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[News] The IRS Can be Cracked Electronically, Says US Government

  • Subject: [News] The IRS Can be Cracked Electronically, Says US Government
  • From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:04:38 +0000
  • Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.advocacy
  • Organization: Netscape / schestowitz.com
  • User-agent: KNode/0.10.4
Information Security: IRS Needs to Address Pervasive Weaknesses

,----[ Quote ]
| In addition to this limited progress, other significant weaknesses in 
| controls intended to restrict access to data and systems, as well as other 
| information security controls continue to threaten the confidentiality and 
| availability of its financial and tax processing systems and information, and 
| limit assurance of the integrity and reliability of its financial and 
| taxpayer information. Unresolved, previously reported weaknesses and newly 
| identified ones increase the risk of unauthorized disclosure, modification, 
| or destruction of financial and sensitive taxpayer information.        
`----

http://www.gao.gov/docsearch/abstract.php?rptno=GAO-08-211

While *most* Windows PCs are sufferring from malware, this observation doesn't
need Captain Obvious (let alone the Government). Windows will never be secure.
Anything stored on Windows is compromisable. Just days ago, Vista was patched
after it was susceptible to control by hijackers that merely send a
TCP/IP /PACKET/!!

As Peter pointed out earlier:

Massive SQL-based Web attack decoded

,----[ Quote ]
| At least 70,000 sites were compromised in a short period of time, leading 
| some to speculate this was an automated attack. 
| 
| From logs files, the attack code appears to exploit a variety of SQL 
| injection vulnerabilities existing on Web sites using Microsoft SQL or 
| Microsoft IIS.   
`----

http://www.news.com/8301-10789_3-9847139-57.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

Nice move for the company that sweeps it flaws under carpets and doesn't
resolve some of them for /YEARS.


Related:

Government-sponsored cyberattacks on the rise, McAfee says

,----[ Quoet ]
| Governments and allied groups worldwide are using the Internet to spy and 
| launch cyberattacks on their enemies, targeting critical systems including 
| electricity, air traffic control, financial markets and government computer 
| networks, according to McAfee’s annual report examining global cybersecurity.   
`----

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/112907-government-cyberattacks.html


China Crafts Cyberweapons

,----[ Quote ]
| The Defense Department reports China is building cyberwarfare
| units and developing viruses.
`----

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,132284-pg,1/article.html(News)


Estonia suspects Kremlin in Web attacks

,----[ Quote ]
| He said more than 1 million computers worldwide have been used in
| recent weeks to attack Estonian government and business Web sites
| since a dispute arose with Moscow over Estonia's moving of a
| Soviet-era war memorial from downtown Tallinn.
`----

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/internet/05/17/estonia.cyber.attacks.ap/index.html?eref=rss_tech


U.S. cyber counterattack: Bomb 'em one way or the other

,----[ Quote ]
| If the United States found itself under a major cyberattack aimed
| at undermining the natio's critical information infrastructure,
| the Department of Defense is prepared, based on the authority of
| the president, to launch a cyber counterattack or an actual 
| bombing of an attack source.
`----

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/020807-rsa-cyber-attacks.html


US plans for cyber attack revealed

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37563


Homeland Security sees cyberthreats on the rise

,----[ Quote ]
| To test the nation's response to a cyberattack, the Department
| of Homeland Security plans to hold another major exercise,
| called Cyberstorm II, in March 2008, Garcia said. A first
| such exercise happened early last year.
`----

http://news.com.com/2100-7355_3-6157809.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news
http://tinyurl.com/2dpbmv


Zombie botnets attack global DNS servers

,----[ Quote ]
| Hackers launched a sustained attack last night against key root servers
| which form the backbone of the internet.
| 
| Security firm Sophos said that botnets of zombie PCs bombarded the
| internet's domain name system (DNS) servers with traffic.
| 
| "These zombie computers could have brought the web to its knees,"
| said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos.
`----

http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2174383/zombie-botnets-attack-global


Perspective:  Microsoft security--no more second chances?

,----[ Excerpt ]
| CNET News.com's Charles Cooper says the software maker is running out
| of excuses for a history of poor security.
`----

,----[ Quote ]
| As if Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff didn't have enough on
| his plate.
|
| Not only has he had to deal with Katrina and Osama. Now he's also got to
| whip Steve Ballmer and the crew at Microsoft into shape. If past is
| prologue, that last task may be the most daunting of all.
`---- 

http://news.com.com/2010-1002_3-6104512.html?part=rss&tag=6104512&subj=news


Botnet 'pandemic' threatens to strangle the net

,----[ Quote ]
| Cerf estimated that between 100 million and 150 million of the
|                             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| 600 million PCs on the internet are under the control of hackers,
|                                     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| the BBC reports. "Despite all that, the net is still working,
| which is pretty amazing. It's pretty resilient," he said.
`----

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/26/botnet_threat/


EveryDNS, OpenDNS Under Botnet DDoS Attack

,----[ Quote ]
| The last time the Web mob (spammers and phishers using botnets)
| decided to go after a security service, Blue Security was forced
| to fold and collateral damage extended to several businesses,
| including Six Apart.
`----

http://securitywatch.eweek.com/exploits_and_attacks/everydns_opendns_under_botnet_ddos_attack.html


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