Opting in to Privacy Problems --
Brian McWilliams looks at yet another way internet users may be putting
their privacy at risk. With list brokers now cutting deals with
e-commerce sites and internet marketing firms for data that includes
home addresses, phone numbers, and corresponding IP addresses, you may
be opting in for more than you bargained for when you shop online.
Brian is the author of Spam Kings.
Hijacked by Spammers -- If
you're thinking spammers couldn't hijack your internet account and use
it to send junk email, think again. Brian McWilliams writes about how
one spammer did just that when he cracked BellSouth's ISP and hijacked
dozens of user accounts. Brian is the author of Spam Kings.
DHCP and DNS Security
--
In this excerpt, Mike Danseglio explores the core network services of
DHCP and DNS. These services are essential to most IP networks today in
that they respectively provide automatic addressing and name
resolution. However, their security considerations and safe operations
are often neglected. Mike shows you how these services work, how
they're vulnerable to attack, and how to protect them against attacks
when possible. Mike is the author of Securing
Windows Server 2003.
Sources of Network Vulnerability Information -- To
maintain security, it's vital to be aware of the latest threats posed
to your network and its components. You should regularly check the
latest public information about vulnerabilities and exploit scripts.
Here are some lists of web sites and mailing lists that security
consultants and hackers use on a daily basis, from Appendix B of
Network Security Assessment. If you like this chapter, read the
whole book (and up to nine others) on Safari with a free trial subscription.
Fear and Loathing in Information Security
-- "Society has always treated innovators and whistle
blowers with ambivalence," writes author Michael D. Bauer in reference
to hackers. In this article, Michael defines and analyzes hacking. He
then discusses why information security professionals demonize hackers
and why that tendency is both irrational and counterproductive. Michael
is the author of Linux
Server Security, 2nd Edition.
Remove Me! Do those unsubscribe links actually work, or are they just another spammer scam? In this Salon.com article, Brian McWilliams goes undercover in the world of fake Rolexes to find the answer. Brian is the author of Spam Kings.
Brian McWilliams on Future Tense --
In a recent broadcast of Public Radio's "Future Tense," Jon Gordon
spoke with investigative reporter and book author Brian McWilliams.
Spammers do their best to stay in the shadows, but Brian exposes many
of them in his new book, Spam Kings.
Wireless Security and the Open1X Project
-- Open1X is an open source project focusing on network
security. The wireless adoption of this technology is referred to as
802.1X. Matthew Gast went to the University of Utah to talk about it
with Chris Hessing and Terry Simmons, who are intent on bringing
standards-based wireless security to Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows
clients. Matthew is the author of 802.11 Wireless
Networks: The Definitive Guide.
Chongq and the Spam Vampires --
Clearly, many internet users aren't satisfied with striking a truce
with spammers. New, retaliatory anti-spam tools are on the rise,
demonstrating that desperation is the mother of spam-fighting
invention. Brian McWilliams talks about the "Make Love, Not Spam"
campaign, chongqed.org, and the spam vampires. Brian is the author of Spam Kings.
Review: Network Security Hacks
-- In this book review, Jim Huddle writes, "There are
plenty of things an administrator can do to minimize obvious risks to
the company's network. With Network Security Hacks, the admin
has a very good starting point with one hundred things she can do right
away." Network
Security Hacks.
Spam Kings Author Shares Insights, Spam-Prevention
Tips -- In this interview with TechSoup, Brian
McWilliams talks about the most effective way to fight spam, anti-spam
legislation, why spammers spam, the types of scam people most often
fall for, and much more. Brian is the author of the recently released
Spam
Kings.
Open Source Security: Still a Myth -- Open source may have many benefits over closed systems, but don't count security among them--yet. This article by John Viega looks at why open source software may currently be less secure than its commercial counterparts. John is a coauthor of Secure Programming Cookbook for C and C++.
Russian Denies Authoring "SoBig" Worm
-- The SoBig computer worm that ran rampant on the
internet in 2003 is the subject of a new, anonymously authored report
that definitively claims Ruslan Ibragimov, the owner of the
Russian-based bulk email company Send-Safe, as its creator. Ibragimov
flatly denies the report's claim in an online interview with Brian
McWilliams, author of Spam Kings.
Stealing the Network: A Prequel -- Ryan Russell has written this tale of a '70s-era security hack, set at a tech company on the East Coast. What real-world company he used as a backdrop is up to you to guess. This short bit of fiction provides a real sense of the concept behind the book he's coauthored, Stealing the Network: How
to Own a Continent (from Syngress).
