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	<title>Southwest Cyberport &#187; Security</title>
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	<link>http://www.swcp.com</link>
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		<title>Is Cyberwar the New Normal?</title>
		<link>http://www.swcp.com/2013/cyberwar-new-normal/</link>
		<comments>http://www.swcp.com/2013/cyberwar-new-normal/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 22 Feb 2013 22:38:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jnelson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[How the Net Works]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Interesting Items]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CISPA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cybercrime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cyberwar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[malware]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[security]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.swcp.com/?p=2066</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Internet these days is often compared to the Wild West. It, too, is a wide open frontier with endless possibilities, loose rules, limited government controls and not a few rustlers and bandits lurking along its trails. But unlike other frontiers, the Net seems to steadily becoming more dangerous, not less. And there are now armies on the move. Hackers aren’t just computer whiz kids, online scam artists, or even criminal networks any more. Hacking has become a weapon of war. Stunning accusations in a recent report by Mandiant, a US online security firm, provide insights of just how persistent threats from government hackers working for certain enemy states have grown. The company has been investigating security breaches at hundreds of organizations around the world since 2004. Their tracking of threats has allowed them to identify more than 20 hacking groups within China. The largest of these, which they called APT1, for “Advanced Persistent Threat” has conducted vast hauls of information from hundreds of organizations since 2006. Madiant’s detective work on over 150 corporate victims for over 7 years paid off. They were able to identify APT1 as a unit of the People’s Liberation Army of China with a code designation of Unit 61398, precisely located its facilities in the middle of Shanghai, and even named three key developers. They watched APT1 compromise 141 companies in 20 industries, and studied in detail APT1’s sophisticated methodology – in one case, as &#8230; <a href="http://www.swcp.com/2013/cyberwar-new-normal/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Hazards of Abandoning a Domain</title>
		<link>http://www.swcp.com/2012/abandoning-domain/</link>
		<comments>http://www.swcp.com/2012/abandoning-domain/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 22 Sep 2012 19:14:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jnelson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Online Tools]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Warnings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Your Online Presence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cybercrime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[domains]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hackers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[web sites]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.swcp.com/?p=1941</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It happens all the time: you click on a link and the website that comes up is not what you expected. If you&#8217;re lucky, the page is simply gone, but the site may look oddly similar and contain links for the subject you&#8217;re interested in, or it may be a trap bristling with malware and spam. In any case, you probably shrug and move on, pausing briefly to delete the bookmark if there is one, but you likely don&#8217;t spend much time wondering what happened. What happened is that the website owner quit. Maybe she or he died, or their lives and interests changed, or the company went broke. Possibly the owner just forgot to renew the domain registration. Whatever the cause, abandoned domains rarely just die quietly forgotten any more. Usually they are snapped up even if they are not high-traffic, popular sites, often by a domain registrar hoping to cash in on, but increasingly by people with worse intentions in mind. Not long ago, it was not uncommon for websites of churches, schools and government institutions that had lapsed to be grabbed up by Web porn purveyors. They may have done it more for the shock value rather than to make money, but in more recent times even more sinister characters have been doing much the same. Nowadays, an abandoned website may present an irresistible temptation to hackers and spammers to walk in and take over. However, unlike &#8230; <a href="http://www.swcp.com/2012/abandoning-domain/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>New Technology May Lead to Brain Hacking</title>
		<link>http://www.swcp.com/2012/brain-hacking/</link>
		<comments>http://www.swcp.com/2012/brain-hacking/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 25 Aug 2012 19:58:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jnelson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Interesting Items]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Warnings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BCI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cybercrime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[neuroscience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[phishing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[security]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.swcp.com/?p=1909</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The world is becoming even more futuristic – and not necessarily in an entirely good way – with the recent developments in brain-computer interfaces (BCI). This technology involves using electrodes for a computer to read and interpret the electrical impulses generated by nerves firing. Ranging from electrodes actually implanted into the brain to simple skullcaps fitted with an array of attached electrodes, the potential uses are enormous. <a href="http://www.swcp.com/2012/brain-hacking/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>President Issues Cyberwar Warning</title>
		<link>http://www.swcp.com/2012/president-cyberwar-warning/</link>
