(PRNewswire, 23 March) Computer Associates International, Inc. (CA), a leading business software company, and AntiOnline.com, an internationally recognized source of Internet security information, today announced that CA will provide AntiOnline with its anti-virus expertise and award-winning eTrust security offering to protect eBusinesses from viruses and threats from hackers. This public awareness partnership will include the posting of virus information on AntiOnline's Web site, with plans to expand to cover all areas of security exploits. CA security solutions will be offered to all AntiOnline visitors in both downloadable and Web-based versions. (Chicago Tribune, 24 March) The College of DuPage unveiled a new state- of-the-art computer lab at the college's Suburban Law Enforcement Academy on Monday. There, officers will learn how to track computer criminals The lab at the Glen Ellyn school also will train officers in how to conduct on-line investigations, in computer modeling that will enable them to reconstruct a crime scene, and in how to present the evidence in court. (InfoSec News, 24 March) The PC Week and DCI Web Security Summit will take place 26-29 June in Boston. Attendees will learn how to protect their sites from attacks, what Web security products and techniques actually work (based on PC Week Labs' knowledge of security technology), and front- line experience of the tactics employed by those who threaten all e-commerce operations. There also will be lectures from IT managers and industry experts on Web site defense as well as response to successful attacks. (CNN, 20 March) The Muslim Online Syndicate (MOS)consists mostly of Pakistani Muslims who are self-proclaimed "hacktivists," committing computer crimes in order to bring attention to a social cause. The group used the conflict in Kashmir as a reason to deface almost 600 Web sites in India, and take control of government and private computer systems. MOS members say they secretly take control of a server, then deface the site when they "have no more use" for the data or the server itself. One MOS representative said, "The servers we control range from harmless mail and Web services to 'heavy duty' government servers. The data is only being categorically archived for later use if necessary." (Times Wire (UK), 24 March) A laptop computer containing sensitive information on Northern Ireland was stolen from an MI5 intelligence agent earlier this month. The �2,000 computer was snatched from the Security Service worker as he stopped to help a passer-by in the ticket hall at Paddington Underground station in Central London. The MI5 agent and two others chased the thief as he ran through crowds at the London station. The thief disappeared and the lap-top is still missing. It was stolen on the afternoon of 4 March. Last night a government source confirmed the theft and said: "We believe that the information on the laptop is secure. The theft is currently being investigated by the police." (Associated Press, 22 March) A separate Internet domain name for Palestinian Web sites won approval Wednesday. The Internet designation means Palestinian Web sites could begin using their own suffix, "ps." The U.S. Commerce Department approved the new suffix hours after a recommendation from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a newly established private group overseeing the world's Internet address system. The U.S. government, traditionally in charge of Internet naming policies, is in the process of switching those duties to ICANN. ICANN's recommendation was based in part on decisions by the U.N. and a world standards organization to create a separate code for Occupied Palestinian Territory. The designation is not meant as a recognition of Palestinian statehood, but foreign-policy implications may be unavoidable. The Palestinians are seeking the creation of an independent state. (Chicago Tribune, 24 March) The Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) will reportedly hold an international hacking contest. The information Protection Education Research Center of the institute said it will put in W300 million to host the First World Information Protection Contest (WIPC) in June. Hackers will attempt to break into a firewall the center has built for prize money totaling W100 million. The contest aims to test the capacity of Korean information protection technology, and find out the international standard of hackers. (FBIS, 23 March) A directorate of the Russian Interior Ministry has detained an organized group of people who had broken into computer databases in the international trade network, the head of the directorate, Dmitriy Chepchugov said. He said that the members of the group "performed different functions: some were breaking into Internet shopping sites and stealing credit card numbers and PIN codes, others were making orders via the Internet and a third group were receiving goods". Chepchugov said that the hackers "did not use only Russian payment systems. They used Visa, Mastercard and American Express credit cards of American, French and other citizens," he said. He said that the arrested people were 16-18 year olds. As a result of searches that currently being carried out, some goods and computers which are "necessary proof of the systems being broken into" have been confiscated. (Yahoo News, 23 March) A PG&E spokesman says crews were working to restore power in San Francisco's Chinatown district, where about 1,000 customers were without electricity beginning at 9:36 this yesterday morning. Two earlier outages began at 8:34 a.m. and 8:45 a.m., respectively, and power was restored shortly after 10 a.m. PG&E is investigating the cause of the outages. IMPORTANT NOTICE: If you are not using HushMail, this message could have been read easily by the many people who have access to your open personal email messages. Get your FREE, totally secure email address at http://www.hushmail.com.
