Network Security Roundup for November 20, 2003

Story Highlights:
"A bill to take the 'spy' out of spyware got a public hearing before a Congressional subcommittee Wednesday. The legislation filed by Rep. Mary Bono (R-California) would require spyware purveyors to inform computer users of the presence, nature and function of their applications, as well as seek permission from users before downloading intrusive goods to their computers."

Full Story on TechNewsWorld

Story Highlights:
"Check Point Software is to place greater emphasis on internal and Web security technology in future product development. The company is best known to date for its perimeter security VPN and firewall products. The thinking behind the revised product strategy is to supply Check Point with the means to deliver an integrated approach in which it provides multiple levels of protection against new security threats, such as application attacks and Internet worms."

Full Story on The Register

Silicon.com: Top Management Still WiFi Security Dunces

Story Highlights:
"Speaking at the Enterprise Wireless Technology show in London on Wednesday, Steve Woolf, customer engineering manager at Red-M, urged firms to wake up to the security problems presented by the wireless boom. Woolf explained that while some companies are actively embracing wireless, others are being permeated by stealth. The arrival of the Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) Centrino wireless chipset and Windows XP -- which has been designed to make wireless networking easier -- means that employees who are given a new laptop are likely to get wireless connectivity as standard."

Full Story on Silicon.com

Story Highlights:
"I'm tech support for the mob. From the moment I started this gig, I realized just how behind this gang is when it comes to technology. Forget about the paperless office. These guys are buried in pulp. But when they want to revamp their systems, it's not like they can call McKinsey for advice. That's where I come in. I'm building a secure, online, peer-to-peer, encrypted, redundant bet-processing system with an offshore data warehouse."

Full Story on Wired

Story Highlights:
"It wasn't Mary Ann Davidson's worst nightmare, but it was close. A fax from a hacker in the Middle East landed on her desk at Oracle Corp. (Nasdaq: ORCL) , proclaiming the discovery of a hole in the company's database software through which he could steal crucial information from such customers as Boeing Co., Ford Motor Co. and the CIA. The fax warned Davidson, the company's chief security officer, to contact the hacker immediately -- or else."

Full Story on The Los Angeles Times