Monday, April 3, 2006

Aerial Imaging Swoops Low Down. Aerial Imaging Swoops Low Down. Photos shot by low-flying planes and stitched together with geo-spatial software tell the real story on the ground. The mapping technology is being used for public safety, but also by officials who don't have to leave the office to see who's building without a permit. [Wired News: Security Blanket] 10:45:16 AM  PermaLink   / trackback []

A Pretty Good Way to Foil the NSA. A Pretty Good Way to Foil the NSA. The man who angered the world's eavesdroppers by releasing PGP in the 1990s is back, this time with voice-encryption software that might be good enough to frustrate illegal telephone surveillance -- no matter who's doing it. Ryan Singel reviews Zfone. [Wired News: Security Blanket] 10:41:25 AM  PermaLink   / trackback []

The Research of the MS05039 Buffer Overflow Exploit Worm. The Research of the MS05039 Buffer Overflow Exploit Worm. Ge Zhang contributes this write up on a buffer overflow in Microsoft that could allow an attacker to obtain a shell or run applications remotely. By Ge Zhang. [Infosec Writers Latest Security Papers] 10:25:41 AM  PermaLink   / trackback []

PCWorld.com - Software Company Argues Product Isn't a Trojan The company selling a mobile-phone spy application that has been labeled malware by F-Secure says the software isn't malicious or illegal. F-Secure software recently began blocking a commercial application called FlexiSpy that bills itself as the world's first spy software built for mobile phones. When FlexiSpy software is loaded onto a Symbian mobile phone, it sends all text messages that are sent and received, as well as call details, to FlexiSpy servers. Users can log on to the servers via the Internet to read the messages and view the call records. The problem, says F-Secure, is that the phone owner may not know the program has been installed and can't uninstall it. "We're convinced that this could be used for malicious and illegal purposes in so many ways that we made the decision to flag it as malware," said Mikko Hypponen, F-Secure's chief research officer. Difference of Opinion? Vervata, the Bangkok, Thailand, company that created FlexiSpy, argues that the product isn't a virus, a Trojan horse, or malware. "Like any other monitoring software there may be a possibility for misuse, but there is nothing inherent in FlexiSpy that makes it illegal or malicious," a Vervata spokesman wrote in an e-mail exchange. He said that the software must be consciously installed by a person, does not self-replicate and doesn't pretend to be something it's not. He said that an uninstall option is provided so the user can uninstall the program at any time but F-Secure found that the application uninstaller doesn't work. 10:22:44 AM  PermaLink   / trackback []

Government Takes Key Step Toward Streamlined Privacy Notice. Government Takes Key Step Toward Streamlined Privacy Notice. A new report indicates that all of the disclosures required under the Graham-Leach-Bliley Act can be made in a short document that consumers can easily understand. The report, issued by the regulatory agencies that have jurisdiction over such disclosures, represents an important first step toward providing more meaningful privacy disclosures to consumers. CDT applauds the effort, which will be key to ensuring that consumers are able to use and understand the disclosures they receive. [Center for Democracy and Technology] 10:18:44 AM  PermaLink   / trackback []

AV Enthusiasts Hit Hard By DRM, Tech Mandates. AV Enthusiasts Hit Hard By DRM, Tech Mandates. In a terrific article at DesignTecnica, audio editor of Home Theater and the author of Practical Home Theater Mark Fleischmann has a stark warning for fellow "gadget lovers" looking forward to the newest crop of audio and video devices: "What was once legal and "fair use" of existing gear is being redefined, criminalized, and copy-protected out of existence under new laws and regulations. Your existing gear, including your HDTV and your PC, is also being directly sabotaged by software. And gear you buy in the future may not have the functionality you[base ']ve always taken for granted." Fleischmann recounts many ways the entertainment industry is trying to take control of your digital devices that may be familiar to readers of this blog, including tech mandates like the digital radio flag and analog hole bills, the Sony rootkit scandal, and the AACS restrictions in HD-DVD and Blu-ray. AV enthusiasts like Fleischmann are likely to be among the hardest hit by DRM. Wanting to make the most of their media, they have already invested hundreds if not thousands of dollars in new HD displays, home theater receivers, and other devices. But thanks to the alphabet soup of DRM coming our way (AACS, HDCP, DTCP, CableCard, Macrovision), these enthusiasts will increasingly face irrational restrictions and infuriating incompatibilities. Yet just as we know DRM will frustrate legitimate AV enthusiasts, we also know that it won't do a thing to slow digital copyright infringers. We'll all soon come to feel the pinch as Hollywood insists on DRM that treats us all as though we are guilty until proven innocent, but it will be the "early-adopters" like Fleischmann who feel it first. So even if you're not about to spend $5000 on an HDTV, you should probably be paying attention to how DRM affects those who are. Visit EFF's Action Center to voice your concerns. [EFF: Deep Links] 10:16:35 AM  PermaLink   / trackback []

