A massive cyberattack that led to a vulnerability in RSA's SecurID tags earlier this year also victimized Google, Facebook, Microsoft and many other big-named companies, according to a new analysis. A list of 760 organizations that were attacked was presented to Congress recently and published by security analyst Brian Krebs on his blog.
All Americans will have broadband access to Internet and telephone services by the end of the decade under new rules adopted by U.S. regulators. The rules also reform a broken system of phone charges fraught with inefficiency and should result in $2.2 billion in savings passed down to consumers, the Federal Communications Commission estimates.
Whether spooked by popular uprisings worldwide, a coming leadership transition at home or their own citizens’ increasingly provocative tastes, Communist leaders in China are proposing new limits on media and Internet freedoms that include some of the most restrictive measures in years. Party leaders signaled new curbs on China’s short-message, Twitter-like microblogs, an Internet sensation that has mushroomed in less than two years into a major — and difficult to control — source of whistle-blowing.
The National Security Agency, a secretive arm of the U.S. military, has begun providing Wall Street banks with intelligence on foreign hackers, a sign of growing U.S. fears of financial sabotage. The assistance from the agency that conducts electronic spying overseas is part of an effort by American banks and other financial firms to get help from the U.S. military and private defense contractors to fend off cyber attacks, according to interviews with U.S. officials, security experts and defense industry executives.
Microsoft said that a Czech Republic-based provider of free domains has agreed to pull the plug on botnet activities using his subdomains, as part of a settlement of a lawsuit the software giant filed in September to shut down the Kelihos botnet. The suit, filed in federal court in Virginia, named Dominique Alexander Piatti and his domain company, Dotfree Group SRO, as defendants, alleging that they were involved in hosting the Kelihos botnet.
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Microsoft settles suit against alleged botnet hoster Elinor Mills by Elinor Mills October 26, 2011 1:20 PM PDT
Microsoft said today that a Czech Republic-based provider of free domains has agreed to pull the plug on botnet activities using his subdomains, as part of a settlement of a lawsuit the software giant filed in September to shut down the Kelihos botnet.
The suit, filed in federal court in Virginia, named Dominique Alexander Piatti and his domain company, Dotfree Group SRO, as defendants, alleging that they were involved in hosting the Kelihos botnet. Infected computers in that operation, also known as "Waledac 2.0" after a previous botnet that Microsoft shut down last year, were used to send unregulated pharmaceutical and other spam, to harvest e-mails and passwords, to conduct fraudulent stock scams and, in some cases, to promote sites dealing with sexual exploitation of children. Subdomains also were allegedly used to spread the MacDefender scareware.
"Since the Kelihos takedown, we have been in talks with Mr. Piatti and dotFREE Group s.r.o. and, after reviewing the evidence voluntarily provided by Mr. Piatti, we believe that neither he nor his business were involved in controlling the subdomains used to host the Kelihos botnet. Rather, the controllers of the Kelihos botnet leveraged the subdomain services offered by Mr. Piatti's cz.cc domain," Richard Domingues Boscovich, senior attorney for Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit, wrote in a blog post.
As part of the settlement, Piatti has agreed to delete or transfer to Microsoft all the subdomains that were used to operate the botnet or for other illegitimate purposes, according to Boscovich. Piatti and his company also have agreed to work with Microsoft to prevent abuse of free subdomains and to establish a secure free top level domain going forward, he said.
"By gaining control of the subdomains, we are afforded an inside look at the Kelihos botnet, giving us the opportunity to learn which unique IP addresses are infected with the botnet's malware," Boscovich wrote.
Meanwhile, the lawsuit against the 22 other unnamed defendants is pending, Microsoft said.
The Kelihos botnet comprised about 41,000 infected computers worldwide and was capable of sending 3.8 billion spam e-mails per day, according to Microsoft.
Microsoft has been aggressive in moving to put botnets out of business. Kelihos is the third botnet--following Waledac, and Rustock earlier this year--that Microsoft has taken down using legal and technical measures. Elinor Mills
Elinor Mills covers Internet security and privacy. She joined CNET News in 2005 after working as a foreign correspondent for Reuters in Portugal and writing for The Industry Standard, the IDG News Service, and the Associated Press.
