on three spammers; the Netherlands banned unsolicited email to consumers in May, 2004. The fines ranged from 20,000 Euros to 42,500 Euros (approximately US$27,000 to US$57,000). One of the scams used SMS (short messaging service) to send mail to mobile phones. People who opened the mail were automatically charged 1.1 Euros (US$1.49). OPTA is coordinating an information sharing effort within the EU to help cut down the volume of
spam; eight of 25 EU member nations have signed up for the program.
http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,98634,00.html

28 December 2004 - AOL Reports Significant Drop in Spam Volume
America Online said that it has seen spam drop significantly to its customers. The average number of spam emails blocked daily dropped from 2.4 billion in 2003 to 1.2 billion in late 2004. AOL received 2.2 million spam complaints in November 2004, compared with 11 million in November 2003. AOL users report spam by clicking a "report spam" button. AOL says that anti-spam legislation along with its spam filtering tools are responsible for the decline in volume. Other Internet providers say they have not seen a decrease in the amount of spam on their networks over the past year; this may be attributable to AOL's aggressive stance regarding legal action against spammers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A30433-2004Dec27?language=printer

28 December 2004 - Iowa Man Pleads Guilty in Piracy Case
Jathan Desir, a 26-year-old Iowa man, has pleaded guilty to copyright infringement and conspiracy to commit copyright infringement for his part in a piracy operation that distributed music, games, software and movies over the Internet. Desir will be sentenced on March 18, 2005, and will face up to 15 years in prison. Desir was caught through Operation Fastlink, which aims to curb digital piracy on an international level. http://news.zdnet.com/2102-3513_22-5505610.html?tag=printthis

24 December 2004 - The Dirty Dozen Spamming Countries of 2004
Did you know that over 40% of all spam is sent from innocent third party computers? Find out where the computers are around the world which are spewing out the most spam in this report from Sophos, and how you can ensure you are not adding to the problem.
http://www.sophos.com/spaminfo/articles/dirtydozenyear.html

21 December 2004 - Judge Refuses Guilty Plea in eMail Address Theft Case
US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein refused to accept a guilty plea from Jason Smathers, a former AOL employee who allegedly stole and sold 92 million email addresses to spammers. Despite the fact that Smathers had reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, the judge said he was not convinced that Smathers had deceived anyone by his actions. He cannot be prosecuted under the CAN-SPAM Act if he did not intend to deceive anyone.
http://www.messagingpipeline.com/55801389
http://news.com.com/2102-1030_3-5499701.html?tag=st.util.print

21 December 2004 - Blood Bank Informs Donors of Possible Personal Data Compromise
A California blood bank has sent letters to donors whose personal information may have been compromised after one of the bank's laptop computers was stolen. The information is protected by a password and a series of steps necessary to open the database. A California law requires organizations to notify customers whose data may have been compromised in the event of a security breach. The company has said it will no longer collect social security numbers from donors and that it will revise the way it "handles computer hardware and other sensitive equipment."
http://news.com.com/2102-1029_3-5500114.html?tag=st.util.print

20 December 2004 - Judge Awards Iowa ISP Damages in Spam Cases
A judge in Iowa has awarded a small ISP more than US$1 billion in damages in a default judgment against three alleged spammers. The enormous sum was determined under an Iowa law that levies a $10 fine for
each spam email sent. It is unlikely the plaintiff will recover any of the awarded damages.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12/20/isp_wins_1bn_damages_from_spammers/print.html

17 December 2004 - Lowe's Wardrivers Sentenced
Two men who broke into Lowe's wireless computer network and tried to steal customer credit card numbers have received prison sentences for their crimes. Though Brian Salcedo could have received a sentence of up to 15 years under federal guidelines, his sentence was reduced to 9 years because he helped Lowe's address the security problems he had exploited. Adam Botbyl, an accomplice, received a 26-month sentence to be followed by 2 years of court supervised release. By compromising a Lowe's store wireless network in Southfield, Michigan, the men were able to access to the company's central computer system and other systems around the country. Salcedo's sentence is the harshest ever handed down for a cyber crime in the United States.
http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,98355,00.html

16 December 2004 - Phishing Attacks Increase in November
A newly released report from the Anti-Phishing Working group says that phishing attacks were up 29% in November, nearly a third higher than the figure for October. EarthLink and MSN were both highly targeted in November. The US accounted for 27% of phishing sites; China accounted for 21%.
http://asia.cnet.com/news/security/printfriendly.htm?AT=39209629-39037064t-39000005c

16 December 2004 - Australian Police Allowed to Use Spyware to Gather Evidence
Australian legislators recently passed The Surveillance Devices Act, allowing law enforcement to use backdoor and keystroke-logging programs to gather evidence against suspected criminals. The warrants to use the technology would be granted in cases where the offense being investigated carries a sentence of three or more years. Some critics of the act are concerned that it gives law enforcement too much power; others are concerned that it conflicts with parts of the country's Telecommunications Interception Act. Still others fear that evidence gathered under the act would not be admissible in court, as the computer in question has already been compromised in order to install the spyware.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12/16/oz_police_surveillance/print.html

13 December 2004 - Healthcare Security group to Release HIPAA Compliance Guidelines
The Healthcare Security Workgroup says it will release guidelines to help health care organizations comply with the data security requirements established by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The security provisions of the Act take effect in April 2005.
http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,98232,00.html

13 December 2004 - Judge Throws Out Maryland's Anti-Spam Law
A Maryland judge has ruled the state's anti-spam law is unconstitutional and tossed out a suit against a New York e-mail marketer, saying the state law seeks to regulate commerce outside Maryland's borders.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6712615/

