Information about general information security issues.

Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for September 2010 – Issued: September 14, 2010

/
With the release of the bulletins for September 2010, this bulletin summary replaces the bulletin advance notification originally issued on September 9, 2010. For more information about the bulletin advance notification service, see http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/advance.mspx.

Spammers Stay Busy Despite Pushdo Botnet Hit

/
From the shutdown of McColo to last week's disruption of the Pushdo botnet, spammers have continually found ways to stay in business. Nearly 20 of the 30 command and control (CnC)servers associated with Pushdo were taken offline last week due to efforts by security vendor LastLine. The servers were supported by eight hosting providers, some of which did not respond to the vendor's requests for action.

New Fake TweetDeck Update – Beware of Spreading Malware

/
Many TweetDeck users have awaken to an unfortunate surprise this morning when trying to launch the application. What is the unfortunate surprise you ask? “It did not work!” Twitter has recently implemented major changes to how other applications access your Twitter account and hackers have taken the opportunity by implementing a malware since they know millions of Twitter users will be looking for the new updates. The fake Tweetdeck update that is actually a Trojan virus. A Trojan virus is malware that appears to perform a desirable function for the user but instead facilitates unauthorized access of the user's computer system.

Recorded Wireshark Certification Webinar Available Now

/
The Wireshark Certified Network Analyst webinar recording is available at www.wiresharktraining.com/certification. The Exam Information Pack is available at the same location.

FISMA NextGen – Continuous Monitoring, Near Real-Time Risk Management

/
Ran across this interesting presentation on FISMA and Continuos Monitoring...

Linux Security, Then and Now

/
Linux is inherently not a secure operating system. The reason it's not secure is because Linux was based on the architectural design of UNIX, and the creators of UNIX didn't care about security – it was 1969 after all. "The first fact to face is that UNIX was not developed with security, in any realistic sense, in mind; this fact alone guarantees a vast number of holes," Dennis Ritchie wrote in his paper, "On the Security of UNIX" in 1979.

What is Patch Tuesday?

/
Patch Tuesday is the second Tuesday of each month, the day on which Microsoft releases security patches.

Jailbreaking Apple’s Mobile iProducts Get Easier

/
As the popularity of the small Apple products (iPhone, iPad, iTouch) take off, they are drawing the attentions of hackers. Some hackers just want to access the OS so they remove roadblocks for application customization and to add unauthorized tools and programs, while others might want to do damage or steal your information.

SecurityOrb.com Deal of the Week – Samsung NP-N130-JA01US Refurbished Netbook from TigerDirect

/
The SecurityOrb.com deal of the week comes from TigerDirect.com . It is a refurbished Samsung NP-N130-JA01US Netbook with a webcam and Windows 7 Starter.

Electric Grid Vulnerabilities Exposed

/
Computer networks controlling the electric grid are plagued with security holes says a new Energy Department report based on the findings of 24 assessments of computer-control systems performed between 2003 and 2009. Many are VERY basic.