Crossbeam Presents 2010 Boston Security Summit

June 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Security Expert from Leading Analyst Firm to Discuss Cybersecurity Trends and
Their Impact on Enterprise Security Spending
BOXBOROUGH, Mass.–(Business Wire)–
Crossbeam Systems

WHAT: Crossbeam Systems, Inc., the leading provider of next-generation security platforms for high-performance networks, today announced its 2010 Boston Security Summit titled “Architecting Confidence Into Your Security Infrastructure,” to be held on June 15th in Boston, Massachusetts. The Summit, which examines the challenges that enterprises face in managing their growing security infrastructure, invites security and technology professionals
to hear from featured speaker Lawrence Orans of Gartner, Inc., the world`s leading information technology research and advisory company.

WHEN: Tuesday, June 15th, 2010, from 8:45 a.m. – 12 p.m. at The Harvard Club of Boston.

SPEAKER: Lawrence Orans, security analyst for Gartner, will give a seminar on enterprise security best practices titled “The Gartner 2010 CyberThreat Landscape.”

Session overview: Orans will discuss the latest trends in cybersecurity and how this ever-changing ecosystem is impacting enterprise security spending, along with recommendations for security managers moving forward. Orans will discuss how these latest trends translate into the need to architect confidence into your security architecture, utilizing the latest security applications that can efficiently and effectively combat new and old
threats alike.

In addition to Orans` featured presentation, other speakers will provide:
— An overview of the state of enterprise security, including
insight into the challenges IT security personnel face in
managing the growing number of devices and technologies required
to address current and emerging threats.
— Insight into advances being made in security virtualization and
network consolidation, and how they are helping enterprises take
advantage of the latest security applications while reducing
management complexity.
— Real-world examples of enterprises that have built confidence
into their networks by consolidating their security
infrastructure onto Crossbeam`s X-Series security platform.

REGISTER: To register for this event, visit http://www.crossbeam.com/boston-summit-pr/

To learn more about where Crossbeam executives and customers will be presenting
in the coming year, please visit Crossbeam`s events page at

http://www.crossbeam.com/news-events/events/.

About Crossbeam

Crossbeam Systems, Inc. offers a proven approach to deploying network security
that meets the extreme performance, scalability and reliability demands of large
enterprises, service providers and government agencies. Its leading X-Series
security platform offers an open, high-performance architecture that easily
provisions and scales multiple best-in-class security applications to meet the
ever-changing threat landscape. Companies rely on Crossbeam to intelligently
manage risk, accelerate and maintain compliance, and protect their businesses
from evolving threats. Crossbeam is headquartered in Boxborough, Mass., and has
offices in Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific. More information is available
at www.crossbeam.com.

Crossbeam Systems and Crossbeam are registered trademarks of Crossbeam Systems,
Inc. All other company, product or service names not owned by Crossbeam
mentioned in this press release are the property of their respective owners.

Davies Murphy Group
Sharon Dratch, 781-418-2425
crossbeam@daviesmurphy.com

Copyright Business Wire 2010

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No police outriders for me: British PM

May 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 16 (IANS) British Prime Minister David Cameron has declined police outriders who travel in front of his official car, a move that has sparked concern among security expert who fear for his safety.

Cameron has told his staff that he would be happy to be stuck in traffic jams like ordinary motorists while he is on his way to official engagements, The Sun reported Saturday.

The prime minister’s special Jaguar has bullet-proof windows and bomb-proof doors. Former PM Gordon Brown used up to six specially-trained police motorcyclists, while John Major did not use any.

Cameron’s car was held up in a busy London street Saturday and passers-by were able to get within a few feet of the prime minister.

‘David is happy to put up with the same driving conditions as everyone else,’ a Downing Street source was quoted as saying.

Dai Davies, former head of Royalty Protection at Scotland Yard, was flabbergasted to see Cameron leave Buckingham Palace without outriders after the Queen invited him to become the next prime minister of Britain.

‘I thought it was some mistake. The first rule is keep moving. If you stop you get hit. I’m extremely worried and would urge Mr Cameron to reconsider his decision,’ he said.

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Lethal “electronic Pearl Harbour” cyber-attack could cripple US in 15 minutes: Experts

May 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 8 (ANI): A former White House counter-terrorism adviser has warned that a possible cyber attack could bring the US to its knees causing death and destruction in less than 15 minutes, challenging America’s notion of its own invulnerability.

