BullGuard Newsletter - October

[bored154]

Heres my Bullguard Newsletter i just looked at in my mail...

Serious Hotmail flaw fixed
Online October 16th 2003

Responding to a warning from a maker of antivirus software, Microsoft has fixed a security flaw in Hotmail that would have left the widely used web-based email service vulnerable to collapse at the hands of online vandals, silicon.com reports.

The vulnerability could have allowed an attacker to use the interactions between Hotmail components to expose a user's address book and send emails. The two functions could have been used to start a Hotmail worm that would have spread whenever a user opened up an infected email, said Menashe Eliezer, manager of US company Finjan Software's virus research lab.

"You could read the contact list and send email," Eliezer said. "A worm would have propagated quickly," potentially crippling the network.

Finjan Software said on Wednesday that it told Microsoft of the flaw on 8 October and that the software giant fixed the problem within 24 hours.

In other words and as silicon.com puts it (and not the slightest bit of sarcasm is detected here ;-)): it took 24 hours to fix the problem - and a mere two years to find it in the first place...


Mobile phones will be the next virus target
Online October 16th 2003

Mobile phone operators say it is only a matter of time before the wireless world is hit by the same sorts of viruses and worms that attack computer software, CNN.com reports.

With an increasing amount of information being sent through wireless channels, new threats are opening up.

For instance, hackers have discovered that many corporate wireless local area networks -- or LANs -- in major cities simply were not properly secured. In the past 18 months, most of these holes have been closed. But in some European cities, signs have been chalked on walls indicating where, with your laptop, you could access the Internet -- through their network -- for free.

Microsoft this week launched its latest Smart Phone, a mobile that uses windows software to operate data traffic. The company's Windows operating system has been on the receiving end of more than 60,000 viruses.

So far, the Smart Phone has been virus-free but even the company admits it is only a matter of time. Industry experts give it about two years -- maximum.


Hacker teen charged
Online October 15th 2003

The Securities and Exchange Commission last week began civil and criminal proceedings against a teenager who allegedly broke into someone else's brokerage account to dump his falling stock options, The Register reports.

Van Dinh, 19, of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, is accused of disguising a key logger program (called The Beast) as a new stock-charting tool, which he promoted in chatroom for investors. The program enabled him to monitor the computer activity of anyone who ran the malware.

Using this trick, Dinh allegedly obtained the login and password of a TD Waterhouse broker and placed orders for 7,200 soon-to-be worthless Cisco stock option contracts.

The investor (whose home PC was compromised) contacted the authorities when he found his account had been cleaned out to pay for worthless stock options. Dinh, despite using a variety of tricks in an attempt to cover his tracks, was located within a few days.

Dinh could face up to 20 years' imprisonment on the fraud and 10 years for the computer crime offences.


Beware of your 'buddies'
Online October 15th 2003

Hackers are exploiting browser security flaws to hijack instant messaging (IM) accounts, security experts have warned, according to a vnunet.com article.

Using what are known as application programming interfaces (a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications), hackers have developed worms or Trojans that can capture a remote user's list of IM correspondents, or 'buddies'.

By grabbing a user's buddy list rather than scanning for vulnerable IP addresses, these worms have the potential to be more virulent than predecessors like Code Red, Slammer or Blaster, which spread over the internet rather than over IM networks, warned Neal Hindocha of Symantec Security Response.

Usually the victim is led to a website, either by a distributing link through IM or via an email with a link to the webpage, which then automatically downloads a worm or trojan.

One program hijacks an already running AOL IM (AIM) account, changes the password and sends a message to the buddies list with a link to a malicious web page.


Microsoft to tighten security
Online October 10th 2003

Stung by criticism over lax software security, Microsoft disclosed plans Thursday to update its flagship Windows operating systems early in 2004 to make consumers less vulnerable to hackers, USA TODAY reports.