Topics: Security, Spam, Corporate and legal Tags: botnet, dotFree, Kelihos, Microsoft, lawsuit
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2 comments Join the conversation!Add your comment (Log in or register) Comments 1-2 of 2
That'll teach them to mess around with Microsoft's walled gardens...
Then again, Microsoft used the Walls of Jericho as the inspiration for their security features... Posted by solitare_pax (6592 comments ) October 26, 2011 2:44 PM (PDT) Like Reply Link Flag E-mail
Best thing MS has ever done. Why are we not seeing other large tech companies joining in on this? Why is it left to just MS to carry the ball on this? All the big tech companies that sell MS software with their products should be in on this too.
Wouldn't hurt other computer companies to help out here as well. Spam isn't just a Windows problem. (no fanboy comments please). Posted by Mergatroid Mania (4373 comments ) October 26, 2011 2:50 PM (PDT) Like Reply Link Flag E-mail
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About InSecurity Complex
Elinor Mills became fascinated with hacker culture when she was sent to Las Vegas to cover DefCon in 1995. Since then, script kiddies have given way to cyber criminals targeting bank passwords, and privacy risks are everywhere, from Google to Facebook and the iPhone. InSecurity Complex keeps tabs on the flaws, the foibles, and the fixes.
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Just one week after Research In Motion announced its BBX operating system for BlackBerry phones and tablets, the company is facing a lawsuit over the name of the new software from Basis International. The Albuquerque-based software company says that since 1985 it has used BBx as shorthand for its Business Basic eXtended line of software developer tools.
The United Nations has set "ambitious" new targets for broadband uptake around the world. It calls on all countries to put in place broadband strategies by 2015.
Computers in Japan’s Parliament have been found to be infected with a virus, officials said on Tuesday, the latest in a series of mysterious cyberattacks that have raised concerns about the leakage of sensitive information. Personal computers used by three members of the lower house, as well as possibly a computer server, were infected by the virus, the top government spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura, told reporters.
The U.S. government is flooding Google with requests for personal information about users for criminal investigations, according to a so-called transparency report the Internet search giant released. The number of such requests jumped 29% in six months, Google reported.
The Federal Trade Commission voted 4-0 to give final approval to its settlement with Google over the failed rollout of its Buzz social network last year. The settlement, which was announced in March, resolves allegations Google "used deceptive tactics and violated its own privacy promises to consumers when it launched its social network, Google Buzz, in 2010."
Groupon Inc. sued two former sales managers who it claims took confidential trade secrets with them when they quit the Internet coupon company to join a competing venture run by Google Inc. Michael Nolan, who worked for Groupon for two years, and Brian Hanna, who joined the Chicago-based company in January, each left last month to join Google Offers, according to a civil complaint filed today in an Illinois court.
A Moscow couple has been charged with distributing pirated movies over the Internet. The charges, following a lengthy investigation, mark Russia's first major Internet anti-piracy case focused on films.
Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, said that his controversial Web site could be forced to shut down by the end of the year because a 10-month-old “financial blockade” had sharply reduced the donations on which it depends. Calling the blockade a “dangerous, oppressive and undemocratic” attack led by the United States, Mr. Assange said at a news conference here that it had deprived his organization of “tens of millions of dollars,” and warned, “If WikiLeaks does not find a way to remove this blockade, we will not be able to continue by the turn of the new year.”
Microsoft announced an Android patent agreement with Taiwanese company Compal Electronics, a deal the software giant claims gives it a lock on a majority of Android devices. "Together with the license agreements signed in the past few months with Wistron and Quanta Computer, today's agreement with Compal means more than half of the world's ODM industry for Android and Chrome devices is now under license to Microsoft's patent portfolio," Horacio Gutierrez, Microsoft deputy general counsel, said in a statement.