Reputed anti-terrorism expert Richard Clarke, who has served the Clinton and the Bush administrations, has warned of dire consequences as a result of a lethal cyber-attack. He portends that terrorists might be able to pull of an “electronic Pearl Harbour”, the Daily Telegraph reports.

He says that first the terrorists would seize control of the Pentagon and engineer its collapse.

Thereafter pandemonium would ensue, with lethal clouds of chlorine being ejected by malfunctioning chemical plants in Philadelphia and Houston.

Air-traffic controllers would report mid-air collisions, while subway trains crash in New York, Washington and Los Angeles. More than 150 cities would suddenly be blacked out. Tens of thousands of Americans would die in an attack comparable to a nuclear bomb in its devastation.

He warns that the US must take concrete measures in the area of cyber-security in order to avert such a situation. He ascribes the Government’s inability to crack down on cyber crime to the rampant rise of the Internet, which is seen by Americans as a mouthpiece to air their views and is largely unregulated.

According to the paper, these problems are also spelt out in Robert Knake’s new book, ‘Cyber War: The Next National Security Threat’.

Knake is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and is a well-known homeland and cyber-security expert.

“The biggest secret about cyber war may be that at the very same time the US prepares for offensive cyber war, it is continuing policies that make it impossible to defend effectively from cyber attack,” says the book.

“We must have the ability to turn off our connection to the internet and still be able to continue to operate,” Knake, told the Daily Telegraph.

“Relying on a system as precarious as the Internet is a big mistake. It is a fundamentally insecure ecosystem that is ripe for conflict and gives countries with disadvantages in conventional weapons an asymmetrical advantage,” he warns.

(ANI)

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Facebook fixes security flaw that exposes personal chats

May 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 6 (ANI): Social networking site Facebook has made haste to fix a security flaw that allowed its users to view the live chats of their friends and also see their pending friend requests.

All one needed to do to spy on their friends’ personal chat messages and see who requested to join their network, was use the site’s privacy setting to expose the personal information.

Facebook is said to have temporarily removed the chat facility while it fixed the flaw.

The exploit, originally reported by the blog TechCrunch, worked via an option in privacy settings that allows people to preview their profiles, as it would appear to their friends.

But it was never intended to show others what their friends were actually doing.

“For a limited period of time, a bug permitted some users’ chat messages and pending friend requests to be made visible to their friends by manipulating the ‘preview my profile’ feature of Facebook privacy settings,” the BBC quoted Facebook as saying in a statement.

“When we received reports of the problem, our engineers promptly diagnosed it and temporarily disabled the chat function.

“We also pushed out a fix to take care of the visible friend requests which is now complete,” it stated, adding that the chat function will be turned back on shortly.

Candid Wueest, security expert at Symantec, said that it is a matter of concern when an organisation is not able to provide security.

“For any organisation, whether you are a social networking site or not, privacy breaches are worrying,” Wueest said.

“Unfortunately, this isn’t the first privacy breach of its kind to plague a social networking site – other high-profile sites have also been affected with similar problems,” he revealed.

But he also praised Facebook’s quick response to the issue.

“Facebook has acted quickly in fixing the alleged flaw, whereas some social networking sites have been known to take days to fix issues reported,” he added. (ANI)

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Osama bin Laden’s Facebook account disabled

April 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, Apr 17(ANI): Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden’s profile on social networking website Facebook has been shut down, after a security expert raised the issue with the website’s U.S. owners.

According to reports, Osama had a Facebook page named “The leader of the Mujahideen, Osama bin Laden”, and he used it as a platform to show videos and speeches to Islamic militants.

Talking about the decision, Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes said that the company could not ascertain if the profile belonged to Osama or was fake.

“People often attempt to register fake accounts under the name of famous or infamous people, and we have a number of technical measures designed to prevent this behavior,” Fox News quoted Noyes, as saying.

“Sometimes these fakes do get through, but there is no evidence to suggest that the account in question or the other dozens of people who have tried to present themselves as Osama Bin Laden have any relation to the terrorist. As is our standard practice, we have disabled the account,” he added.

The account became active less than a month ago, but had already attracted nearly 1,000 extremists, and although the language used was Arabic, messages in English had started to appear.

Internet terror expert and author Neil Doyle said: “Bin Laden, via his supporters, is clearly taunting his pursuers.”