Microsoft said the changes, announced by chief executive Steve Ballmer during a trade conference in New Orleans, will be offered free in the next "service pack" update to users of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 software.

The announcement was aimed at calming Microsoft customers increasingly irritated by the ease with which hackers and others have broken into Windows computers. Adequately protecting an average personal computer can take far more time than many customers are willing to spend.

Microsoft promised to improve the way in which Windows manages computer memory to protect users against commonly exploited software flaws known as buffer overruns, which can trick Windows into accepting dangerous commands. Some of the most damaging attacks in recent months fall under this category.

"Our goal is simple," Ballmer said. "Get our customers secure and keep them secure. Our commitment is to protect our customers from the growing wave of criminal attacks."

But critics are sceptical.

"I hate to be cynical about this but every time Microsoft announces these things, it never gets better," said Bruce Schneier, the chief technology officer for Counterpane Internet Security and a frequent critic of the company.

i think the scariest one is the mobile phone one...... imagine someone who planted a virus in your cell phone and he/she could gain access to your phone #'s and listen in on your conversations.......

[griffinn]

Is it really necessary to spam the forums with an entire dump of what's available via a simple link?

[LollipopLustKil]

Shit, I'm scared already.

[bored154]

Originally posted by griffinn
Is it really necessary to spam the forums with an entire dump of what's available via a simple link?

its not spam its information.... if it is spam then bullguard is spammin my e-mail

[deathazre]

neg. you asked for it.

[bored154]

who's neg?

[deathazre]

neg. == negative

[griffinn]

Originally posted by bored154
its not spam its information.... if it is spam then bullguard is spammin my e-mail

Oh ok.

Dilbert Newsletter 50.0
"A Little Ray of Bitter Sunshine"

SPECIAL WEASEL EDITION

To: Dogbert's New Ruling Class (DNRC)
From: Scott Adams (scottadams@aol.com)
Date: September 2003

DNRC Status

There are 697,303 members of DNRC. Each of you is so brilliant that you already know how this sentence will end before ...oh, right, never mind.

Non-members, the so-called in-duh-viduals, will someday be our domestic servants when Dogbert conquers the world. During that era you might hear phrases never before uttered, such as, "He's the Ambassador from France AND my towel boy!"

Quotes From Induhviduals

Observant DNRC members continue to send me true quotes of Induhviduals. After staring at the list for a while I realized that if I put them together they make an excellent story:

Excellent Story:

We were sitting on our hands, twiddling our thumbs, when suddenly the door opened. It made the hair on my back stand on end. He was smoking like a fish and swearing like a stuck pig. I could tell from his shifty eyes that he might try to pull the fox over my leg.

"Do you have a pen?" he asked. "I need to make a mental note."

I didn't want him to stick my pen into his ear, but I also didn't think it would be a good idea to rattle the barrel because the monkeys might shoot the fish. So I offered my pen.

"Do you seriously think I came up the river on a banana tree?" he growled before slapping the pen from my hand.

I wanted to fight him, but I already had too many hands in the fire. Still, you have to kill the stone with the bird while you can. He was slow as Moses. I kicked him where the moon don't shine. I didn't want to beat a dead bush, so I waited for his next move. The ball was in his camp now. He didn't look like he had both oars in his basket, but maybe I was trying too hard to read between the tea leaves.

The End

Dilbert's 2003 Weasel Awards

It's time to vote for the 2003 Weasel Awards. This is your chance to shine the spotlight of public ridicule on the weasels that deserve it most.

To vote, go to http://www.dilbert.com/ and look for the Weasel Poll link.

Voting will end on October 15, 2003.

I Hate My Clothes

Today I donated another never-worn shirt to charity. When I say "never" worn, I'm not counting the twenty-five times I put it on, looked in the mirror and asked myself what-the-%$%#*&-was-I-thinking when I bought it? According to the label it's exactly my size, yet inexplicably, the puffy sleeves have enough room to smuggle Al Quaeda cells to remote mountain hideouts.