		<comments>http://www.swcp.com/2012/president-cyberwar-warning/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Jul 2012 22:59:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jnelson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Warnings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cyberwar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Flame]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hackers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[malware]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stuxnet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[virus]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.swcp.com/?p=1881</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As if we didn’t have enough to worry about, serious cybersecurity concerns are quietly but steadily growing. And it was the President himself who has sounded the latest alarm. Several days ago, President Obama issued a warning in an op-ed piece for the Wall Street Journal. <a href="http://www.swcp.com/2012/president-cyberwar-warning/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<title>Some Big Providers To Quietly Begin Monitoring Users</title>
		<link>http://www.swcp.com/2012/providers-monitor-users/</link>
		<comments>http://www.swcp.com/2012/providers-monitor-users/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 07 Jul 2012 21:13:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jnelson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CAS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DMCA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[file sharing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Net neutrality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[peer-to-peer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[privacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Protect IP Act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SOPA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.swcp.com/?p=1864</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The people who want control over the Internet are nothing if not persistent. They are quite capable of learning from their mistakes, too. So it should perhaps come as no surprise that they have licked their wounds and regathered their forces after the resounding defeat of SOPA. They’ve come up with a new scheme to protect their precious copyrights; a kinder, gentler version of SOPA that, while it enables spying, supposedly has education more in mind than punishment. <a href="http://www.swcp.com/2012/providers-monitor-users/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Web Security Snapshot Has Some Surprises</title>
		<link>http://www.swcp.com/2012/web-security-surprises/</link>
		<comments>http://www.swcp.com/2012/web-security-surprises/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 May 2012 21:29:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jnelson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Warnings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[antivirus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[botnets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[malware]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[security]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.swcp.com/?p=1829</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Symantec, a major Net security company, has published a report on Internet security threats of 2011. It’s an interesting snapshot of trends and statistics that makes sobering reading, along with a few eyebrow-raising surprises. Here are some of its highlights: A dangerous new trend among criminals is using shortened URLs to distribute and disguise spam and phishing attacks. These links are conveniently provided by numerous websites to handily replace lengthy strings in addresses, but where they actually point to may be hard to guess. Users are advised to use preview tools to check them out before clicking. Social media sites, especially Facebook, have been cleverly used to spread links to infected sites by crooks taking advantage of people’s expectations and profiles. People using social networking sites are cautioned to be careful about what personal information they post, and when clicking on URLs in email or posted on social media sites even when they come from friends or trusted sources. Macs are not immune: the first Mac-based botnet occurred in 2009. New threats emerged in 2011, including Mac Defender, a fake antivirus program that installs itself without permission. Symantec claims to have identified 4,989 new computer vulnerabilities in just 2011. However, the number of new problems with popular browsers has decreased slightly, Google Chrome having the most dramatic reduction. The amount of spam is actually decreasing, from over 88% of all email in 2010 down to 68% by the end of &#8230; <a href="http://www.swcp.com/2012/web-security-surprises/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>CISPA: The Fight for Privacy Continues</title>
		<link>http://www.swcp.com/2012/cispa-privacy/</link>
		<comments>http://www.swcp.com/2012/cispa-privacy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Apr 2012 21:52:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jnelson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CISPA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[copyright]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cybercrime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EFF]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[file sharing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Protect IP Act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SOPA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.swcp.com/?p=1814</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The price of freedom, it is said, is eternal vigilance. That has been demonstrated once again in the ongoing legal struggle over privacy on the Internet. The celebration and congratulations among the people who united to defeat SOPA, the &#8220;Stop Online Piracy Act&#8220;, the last proposed draconian legislation aimed at protecting copyright and intellectual property, had not even ended before another such bill was proposed. This one is called CISPA, the &#8220;Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act&#8220;, which indicates it&#8217;s a somewhat different beast than SOPA, directed against hackers rather than file-sharers. (You can download a PDF of the actual bill, H.R. 3523, here.) It&#8217;s not quite SOPA risen like a zombie from the grave, but it is written in such ambiguous language that many privacy advocates consider it even more insidious and potentially harmful. CISPA, opponents claim, allow &#8220;cyber entities&#8221; such as ISPs, social networks, and cell phone and other service providers, to circumvent Internet privacy laws. It allows the government to monitor online communications if it suspects any kind of cybersecurity threat to be involved. And since the bill does not really define cybersecurity, that leaves the door wide open, allowing virtually anyone to be spied on for any reason. Not only the government is given this power. If a cyber entity thinks a threat is involved, it can take action. The only safeguard built in is that it cannot be done for &#8220;unfair competitive advantage&#8221;. All that&#8217;s &#8230; <a href="http://www.swcp.com/2012/cispa-privacy/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<title>Flashback Trojan is a Warning to Mac Owners</title>
		<link>http://www.swcp.com/2012/flashback-macs/</link>
