There`s a certain sweet irony in Oracle`s admission that it spied on Microsoft. Interesting, though, that the world`s second largest software company sorted through trash and paper (including shredded office notes) of the world`s largest software company to (literally) dig up the dirt. It used some of the evidence it found to expose Microsoft`s goings-on. Utterly seedy, but at least it found evidence to indicate that Microsoft had been paying industry trade groups to write favourably of its technology. So maybe that`s why some of the analyst reports are so out of kilter with our own experiences.
If America`s largest can still get caught out, what hope is there for the rest?
Ian Melamed, MD, Ian Melamed Secure Computing
Step aside, America, as Russia is readying itself to claim the title of cybercrime capital of the world. An article in the New York Times describes Internet petty crime as rapidly growing in Russia, where youngsters have plenty of free time and access to the Internet.
Yet another Internet service provider (ISP) has been cracked, with potentially nasty consequences for subscribers. This time it`s pioneering UK ISP Redhotant, which had its entire customer database stolen, including names, addresses, passwords and credit card numbers. Couldn`t happen here, of course.
If America`s largest can still get caught out, what hope is there for the rest? Two 15-year-olds in Wichita, Kansas, duped AOL users into revealing their credit card numbers. Victims received an e-mail asking that they go to a Web site to update their user information. This included their credit card number. AOL advises it is not company policy to ask for credit card numbers, but you have to ask yourself, how gullible are people if they`re still taken in by a ruse like this?
Just hack it! Nike`s Web site was cracked last week, and its traffic rerouted through a small Web hosting company, Network Solutions. The company is now suing Nike, claiming the shoe giant should have secured its systems. Nike is counterpunching with a statement that Network Solutions should not have allowed the redirection to take place at all.
How`s this for hacking? A former computer science student at Northeastern University has admitted to cyber break-ins at the US Defence Logistics Agency, Nasa and the Interior Department, among others. Under a plea bargain, the man will serve no more than six months. Gee, what a deterrent!
The world`s most famous hacker is going analogue in an attempt to overcome a court ban on his using computers. Kevin Mitnick has asked a Los Angeles court to overturn a probation officer`s order barring him from becoming a columnist for an Internet company. Mitnick, who spent four years in prison for stealing computer secrets from some of the nation`s top companies, wants to be allowed to review computer magazines for the newly launched Contentville Web site. Under the terms of his release from prison this year, Mitnick was barred from using computers and other high-tech devices or from working as a consultant or adviser to any computer-related business for three years. So, Mitnick will write up his column on typewriter and dictate it to Contentville. There has to be a moral in there somewhere.
At last, someone in authority is cracking down on cookies, the little bits of software used to track visitors to Web sites. While some contend that cookies are harmless, they can be used for surreptitiously collecting personal information. And when the ultimate Big Brother, the US government, is collecting this information, it`s best to err on the side of caution. The White House has ordered its drug policy office to stop tracking Web users through anti-drug advertising, and issued strict new rules regulating federal use of cookies. The Office of National Drug Control Policy had been using these files through advertising sold by DoubleClick, an Internet ad company, on behalf of Ogilvy & Mather, which was retained by the federal office.
President Bill Clinton has signed the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act into law, making digital signature technology as binding as "wet", or ink signatures. Clinton electronically signed the bill at a press event at Constitution Hall in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was signed. The electronic signatures act mirrors laws passed in most states and enables interstate e-commerce.
To put this year`s wave of viruses into perspective, the total cost to business globally in 1999 has been estimated at $12 billion, and the I Love You virus on its own cost $10 billion.
The Stages virus hasn`t been as spectacular as I Love You, but it has certainly caused its own share of headaches for network administrators and ISPs. Indeed, the FBI decided to get involved, and is investigating with whom and where the worm originated - currently the theory lies with the infamous "Zulu" from Argentina. The worm, when triggered, activates links to porn sites and changes the victims` Internet explorer home page to a porn site.
Do beware of the Simpsons Trojan. A malicious self-extracting compressed batch file, Trojan horse decompresses itself and begins to delete all the files on drives C, A, B and D. During execution a DOS window appears, showing the Trojan deleting all files on each drive.
Really interesting to see rival anti-virus vendors Computer Associates and Sophos coming to verbal blows over the new Simpson Trojan. Computer Associates was first to market with news and warnings about the new Trojan. UK-based Sophos responded by saying that Computer Associates was irresponsible. This is typical of the infighting that has been created by the speed-to-market race. Computer Associates as the "new boy on the block" uses every opportunity to be the first to market to prove its skills and abilities to stay on top of the virus problem. The real race is to provide protection to the users! Who will claim this title?
(Source information for items in this issue was gleaned from AP, Boston.com, Newsbytes, Silicon.com, The Times, New York Times and APB News.)
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