Vmyths.com "What's New" Newsletter
Truth About Computer Security Hysteria
{5 July 2005}
IN THIS ISSUE:
The editor's notepad
Weekly online polls & surveys
"Whisper" data collection
Scandalabra
Humor control
Hysteria: this week in history
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THE EDITOR'S NOTEPAD
Vmyths continues to suffer as a direct result of the terrorism on 9/11/01. See http://Vmyths.com/rant.cfm?id=524&page=4 to understand what caused our latest hiatus.
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WEEKLY ONLINE POLLS & SURVEYS
Should antivirus firms be exempted from copyright laws in order to protect their clients' computers? Visit http://Vmyths.com/resource.cfm?id=87&page=1 to take our polls or to see the results!
In unscientific poll #019, we asked: "Is it ethical for security experts to lie to computer users in order to improve security?" We received a total of 207 votes. 15% said yes; 85% said no... Follow http://Vmyths.com/mm/url/5/1019.htm to see the poll as a graph and follow http://Vmyths.com/mm/url/5/2019.htm to read the voters' comments. Read http://Vmyths.com/rant.cfm?id=429&page=4 to learn why a computer security expert might lie to users.
"WHISPER" DATA COLLECTION
Whisper is now collecting data on these and other controversial topics:
* How much did your company/school/agency pay for computer security
products & services?
* Copies of your company/school/agency's virus charts and reports
* The name of a Canadian teenager arrested for distributing the
Randex worm ($100 reward for authoritative documents)
* The name of a 37yr-old computer programmer in Madrid, Spain
identified by police as "J.A.S." for distributing a webcam trojan
* Which computer security firms supply offensive hacking/virus
technology to which countries?
See http://Vmyths.com/resource.cfm?id=89&page=1 for full details on the controversial data we're collecting.
Are you a whistleblower or industry insider? Got a scoop or some dirt on the computer security industry? Email it to Whisper@SecurityCritics.org, or call Rob Rosenberger at (319) 646-2800, or mail it to P.O. Box 50, Wellman, IA 52356. ALL sources will remain confidential.
SCANDALABRA
The folks at Internet Security Systems almost had a real scandal on their hands! "Almost." The media yawned when three researchers published a report suggesting the "Witty" worm was written by an ISS insider -- and the author(s) specifically targeted U.S. military networks... Follow http://Vmyths.com/mm/url/5/75.htm for the news.
Antivirus software has long posed a THREAT to the electric power industry -- yet the media has ignored this story for years. Every once in awhile, though, a reporter screws up and quotes the truth. "'It’s probably OK if an antivirus program turns off your computer,' said Tom Kropp of the Electrical Power Research Institute. 'That kind of failure is not acceptable for control systems. You don’t cut off power to San Francisco or Sacramento just because the [antivirus] software noticed an abnormality'..." Follow http://Vmyths.com/mm/url/5/73.htm to understand why antivirus software makes for unreliable electricity.
In September 2004, antivirus firm Avecho announced a contest with a �10,000 prize to anyone who can get a virus past them. Then they, uh, postponed it. It still looks like nothing more than a publicity stunt. The contest hasn't (yet) materialized...
Got something for our "Scandalabra" section? Send it to Tips@Vmyths.com. All submissions will remain anonymous.
HUMOR CONTROL
The folks at BBspot agreed to let us carry their security-related humor. Next up: "Intel releases Pentium 4 with dedicated virus coprocessor..." Read http://Vmyths.com/rant.cfm?id=722&page=4 before you choose a processor for your next PC.
Following on the heels of the recent Symantec-Veritas merger, rival antivirus firm McAfee has announced it will merge with the makers of Neosporin. "We're doing it for all the obvious reasons," said McAfee president Gene Hodges. "For one thing, our antivirus software is like a salve for your PC." The new firm will be called McNeofeesporin...
Executive producer Robert Lihani -- the mastermind behind History Channel's "Mail Call" TV show -- has announced an "Email Call" spinoff. "We're casting right now for a retired Air Force female, preferably an AFSC 3C0x2 computer programmer with experience in computer security accreditation and quality assurance." In other words, said Lihani, "she'll be the computer equivalent to [retired Marine drill instructor] R. Lee Ermey." The new spinoff will cover heart-pounding military computer hackers, viruses, worms, and trojan horses... Visit http://Vmyths.com/hoax.cfm?id=123&page=3 to learn about one of the military's deadly cyber-weapons...