		<comments>http://www.swcp.com/2012/flashback-macs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:34:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jnelson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Warnings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[app]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Apple]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[botnets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flashback]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mac]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[passwords]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trojan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[virus]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.swcp.com/?p=1809</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It finally happened: for the first time, Macintosh computers have been attacked by a trojan virus in a big way. Few viruses have ever targeted them before, and for decades Apple owners were told simply not to worry, that viruses were a Microsoft problem. Now the owners of over a half-million Mac OS X computers share the pain – and some of the vulnerability – that Windows users have long been familiar with. The malware is called Flashback, and was discovered not long ago by Kaspersky Labs, a leading Moscow-based software security firm. Flashback can hijack a Mac without even an administrative password, due to its exploit of a flaw in Java. Though discovered last September, Oracle, the company that makes Java, patched the hole back in February, but that didn’t solve the problem. It turns out Apple ships its own version of Java, and their patches weren’t issued until early April. (Obviously, the company has a learning curve about prompt and effective security responses in front of them.) By now there are a lot of infected Macintoshes – not really all that many by Windows standards, but it can still spoil your day if you have one. The virus masquerades as an installer for Adobe’s Flash, and it can install itself. All you have to do is visit an infected website with an unprotected computer. As of the latest reports, the trojan has created a botnet – a network &#8230; <a href="http://www.swcp.com/2012/flashback-macs/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<title>IRS helps enable online tax fraud</title>
		<link>http://www.swcp.com/2012/irs-helps-enable-online-tax-fraud/</link>
		<comments>http://www.swcp.com/2012/irs-helps-enable-online-tax-fraud/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:35:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jnelson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Warnings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cybercrime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IRS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[passwords]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tax fraud]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WEP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wi-Fi]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.swcp.com/?p=1780</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Your friends at the Internal Revenue Service are eager to get everyone to do their federal taxes online. But in their efforts to make everything quick and easy, they&#8217;ve wound up helping Internet tax scammers, too. And it&#8217;s not a phishing scheme or involves hacking, but is based on filing false online returns and collecting the refund. So this tax season, the government is warning people of the dangers. Identity thieves are very busy – last year, the IRS identified nearly a million fraudulent returns to the tune of $6.5 billion. Over half of these were related to identify theft, which is three times the amount of just three years before. And those are just the ones caught before any refunds had been issued. The IRS can&#8217;t, or won&#8217;t, even estimate how much money they&#8217;ve actually sent to scammers. Tax fraud has become an epidemic especially in areas like South Florida, with some gangs replacing drug sales and robberies with online crimes committed with iPads. Gangs even hold work parties to teach each other and commit hundreds of crimes in a single session. So many local officials are complaining about the lack of governmental concern and effective action. Working the fraud, authorities claim, is quite simple, and there are even written tutorials for thieves. The criminals first acquire victims&#8217; Social Security numbers and other personal information. Perhaps they buy the data from insiders with access to medical or financial records or &#8230; <a href="http://www.swcp.com/2012/irs-helps-enable-online-tax-fraud/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>Beyond Passwords: Online Identity Standards</title>
		<link>http://www.swcp.com/2012/online-identity-standards/</link>
		<comments>http://www.swcp.com/2012/online-identity-standards/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:20:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jnelson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cybercrime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NSTIC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[passwords]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[privacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[security]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.swcp.com/?p=1683</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Virtually everyone&#8217;s been stuck one time or another trying to remember a online password and thought, &#8220;There has to be a better way.&#8221; A recent article in our newsletter talks about the problem and suggests tricks to make it a little easier to deal with. But although a lot of smart people have tried to figure out a safe, reliable, and more convenient system, nobody&#8217;s come up with one yet. Now, however, the US Government has decided to gently encourage efforts. In the spring of last year, the Obama Administration announced the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace, NSTIC. Like the National Broadband Plan, it&#8217;s not legislation or even regulation. Instead, NSTIC is a hopeful collection of idealistic principles and goals to promote development rather than a concrete plan with real funding and hard, measurable results. Nevertheless, many agencies and corporations are very interested. It&#8217;s easy to see why. Identity theft has become a major problem, costing millions each year, and passwords remain the weakest link in cybersecurity. Commerce might also be helped if you could buy books on Amazon with your Google account or download tax forms from iTunes. And public safety would benefit if your child could be automatically denied entrance to adult websites, or doctors could check in online to help provide medical services after a disaster. The dream is to build a safe method of sharing relevant sensitive information about users with online entities while &#8230; <a href="http://www.swcp.com/2012/online-identity-standards/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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