Whenever I tried on the shirt I experienced a unique blend of anger, self-loathing, and mostly: curiosity. Did the makers of this shirt ever see it worn by a human being? And if so, did that human have ordinary arms or appendages that looked like hippos trying to swallow pigs? And how did I fail to notice any of this when I tried it on in the store? WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME????

Yes, I could have returned the shirt. Maybe it's a guy thing, but to me, returning a product is admitting you made a mistake. I can't take the pressure. And realistically, if I returned everything that disappointed me after I got it home, I'd be sitting in an empty house, naked, and starving. I'm a bad shopper, but I have high standards. It's a nasty combination.

My biggest clothing horror involves work-out shorts. I've noticed at the gym that you can deduce the exact age of any man by measuring the length of his shorts. The teens wear gigantic ankle-length shorts. The twenty-somethings wear their shorts below the knee. As you escalate through the age groups, the shorts continue to get more economical. One guy at my gym is 90 and he wears shorts so tiny that when he uses a certain machine you can tell the temperature in a way too horrible to mention.

It's a dilemma. I can buy the Speedo-sized shorts worn by everyone else my age, or I can try to be more stylish and come off looking like a guy who doesn't know how old he is. Apparently the fashion industry has decided it's a waste of fabric to make fashionable clothes for men my age because - and here I'm putting words into their mouths -- it's like adding a sprig of parsley to road kill.

The Office

As a service to the DNRC, allow me to recommend the funniest show on TV. It's a British comedy called The Office. It takes place in a branch office of a paper company. The boss character in particular is brilliant. He'll stay in your head for hours after you see the show.

If you like Dilbert, and you own a television set, you'll probably like The Office. I first heard about it when hundreds of you wrote to tell me I had to watch it.

The second season starts Oct 12th on the BBC America channel. Check your digital cable or satellite listings for show times or log on to their website at http://www.bbcamerica.com/theoffice

DNRC Wise-Ass Encouragement

There are many situations in which you would like to insult an Induhvidual while making it sound like encouragement. Here are some examples that take advantage of the fact that people only listen to the first part of what you say.

• "You're not out of shape... because technically a circle is a shape."
• "My respect for you knows no bounds... on the low end."
• "I can tell that you're a renaissance man... and by that I mean a sissy."

Books and Calendars

Do you have your Dilbert calendar for 2004 yet? If not, click here:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/re...90995/sr%3D8-2

Or maybe you'd prefer the non-Dilbert box calendar, Cubicle Hell (Induhvidual stories and quotes):
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/re...95552/sr%3D8-1

Induhvidual Tales

Here are some inspirational tales of Induhviduals, submitted by DNRC members. As usual, I suspect that many of them are either urban legend or lifted from past Dilbert Newsletters that I've forgotten. But that doesn't make them less funny.

Dilbert Fodder

What's bugging you about your job? Let me know and you might see it in a Dilbert comic or newsletter. The best comic fodder involves workplace peeves, devious strategies, frustrations of dealing with others, conflicting objectives, unintended management consequences, and of course my favorite - idiot bosses.

And I love True Tales of Induhviduals.

And if you're seeing any new management trends that need to be mocked, I can help. Send your (brief) suggestions to me at: scottadams@aol.com.

IMPORTANT: Put "Dilbert" at the end of your subject line so my spam filter won't bounce it back.

How to Subscribe to the Dilbert Newsletter

You can request a new subscription to the Dilbert Newsletter by entering your e-mail address at:
https://members.comics.com/members/r...aid=1&r=dnrc50

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Scott Adams
scottadams@aol.com

All submissions to Scott Adams and/or Dilbert.com shall become the exclusive property of United Media and Scott Adams, and they will have the right to use them free of charge, in any manner and in any medium, forever and throughout the world.

Please do not reply to the address the newsletter is mailed from.

[bored154]

i dont wanna read all of that... summary please?