Safe and Secure

The latest threat to hit the internet is a variant of the Sober worm that passes itself off as an email from the CIA or FBI. Several different assessments rate the threat from this worm as anywhere from medium to severe.

This variant of Sober generates e-mails that purport to be from the CIA or FBI. These messages tell the recipient they have been looking at illegal Web sites and should answer some questions in the e-mail’s attachment. If the attachment is opened, the computer is infected, and the virus sends copies of itself to any e-mail addresses found on the hard drive.

Latest Sober threatens e-mail gateways | Tech News on ZDNet

The SANS Institute has released its 2005 Top-20 Internet Security Vulnerabilities and this year a new category - Cross Platform Applications - takes the spotlight. Of particular concern and new to the list this year is backup software which often deals with a company’s or individual’s most sensitive data.

Four years ago, the SANS Institute and the National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) at the FBI released a document summarizing the Ten Most Critical Internet Security Vulnerabilities. Thousands of organizations used that list, and the expanded Top-20 lists that followed one, two, and three years later, to prioritize their efforts so they could close the most dangerous holes first. The vulnerable services that led to worms like Blaster, Slammer, and Code Red have been on these lists.

Source: SANS Top 20 Vulnerabilities - The Experts Consensus

A number of consumers have run into problems with home security monitoring contracts including automatic renewals, one-sided contracts and excessive penalties for early cancellation. One widow was dunned over $1,500 for a contract signed by her deceased husband with repeated letters addressed to “Mr. and Mrs.” at her new address. As with any contract, you should read everything, but the irony here is in needing a watchdog to police those whose job is to protect our assets.

Gereg noted that a contract may have terms that will not be upheld in court. A trade official says that alarm-monitoring contracts often provide for automatic renewals, but a state law on real estate and personal property specifies how a customer must be notified of such provisions in contracts lasting more than 30 days, according to Christine Pritchard, a spokeswoman for State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer.

In April, Spitzer announced a settlement with a Tarrytown-based home-security company following alleged violations related to automatic renewals. “Laws governing automatic renewal clauses in contracts are designed to protect consumers against unknowingly locking themselves into open-ended contracts,” Spitzer said then.

Newsday.com: Sounding a home security alarm: Check the contract

Following is a list of Sony BMG Music CDs affected by the copy protection software or “rootkit” which creates a security vulnerability, information on Sony’s recall program and further uninstall information. Note that the list is provided by Sony and offered here without guarantee of any sort. There may be additional CDs from Sony or from other vendors with the same or similar programs not on the list.

CD’s Containing XCP Content Protection Technology:

