Courtesy Tech Herald
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In a reaction to this and other news of security breaches, President Obama yesterday announced an immediate 60-day review of how the federal government handles computer security, with an eye on what the government is doing to protect essential domestic networks — including electrical distribution control systems, banking networks, and travel back-ends like air traffic control systems — not just government-run systems like Pentagon file servers.
We’re barely into February and already a rash of computer security breaches is shaping up to be one of the biggest technology stories of the year.
No business appears to be safe. The FAA reported Tuesday that it had 45,000 employee records stolen by hackers last week. And even Kaspersky, which makes security software, had its website broken into this weekend.
Are you at risk? If there’s a bright side in all this news it’s that in general, hackers have been actively targeting bigger fish — corporations and millionaires instead of average users — simply because that’s where the more valuable booty is. But still, the standard pitfalls of malware, phishing, and virus attacks remain at large, so every computer user is still vulnerable to getting ensnared in one of these traps unless precautions are taken.
The article contains some good tips on keeping yourself safe.
“The article contains some good tips on keeping yourself safe.”
Ah yes. But it could have gone farther. What about replacing IE with Firefox 3? Or not browsing while in your Admin. account, to keep malware from installing itself? Or replacing Microsoft’s weak firewall with a better one? Or replacing your PC’s “HOSTS” file with a badsite blocking one? That reminds me, I need to update mine.
We still haven’t seen the worst of computer security problems, and we will never be entirely secure. (hint:the problem is not located in the computers, but in our own moral fiber) Computers are like any other technology, and will be used for pranks, crime organized and disorganized, parawarfare, actual warfare and any other purpose that can be served by them as an enabling technology.
For now, it takes all the running one can do to stay in the same place; just as the Red Queen said to Alice.
Typical! I know my share of computer security professionals, most of them are redundant. Why is it these businesses would rather assign their losses due to security problems to operating expenses, till something big happens. Lot’s of these companies haven’t gone the extra mile in security. They want the government to step in and make the net a kinder and gentler place for them to do business, of course they do. If there’s something to be learned from these attacks is that certain sectors need to spend more on security.
Damn, I’ve been googling all the wearz, h8xs, Cult of the Large Dead Animal, S3cure R3volutionz, and other poorly named “wish I was a vampire on Matrix” scripting sites and damned if I can find the “$1 trillion dollars in the fedral aid” script … anyone know when the script kiddie version of this hack is coming out? I could use a trillion or so about now (hell, even half a trillion would do).
Meanwhile in other news, The FBI Raids a Peanut Butter Plant.
reminds me a little bit of “24” season7!
don’t you think?
Assume your business will be breached. Use encryption liberally.
Certainly there are steps people can take to improve their security: randomized passwords, better anti-virus, better hosts file control etc. Yet, most breeches are because of unapplied patches, poor security practices or stupid users unwittingly helping hackers. After 20 years, people have still not learned Mitnick’s lesson: humans are the weakest element.
President Obama yesterday announced an immediate 60-day review of how the federal government handles computer security,
MAN OH MAN! Isn’t it a relief to have a president that acts pro-actively on important issues?
Contrast this to Bush & Condi who would have waited for some catastrophic breech and then claimed “no one could have foreseen this happening.”
BTW: No. I don’t think Obama is any sort of Messiah.
Just the opposite — I think he’s simply what a president should be.
I’m only elated because I’d forgotten what it feels like to have a capable, well-intentioned leader.
#9 Greg Allen
Quit masturbating over Obama on Dvorak Uncensored. We get it. You should get a room.
Can someone TELL me how they decided it HAD to be hackers??
Do they KNOW they have a BAD router or connections with direct INTERNET ACCESS??
WHAT would it take to KEEP personnel, PERSONAL DATA OFF INTERNET ACCESS?? WHY in the F*, is this data accessible FROM THE INTERNET??
I would wonder IF’ we can SUE the indiot that SETUP this 1 tier system.
WHo is the idiot that said…
WE want everything accessible FROM the internet??
ANd the Idiot that DIDNT say..NO YOU DONT!
WHo, in the computer, IT, business DOES NOT understand BASIC security protocols.
EVEN if someone NEEDS this data for a PAYROLL, make it DIAL UP, DIRECT ACCESS and PASSWORD PROTECTED..