13 December 2004 - CAN-SPAM Has Not Reduced Spam Volume
The CAN-SPAM Act, which went into effect nearly one year ago, has had no effect on the amount of spam in people's mailboxes; in fact, spam volume has increased. Part of the reason for its apparent lack of efficacy is that it relies on an opt-out model that is counterproductive. CAN-SPAM has, however, provided a framework to prosecute spammers. The Federal Trade Commission has filed 5 lawsuits under the act, and two states, Massachusetts and Washington have each filed one suit under the act.
http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/121304canspam.html?fsrc=rss-security

10 December 2004 - Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for DirecTV Piracy
Martin Mullen has received a 7-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to conspiracy to violate anti-piracy laws. Mullen apparently ran an organization that sold smart cards that had been tampered with to allow people to view DirecTV without paying. Mullen was also ordered to pay US$24 million to DirecTV and NDS Ltd., the company that makes the smart cards. Interestingly, NDS engineers are working to crack a memory stick that was seized from Mullen when he was arrested; the assistant US Attorney who prosecuted Mullen says the government gave the memory stick and some other evidence to NDS because the government did not have the facilities to analyze the equipment.
http://www.securityfocus.com/printable/news/10103

8 December 2004 - Digital PhishNet Will Channel Phishing Information to Law Enforcement
A group of ISPs, technology companies, banks and law enforcement agencies have come together to help in the fight against phishing. Called Digital PhishNet, the group's aim is to gather information about phishing schemes as they occur and expedite the process of getting that information to appropriate law enforcement agencies.
http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,98153,00.html

7 December 2004 - Trojan Horse Program Pretends to be Lycos Anti-Spam Screensaver
A keystroke-logging Trojan horse program, known as Mdropper-IT, has been circulating on the Internet in the guise of being Lycos Europe's anti-spam screensaver that has recently garnered attention. It arrives as an attachment and steals passwords, usernames, credit card details and other sensitive personal data. Lycos Europe stopped its campaign on December 3, 2004 due to criticism that the screensaver's activities
were responsible for knocking sites offline.
http://news.com.com/2102-7349_3-5481674.html?tag=st.util.print

6 December 2004 - Internet Users Concerned About eCommerce and Banking Security
A survey of 5,000 adult Internet users conducted by Gartner found a growing concern with the lack of security on banking and e-commerce web sites. More than 80% of the people surveyed said they would be more likely to purchase from sites that require more than usernames and passwords for account protection. Given choices among additional authentication technologies, respondents favored the simple, such as challenge and response features, over the more complex, such as security software downloads, and multi factor authentication like smartcards and USB tokens.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/12/06/HNdissatisfied_1.html

29 November 2004 - Cyber Attacks Are All About Money: Q&A with FBI's Dave Thomas
Dave Thomas oversees the FBI's counter-terrorism and criminal computer intrusion investigations. He provides a candid picture of what the FBI is seeing in new types of attacks. He talks about who is committing cyber crimes, where they are coming from geographically and what is being done to prevent the crimes. Cyber criminals are increasingly motivated by financial gain rather than mere notoriety. "It used to be about access, but it's all about money now."
http://www.nwfusion.com/supp/2004/cybercrime/112904qanda.html

19 November 2004 - Phishing Victims Still Learning the Hard Way
A compelling series of three articles about phishing include interviews with nearly a dozen phishing victims underscores the rampant growth of these attacks and what steps are being taken to mitigate the problem. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A59347-2004Nov18?language=printer
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A59349-2004Nov18?language=printer
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A61916-2004Nov19?language=printer
[Editor's Note (SANS): It is extraordinary that the Washington Post.com journalists were able to find actual victims willing to discuss what happened. Their stories bring the problem to life for readers. If you have security awareness training in your organization, these stories will be great handouts.]

19 November 2004 - New Sober Variant Spreading Rapidly
A new variant of the Sober worm began spreading late last week. Sober arrives in an email attachment and uses its own SMTP engine to spread to other email addresses it finds on the infected computer. Machines running Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, XP, 2000 and 2003 are vulnerable. It places two copies of itself on machines it infects.
http://www.techweb.com/article/printableArticle.jhtml?articleID=53700897&site_section=700028

17 November 2004 - FTC Alleges Mortgage Companies Violated GLBA
The Federal Trade Commission has issued an administrative complaint against one mortgage company and has reached a settlement agreement with another regarding charges both violated the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act's Safeguard Rule. The rule requires financial companies to provide reasonable protection for customers' personal and financial data.
http://rismedia.com/index.php/article/articleprint/8396/-1/1/

17 November 2004 - Porno Trojan Preys on Sleazy Web Surfers
The Troj/Delf-IT Trojan horse redirects web browsers to a pornographic website. The Troj/Delf-IT Trojan horse lurks in the background on infected PCs, waiting for the user to visit webpages which contain one of various adult phrases in their title. http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/articles/delfit.htm

15 November 2004 - Spammer's Trial Reveals Mailing List Sources
Over the course of Jeremy Jaynes's trial, details emerged about the spammer's activities. His mailing lists were a stolen AOL customer database and an eBay customer database. He sent out 10 million emails a day on 16 high speed lines. http://www.informationweek.com/shared/printableArticle.jhtml?articleID=52601698

11 November 2004 - UK Online Bank Accounts Put at Risk by Trojan Horse
Security researchers at Sophos have warned of a Trojan horse which helps criminals break into the accounts of British internet banking customers. http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/articles/ukbanktrojan.html

