Ransomware, plus Slobodan Milosevic and viruses

Latest security news.

Security Weblog: Ransomware, plus Slobodan Milosevic and viruses, 03/16/06

A virus that encrypts documents and demands a ransom to de-crypt them has been spotted making its way slowly across the Internet. Plus, another virus seeks to exploit the death of Slobodan Milosevic to fool users into opening a malicious attachment. …

New Trojan encrypts data, demands ransom, 03/16/06

A virus that encrypts documents and demands a ransom to get them back is circulating on the Internet, but at least one security company has released the password needed to recover the files.

Microsoft goes public with Blue Hat hacker conference, 03/17/06

Microsoft is going public with some of the hacking information discussed at its Blue Hat Security Briefings event. On Thursday, just days after the end of its third Blue Hat conference, the software vendor posted the first blog entries at a new Web site. Microsoft is also promising to publish more details on the secretive invitation-only event.

CEBIT – Vendors flunk wireless security test, 03/17/06

More than half of the wireless networks deployed at the Cebit technology show in Hanover, Germany, last week had no encryption enabled, making the systems behind them prime targets, according to Kaspersky Lab, a security vendor.

DHS gets failing grade in computer security report, 03/16/06

The U.S. government will get low marks for computer security in a congressional report scheduled to be released Thursday. According to documents obtained by the IDG News Service, the federal government will get a D+ overall rating in the 2005 federal …

VeriSign warns of massive denial-of-service attacks, 03/16/06

A sudden increase in a particularly dangerous type of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack could portend big trouble for companies, according to VeriSign.

Coalition recommends new tools to battle phishing, 03/16/06

ISPs and e-commerce sites can employ more tools to combat phishing scams, including “white lists” of legitimate Web sites and using false identification information to scam the scammers, according to a report released Thursday.

Use numbers to fight cybercrime, PartnerWorld attendees are told, 03/16/06

Statistics could prove a handy ally in helping companies large and small to ward off cyberattacks, according to one security expert.

U.K. firms weak against ID theft, study says, 03/16/06

Only 1% of U.K. companies use all methods available to control access to their IT systems and prevent security problems, according to the Department of Trade and Industry.

Security Weblog: WAPI’s Chinese puzzle, 03/15/06

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has shot down the Chinese bid to have the WLAN Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure (WAPI) security protocol accepted as a global wireless LAN standard for security. Instead, ISO members …

Ex-GM guard charged with hacking into company database, 03/15/06

A former security guard at a General Motors’ technical center has been charged with stealing documents containing the names and Social Security numbers of about 100 GM employees and using those numbers to hack into the company’s employee-vehicle …