Fahmida Y. Rashid

Now that the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has approved the proposal to allow new generic top-level domains, experts weighed in on the security implications. The ICANN plan would expand the number of gTLDs (generic top-level domains) from 22, including .com, .net and .org, and 250 country-level domains to a nearly infinite number, […]

The hacking group LulzSec ended its 50-day hacking spree the same way it began, with a post on Twitter and text-sharing site Pastebin. Organizations should not breathe a sigh of relief, because these kinds of attacks will still continue, launched by countless other groups who do the same thing for a variety of motivations, Andrew […]

When it comes to enterprise security, user misconceptions of safe online behavior may be the weakest link, according to two recent research studies. Users are in the dark about the “reality” of malware threats, according toG Data Software’s global survey released June 24. The massive survey included responses from nearly 16,000 users worldwide, of which […]

The week began with the news that online file storage providerDropbox had accidentally disabled passwords on all its user accounts, potentially allowing anyone to wander in and access other people’s files. While Dropbox fixed the issue, which was the result of a “code update,” the accounts were unprotected for four hours. The company claimed only […]

Apple fixed 39 vulnerabilities across Mac OS X and a slew of Mac applications. The company also released OS X 10.6.8, which may be the last major update to the operating system before version 10.7 “Lion” arrives next month. Apple closed security holes in QuickTime, MobileMe, the MySQL implementation in OS X Server and AppStore […]

As Dropbox tries to appease irate customers after the weekend debacle where it accidentally turned off passwords to all user accounts, debate rages about the security of the encryption scheme used to protect data on cloud services. It’s not “surprising” that companies embrace online storage solutions such as Dropbox because they are very convenient and […]

StartSSL, a certification authority offering free SSL certificates, was compromised by unknown attackers earlier this month. The company has suspended issuing security certificates for Websites as a “defensive measure.” Attackers hit StartSSL on June 15, and the company suspended issuing SSL certificates indefinitely, according to a short statement on the site. Secure Sockets Layer is […]

The federal government is increasingly using cyber-tactics to defend its IT assets against attackers and to protect its interests. It’s about time, since enemies are already relying on an extensive arsenal of cyber-weapons, experts said. President Obama has signed executive orders outlining how far the United States military can go when launching cyber-attacks and other […]

IT security professionals rated common, low-level malware as their top IT security concern, according to a recent research survey. IT security professionals rated the lack of resources and the inability to deal with zero-day vulnerabilities as their top concerns in the latest survey from eEye Digital Security, released June 16. Most respondents feel high-profile malware […]

Cyber-attacks are becoming more frequent and severe with the vast majority of businesses suffering as least one data breach in the past year, according to a new Ponemon Institute survey. Businesses of all sizes are being hit by cyber-attacks, as 90 percent of surveyed businesses reported at least one IT security breach in the past […]

Federal law enforcement agents have arrested members of two cyber-crime gangs who may have netted more than $74 million by infecting user computers with scareware and then charging for fake antivirus software. In an endeavor dubbed Operation Trident Tribunal, federal agents seized more than 40 computers, servers and bank accounts in the Netherlands, Latvia, Germany, […]

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has finally moved ahead with the next step in its fight against the Coreflood botnet: disinfecting compromised machines. When federal law agents seized servers belonging to the Coreflood botnet in April, they obtained legal permission from the United States District Court of Connecticut to replace them with servers under their […]