10 November 2004 - Alleged Phisher Arrested in Boston
Boston police have arrested an alleged phishing scam artist. Andrew Schwarmkoff has been arraigned on counts of fraud, larceny, identity theft and receiving stolen goods. Schwarmkoff, who is alleged to be a Russian mobster, was ordered held in lieu of US$100,000 bail.
http://www.techweb.com/article/printableArticle.jhtml?articleID=52600627&site_section=700028

8 November 2004 - Bofra-B worm poses as PayPal credit card purchase
Anti-virus experts at Sophos have warned users to be wary of unsolicited emails appearing to come from PayPal, as they may be luring the unwary into being infected by the W32/Bofra-B worm. The worm sends emails pretending to be notification from PayPal of a $175 credit card purchase. Find out what the emails look like now, and ensure you are protected. http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/articles/bofrab.html

8 November 2004 - BSA to Double Reward Cap for UK Whistleblowers
The Business Software Alliance has announced that it is doubling the maximum reward it offers to people who inform them about UK companies using pirated software. Whistleblowers will now receive 10% of the face value of the software recovered up to GBP20,000.
http://asia.cnet.com/news/industry/printfriendly.htm?AT=39200335-39037106t-39000003c

8 November 2004 - Study Shows IT Security Professionals Will Number 2.1 Million by 2008
A study conducted by IDC projects that the number of IT security professionals worldwide will increase to 2.1 million by 2008, a compound annual growth rate of 13.7% from 2003. In addition, the study found that 93% managers responsible for hiring security staff consider certifications to be important.
http://www.vnunet.com/news/1159247

8 November 2004 - Internet Scam "Mastermind" Sentenced to Prison
An Australian judge has sentenced Nick Marinellis to at least four years in jail for "masterminding" a Nigerian 419 scam in which he stole approximately AU$5 million (approximately US$3.78 million) from his victims. Marinellis will not be eligible for parole until February 28, 2008.
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,11319598%5E15331%5E%5
Enbv%5E15306%2D15318,00.html

5 November 2004 - Stolen Computers Contain Wells Fargo Customer Data
Four computers stolen from Regulus Integrated Solutions LLS's Atlanta office contain names, addresses, social security and account numbers belonging to thousands of Wells Fargo student loan and mortgage customers. Wells Fargo has notified affected customers by mail and is offering a free year of its credit monitoring service.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/10079221.htm?
template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

5 November 2004 - DDoS Boss on FBI's Most Wanted List
Saad "Jay" Echouafni, who allegedly hired people to launch distributed denial of service attacks against business competitors, has been placed on the FBI's most wanted list after he apparently skipped bail, possibly fleeing to his home country of Morocco. He is a fugitive from a five-count federal indictment. Five men Echouafni allegedly hired to
orchestrate and conduct the attacks are headed for federal court.
http://www.securityfocus.com/printable/news/9870

5 November 2004 - Univ of Texas Student Indicted on Fraud Charges for Alleged Data Theft
A federal grand jury has indicted Christopher Andrew Phillips, a former University of Texas student, on charges he broke into the university's computer system and stole personal data belonging to more than 37,000 students, faculty and staff. Phillips's attorney maintains his client had no criminal intent, that he did not use any "hacking tools" and that the school's computer system was not posted with "Do Not Enter" signs.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/computersecurity/hacking/2004-11-05-ut-hack-charge_x.htm

4 November 2004 - New Phishing Tactic is Stealthy
MessageLabs has reported seeing what could become a new twist in phishing scams. These emails contain a script that, once the email is opened, rewrite host files to automatically redirect users to phishing sites when they attempt to visit legitimate banking sites. Traditionally, phishers' emails have required victims to open an email
and then click on a link to the fraudulent web site. The only banks that have been targeted thus far are three Brazilian banks. Users can protect themselves from this particular attack by disabling Windows Scripting Host.
http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,97213,00.html

4 November 2004 - Siblings Convicted of Spamming
Jeremy Jaynes and Jessica DeGroot have been convicted of sending thousands of spam emails to AOL subscribers through the company's servers in Virginia. The jury recommended that Jaynes receive a 9-year prison sentence and that DeGroot, his sister, be fined US$7,500; they will be formally sentenced early next year. A third defendant in the
case was found not guilty.
http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,97229,00.html

1 November 2004 - Top ten viruses and hoaxes reported for October
Find out which viruses dominated the charts in the month of October, and which email hoaxes continue to be spotted
by users around the world.
http://www.sophos.com/pressoffice/pressrel/uk/20041101topten.html

29 October 2004 - Two Oxford Students Suspended for Computer Network Intrusion
Oxford University's Court of Summary Jurisdiction has suspended two students on charges of breaking into the school's computer network. Patrick Foster and Roger Waite wrote of their activities in the Oxford Student newspaper, maintaining they wanted to expose the security weaknesses in the computer system. The two feel the punishment is too harsh and say they will appeal the decision.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/3966045.stm

28 October 2004 - Secret Service Undercover Investigation Nets 28 Alleged Identity Thieves
A US Secret Service undercover investigation code-named Operation Firewall led to the arrest of 28 people in seven countries on charges of identity theft, computer fraud, credit card fraud and conspiracy. The group allegedly stole 1.7 million credit card numbers and forged numerous identity-related documents, such as licenses, birth certificates and passports. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/29/operation_firewall/print.html

26 October 2004 - Three Alleged AOL Spammers on Trial in Virginia
Three people are on trial in Virginia for allegedly using false identities to send millions of unsolicited commercial emails to AOL customers. Though the defendants are from North Carolina, the trial is in Virginia the physical location of AOL's servers. Virginia has the harshest anti-spam law in the country; if the three are convicted of the charges against them, they could face up to 15 years in prison.
http://www.securitypipeline.com/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=
2D1JARLSNIZ5CQSNDBCCKH0CJUMEKJVN?articleId=51200542&printableArticle=true

