Web Security


Domains Using .Org to Have Tighter Security

The Public Interest Registry will add an extra layer of security known
as DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) to the .org domain
in June — a move that will protect millions of non-profit
organizations and their donors from hacking attacks known as cache
poisoning. Read the full article. [Network World]

Another TJX Accomplice Gets Nearly 4-Year Sentence

Humza Zaman, a co-conspirator in the hack of TJX and other companies,
was sentenced Thursday in Boston to 46 months in prison and fined
$75,000 for his role in the conspiracy. The sentence matches what
prosecutors were seeking. Read the full article. [Wired]

Botnets Find New Internet Homes Quickly

The takedown of 100 servers used to control Zeus-related botnets may
be a short-lived victory, security researchers said after discovering
that about a third of the orphaned channels were able to regain
connectivity in less than 48 hours. The resurrection of at least 30 command and control channels came
after their ISP found a new upstream provider to
provide connectivity to the outside world, autonomous system records
showed. Read the full article. [The Register]


A network frequently used for malware delivery was shut down Wednesday night, probably against the will of its operators. Troyak.org, an Internet service provider well-known for
serving Zeus botnets and other malware delivery methods, went dark
overnight, resulting in the shutdown of as many as 25 percent of the
world’s Zeus botnets, according to researchers. Read the full article. [Dark Reading]

New capabilities are strengthening the ZeuS botnet,
which criminals use to steal financial credentials and execute
unauthorized transactions in online banking, automated clearing house
(ACH) networks and payroll systems. The latest version of this
cybercrime toolkit offers a $10,000
module that can let attackers completely take control of a compromised
PC. Read the full article. [Network World]

In this wide ranging interview, cryptographer, Taher Elgamal, chief
security officer of Axway Inc. and  initial driving
force behind SSL, explains how applications may be better adapted to
defend against attacks and how cloud computing may alter data
protection and authentication. Read the full article. [TechTarget]

By Stefan TanaseYesterday’s shut down of Troyak-as was definitely good news for the whole IT security community. Seeing cybercriminals getting kicked out from the Internet and then trying to get back inside calls for popcorn and soda.But unfortunately, as some botnets struggle, others stay unaffected: Koobface, for example, which uses compromised legitimate websites as proxies for their main command and control server.

An Estonian virus writer has been jailed for two and a half years for
creating a Windows worm family that launched denial of service attacks
on the websites of a local insurance firm and ISP. Read the full article. [The Register]