* Avert Labs' blog
I got a nice note the other day from my former student Karthik Raman. Karthik was the valedictorian of the 2006 graduating class at Norwich University and also the gang boss for several years over the students who worked on the INFOSEC Year in Review database. Karthik is working in the McAfee Avert Labs these days, and he’s just published his first contribution to their blog.
In it, he muses over the consequences of Microsoft’s policy of limiting patch releases to the second Tuesday of each month. Does this pattern push malware writers to release their exploits on or after this Patch Tuesday?
The site has interesting topics listed in the categories list:
* Bot and BotNet Research
* Data Theft
* Exploit Research
* General Computer Security
* Malware Research
* Mobile Security Research
* Potentially Unwanted Programs
* Security Bulletins
* Spam and Phishing Research
* Un-Patched Vulnerabilities
* Vulnerability Research
* Web and Internet Safety
* Zero-Day
There are also monthly archives going back to May 2005.
I picked “Data Theft” to explore and found some interesting and well-written articles there. “It’s all in the Game!!” from Oct. 5, 2006, examined fraud in the online gaming industry, including massively multiplayer online role-playing games. “ATM security is still computer security” (Sept. 21) looks at bank-machine hacking. “Nightmares of Data Retention on Cell Phones” (Sept. 5) is an interesting review of how cell phones – especially personal digital assistants that include phone functions – can retain confidential information after it appears to be deleted. There are other articles in the archive that I recommend to readers.
The blog includes a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed so you can be notified of additions automatically. I think these materials may be useful to readers who are responsible for security-awareness programs. I suspect that Avert Labs would be happy to give you permission to include articles in your employee newsletters.
Congratulations to Avert Labs for a good resource for security awareness!