25 October 2004 - Company Tries to Gain Competitive Edge Through Intrusion
In an example of what attorney Mark Rasch says is a growing trend of cyber intrusion for profit, Getloaded.com accessed information on Truckstop.com's web site, without authorization. Truckstop.com had established a solid business of finding loads for long haul truck drivers so they don't have to make return trips with empty vehicles.
Getloaded.com wanted a piece of the action. Judge Andrew J. Kleinfeld issued an opinion for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
http://www.securityfocus.com/printable/columnists/273

25 October 2004 - Average Home User's PC Rife with Spyware, Weak on Security
A survey from America Online and the National Cyber Security Alliance found that the average home user's PC is not as secure as its owner may think. The survey included an inspection of the computers belonging to 329 respondents. Despite the fact that 77% of the participants said they believed they were protected from security threats, two-thirds lacked the combined protection of current antivirus software and a firewall, though 85% do have anti-virus software installed. 72% used their computers to conduct sensitive personal business, such as banking or the transmission of medical information. The inspections of the computers found 80% contained multiple spyware programs, and 20% were infected with a virus.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2004-10-25-internet-security_x.htm

25 October 2004 - Red Hat Warns of Phony Patch Messages
Red Hat has published a warning about phony security alerts circulating on the Internet; the messages purport to be a Red Hat patch for a critical vulnerability but in fact contain malicious code. Red Hat says all updates from them are digitally signed and that the signature should be verified before anything is installed.
http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,96916,00.html

25 October 2004 - Malware Targets Mac OS X
The Opener or Renepo-A malware is a Mac OS X rootkit that includes a keystroke logger and backdoors. Opener is a shell script requiring superuser privileges for installation and is not spreading.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/25/mac_rootkit_opener/

24 October 2004 - Judge Issues Restraining Order Against Alleged Spammer
US District Judge Joseph DiClerico has issued a restraining order against Stanford Wallace, known as the "Spam King," and his companies, ordering them to disable spyware programs. A hearing is scheduled for November 9, 2004.
http://australianit.news.com.au/common/print/0,7208,11172502%5E15331%
5E%5Enbv%5E15306%2D15318,00.html

22 October 2004 - Seoul Government Bans Internet [Instant] Messenger services
The Seoul (South Korea) Metropolitan Government has prohibited its employees from using Internet [instant] messaging, chat services and "connections to harmful Internet sites" in order to guard against information leaks. ("protect internal information")
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200410/200410220031.html

21 October 2004 - Brazil police arrest over 50 in phishing Trojan investigation
Federal police in Brazil have arrested more than 50 people for stealing money from internet bank accounts with a series of phishing Trojan horses. Allegedly, in the region of $30 million is said to have been stolen from online banking customers. http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/articles/brazilarrest.html

20 October 2004 - Singapore Likely to Increase Penalties for Piracy
Singapore's parliament is considering amendments to the country's Copyright Act which would impose a maximum sentence of 6 months in jail and a fine of S$20,000 (US$12,000) for people convicted of Internet piracy for the first time. Repeat offenders would face three years in jail and fines of S$50,000 (US$30,000). The amendments are likely to pass in mid-November and become law on January 1, 2005.
http://australianit.news.com.au/common/print/0,7208,11127694%5E26199%5E%5Enbv
%5E15306%2D15319,00.html

19 October 2004 - ID theft, phishing altering online habits
Consumers, increasingly fearful of identity theft, want more security before they'll engage in online banking and other Internet-based services, according to a survey released Tuesday.
http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid14_gci1017458,00.html?track=NL-
358&ad=495384

19 October 2004 - Man sentenced to 2 1/2 Years in Prison for Accessing Computer Systems
Daniel Baas has been sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for breaking into business and law firm computer systems to access legal documents, financial data and other material that he copied for himself. Baas pleaded guilty to unauthorized computer access. Baas is also awaiting sentencing for his role in breaking into Acxiom Corp.'s computer system.
http://www.cincypost.com/2004/10/19/baas101904.html

18 October 2004 - 12 Arrests Made in Hong Kong Phishing Scheme
Law enforcement officials have arrested 12 people in connection with a phishing scheme in Hong Kong that allegedly resulted in the loss of HK$600,000 (approximately US$77,000). Six of the suspects have been charged with theft and face sentences of up to 10 years in jail if they are convicted.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/18/hk_phishing/print.html

16 October 2004 - NZ Health Ministry Official Sentenced to 3 Years in Jail for Cyber Theft
New Zealand Health Ministry employee John Denison has been sentenced to 3 years in jail for breaching the security of the Ministry's banking system and diverting $2.15 million to his own account, established with fictitious documents. Wellington District Court Judge Robert Kerr has suppressed details of Mr. Denison's attack. http://australianit.news.com.au/common/print/0,7208,11087415%5E15331%5E%5E
nbv%5E15306%2D15318,00.html

15 October 2004 - UK Court Charges Four in Large Phishing Scheme
A London court has charged four Eastern European people with phishing, marking the first case in which charges have been brought against people for phishing, according to Britain's National Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU). The four, who allegedly defrauded banks of a considerable amount of money, are scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing on October 21.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/15/phishing_charges/print.html