A U.S. Navy press release says ships will now "pipe aboard" enlisted computer security experts as a sign of respect. "An enlisted nerd is as important to the safety of the fleet as the captain of a ship," Navy spokesman John Arquilla said...
Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig ordered teams to stop identifying players by name in order to protect them from identity theft. "If you've been on the Internet, you know these players have a 100% chance of having their identities stolen," Selig observed during a press conference. "Hundreds of websites reveal exactly how many home runs the person hit, what his ERA is, how many errors he committed, et cetera. What's worse is that these criminals update our players' personal data on their websites within minutes." Players will only be identified by a randomly assigned two-digit number printed on their uniforms. "Players will change their uniform numbers every 90 days as an extra added security measure," Selig added. He vowed to "prosecute or sue" any criminal who reveals a player's identity...
If you live in Iowa, you know meth labs use deadly weapons to protect their illegal stash. Lately they've been turning to -- you guessed it -- computer viruses. And the cops are frightened like never before. "SWAT teams are defenseless against these diabolical new terrorist weapons," said Michael Vatis, a spokesman for the Association of Chiefs of Police...
U.S. Central Air Forces commander Lt. Gen. Walter Buchanan announced his airmen will withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan by September 30th. "There is no aerospace threat," he explained, "just a computer threat." Buchanan ordered the famous 67th Information Warfare Flight to leave three airmen in place who will defend millions of coalition force computers. "Other than that, though, we're gone before the new fiscal year," he said. "A staff sergeant at the Air Force Computer Emergency Response Team [located in Texas] will command all USCENTAF assets in Iraq and Afghanistan starting on 1 October..."
A recent story in The Spoof: "Bill Gates pledges $250M to World Health Organization to combat viruses due to Windows XP..." Follow http://Vmyths.com/mm/url/5/72.htm for the story.
In our 1/3/05 newsletter, we reported Fortinet virus expert Patrick Nolan was seriously injured while downloading a top secret cyber-weapon. Metallica singer James Hetfield (a longtime Vmyths reader) announced he will write a cyber-war sequel to the band's megahit song, "One," about a gruesomely injured soldier. "Mr. Nolan is a hero just like the one in our earlier song," Hetfield said on Metallica's official website. The new song, "Binary One," will explore "the intense pain and misery Mr. Nolan suffered while engaged in the global war on cyber-terrorism." Hetfield offered this sampling of lyrics from the new song:
In the server room its real too much
In pumps data that I must crunch
But can't email forward to reveal
Look to the time when packets live
Fed through the tunnel that secures PC
Just like a cyberwar novelty
Tied to Internet that makes me be
Cut this phone line off from me...
Order a gag gift for your favorite computer virus expert! We've got plenty to choose from. We took some of our best sayings and put them on merchandise. Visit http://Vmyths.com/resource.cfm?id=82&page=1 only if you have a sense of humor... Check out our "Senator Schumer" line of clothing if you really want to terrorize the security experts at your firm!
HYSTERIA: THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
This week in 1999: http://Vmyths.com/rant.cfm?id=41&page=4
An urgent newswire from Africa News Service warned of a dire new computer security threat. Too bad they fell for a hoax...
This week in 2001: http://Vmyths.com/rant.cfm?id=342&page=4
The scene: a corporate boardroom late one Friday afternoon. The players: the CIO, the CEO, and Joe from Security. We join them as they discuss a matter of great urgency...
This week in 2003: http://Vmyths.com/hoax.cfm?id=279&page=3
A non-U.S. hacker group scheduled a global "Defacers Challenge" over the July 4 weekend. Needless to say, it didn't go off exactly as planned. You can't hack too well after a firecracker blows off a finger...
That's enough for this edition. My best to y'all. Please keep fighting the virus hysteria.
Rob Rosenberger, editor
http://Vmyths.com
Rob@Vmyths.com
(319) 646-2800
--------------- Useful links ------------------
A-Z list of computer virus hoaxes
http://Vmyths.com/hoax.cfm
How to spot a hoax computer virus alert
http://Vmyths.com/resource.cfm?id=19&page=1
Reduce virus hoaxes inside your company
http://Vmyths.com/resource.cfm?id=20&page=1
False Authority Syndrome
http://Vmyths.com/fas/fas1.cfm
Hoaxes NOT related to computer security
http://Vmyths.com/hoax.cfm?id=16&page=3
Comedy vs. virus hysteria? Believe it!
http://Vmyths.com/resource.cfm?id=82&page=1
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