All Shows

Show of 6-15-2002

  • Virus Update
    • New Virus Infects Picture Files
      • W32.Perrun.dr
      • Sent to Symantec by this author, it is a proof-of-principle virus
      • Embeds virus into jpg picture, increasing its size by 11K.
      • Cannot propagate yet, because the complete virus, including extractor is not embedded.
      • Affects on Windows machines. Does not affect Mac, Linux, Unix
      • Extractor file is sent as an email attachment. It infects every local picture that is viewed by that machine.
    • KaZaA File Sharing Virus Discovered
      • Called Worm.Kasaa.Benjamin
      • Shared via KaZaA voluntary downloads
      • File apparently poses as song, movies, or other attractive media file.
      • Previous KazA virus was W32.Elem.Trojan
    • Klez Virus has a message
      • The Klez writer, who claims to be Asian, apparently wants a job
      • An embedded message says: ?I want a good job. I must support my parents. Now you have seen my technical capabilities. My year-salary is no more than $5,500. What do you think of this fact? Don?t call me names. I have no hostility. Can you help me.?
    • Virus writers want to brag and hence are easier to catch
      • David Smith fell in love with an Florida stripper, Melissa. He wrote an ode of mourning his lost love
      • Jan de Wit, author of the Anna Kournikova worm, was alarmed as he watched the damage of his creation. He turned himself in.
      • Four Israelis teenagers created ?Goner? and ?Pentagonaer.? They were traced by systems administrators while chatting and bragging on their IRC channel, ?Pentagone.?
      • Perrun, the JPG virus, has already been submitted to Symantec by its author. He presumably wants a job.
  • Best Buy Reactivates Wireless Cash Registers
    • Best Buy is now a target
    • It has implemented VPN technology to security the networks
    • It has lowered power levels
    • Best Buy is not releasing any other details.
  • Microsoft News
  • Parents Beware of KaZaA P2P file-sharing
    • Nathan Good and Aaron Krekelberg have completed a study
      • KaZaA file sharing menus are confusing
      • Many user share too many files, including private files, without knowing it
    • Authors searched for Visa, inbox.dbx, etc and got many hits
      • Found 20 users who were sharing inbox.dbx (the Outlook Express e-mail inbox)
      • Of those 9 shared their web cache and cookies
      • 5 shared word processing documents
      • 2 shared data from financial software
      • 1 shared the Windows systems folder
      • Set up a dummy shared file, Credit Card.xls. Downloaded with minutes.
    • Parents could be working at home using a VPN and their child is sharing their valuable data to anyone.
  • War Driving Software
    • Kismet
      • Passive sniffer
      • Linux and any card with Prism chip set
    • NetStumbler
      • Active prober
      • Windows and any card with an Lucent Wavelan chip set
  • Biotech ?dragline? spider silk
    • Nexia, a biotech firm, has spliced a spider?silk producing gene into cells from the milk producing gland of cows
    • Genertically altered cows secret a soupy fluid, from which Nexia was able to extract spider silk
    • The silk has been spun into fibers and armor this is expected to be stronger than steel, lighter than cotton, and harder to teach than Kevlar.
  • Ruling the Root by Milton L Mueller
    • Internet politics revealed
    • Who controls the Domain Name System
    • In the beginning Jon Postel, under contract to Department of Defense
    • Later ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) under contract to Commerce
    • ICANN, many feel, is controlled by large corporations
    • Root Domain Servers (13 in all)
      • DC Metro Area (3 VA, 2 MD)
      • CA (2 Northern, 2 Southern)
      • Japan (1)
      • Europe (1 England, 1 Sweden)
  • South Africa’s domain administrator hides key file
    • Parliament is passing bill to control Namespace.za
    • Za administrator believe that is too control and is protesting
  • Stop Those Probes!!!
    • Are we headed for National Firewalls?
    • China and many Middle Eastern countries have one.
    • Should we block all IP address originated from the Asia, as suggested at a recent computer conference? ?Asis: Just Say No!?
    • You can monitor you probes and identify the IP address they came from
      • Go to Geektools to see what ISP owns that address
      • Report them to the abuse email address that may be listed there.
  • Stratford News
    • Next Start is July 1