12 October 2004 - Business Software Alliance Annual Sweep Brings in Millions
The Business Software Alliance's most recent anti-piracy sweep netted more than US$2.2 million in out-of-court settlements with 25 companies. The watchdog group seeks out companies that are using software in violation of licensing agreements and copyright laws. The money will be put toward educational initiatives, such as a campaign aimed at children to discourage them from using peer-to-peer networks for trading copyrighted material. http://news.zdnet.com/2102-3513_22-5406668.html?tag=printthis

12 October 2004 - DOJ Would Like to See Intellectual Property Laws Revamped
The US Department of Justice released a report singing the praises of both the Piracy Deterrence and Education Act, which makes it a crime to use certain file sharing products, and the Induce Act, which would allow lawsuits to be brought against companies whose products "induce" people to illegally trade copyrighted materials. The DoJ report calls for significant changes to US intellectual property law, maintaining that piracy through peer-to-peer file sharing networks is a significant problem.
http://news.zdnet.com/2102-9588_22-5406654.html?tag=printthis

12 October 2004 - Funner Worm
The Funner worm spreads by sending itself to contacts it finds in Microsoft's MSN Messenger; it then modifies the registry and overwrites hosts file entries.
http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,96606,00.html

11 October 2004 - Alleged Spammer Settles Case with Massachustts AG
DC Enterprises and its owner William Carson have settled a case brought by Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly alleging that the company and Carson violated the CAN-SPAM Act and the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act by sending out unsolicited commercial email that did not provide valid opt-out provisions. The case is the first to be brought under CAN-SPAM in the state of Massachusetts. Carson and DC Enterprises will pay US$25,000 and will cease to violate the CAN-SPAM Act and Massachusetts mortgage broker and advertising laws. http://news.zdnet.com/2102-9588_22-5406062.html?tag=printthis

11 October 2004 - South Korean Police Arrest Prolific Cyber Criminal
The Cyber Terror Response Center of South Korea's National Police Agency has arrested a man who allegedly broke into 1,152 computer systems since March 2003. The man, who has been identified only as Lee, used to work at an information security company. Police are investigating the possibility that he may have sold information he accessed through his break-ins.
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200410/200410110016.html

4 October 2004 - Malicious JPEG File Posted on Newsgroups
A malicious JPEG file has been posted on some newsgroups; code embedded in the file attempts to exploit a recently disclosed JPEG flaw which could allow attackers to gain control of infected machines.
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=49400063&tid=6004

4 October 2004 - Sony Japan Will Stop Making CDs with Copy Protection
Citing an increased awareness of copyright and piracy issues as well as more stringent laws to punish violators, Japan's Sony Music Entertainment will stop incorporating copy protection into their CDs. It is also probable that customer dissatisfaction with the arrangement factored into the company's decision.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/01/sony_copy-control_cd/print.html

4 October 2004 - North Korea Has Trained 500+ in Cyber Warfare, Says Report
According to a South Korean Defense Ministry report, North Korea has trained more than 500 people in cyber warfare tactics. The cyber troops reportedly went through a five-year training course focusing specifically on infiltrating computers in South Korea, Japan and the US.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/print/109911/1/.html

2 October 2004 - Yoran Resigns DHS Cyber Security Position
DHS National Cyber Security Division director Amit Yoran has resigned his position as of September 30. Yoran, who held the position for one year, said he has achieved his goals: building the division and US-CERT. Some say Yoran's resignation points to the need to elevate the position within DHS.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A64915-2004Oct1?language=printer

30 September 2004 - RIAA Files 762 New Suits
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has filed against 762 people for allegedly trading music over the Internet and violating copyrights. The defendants are unnamed, identified only as "John Doe" and by an IP address; this allows the RIAA to seek subpoenas that would require ISPs to reveal their customers' names. Individuals at 26
universities and colleges across the country have been named as defendants, but the RIAA has not filed suits against the schools themselves.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/9802911.htm
?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
[Editor's Note (SANS): See this story for raids on P2P in the island nation of Iceland. Bandwidth usage on the island nation apparently dropped 40% as word of the raids spread.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/09/30/p2p_raids_iceland/

29 September 2004 - Man Pleads Guilty to Spamming Through Hijacked Wireless Accounts
Nicholas Tombros has pleaded guilty to sending spam through other people's wireless accounts which he accessed without authorization. Tombros pleaded guilty to one felony count; when he is sentenced on December 27, he could face up to six months in jail. The case is believed to be the first criminal conviction under the federal CAN-SPAM Act.
http://www.securityfocus.com/printable/news/9606

28 September 2004 - Governor Schwarzenegger Signs Anti-Spyware Bill
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a bill which makes it illegal to install spyware on computers without authorization. The legislation would allow people to sue those responsible for installing the software for damages. The bill also prohibits keystroke-logging and software which takes control of others' computers in order to send spam or spread malware. the bill has been criticized for being "toothless."
http://news.zdnet.com/2102-1009_22-5388122.html?tag=printthis

28 September 2004 - House Passes Piracy Deterrence and Education Act
The US House of Representatives has passed the Piracy Deterrence and Education Act of 2004, which expands the scope of file traders who may be prosecuted for their actions from those who "willingly" share
copyrighted material to those who "knowingly" do so.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/09/28/HNusfiletrading_1.html

28 September 2004 - UCLA Will Warn Students About Copyright Infringement, but Won't Snoop
The University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) is using a system to warn students who have been identified as pirating copyrighted digital content, like movies and music, but the school has chosen to stop short of actually snooping on the students' activity, saying doing so would violate their privacy.
http://news.com.com/2102-1027_3-5387859.html?tag=st.util.print

28 September 2004 - Security violations lead to terminations
The best medicine for those who violate patient privacy is a pink slip and full press coverage, according to the CIO for several prestigious medical institutions.
http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid14_gci1009790,00.html
?track=NL-358&ad=493227