Computer giant Microsoft’s official YouTube channel appears to have been hacked. All of the official videos, including recent ad campaigns, have been removed from the account.
Lolita City, a child pornography site run on over a concealed “darknet,” has been taken down by Anonymous members, and account details of 1,589 users from the site’s database were posted as evidence. The takedown is part of Anonymous’ Operation Darknet, an anti-child-pornography effort aimed at thwarting child pornographers operating on on the Tor network.
Malware based on the infamous Stuxnet, widely considered one of the world's most sophisticated viruses, has been discovered by computer scientists. In a highly detailed report, Symantec says the malware, christened Duqu, (because it creates files with the file name prefix "~DQ") was uncovered in an organization based in Europe.
Fowler White Boggs website Fowler White Boggs website October 25, 2011 The Side Bar Richard Jacobson Re-Elected to the Board of TerraLex, A Global Network of 160 Law Firms in 100 Countries
Richard A. Jacobson, a shareholder in the Corporate Practice, has been re-elected to the Board of Directors of TerraLex, a global legal network of law firms. TerraLex has 160 member law firms in 100 countries and 45 U.S. states, and is the one of the largest international legal networks. As a member of TerraLex, Fowler White Boggs provides clients with immediate access to global expertise throughout the world.
Mr. Jacobson's legal practice includes assisting foreign clients with pre-residency tax planning; foreign investment in the U.S.; and U.S. companies doing business overseas. He is a Certified Public Accountant and is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in International Law. Mr. Jacobson is AV peer review rated by Martindale-Hubbell.
Seminar October 27: Immigration Consequences in the Criminal Process
Fowler White Boggs is hosting a seminar, "Immigration Consequences in the Criminal Process - What a Criminal Lawyer Needs to Know in the Post-Padilla Era," on Thursday, October 27, 2011. The cost is $25.00 per person. Two hours of CLE credits are pending. Click here to view the invitation.
The seminar is an immigration primer for criminal lawyers covering: 1) What a criminal lawyer should know before accepting a plea for a foreign national client; 2) An overview of immigration consequences of criminal convictions; and 3) Reopening an old conviction - status of Padilla/3850 motions.
Presenters include Benjamin S. Waxman of Robbins, Tunkey, Ross, Amsel, Raben & Waxman, P.A., Bill Flynn, Immigration Practice Leader, Fowler White Boggs, and Jennifer Roeper, Shareholder, Fowler White Boggs.
Time: 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM Registration 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM Program
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Please RSVP to Angela Brooks or 800-226-0436.
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Tampa Sees Urban Revitalization as Key to Growth Bill Would Give Visas to Those Who Buy Residential Real Estate The Landings Project Approved by Winter Haven Commissioners Ocala Council Approves Changes to Downtown Development Slew of Projects Planned, Occurring in Palm Beach Gardens Plans for Port Orange's Riverwalk Revitalization Toned Down Jacksonville Beach Council Votes for $4.8M Downtown Vision Plan Fort Lauderdale Hopes CRA Eligibility Will Boost Development New Port Richey Council Looking to Give Brownfield Status to City FDEP Seeks to Ease Permitting Process for "Customers"
News Briefs: Tampa Sees Urban Revitalization as Key to Growth Despite a sluggish economy, an unwieldy bureaucracy at City Hall and the voters' rejection of rail, Tampa has a chance to remake the older neighborhoods in and around downtown. That was the message to nearly 200 city officials, developers and business leaders who gathered at the Tampa Convention Center to hear representatives from the Urban Land Institute outline the city's strengths and weaknesses. (Source: St. Petersburg Times, 2011-10-17) Read the full article Bill Would Give Visas to Those Who Buy Residential Real Estate Two U.S. senators have introduced a bill that would allow foreigners who spend at least $500,000 on residential property to obtain visas allowing them to live in the United States. "California, Florida, New York, Colorado, Hawaii and Texas -- those states will see a huge increase in demand," said Sandra Miller, a broker at Engel & Volkers in Santa Monica, an international real estate firm that caters to foreign clients. (Source: Los Angeles Times (free reg. req'd), 2011-10-23) Read the full article The Landings Project Approved by Winter Haven Commissioners Winter Haven city commissioners unanimously approved the developer's agreement to finalize the $11.3 million sale of the