Tech News Blog
7.01.05
Lance Armstrong Begins Podcasting
Livestrong leader and six-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong has joined the podcasting fad according to CNET. I have not had a chance to check out the podcast, but I certainly will over the weekend. If you would like to order a package of Livestrong bracelets, please use the link found on the left side of this page. Speaking of podcasts, I’m sorry that I haven’t been able to produce a new episode of Life in a Multiple Platforms World lately. I hope to return to the podcasting world soon, and thanks to all of you that are still downloading my previous podcasts.

New Flaw for Internet Explorer
Secunia released a security bulletin rated ‘highly critical’ for users of Internet Explorer (5.0.1; 5.5; 6.x). The flaw could allow crackers to gain control of your computer. Secunia suggests: “The vendor recommends setting Internet and Local intranet security zone settings to ‘High’.” You could also check out the Tip of the Day From Multiple Platforms.com (below) regarding alternative browsers.

PCMag.com Reviews Top Security Tools
PCMag.com has a great review of security products to protect you from the types of intrusion perpetrated on a daily basis by evil-crackers. Several of the tools are free, others come with a fee, and some will work on Multiple Platforms.

Bogus Microsoft Alerts Rise Again
PCWorld.com is reporting that bogus emails that claim to be from Microsoft are on the rise and if you open the message, your PC might join the growing army of zombie computers. Remember, all Microsoft email messages are digitally signed and the company doesn’t distribute updates via email.

Open Source Updates
Secunia has these notices posted for open source systems: Debian (1, 2), and Mandriva (1, 2, 3).

Tip of the Day From Multiple Platforms.com: Surf With Another Browser
The end of the month statistics for this web site show Internet Explorer as the most commonly used browser, and the story above about Internet Exploder is just another in a long line of security bulletins for application. If you would like to surf with another browser, you should look at Firefox from Mozilla.org/. Remember, you still must exercise caution when using any browser, but of late the open source community seems to respond faster to security breaches than their corporate counterparts.

What is a Browser?
According to Wikipedia, “A web browser or Internet browser is a software application that enables a user to display and interact with HTML documents hosted by web servers or held in a file system. Popular browsers available for personal computers include Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Safari. A browser is the most commonly used kind of user agent. The largest networked collection of linked documents is known as the World Wide Web.”

Tech News Blog
6.30.05
New Legislation Aimed at Tightening Security; but does it go far enough?
CNET is carrying a timely story regarding new legislation proposed on the national level to cut down on the prolific growth of security breaches that affect the individual consumer as well as unsuspecting merchants. The bills if enacted as currently drafted would surely bring howls of protest from the credit card and business interests, but the bill still lacks any significant deterrents for the mega-billion dollar corporations who have routinely been lackadaisical in their efforts to protect our vital information. If I sound somewhat bitter, angry, or just plain fed-up, let me assure you I have a reason to be. Allow me to explain.
How many ways can you be compromised?
As an employee of the State of California, my vital information including social security number, date of birth, drivers license number and more have been illegally exposed on three separate occasions (that we have been informed of) and in each of those cases we were collectively assured that there was nothing to worry about. However, we were advised to check our credit reports frequently. If that were my only complaint with security breaches, I might feel less inclined to crow this loudly; and thankfully, the breaches haven’t resulted in someone assuming my identity.
However, the story of corporate and bureaucratic ineptitude isn’t quite finished and long-time readers may recall that I wrote about becoming a victim to credit card skimming (see below for definition). Crackers using software and a compliant merchant to find active numbers obtained our credit card number and expiration date. In defense of our credit institution, they quickly froze our account and we were not held liable for any of the charges. Furthermore, this was a new type of crack attack and it seems that the companies involved have closed the door on this swindle. With the latest wave of disclosures regarding credit information, I cranked up the volume on the need to increase the penalties for this type of problem, not realizing that the ugly-credit monster was about to strike our home again. This time the news arrived in the form of a letter from our bank detailing the fact that are credit card number and expiration date were part of the information crackers gained when raiding ChoicePoint. Remember, these problems are not associated with the Internet per se, or transaction over the same. In all of the above instances, the fact that I’m a confirmed Internet user hasn’t prompted these issues and any or all of the occurrences could happen to anyone that has a credit card, social security number, or in short if you are or were breathing.
The fact that these problems hit home with United States Senator Patrick Leahy has prompted the call for more legislation, but as I mentioned previously, the senator’s bill lacks a bite for these corporations that can’t keep the back door closed. Stay tuned for more…

Open Source Updates
Secunia released these bulletins: FreeBSD (1, 2), Fedora, and Red Hat.