24 Sept 2004 - Microsoft Files Suits Against Alleged Spammers and Web Hosting Company
Microsoft has filed lawsuits against eight individuals and one web hosting company for their alleged involvement in sending spam. Microsoft attorney Aaron Kornblum said the suit against the web hosting company marks the first time action has been taken against a web host that "caters to spammers."
http://security.itworld.com/4368/040923mssuit/pfindex.html

24 September 2004 - Networked Photocopiers' Content Can Be Exposed on Google
Carefully crafted searches on Google can reveal login details for photocopiers that are network connected; attackers can use the information to see what is being copied. Organization security staff should check Google regularly for cached information on company domain names; Google will remove information if requested.
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/print/?TYPE=story&AT=39167848-39020375t-10000025c

23 September 2004 - Ernst & Young's 2004 Information Security Survey
Ernst & Young's 2004 Information Security Survey, which includes data from 1,233 organizations, found that most concentrate on external security threats, like viruses and worms, but neglect insider security threats. Respondents named lack of user security awareness the top impediment to information security, yet only 28% of respondents named user education as a top priority for the coming year. Ernst & Young recommends that organizations create a security-conscious environment from the top down, with management leading by example. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/09/23/insider_risk/print.html
http://www.vnunet.com/news/1158301
[SANS Editor Note (Northcutt): A dollar invested in awareness training yeilds far more results than buying yet another security gadget.]

23 September 2004 - BSA Has 700 Active Piracy Investigations in U.S.
Though the incidence of software piracy has dropped from 50% to 33% over the last 10 years, the Business Software Alliance still keeps busy; the software publishers watchdog organization presently has 700 active investigations in the United States. The penalties for companies using pirated software can add up: copyright holders can sue for damages and profits, as well as for statutory damages of as much as US$150,000 per
instance of piracy. http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,96109,00.html

21 September 2004 - FDIC Issues Instant Messaging Guidelines
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has issued instant messaging (IM) guidelines which, while intended for organizations within the financial industry, are sensible enough for companies in any industry to adopt. The guidelines include setting up firewalls to block incoming and outgoing public IM traffic, creating rules to block IM delivery and file sharing and deploying strong antivirus and patch management programs.
http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2004/fil8404a.html

20 September 2004 - Man Arrested in Connection with Cisco Source Code Theft
UK police arrested a 20-year-old man on September 3 in connection with the theft of Cisco source code. The man was arrested in the wake of raid on several homes; investigators are examining property confiscated during the raids, including a number of PCs. More than 800MB of Cisco source code was posted to a Russian security site in May of this year.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3672242.stm
http://news.com.com/2102-7349_3-5371807.html?tag=st.util.print

17 September 2004 - Father and Son Sentenced in Software Piracy Case
A criminal court in Stuttgart, Germany has sentenced two men two men on charges of piracy of Microsoft software. Dieter Rimmele received a sentence of three years without parole; his father, Hubert Rimmele, received a 16-month jail sentence and was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service. Several days later, German police arrested four people for allegedly selling pirated software, movies, games and music over the Internet. http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,95908,00.html

17 September 2004 - USD87 Million Worth of Pirated Software Seized; 11 Indicted
A two-year investigation has culminated in conspiracy charges being brought against 11 people in what is possibly the largest seizure of pirated software in the US. The software and accompanying documentation have an estimated value of USD30 million, and could be as much as USD87 million. All 11 have been indicted and were scheduled to appear before a judge on Monday, 20 September. If they are convicted, they face federal prison sentences of between 15 and 75 years.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/191178_msftcounter17.html
http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0916fbiseize.html

17 September 2004 - FTC Considers Offering Bounties for Spammer Convictions
The US Federal Trade Commission would like to be able to prosecute more spammers, but given the lack of admissibility of much of the evidence they use in identifying spammers, this has proven problematic. What they need is hard, admissible evidence, probably provided by an insider. Such evidence would likely be provided only if there were a bounty program, much like Microsoft's $250,000 bounty for the successful prosecution and conviction of malware authors.
http://www.silicon.com/research/specialreports/thespamreport/print.htm?
TYPE=story&AT=39124098-39025001t-40000011c

16 September 2004 - Some LANL Employees Lose Jobs, Others Cleared or Demoted
Of the 23 people suspended from their jobs at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) this summer in the wake of an investigation triggered by security problems, four have been fired, one is likely to resign, 7 have been demoted, 10 have been cleared of any wrongdoing and one is still on investigative leave.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/09/16/los_alamos_sackings/print.html
http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,64973,00.html

15 September 2004 - Phishers Target Gmail Accounts
Some phishers are now trying to steal Gmail accounts. The phishing email informs Gmail users that they can invite friends to sign up for a Gmail account if they fill out a form that includes their Gmail address and password. Gmail accounts are in demand because of their limited availability. Google does send out free invitations for users to send to friends, but all the users need to do is click on a button, rather than providing their personal account information.
http://news.com.com/2102-1032_3-5367986.html?tag=st.util.print

15 September 2004 - Man Pleads Guilty in Identity Theft Case
Former Teledata employee Philip Cummings has pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy, fraud and wire fraud for his role in an identity theft scheme. Cummings's position at Teledata gave him access to user names and passwords which allowed him and his alleged accomplices to access and download credit reports from all three major credit bureaus. His sentencing is scheduled for January 11; he could receive a maximum prison term of 50 years. Cummings and an alleged accomplice stole more than 30,000 credit reports. Two other alleged conspirators are scheduled to go to trial on November 3.
http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,95941,00.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6001526/