Since 2001, Osama and his organization have been major targets of the United States” War on Terror.

There is a 16 million pound reward for his capture, and he along with other Al-Qaeda leaders are believed to be hiding near the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan”s Federally Administered Tribal Areas. (ANI)

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Osama bin Laden’s Facebook account disabled

April 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, Apr 17(ANI): Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden’s profile on social networking website Facebook has been shut down, after a security expert raised the issue with the website’s U.S. owners.

According to reports, Osama had a Facebook page named “The leader of the Mujahideen, Osama bin Laden”, and he used it as a platform to show videos and speeches to Islamic militants.

Talking about the decision, Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes said that the company could not ascertain if the profile belonged to Osama or was fake.

“People often attempt to register fake accounts under the name of famous or infamous people, and we have a number of technical measures designed to prevent this behavior,” Fox News quoted Noyes, as saying.

“Sometimes these fakes do get through, but there is no evidence to suggest that the account in question or the other dozens of people who have tried to present themselves as Osama Bin Laden have any relation to the terrorist. As is our standard practice, we have disabled the account,” he added.

The account became active less than a month ago, but had already attracted nearly 1,000 extremists, and although the language used was Arabic, messages in English had started to appear.

Internet terror expert and author Neil Doyle said: “Bin Laden, via his supporters, is clearly taunting his pursuers.”

Since 2001, Osama and his organization have been major targets of the United States’ War on Terror.here is a 16 million pound reward for his capture, and he along with other Al-Qaeda leaders are believed to be hiding near the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas. (ANI)

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Microsoft acts to avoid Windows blue screen repeat

April 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Microsoft took steps Tuesday to avoid repeating the debacle two months ago that left Windows XP users staring at the notorious “Blue Screen of Death” error message after they applied a patch.

In February, a security update that fixed two flaws in the Windows kernel — the operating system’s most important component — wreaked havoc when it was applied by users, who almost immediately flooded Microsoft ‘s support forum with reports of crippled computers .

As the number of reports grew, Microsoft first stopped automatically serving the MS10-015 update, then confirmed that a rootkit caused the crashes . Only PCs that had been previously infected with the Alureon rootkit were incapacitated, Microsoft’s investigation found.

Microsoft restarted distribution of the update only after it had come up with a way to block rootkit-infected PCs from receiving the patches. “If detection logic included in Automatic Update discovers abnormal conditions in certain operating system file configurations, the update will fail and customers will be presented with an error message that offers alternative support options,” said Jerry Bryant, general manager with the Microsoft Security Response Team, in early March.

MS10-021 , one of the 11 updates issued yesterday as part of Microsoft’s monthly Patch Tuesday cycle , also fixed flaws in the Windows kernel. But Microsoft is hoping that this month’s update won’t trigger a repeat Blue Screen of Death.

“This security update includes package detection logic that prevents the installation of the security update if certain abnormal conditions exist on 32-bit systems,” stated the MS10-021 bulletin. “These abnormal conditions on a system could be the result of an infection with a computer virus that modifies some operating system files, which renders the infected computer incompatible with the kernel update.”

One security expert applauded the move.

“I give Microsoft a big tip of the hat for not taking [the February incident] as a one-off,” said Jason Miller, data and security team manager at network compliance and security vendor Shavlik Technologies. “The kernel is something that if something goes bad, that’s not good. Patching the kernel is not like patching a media player.”

Microsoft obviously learned a lesson. Even though the February update crashed a relatively small number of PCs, the problem actually affected many more, he argued. “It may have affected just a few people, but it scared almost everyone into not patching,” Miller said.

Although scattered reports of problems with Tuesday’s security updates have been posted on Microsoft’s support forum, Computerworld did not find any message threads describing Blue Screen of Death crashes after users applied yesterday’s MS10-021 kernel update.

Enterprises should still test the update before widely deploying it, Miller recommended. “With every kernel patch, you really have to test. We’re pretty adamant about that,” he said.

Microsoft also urged users to apply MS10-021 to protect themselves. Although attacks had not been found in the wild exploiting any of the eight vulnerabilities addressed by the update, the company noted that users would “likely…see reliable exploit code developed for one or more of these eight vulnerabilities” in the next 30 days.

This month’s security update, including MS10-021, can be downloaded and installed via the Windows Update and Microsoft Update services, as well as through Windows Server Update Services.

Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld . Follow Gregg on Twitter at @gkeizer or subscribe to Gregg’s RSS feed . His e-mail address is gkeizer@ix.netcom.com .

Read more about security in Computerworld’s Security Knowledge Center.

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2012 London Olympics could face ‘blended’ physical, cyber attack: Security expert

March 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, Mar 23(ANI): A British cyber security expert has warned that terrorists could use a “blended attack” to hit both physical targets and disrupt cyber systems simultaneously during the 2012 London Olympics.

Professor Peter Sommer, of the London School of Economics, warned that computer security would be extremely important during the Games.

“There is what’s called a ‘blended attack’, so there is a physical attack, but it’s made easier because someone is disrupting cyber systems at the same time, so that is the sort of scenario that people have got to worry about,” Sky News quoted Sommer, as saying.

The warning propels the threat highlighted by former Home Secretary David Blunkett, who had warned the Gordon Brown Government that the Games could face a cyber attack.

Blunkett had earlier stressed that terrorists could use sophisticated hacking to trigger the “complete meltdown” of computer and communications systems or disrupt ticketing, accommodation and transport arrangements.

The Labour MP for Sheffield Brightside had highlighted that such an attack would be “economically and commercially devastating”.

He had also urged for a coordinated approach between the government and the security experts to ensure a safe and secure Games. (ANI)

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Defence Ministry rejects scientist’s stand Pokhran II success, says nuke strength sufficient

August 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Aug.27 (ANI): The Defence Ministry on Thursday rejected senior DRDO scientist K Santhanam’s assertion that the 1998 Pokhran II nuclear tests were not fully successful, adding that India has a meaningful number of nuclear weapons and an effective delivery system to go with it.

Sources in the ministry told the Times Now television channel that India has a nuclear deterrent that is adequate for its security.

K Santhanam, who was director for 1998 test site preparations, told the Times of India in an interview that the yield of thermonuclear explosions was actually much below expectations and the tests were perhaps more a fizzle rather than a big bang.

In nuclear parlance, a test is described as a fizzle when it fails to meet the desired yield.

Santhanam said the yield for the thermonuclear test, or hydrogen bomb in popular usage, was much lower than what was claimed. Santhanam also said that given this fact, India should not rush into signing the CTBT.

He emphasized the need for India to conduct more tests to improve its nuclear weapon programme.

The test was said to have yielded 45 kilotons (KT) but was challenged by western experts who said it was not more than 20 KT.

The exact yield of the thermonuclear explosion is important as during the heated debate on the India- S nuclear deal, it was strenuously argued by the government’s top scientists that no more tests were required for the weapons programme. It was said the disincentives the nuclear deal imposed on testing would not really matter as further tests were not required.

According to security expert Bharat Karnad, Santhanam’s admission is remarkable because this is the first time a nuclear scientist and one closely associated with the 1998 tests has disavowed the government line.

“This means the government has to do something. Either you don’t have a thermonuclear deterrent or prove that you have it, if you claim to have it,” said Karnad.

The yield of the thermonuclear device test in 1998 has led to much debate and while western experts have stated that it was not as claimed, BARC has maintained that it stands by its assessment.

Indian scientists had claimed after the test that the thermonuclear device gave a total yield of 45 KT, 15 KT from the fission trigger and 30 KT from the fusion process and that the theoretical yield of the device (200 KT) was reduced to 45 KT in order to minimise seismic damage to villages near the test range.

British experts, however, later challenged the claims saying that the actual combined yield for the fission device and thermonuclear bomb was not more than 20 KT.

Sources claim that Santhanam had admitted that the test was a fizzle during a discussion on CTBT organized by IDSA.

India conducted five nuclear tests at the Pokhran test range. Three of them were conducted on May 11 and two on May 13, 1998.

Rajagopala Chidambaram headed the team, which conducted tests, and the device was developed at the Defence Research and Development Organization’s Ballistics Research Laboratory. (ANI)

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India must not sign CTBT as Pokhran II was not fully successful, says DRDO scientist

August 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Aug.27 (ANI): A senior scientist and DRDO representative at Pokhran II has admitted for the first time that the May 1998 nuclear tests may not have been as successful as has been projected.

K Santhanam, who was director for 1998 test site preparations, told the Times of India in an interview that the yield of thermonuclear explosions was actually much below expectations and the tests were perhaps more a fizzle rather than a big bang.