ARTIST ALBUM ITEM NUMBER(S) UPC(S)
1 A Static Lullaby Faso Latido CK92772 827969277225
2 Acceptance Phantoms CK89016 696998901629
3 Amerie Touch CK90763 827969076323
4 Art Blakey Drum Suit CK93637 827969363720
5 The Bad Plus Suspicious Activity? CK94740 827969474020
6 Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook CK95107 CK74815 827969510728 828767481524
7 Billy Holiday The Great American Songbook CK94294 827969429426
8 Bob Brookmeyer Bob Brookmeyer & Friends CK94292 827969429228
9 Buddy Jewell Times Like These CK92873 827969287323
10 Burt Bacharach At This Time CK97734 827969773420
11 Celine Dion On Ne Change Pas E2K97736 827969773628
12 Chayanne Cautivo LAK96819 LAK96818 LAK95886 037629681921 037629681822 037629588626
13 Chris Botti To Love Again CK94823 827969482322
14 The Coral The Invisible Invasion CK94747 827969474723
15 Cyndi Lauper The Body Acoustic EK94569 827969456927
16 The Dead 60’s The Dead 60’s EK94453 827969445327
17 Deniece Williams This Is Niecy CK93814 827969381427
18 Dextor Gordon Manhattan Symphonie CK93581 827969358122
19 Dion The Essential Dion CK92670 827969267028
20 Earl Scruggs I Saw The Light With Some Help From My Friends CK92793 827969279328
21 Elkland Golden CK92036 827969203620
22 Emma Roberts Unfabulous And More: Emma Roberts CK93950 CK97684 827969395028 827969768426
23 Flatt & Scruggs Foggy Mountain Jamboree CK92801 827969280126
24 Frank Sinatra The Great American Songbook CK94291 827969429129
25 G3 Live In Tokyo E2K97685 827969768525
26 George Jones My Very Special Guests E2K92562 827969256220
27 Gerry Mulligan Jeru CK65498 74646549827
28 Horace Silver Silver’s Blue CK93856 827969385623
29 Jane Monheit The Season EK97721 827969772126
30 Jon Randall Walking Among The Living EK92083 827969208328
31 Life Of Agony Broken Valley EK93515 827969351529
32 Louis Armstrong The Great American Songbook CK94295 827969429525
33 Mary Mary Mary Mary CK94812 CK92948 000768353721 827969294826
34 Montgomery Gentry Something To Be Proud Of: The Best of 1999-2005 CK75324 CK94982 828767532424 827969498224
35 Natasha Bedingfield Unwritten EK93988 827969398821
36 Neil Diamond 12 Songs CK94776 CK97811 827969477625 827969781128
37 Nivea Complicated 82876671562 828766715620
38 Our Lady Peace Healthy In Paranoid Times CK94777 827969477724
39 Patty Loveless Dreamin’ My Dreams EK94481 827969448120
40 Pete Seeger The Essential Pete Seeger CK92835 827969283523
41 Ray Charles Friendship CK94564 827969456422
42 Rosanne Cash Interiors CK93655 827969365526
43 Rosanne Cash King’s Record Shop CK86994 696998699427
44 Rosanne Cash Seven Year Ache CK86997 696998699724
45 Shel Silverstein The Best Of Shel Silverstein CK94722 827969472224
46 Shelly Fairchild Ride CK90355 827969035528
47 Susie Suh Susie Suh EK92443 827969244326
48 Switchfoot Nothing Is Sound CK96534 CK96437 CK94581 827969653425 827969643723 827969458129
49 Teena Marie Robbery EK93817 827969381724
50 Trey Anastasio Shine CK96428 827969642825
51 Van Zant Get Right With The Man CK93500 827969350027
52 Vivian Green Vivian CK90761 827969076125

Notes from Sony:

• Sony will shortly be releasing new versions of these titles without the XCP software. You therefore need to check this list for both the name of the album and the item number (which can be found on the spine of the CD). If the item number is not listed below, your CD does not contain XCP content protection. Please note, DualDiscs do not use XCP content protection and are therefore not included in this program.
• Two titles, Ricky Martin’s “Life” and Peter Gallagher’s “7 Days in Memphis” were released with a content protection grid on the back of the CD packaging but XCP content protection software was not actually included on the albums.

Sony has instituted a recall or “exchange program” which allows CD purchasers to receive a rootkit free replacement CD by mail and to download MP3s of the music on the CD while waiting for the replacement. Details here.

Final note: The web based uninstall program provided for the software actually creates a larger security vulnerability by installing a Visual Basic script called “CodeSupport”. More information, including a CodeSupport detector and information on deleting Code Support, is available from Freedom To Tinker.

A series of more than 100 burglaries in the San Francisco area have been dubbed the “tunnel burglaries” as the burglars used the tunnel-shaped entryways to the homes to provide cover while they gained access to the front door. The entryways are commonly secured by gates with flimsy locks that can be easily opened in a matter of seconds and once inside the burglars are screened from view as they work on the more secure inner door. The extra barrier to entry ends up helping the criminals in this case. Privacy fences and similar screens can pose the same problem, so homeowners need to consider how to secure these barriers to prevent them being used to a burglar’s advantage.

Authorities said most of the burglarized homes had tunnel-like entryways leading to the front door. The thieves were able to easily break through the tunnel’s security gates and then into the victims’ homes, said Deputy Chief Morris Tabak.

“We held many community meetings to tell residents how to secure these gates,” Tabak said. “These gates flex, and you can force them open with a large screwdriver or pry-bar.”

AP Wire | 11/17/2005 | News in brief from the San Francisco Bay area,

Keyloggers, hidden software loaded on computers, were used to commit over 6,000 acts of theft last year. The average cost per victim was over $3,600 with most victims being responsible for at least part of the financial expense and averaging over 80 hours spent dealing with the thefts.