Chain of Lakes Complex at a special commission meeting. Many citizens still spoke out against the The Landings deal, but a last-minute amendment to the agreement that guaranteed public facilities will stick around at their current locations until April 19, 2016, satiated loud criticisms about whether or not a recreation center, a swimming pool, and Theatre Winter Haven replacements could be built before the current facilities closed. (Source: The (Lakeland, Fla.) Ledger (free reg. req'd), 2011-10-19) Read the full article Ocala Council Approves Changes to Downtown Development Instead of building 19 residential units in one swoop on the old Sprint building site in Ocala's downtown, White Challis Redevelopment asked to amend its plan for the Millworks project to break it into three phases. The City Council, voted to approve the changes. (Source: Ocala.com, 2011-10-19) Read the full article Slew of Projects Planned, Occurring in Palm Beach Gardens Statewide construction is in the doldrums, but the city has approved or has plans pending for about 800 residences, a corporate headquarters for FPL, a $15 million Jewish Community Center and several new businesses, including a 200-bed hospital. (Source: The Palm Beach Post, 2011-10-22) Read the full article Plans for Port Orange's Riverwalk Revitalization Toned Down The wide-eyed dream of high-rise condos and high-end shops along the riverfront is gone, wiped out by the crushing economic reality of the times. But after years of hibernation, Riverwalk is on the verge of reawakening, this time with what the project's longtime point man calls a more modest and attainable concept. (Source: Daytona Beach News-Journal, 2011-10-17) Read the full article Jacksonville Beach Council Votes for $4.8M Downtown Vision Plan The Jacksonville Beach central business district will receive a major facelift over the next year as city leaders hope aesthetic improvements to downtown can draw more families and business-friendly visitors. The City Council voted 6-1 to approve $4.8 million for the final phase of the so-called Downtown Vision plan. (Source: Times Union, 2011-10-18) Read the full article Fort Lauderdale Hopes CRA Eligibility Will Boost Development Things are looking up in the northwest section of Fort Lauderdale. While the area has had its share of problems with crime, poverty and dilapidated properties, the city earlier this year declared it eligible for Community Redevelopment Agency status, which also allows the area to receive CRA funds. (Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 2011-10-20) Read the full article New Port Richey Council Looking to Give Brownfield Status to City New Port Richey Officials are taking the dramatic step of seeking brownfield status for nearly the entire city, hoping to tap economic incentives designed to redevelop contaminated sites. The City Council gave unanimous approval to the first reading of a resolution seeking a state brownfield designation for the 2,250-acre Community Redevelopment Area, which covers nearly all the city. (Source: St. Petersburg Times, 2011-10-20) Read the full article FDEP Seeks to Ease Permitting Process for "Customers" The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's top priority for the coming legislative session is to make the regulations for building homes, docks, malls and highways less complicated for its "customers." An Environmental Resource Permit, or ERP, is needed for any activity that could affect wetlands, alter surface water flows or contribute to water pollution -- essentially any earth-moving or construction project. (Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 2011-10-18) Read the full article
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A coalition of groups, which include liberal, conservative, and libertarian non-profit organizations as well as companies, hope to convince the U.S. Congress to update the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act, to include location privacy and to protect documents stored on the Web through services like Google Docs, Flickr, and Picasa.
Anonymous, a hacker collective that has aligned itself with the Occupy Wall Street protests, leaked information it stole from four police and government websites. More than 600 MB of data from the International Association of Chief of Police, or IACP, was released, according to a press release from Anonymous.
BBX, the operating system that Research In Motion is counting on to revive its floundering BlackBerry franchise, has run into trouble even before the company could install the system in its smartphone line. A New Mexico firm claims the "BBX" name is protected by trademarks it holds and is threatening to take legal action against RIM unless it stops using the moniker.
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