EFF - "Email -- Should the Sender Pay?": EFF Fundraiser, Debate Between Esther Dyson and Danny O'Brien. "Email -- Should the Sender Pay?": EFF Fundraiser, Debate Between Esther Dyson and Danny O'Brien. In light of AOL's adopting a "certified" email system, EFF is hosting a debate on the future of email. With distinguished entrepreneur Mitch Kapor moderating, EFF Activist Coordinator Danny O'Brien and renowned tech expert Esther Dyson will discuss the potential consequences if people have to pay to send email. Would the Internet deteriorate as a platform for free speech? Would spam or phishing decline? WHEN: Thursday, April 20th, 2006 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. [EFF: Deep Links] 10:13:47 AM  PermaLink   / trackback []

EFF Motion in AT&T Surveillance Case Draws Government's Eye. EFF Motion in AT&T Surveillance Case Draws Government's Eye. EFF filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in its class-action lawsuit against AT&T today. However, much of the evidence that was to be included in the motion[~]as well as the legal arguments based on that evidence[~]was held back temporarily at the request of the Department of Justice (DOJ). While the government is not a party to the case, DOJ attorneys told EFF that even providing the evidence under seal to the court[~]a well-established procedure that prohibits public access and permits only the judge and the litigants to see the evidence[~]might not be sufficient security. EFF's motion seeks to stop AT&T from violating the law and the privacy of its customers by disclosing to the government the contents of its customers' communications, as part of the National Security Agency's (NSA's) massive and illegal program to wiretap and data-mine Americans' communications. The motion was supported by a number of internal AT&T documents that the government now claims might include classified information. EFF will seek the Court's permission to publicly release the preliminary injunction motion and supporting documents, and hopes to have redacted versions available after further discussions with the government. "Openness in court proceedings is fundamental to a free society," said EFF Staff Attorney Kurt Opsahl. "The facts supporting our motion are not classified and are important to the public debate over the propriety of the NSA domestic spying program. The public deserves to know the truth." The NSA program came to light in December, when the New York Times reported that the President had authorized the agency to intercept telephone and Internet communications inside the United States without the authorization of any court. Over the ensuing weeks, it became clear that the NSA program has been intercepting and analyzing millions of Americans' communications, with the help of the country's largest phone and Internet companies, including AT&T. This surveillance is ongoing, and today's injunction motion seeks to stop the spying while the case is pending. "AT&T's wholesale diversion of communications into the hands of the NSA violates federal wiretapping laws and the Fourth Amendment," said EFF Staff Attorney Kevin Bankston. "More than just threatening individuals' privacy, AT&T's shameful choice to allow the government to spy on millions of ordinary Americans' communications is a threat to the Constitution itself. We are asking the Court to put a stop to it now." In the lawsuit, EFF is representing the class of all AT&T residential customers nationwide. Working with EFF in the lawsuit are the law firms Traber & Voorhees, Lerach Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins LLP and the Law Office of Richard R. Wiebe. For the motion for preliminary injunction: Brief and some evidence NOT AVAILABLE BY DOJ REQUEST For more on EFF's suit: http://www.eff.org/legal/cases/att/ [EFF: Deep Links] 10:11:26 AM  PermaLink   / trackback []

New Generation of IE Malware Now Circulating. New Generation of IE Malware Now Circulating. Exploit is based on earler flaw but considered more dangerous. [PCWorld.com - Latest News Stories] 10:06:07 AM  PermaLink   / trackback []

Lundquist's Guide To Not Getting Fired for Losing Your Laptop Opinion: Keeping your sensitive data off your laptop can help you keep your job. Following these rules and guidelines to avoid becoming another in the long line of recent data theft victims. How often do we have to read about someone losing a laptop with a bunch of client data? I've included some links to recent stories: Stolen Fidelity Laptop Exposes HP Workers and Lost Fidelity Laptop Stirs Fear of ID Theft. Stop and think for a second. You are a high-powered road warrior jetting around the world making lots of complex but incredibly lucrative financial deals. You lose your laptop with all that important information. You have to call your boss back at the home office. Your next job involves asking customers if they want the large or the super-jumbo Slurpee. What follows is my guide to keeping from being a professional Slurpee machine operator for the rest of your career. 10:03:27 AM  PermaLink   / trackback []