In nuclear parlance, a test is described as a fizzle when it fails to meet the desired yield.

Santhanam said the yield for the thermonuclear test, or hydrogen bomb in popular usage, was much lower than what was claimed. Santhanam also said that given this fact, India should not rush into signing the CTBT.

He emphasized the need for India to conduct more tests to improve its nuclear weapon programme.

The test was said to have yielded 45 kilotons (KT) but was challenged by western experts who said it was not more than 20 KT.

The exact yield of the thermonuclear explosion is important as during the heated debate on the India-US nuclear deal, it was strenuously argued by the government’s top scientists that no more tests were required for the weapons programme. It was said the disincentives the nuclear deal imposed on testing would not really matter as further tests were not required.

According to security expert Bharat Karnad, Santhanam’s admission is remarkable because this is the first time a nuclear scientist and one closely associated with the 1998 tests has disavowed the government line.

“This means the government has to do something. Either you don’t have a thermonuclear deterrent or prove that you have it, if you claim to have it,” said Karnad.

The yield of the thermonuclear device test in 1998 has led to much debate and while western experts have stated that it was not as claimed, BARC has maintained that it stands by its assessment.

Indian scientists had claimed after the test that the thermonuclear device gave a total yield of 45 KT, 15 KT from the fission trigger and 30 KT from the fusion process and that the theoretical yield of the device (200 KT) was reduced to 45 KT in order to minimise seismic damage to villages near the test range.

British experts, however, later challenged the claims saying that the actual combined yield for the fission device and thermonuclear bomb was not more than 20 KT.(ANI)

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Advani raises poll pitch, targets Congress

April 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Apr.17 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Prime Ministerial candidate L K Advani today demanded that the UPA Government should make efforts to bring back the black money deposited by Indians in foreign banks and also raise the issue at an upcoming G-20 meet.

Advani, who was unveiling a report of a four-member task force of the party formed to look into the issue of Indian black money in foreign banks, said it was more dangerous than the black money circulated inside the country.

He said as the National Security Advisor himself had pointed out, the black money from outside the country finds way into the Indian market as “terror money”.

He also demanded that the government should raise the issue of black money in the G-20 meet scheduled on April 25.

The four-member task force appointed by the BJP leadership to look into the issue comprises chartered accountant S Gurumurthy, Prof Vaidyanathan of IIM Bangalore, security expert Ajit Doval and lawyer and BJP Lok Sabha nominee Mahesh Jethmalani. (ANI)

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Cyber experts: Indian police still lack technologies to deal with the cyber crimes

April 8, 2009 By 2 Comments

It’s rather unfortunate that India, which is one of the powerful nations and powerful technology markets of the world, is still not well equipped with the technologies to deal with the cyber crimes. According to the cyber experts, India is currently the the fourth worst-hit from Chinese Net hackers, but unfortunately, the Indian police still do not have the technologies to counter the Internet and modern spying technologies that are often applied by the today’s tech savvy trerrorists. It’s a serious loophole posing serious challenge to the security in India.

The web security experts say cyber crimes are increasingly growing, as the Indian police system is incapable of dealing with crimes commited through internet. The Indian police system is still not proficient to deal with issues like cyber war and cyber terrorism. The Indian police personnels are still not well literate to deal with the cyber crimes like computer attacks or hacks, security breaches, botnet, spam, phishing, etc

A study by Canada-based internet research firm Information Warfare Monitor (IWM) has revealed that a Chinese cyber spy network has been able to hack into nearly 1,300 computers across 103 countries and has been able to infect computer systems at Indian embassies and other government organizations.

Ankit Fadia, a cyber security expert says, “Although India is IT leader of the world, in computer security it is far lagging behind. Indian police is not adequately equipped to handle cyber crime investigations. Many times when I am contacted for help, the kind of questions I am asked are very basic.”

He adds, “Look at engineering colleges across the country. None of them offer any courses on computer security. This is the primary reason for a lack of experts in the country. We need more courses, education and awareness.”

According to cyber experts, the biggest problem probably is that the majority of people in Indian police and defence forces are still computer and cyber illiterate, and there is less awareness about cyber crimers. Secondly, Indian legal system does not have specific and proper laws for cuber crimes.

