Tag: Security

Kurt Sauer, Skype's Chief Security Officer, has issued a statement clarifying the company's process for collecting private user data. According to Sauer, Skype has a license for an EasyBits plug-in manager software framework, which manages the Extras Gallery of Skype for Windows. The EasyBits software houses digital rights management functionality that allows for protection of...

Over half of the wireless LAN devices at the RSA Conference were found to be prone to security attacks - particularly "Evil Twin" and "zero day" - during two days of WLAN traffic scanning by wireless security vendor AirDefense. The first type happens when a victim wirelessly connects to a laptop or handheld device masquerading...

Skype's chief security officer assured that the popular Internet telephony application has robust protection. Kurt Sauer credited this to better organization for developing actual codes. Today, he is requiring more peer review of software ahead of the final release. He said Skype hopes to collaborate with companies such as antivirus vendors to ensure protection of...

A new book entitled "Hacking Exposed VoIP" warned that VoIP, which is becoming more and more popular, is the likely next target for hackers. Co-author David Endler, director of security at 3Com Corp.'s TippingPoint division in Austin, said that VoIP has been used for phishing. SecureLogix chief technology officer Mark Collier, who co-wrote the book,...

The IEEE 802.16 committee has introduced mechanisms aimed at minimizing possible security risks associated with WiMax. The committee included support to the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) for 802.16e networks. The amendment is in response to earlier authentication issues. Under the fundamental principle, each subscriber station will carry X.509 certificates that are required for uniquely identifying...

A study by wireless networking firm AirMagnet indicates that holiday decorations cause interference to indoor Wi-Fi network. It found out that tinsels and Christmas wreaths can reduce WiFi signal strength by 25 percent. Chia-Chee Kuan, AirMagnet's CTO and vice president of engineering, said the introduction of new elements in a corporate environment has potential serious...

A new Veriwave test debunked notions that wireless standards -- 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g -- have zero error in data transmission. It found an "unavoidable packet loss" due to the fundamental transmission protocol used in wireless networks. The 802.11 standards supposedly have "foolproof" mechanisms that allow for detection of corrupt data and retransmission. The test...

A group of security researchers discovered a flaw in Broadcom's BCMWL5.SYS wireless driver that could make a Wi-Fi enabled laptop prone to security risks. The said buffer overflow error could enable hackers to stage kernel-mode code and take advantage of the security opening through the Metasploit Module. The Zeroday Emergency Response Team or ZERT believes...

Hackers are taking advantage of WiFi to steal vital personal information by creating bogus wireless access points near commercial hotspots and assign them the same name. According to Richard Rushing, chief science officer at Wi-Fi security company AirDefense, most hackers perform 'evil twin' attacks in locations "where the better-off are hanging out because they have...

VARs could play a big role in convincing businesses to embrace WiFi. To do this, some suggest that resellers adopt the technology themselves. But, according to Foundry Networks product marketing manager Michael Hong, VARs need sufficient know-how and training in providing maintenance and support before they can deploy their own networks. Stephen Dane, director of...

A good reason to secure one's wireless network is performance, according to Yankee Group analyst Tara Howard. But aside from that, there is not much difference between an unsecured and secured network. Nonetheless, some people prefers to have their networks secured and to do so, they should ensure that their firewall is properly working. They...

Network Chemistry has developed a platform that will render "integrated facility and endpoint wireless security." It has revamped its RFprotect Distributed platform, hardware and software to extend the coverage to all areas that a mobile worker may roam, with the use of a unified control panel with automated policy enforcement capabilities. The reworked RFprotect Distributed...

The bizarre saga involving the discovery and disclosure of WiFi driver vulnerabilities in Apple products continues. After SecureWorks researcher David Maynor revealed that the MacBook has a code execution flaw during the Black Hat conference, Apple decided to remove SecureWorks from the reporting credits concerning its patch. Now comes a statement saying that the two...

For cyber criminals, free wireless public networks provide great tools for stealing sensitive data of laptop owners. Users who are therefore not familiar with procedures to secure their computers could become victims of a "channeling" attack, a practice that allows hackers to obtain online banking passwords and other personal information by creating a fake access...

Cisco has teamed up with Congio to reduce the volume of radio interference around WLAN devices. Cognio's Spectrum Expert for WiFi -- a CardBus device that plugs into a Windows notebook -- can analyze WiFi interference and would complement the company's Wireless Control System. These tools would help companies deploy wireless LANs and manage interference...