11 September 2004 - PWC/CIO Magazine 2004 State of Information Security Study
The 2004 State of Information Security study from PricewaterhouseCoopers and CIO Magazine found that North America and Europe led South America and Asia in security and best practice implementation. 64% of the companies surveyed said they expected security spending to increase this year. The study was conducted online in late March and April 2004; more than 8,000 CIOs, CFOs, CEOs, VPs and directors of IT and security from 62 countries responded to the survey.
http://www.itsecurity.com/tecsnews/sep2004/sep143.htm

8 September 2004 - Singapore Bank is Latest Phishing Mark
Phishers have targeted customers of Singapore's OCBC Bank Internet banking service. OCBC said that the phony site which was being used to try to steal customers' account information has been shut down. OCBC has notified the police and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
http://asia.cnet.com/news/security/printfriendly.htm?AT=39192847-39037064t-39000005c

8 September 2004 - Savvis Shuts Down Spammers' Service
St. Louis, MO-based Savvis Communications, an international Internet service provider, says it will cancel service for about 40 customers who are known to be using the network to send spam. Savvis made the decision only after pressure from anti-spam organizations. The company had, according to leaked internal memos, known about the problem for several months but had dragged its feet about doing something to remedy the situation because it would feel a financial pinch.
http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,95769,00.html
http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/09/08/HNleakedmemos_1.html

8 September 2004 - House Committee Approves Anti-Piracy and Spyware Measures
The House Judiciary Committee has approved the Piracy Deterrence and Education Act of 2004 which, if enacted, would impose a sentence of up to five years for people convicted of illegally sharing copyrighted music and movies over the Internet. The bill will next head to the House for debate. The committee also approved the Internet Spyware Prevention Act of 2004, a measure which criminalizes the act of placing spyware on people's computers without their express permission.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A6091-2004Sep8?language=printer

8 September 2004 - How Hackers Infect PCs To Spread Spam and Steal Money
In a landmark study of the economics and techniques of hackers, two top reporters from USA Today have painted a vivid picture of what is really going on in cyber crime today and how it involves millions of home and business users. This article is the first of two parts. Part One vividly illustrates the problem and ends with the challenge: "Consumer outrage needed." On Thursday, September 9, Part Two shows that the problem will just get worse if vendors and ISPs continue to refuse to do their fair share to reduce the risk.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2004-09-08-zombieuser_x.htm

3 September 2004 - California State University Hard Drive was Probably Thrown Away
The disappearance of a hard drive containing the names, addresses and social security numbers of 23,000 students, faculty and staff at California State University campuses has prompted university officials to contact everyone whose information may have been exposed, as required by a new state law. All those affected received letters though there have been no reports of identity theft; a police investigation concluded that the drive in question was probably thrown away by mistake rather than stolen.
http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,95690,00.html

3 September 2004 - Man Receives Three Year Sentence for Software Piracy
Alexander Tobolsky has been sentenced to just over three years in prison for copyright infringement. Mr. Tobolsky sold pirated copies of Intuit financial software over the Internet.
http://www.itsecurity.com/tecsnews/sep2004/sep58.htm

30 August 2004 - Man Enjoined from Spamming Verizon Wireless Customers
Verizon Wireless has won a permanent injunction against a Rhode Island man who allegedly sent a plethora of spam text messages to the company's customers. According to the ruling, Jacob Brown is prohibited from sending any more messages to Verizon Wireless customers.
http://zdnet.com.com/2102-1105_2-5329820.html?tag=printthis

27 August 2004 - Operation Web Snare Leads to 150 Arrests
Sophos has welcomed the US authorities' firm action against suspected spammers, phishers and other cybercriminals in "Operation Web Snare". Read more about the arrests made so far.
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=6082393
http://www.sophos.com/spaminfo/articles/opwebsnare.html

27 August 2004 - Trojans Target British Banking Customers
Experts at Sophos have warned computer users about Trojan horses that try to steal account details from users of a number of British online banks. http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/articles/tofger.html

27 August 2004 - Australian PM Admits Hiring Son to Send Political Spam to Voters
Australian Prime Minister John Howard admitted he hired his son's company to send out political spam to voters. Some are saying that Howard has violated the country's anti-spam laws. While the laws prohibit the sending of unsolicited commercial email, charities and political groups are exempt. However, Howard's use of his son's company, which is commercial, violated "the spirit, if not the letter of the anti-spam laws," according to opposition spokeswoman Kate Lundy.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/27/pm_spam_slam/

26 August 2004 - Study Says Insider Attacks Don't Require Great Technical Expertise
A Secret Service and CERT Coordination Center study of insider attacks at financial institutions found that most attacks did not require much "technical sophistication"; in fact, 87% of the attacks were made using "simple, legitimate user commands." In addition, most attacks were driven by desire for financial gains and were planned -- in 85% of the cases, someone else knew about the plan to launch an attack. The study took into account 26 attacks at financial services providers that occurred between 1996 and 2003.
http://www.gcn.com/cgi-bin/udt/im.display.printable?client.id=gcndaily2&story.id=27074
http://www.vnunet.com/news/1157662

26 August 2004 - Phishers Target German Banks' Customers
Phishers have begun targeting customers of German banks; there have been reports that customers of Postbank and Deutsche Bank have received phony email messages that try to trick them into revealing account and PIN numbers. No bank customers have lost money though some have come close. Two Postbank customers nearly lost 21,000 Euros between them, but the transactions were caught -- one by a customer and the other by the bank.
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=6080450
http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,95471,00.html