Tip of the Day From Multiple Platforms.com: Dog Friendly Travel
We are planning for an upcoming vacation and of course, our dogs need a vacation too. This year I found a great web site for pet people, DogFriendly.com/. The site provides you with links to lodging, places, and activities you can enjoy with your pet while on your annual respite. We found several places to stay for each of our chosen rest stops and the folks at The Inn at Schoolhouse Creek seem to actually be excited about the arrival of our dogs.

What is Skimming?
The Wisconsin Better Business Bureau supplies this definition: “Credit card skimming is a practice that has been around for over a decade but, has increased in frequency the past two or three years.
Here is how it works. Skim artists recruit gofers, who then find temporary work within restaurants, hotels and retail establishments. The recruits are given small, illicit, electronic devices, known as skimmers, that capture all of the credit or debit card's details (name, address, telephone number, card number, credit limit and PIN number) in the few seconds that it takes to swipe the card through the machine.
When the unsuspecting customers go to pay their bill, their card is first swiped through the legitimate credit card machine, but then, secretly, it is also swiped through the smaller skimmer machine. The gofer then passes the gadget on to the skim artist, who pays them cash for their part in the crime. Once the skim artist has the details, he downloads the information onto a computer and makes up a fake card. The "cloned" card is embossed with the details of the victim's credit card and passed on to others, who may sell the card or use it for their own benefit.”

Another form of skimming involves harvesting your credit card number and expiration date with software programs aimed at compliant merchants. Once the software detects a positive hit on a number, the crooks quickly target other unsuspecting merchants for anything they can get their hands on without risking capture. The latter is the form of skimming that we fell victim to.

Tech News Blog
6.29.05
New Worm Uses John Paul ll as Hook
The latest worm is using the passing of John Paul ll as a hook for unwary PC users and if you are infected your security system will be history. CNET is reporting on this and another attack by a Bagle variant that is enlisting zombie computers via a Trojan horse. The compromised PCs are then used in nefarious ways; what a shock!

Adobe Patch for Macs
As reported here yesterday Mac owner using Adobe applications should update the program to avoid security issues. CNET has more on this threat to Apple users.

Virtual PC for Mac Has Update
Microsoft has released an update for Virtual PC for Mac that will address the conflicts that Tiger users are currently experiencing according to a report by MacCentral. If you are having problems with Virtual Switch, Zero Configuration, or printing issues make sure you install the update.

Searching For Multiple Platforms Printer
If you are working on your Mac and cannot locate a printer that is connected to your PC then Apple has a tip that will help you isolate and eliminate the irritation.

Open Source Updates
Secunia released the following security or update bulletins for open source users: Mandriva (1, 2), Sun Solaris, and Ubuntu.

Tip of the Day From Multiple Platforms.com: Test Your Defenses
If you would like a free security assessment of your computers’ defenses then Steve Gibson’s GRC.com is the place to visit. Steve has provided Shields Up, an excellent test package that will give your computers’ security blanket a thorough inspection and alert you of any vulnerability that may leave your box at risk.

Who is the Creator of Shields Up?
The creator of today’s tip of the day is Steve Gibson and Wikipedia has this about that: “Steve Gibson (b. March 1955) is a computer engineer and journalist based in Laguna Hills, California. Gibson has had a long career in the technology field starting in his teen years. He began in hardware projects but moved more towards software development in the 1980s. Gibson founded Gibson Research Corporation in 1985, and is currently its primary employee. Gibson is also a contributing editor to InfoWorld magazine.
In the 1980’s, his SpinRite program optimized the efficiency of hard disks. SpinRite has evolved to this time (early 2005) into a data loss prevention and data recovery utility.
Gibson is an advocate of assembly language programming, and prides himself with writing whole applications exclusively in assembly language. He is one of several advocates of optimizing computer programs and reducing the size of their executables.
Gibson has garnered criticism for certain writings on computer security which allegedly do no more than spread fear. He has also been accused of shameless self-promotion, and has oft been likened to a snake oil merchant. These accusations notwithstanding, he has developed and distributed (for free) a number of useful security tools, including the popular ShieldsUp port-scanning site. His writings also provide something of a glimpse into the world of hackers and crackers, of which he counts himself one of the former.”