“Although India has done a good job by enacting the IT Act, 2000 yet it failed to keep it updated. For instance, we need express provisions and specified procedures to deal with issues like denial of service (DOS), distributed denial of services (DDOS), bot, botnets, trojans, backdoors, viruses and worms, sniffers, SQL injections, buffer overflows etc. These issues cannot be left on mere luck, implied provisions or traditional penal law of India (IPC). Even issues like cyber war against India or cyber terrorism against India have not been properly incorporated into the IT Act, 2000 yet. The proposed IT Act Amendment Bill, 2008 also failed to address these issues. It would only result into increased cyber crimes in India,” says Mr. Praveen Dalal, Managing Partner of Perry4Law and the leading techno-legal expert/specialist of India.

The cyber experts say that the Indian police and defence forces direly need cyber security and cyber forensics capabilities. The Indian authorities really need to something very seriously and sincerely to make the people of its police forces, cyber literates. The authories can get the help of good techno-legal experts for that.

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UK hate preacher wants Sharia law in Britain

March 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, Mar. 29 (ANI): Brushing aside the Scotland Yard probe into his inflammatory speeches, the controversial Muslim cleric Anjem Choudary has warned that Britain would become a Sharia state soon.

“Let me tell you something – the Sharia will be implemented in Pakistan, it will be implemented in India and Bangladesh and even down the road in Downing Street. There is nothing to stop me calling for a Sharia state,” the Sunday Express quoted Choudary, as telling his followers in London.

The London-born lawyer, who in his youth was a cider-drinking ladies’ man, further said that Muslims around the world would rise and eventually conquer the White House.

Astonishingly, he compared himself to Noah from the Old Testament in one ranting outburst.

“People said ‘look at that man building that boat in the mountain’. Now they say ‘look at that lunatic calling for the Sharia in Britain’ they say the same thing,” he said in a voice rising with passion and vigor.

Choudary also included ex-US President Nixon in his rant.

“President Nixon once said if the Muslims in the Asian continent gathered together they would be a superpower. There are more than one billion in the Indian sub-continent … if they woke up,” he said.

Scotland Yard reportedly is investigating him for allegedly saying homosexuals should be stoned to death.

Choudary, however, denied the allegations.

“That allegation about stoning is not true and I am complaining to the Press Complaints Commission. It is all fabrication. If I was supporting terrorists, do you think I would be here, and I would have a beard,” he said.

Tory MP and homeland security expert Patrick Mercer called for Scotland Yard to look at Choudary’s latest speech too.

“His comments sound like sedition to me. The police should look very carefully at his words to see if he has broken the law.

Victims of the 7/7 bombing will, I am sure, be hugely upset by what sounds like sedition,” he said. (ANI)

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PC worm may turn nasty on April Fool’s Day

March 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, Mar 25 (ANI): A security expert has cautioned that an Internet worm, called Conficker C, can strike at infected computers around the world on April 1.

Conficker C is a sophisticated piece of malicious computer software, or malware, that installs itself on a PC hard drive via specially written web pages and then conceals itself on a computer.

Graham Cluley, of the security specialist Sophos, has claimed that Conficker C is programmed “to hunt for new instructions on April 1″.

However, “this does not mean that anything is going to happen, or that the worm is actually going to do anything. Simply, it is scheduled to hunt a wider range of websites for instructions on that date,” The Times quoted him as saying.

And the biggest catch is that no one yet has any idea what exactly Conficker C is programmed to do.

In February, Cluley said: “It’s as if someone is assembling an army of computers around the world, but hasn’t yet decided where to point them.”

Experts are fearing that on April 1 all the world’s millions of infected computers may receive simultaneous instructions to attack, or to flood the Internet with spam e-mail.

Ed Gibson, Microsoft’s chief security adviser for the UK, was quite hesitant to make predictions about Conficker’s behaviour.

“April 1 is a classic date for anything like this to go off. But I really would hate to say that April 1 is going to be unlike any other day,” he said. (ANI)

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‘Wiretapping’ threatening Internet, says web inventor Tim Berners-Lee

March 12, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, March 12 (ANI): Inventor of the web Tim Berners-Lee, alongwith other online security specialists at the Houses of Parliament in London, have warned that the ever-increasing power of computers is threatening the future of the Internet.

The experts are mainly concerned about deep packet inspection (DPI), a technique that makes it possible to peer inside packets of data transmitted across the Internet.