26 August 2004 - Winamp Flaw Allows Spyware Onto Computers
Adware makers can exploit a flaw in Winamp to place their stealth programs on people's computers. The problem stems from the fact that Winamp allows skin files to run programs. Winamp is a digital music player made by Nullsoft, an AOL subsidiary. The company is aware of the vulnerability but has not yet come up with a fix. http://asia.cnet.com/newstech/security/printfriendly.htm?AT=39191393-39000005c

26 August 2004 - DoJ Seizes Property in P2P Network Investigation
The Justice Department executed search warrants in three states and seized computers and other equipment as part of a investigation into a peer-to-peer network that was sharing copyrighted movies. music and games. The Underground Network, which is the focus of this investigation, is managed by hub computers that restricted who could participate. http://www.eweek.com/print_article/0,1761,a=134097,00.asp

24 August 2004 - International Effort Breaks Worldwide Piracy Ring
More than 100 people have been arrested worldwide in connection with an on-line piracy ring. The arrests were the result of a cooperative effort between the UK, the US, Australia, Poland and Slovakia. Ring members apparently broke into computers at academic institutions and used their disk space to serve the pirated content. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/24/anti-piracy_swoop/
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?storyID=6056939

24 August 2004 - Former Employee Faces Prison and Fine for Alleged Intrusion
Patrick Angle of Columbus, Indiana has been charged with breaking into the computer system of his former employer, Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates Inc. Angle allegedly broke into the system when he discovered his contract was going to be terminated, then allegedly deleted source code for software he had been developing. He also allegedly altered log information. Varian was able to recover the lost data from backup systems at a cost of USD 26,455. If he is convicted of the charges against him, Angle could face a ten-year prison sentence as well as a fine of up to USD 250,000 plus restitution.
http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,95450,00.html

24 August 2004 - Report Shows Which Countries Export The Most Spam
Sophos researchers have identified which countries are pumping out the most spam. Find out which country is the worst offender, and how innocent unprotected computers are adding to the spam problem.
http://www.sophos.com/spaminfo/articles/dirtydozenaug04.html

24 August 2004 - Is Your Webcam Spying on You?
The Rbot-GR worm can take over webcams, and may be secretly spying on you in your home or office. Read more now and ensure you are properly protected.
http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/articles/webcam.html

23 August 2004 - MPAA Files Suits Against DVD Chip Manufacturers for Illegal Sales
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has filed lawsuits against two DVD-chip manufacturers, Sigma Designs and MediaTek, for allegedly selling chips to companies that are breaking copy protection rules. The products in question include features that are not allowed under the general DVD technology license. Furthermore, selling the chips to those companies violates the terms of the license Sigma and MediaTek had to sign in order to manufacture the chips in the first place.
http://news.com.com/2102-1025_3-5321084.html?tag=st.util.print

23 August 2004 - Cyberharassment Q & A
This article defines cyberharassment and cyberstalking, offers advice for avoiding becoming a victim and discusses how current law views cyberharassment and cyberstalking.
http://www.securitypipeline.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=29116803&printableArticle=true

23 August 2004 - IM Adoption Slowed by Security, Compatibility Concerns
Businesses are slow to adopt instant messaging due to a lack of interoperability and security concerns, according to the Yankee Group.
http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/originalContent/
0,289142,sid14_gci1001647,00.html?track=NL-358&ad=490230

20 August 2004 - RIAA Suits Against Individuals Proceeding
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) continues to pursue lawsuits against individuals for copyright violations in which music is illegally downloaded. While people would like to fight the lawsuits, they more often than not find it too expensive and end up settling with the RIAA. Nearly 4,000 people have been sued since the RIAA began filing the suits in September 2003.
http://www.securityfocus.com/printable/news/9374

20 August 2004 - Study: Organizations Not Taking Mobile Device Security Concerns to Heart
According to a study from Forrester Research, most organizations have not put mobile device management systems in place despite the security threats the devices pose. Of the companies surveyed for the study, only
9% had deployed systems to manage mobile devices; an additional 20% were piloting or planned to deploy a management plan.
http://www.securitypipeline.com/news/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=PEDNWSJF51YMUQSNDBCCKHY?
articleId=29116607&printableArticle=true

19 August 2004 - New AIM Trojan Steals Financial Data
A new variant of Download.ject is threatening AIM users, opening backdoors and stealing financial data.
http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid14_gci1001648,00.html?track=NL-
358&ad=490230

18 August 2004 - Unpatched PCs Infected In Minutes
New, unpatched and unprotected computers survive only about 20 minutes before being exploited. Last year the survival time was nearer 40 minutes. http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/26967-1.html

13 August 2004 - UK Police Warn of Phishing Scam that Uses Key-Logger Trojan
The UK's National Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) has issued a warning about a key-logging Trojan horse program that attempts to steal online banking account numbers and PINs. Phishers send out spam email that appears to be an invoice and provides a link for recipients to view more details about the order. The link in fact leads to a site that downloads a Trojan horse program onto vulnerable computers.
http://www.vnunet.com/news/1157314
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/13/trojan_phish/

12 August 2004 - Teenager Pleads Guilty to Creating and Spreading Blaster-B
19-year-old Jeffrey Lee Parson has pleaded guilty in federal court to creating and distributing the Blaster.B worm one year ago this month. Parson also admitted he added a Trojan horse program to Blaster.B that let him gain access to infected computers. He could face a prison term of up to just over three years when he is sentenced in November, and may also be required to pay millions of dollars in fines. http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,95199,00.html

12 August 2004 - Copier Security
As copiers gain functions like the ability to scan, fax and store documents, they become increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks. Embedded operating systems in copiers make them vulnerable to