Tech News Blog
6.28.05
Tech News Briefs
Due to circumstances beyond my control (an emergency trip to the vet), the tech news today is confined to the following leads:

Moderately Critical Adobe Flaw For Macs
Secunia has released a security bulletin graded ‘moderately critical’ for Mac users that use Adobe Acrobat or Reader 7.x/. The company suggests: “Update to version 7.0.2.”

iTunes 4.9 "taking Podcasting mainstream
Apple today announced it is "taking Podcasting mainstream" by building everything users need to disc... [MacNN]

Trace 2 unearths risks in Office files
Update of scanning tool scans local files and the Web for Office documents to find hidden data or potentially sensitive information. [CNET]


More on Supreme Courts Actions
Grokster Ruling Begins the Good Fight
Opinion: It's not censorship; the government can and should enforce laws on the U.S. Internet. [PCMag:Tech Commentary]

FAQ: The Supreme Court's ruling against P2P
What did they say? What does it mean to me? Questions about Grokster and file swapping's future answered. [CNET]

Text of Supreme Court ruling on Grokster
Read the majority opinion on the case and concurrences written by Justice Ginsburg and Justice Breyer. [CNET]

Grokster case: Winners and losers
Supreme Court ruling could have profound impact on tech landscape--beyond current battle of Hollywood vs. a few P2P sites. [CNET]

Open Source Updates
Secunia has these updates for open source systems: Linux and Ubuntu (1, 2).

Tip of the Day From Multiple Platforms.com and What is …? will return tomorrow.

Tech News Blog
6.27.05
Supreme Court Rules: Grokster and Others Liable
File-swappers have taken a direct hit and the movie and recording industry are the clear winners after the Supreme Court ruled that if you build it, you’re responsible for the events that follow. According to the release by CNET, “In a unanimous decision, the justices ruled companies that build businesses with the active intent of encouraging copyright infringement should be held liable for their customers' illegal actions.” The real looser appear to be innovators like Grokster; will the affect of a ruling like lead to a decline in new technology? Apparently, the Justices feel that the latter is preferable to any ‘possible’ or alleged loss by the recording industry and Hollywood interests. It makes me ponder what would have happened if the recording industry had been this powerful in the late 1950s and had prevailed in a similar manner to prevent public access to video recorders. Just think of the billions of dollars in revenue the movie studios and record companies have lost because you and I have had the ability to record episodes of The Brady Bunch, and then swap and give those videos to friends and family!

More on File Swapping:
Who's who in the P2P debates
The Grokster case has prompted dozens of organizations to weigh in. Here's a rundown of key players and why they care. [CNET]

The evolution of file swapping
Four generations of file swapping have laid the groundwork for the Supreme Court decision. [CNET]

Flaw Repaired in Update for Macs
Mac users should install the patch for RealPlayer according to a report from MacNN. We reported about this same flaw last week and it could allow a cracker to compromise your Mac, so make sure you install the patch if you are using software from RealPlayer.

Open Source Updates
Secunia released the following bulletins for open source users: SuSE (1, 2), Fedora (1, 2, 3), Gentoo, Mandriva (1, 2) and Trustix.

Tip of the Day From Multiple Platforms.com: Lance Armstrong Foundation
Lance Armstrong is preparing for the upcoming Tour de France, but the preparations for the fight against cancer will never stop and you can help in the fight to find a cure by purchasing a Livestrong Bracelet. These immensely popular symbols of hope are available from the Lance Armstrong Foundation Store. Just click on the link on the left side of this page and you can order the bracelets and other items and help support Lance’s battle to find the answer to cancer.
Alternatively, click here: LAF

What is the Tour de France?
Today we will temporarily deviate from the normal tech word for another type of tech world, bicycle racing and the penultimate event is the Le Tour de France. Wikipedia provides this definition: “The (Le) Tour de France (French for Tour of France), also simply known as Le Tour, is an epic long distance road bicycle racing competition for professionals held over three weeks in July in and around France. It has been held annually since 1903, only interrupted by World War I and World War II, and is now one of the world's largest sporting events.
Along with the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy) and the Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain), the Tour de France makes up cycling's "Grand Tours".”