Richard Clayton, a security expert at the University of Cambridge and treasurer of the Foundation for Information Policy Research, points out that DPI is already being used for commercial gain.

According to him, firms try to sell DPI-acquired data those who can use it, such as for online advertisements.

The Chinese government also uses DPI to enforce its web censorship programme, sometimes called the Great Firewall of China.

Berners-Lee concedes that targeted adverts offer online users an improved service and that he does not have any issues with them, but he is uncomfortable with using DPI to provide them, reports New Scientist magazine.

He says that DPI is like wiretapping, and can enable firms to learn a huge amount about people’s “lives, hates and fears”.

Robert Topolski, a software engineer at the US Federal Communications Commission, says that DPI threatens the trust that exists between web users and internet service providers.

He says that this technology makes it possible for a “man in the middle” not directly accountable to a website’s operators or its users to intercept and use data sent over the internet, from details of purchases made online to messages shared on social sites.

According to him, this is very different from the widespread practice of monitoring online activity such as search terms, with the user’s consent, to offer similar targeted adverts.

Clayton and other members of the discussion group said that DPI should be tested against existing data-protection and privacy laws, before it becomes more widely used.

They said that this would either establish precedents that protect web users, or make it clear that new legislation is needed. (ANI)

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Twenty-20 World Cup to be played under strict security cover: Elworthy

March 9, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Lahore, Mar.9 (ANI): The terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket players in Lahore last week has not only raised concerns over the 2011 cricket World Cup, but it also has alarmed British security agencies involved with preparations for the Twenty-20 World Cup this June.

Twenty-20 World Cup Organising Committee Director Steve Elworthy has admitted the attacks have set alarm bells ringing among security agencies.

“Definitely, the Lahore terror attack has forced us to relook our plans. Just after the attack, we had a meeting and we are meeting again next week where some top security experts will also participate,” The Nation quoted Elworthy, as saying.

Elworthy said players and officials would be provided a fool-proof security cover during the event, as London has been on the list of the terrorists in the past.

Elworthy said the committee is awaiting advice of top security expert Reg Dickason, who is currently on a tour of the West Indies with the English cricket team.(ANI)

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U.S. skeptical about Pak restrictions on A Q Khan

February 9, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington/Islamabad, Feb.9 (ANI): There has been considerable adverse reaction in the West to the Islamabad High Court’s decision to free tainted Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan from five years of house arrest for selling nuclear secrets.

However, according to Pakistani officials, an agreement has been reached between Khan’s lawyers and the government to limit his movements and monitor his telephone calls, visitors and activities.

The ministry has also agreed to prohibit his travel abroad, but will provide him all security.
American officials are said to be quite skeptical about the new arrangement, which they said had been reported to them by the Pakistani government.
“We’re very concerned. Pakistan has “given us some initial commitments but we’re going to be following [the situation] very closely. The important thing is that they know we are still very serious about this individual,” said one official.
Asked yesterday about Khan, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the government had decided not to appeal the court ruling on Khan’s release, but had “taken all measures” to ensure that he would be unable to resume the spread of nuclear secrets or technology.

There is a view in some quarters in Islamabad and Washington that the order issued by the judge is “strange”, as also its “timing.”

His release comes just before Richard Holbrooke’s visit to Pakistan.

Only last month, the United States had imposed sanctions on 13 individuals and three companies for their involvement with Khan’s network. Washington is also amazed and dismayed over Khan’s release, saying it is a “serious proliferation risk”.

Well known security expert, Lt. Gen. (retired) Talat Masood, however, terms the negotiated settlement as a vindication of a “national hero. This view is likely to ruffle feathers in the West.

There is another view that the Pakistan Army may be complicit in facilitating Khan’s release, even as it seeks to restore its deteriorating image in the North West Frontier Province.

Khan, 72, is revered in Pakistan as the father of the country’s nuclear weapons program, and though he has never been charged, he has admitted selling nuclear secrets to Iran, Libya and North Korea.

His secret network collapsed in 2003, after more than a decade of investigation by the CIA and other agencies.

Then-Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, confronted with evidence of his guilt, persuaded Khan to make a public confession but then publicly pardoned the scientist and refused to allow U.S or international officials to question him.

The deal reached between his lawyers and the government suggests that “his silence” is part of the pact, and that any political gain from his release, is likely to be short lived. (ANI)

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