The iDefense data indicates keyloggers have risen from only 300 in 2000 to 3,753 in 2004 and, more recently, to a record 6,191 this year — a jump of 65 percent since last year. IDefense senior engineer Ken Dunham told TechNewsWorld that advances in attacker techniques and technology are also alarming.

Technology News: ID Security : More Keyloggers Swiping Identity Info

In some neighborhoods in Malaysia, as many as 88 percent of homes have a barrier to keep out intruders before they can even get to the front door. Barriers include gates, fences, walls, guard dogs and even security guards - which are common in condo and apartment buildings. Malaysians also make heavy use of alarm systems, closed circuit television systems and other technological barriers to intruders.

“Our homes really are our fortresses and - unless you are resident - it’s hard to get to most front doors. Gone are the days of being able to pop in unannounced,” he said in a statement.

New Straits Times - Malaysia News Online

Home security expert Frank Fourchalk provides some tips for keeping your garage door from becoming the biggest, easiest entry for burglars to get into your home. Among other tips:

• Use a keyring remote instead of leaving the remote in the car
• Change the codes when you get a new opener or move to a new house
• Disconnect the power to the garage door opener and padlock the springlock on the inside when leaving on vacation.
• Make sure the emergency release is secured.

If you are guilty of leaving your garage door open overnight or forget to close your door on the way to work, you should purchase a monitor that senses when your door has been open for a set period of time. After whatever period of time you set the monitor for, the door will automatically close, assuring your home is secure.

This do-it-yourself product takes about 20 minutes to install and costs about $80.

Keep your overhead garage door safe and secure

The Albuquerque Police Department provides this excellent advice for parents on safety for kids home alone:

Being home alone can be a scary proposition for kids and parents. Many parents who work all day are faced with the daunting task of making sure their children are safe and protected before and after school. By following the tips listed below, parents can ease some of the anxiety associated with leaving their children home alone as well as general child safety advice.

* Regardless of age, make sure your child is mature enough and can comprehend rules to your satisfaction before leaving them alone.
* Can your child be trusted to go straight home after school, easily use the telephone, locks, follow rules and instructions, and stay alone without being afraid?
* Parents should teach kids basic safety rules and house rules. They should also know where their children are at all times, what they’re doing, and who they’re with.
* Instruct your child to check in with a trusted neighbor or call you as soon as they get home.
* Make sure they know how to call 911 in case of an emergency and post important numbers.
* Do they know their telephone number, address, and directions to the home?
* Establish a pre-arranged code word in case someone has to pick them up for you.
* o they know how to operate all doors and window locks as well as an alarm system?
* Install eye viewers at a level comparable to your children’s height.
* Explain to your children to never let anyone into the home or let them know that they are alone.
* Establish set rules about having friends over or going somewhere without your permission.
* Children should never carry their house/apartment key in full view. Place the key in a shirt pocket, sock, or other secure place.
* Teach them never to go into the home if signs of intrusion are noticed (broken windows, ripped screen, open doors).
* Establish a fixed route to and from school and walk that route with your children. Point out designated locations they can go for help including neighbors.
* Encourage them to walk with friends at all times.
* Avoid danger spots like alleys, wooded areas, construction zones, public restrooms, empty buildings and remain in well lit, active locations. Avoid locations where strangers are present.
* If a stranger (any one they do not know) attempts to follow or grab them, teach them to scream, +Stay away from me” or “This person is trying to hurt me,” and run to an established safe place.
* Regularly communicate with your child about unusual incidents, contact with other people, or any event that makes them uncomfortable.

Source: Albuquerque Police Department

Shorter daylight hours during the winter season, mean increased security risks as many of us leave for work before daylight and return home after dark. Add to that the gift giving holiday season that means prime picking for burglars and security needs become especially important. Adequate outdoor lighting is one of the simplest security measures to supplement stout locks and motion detector lights can be especially effective. Timer lights inside the home can also help create the impression of someone home.

Motion detector lights also have another benefit for people returning home after dark. If you return home and see that the motion light is on, you’ll know that something, or someone, was recently on your property, and may still be there. This makes it harder for a potential attacker to lurk on your property and surprise you.

Source: CamdeNews.org - Other Local News