Stories by Sam Costello

Nimda variant makes headway, author sends message

The variant of the Nimda worm discovered Tuesday had spread across much of the globe by midday Eastern time Wednesday and the worm's author is also spreading a message of his or her own in this new version, according to antivirus firm F-Secure Corp.

New Nimda variants hits 'Net, users urged to patch

A new variant of the Nimda worm has appeared on the Internet, though exactly how it is different or whether it will be more or less serious than the original worm is so far undetermined, antivirus firms said Tuesday. Nonetheless, users are cautioned to patch their systems as soon as possible to prevent infection.

Tripwire aims to lock down routers, switches

Working from the idea that intruders can't succeed in doing much lasting damage to your network if they can't make changes to files, Tripwire Inc. Monday announced a new version of its security lockdown software, Tripwire for Routers and Switches.

Antivirus integrated into e-mail list software

L-Soft International, maker of the popular Listserv e-mail list software, and antivirus company F-Secure announced a deal Monday by which F-Secure's antivirus will check every attachment sent using the Listserv software in an attempt to stop the spread of viruses over e-mail lists.

State AGs get new lawyer in Microsoft case

The attorneys general for the 18 states pursuing the Microsoft Corp. antitrust case got a new ally Thursday when they added Washington, D.C., lawyer Brendan Sullivan to their efforts. Sullivan's hiring was confirmed by Bob Brammer of Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller's office.

MSN Messenger to have McAfee.com section

In conjunction with Microsoft Corp.'s launch of Windows XP, McAfee.com Corp., the managed services division of security giant Network Associates Inc., announced the McAfee Security Center for MSN Messenger, a tab in the instant messaging application that will provide users with real-time security information.

MP3.com founder preps Linux OS to run Windows apps

A new company founded by MP3.com Inc. founder and former Chief Executive Officer Michael Robertson is looking to bridge the gap between applications available for the open-source Linux operating system and Microsoft Corp.'s Windows -- a gap many Linux advocates blame for slow uptake of the OS on desktop computers.

CERT: 'Net infrastructure targeted for DoS attacks

Denial of Service attacks are still a major threat to the Internet and are becoming more serious as attackers are increasingly creating automated attack tools and focusing on network infrastructure such as routers, according to a new paper released this week by the U.S. government-funded Computer Emergency Response Team/Coordination Center (CERT/CC).

Visa, CyberSource partner on e-commerce fraud detection

Though e-commerce remains a frightening endeavor for those hesitant to give credit card numbers over the Internet, such transactions are likely just as frightening for online merchants who have to hope that the sales aren't made using stolen or fraudulent credit card numbers.

Nortel loss widens to $3.5 billion on falling sales

Networking equipment vendor Nortel Networks Corp. Thursday reported widening losses of US$3.47 billion for its fiscal third quarter 2001, as the company continues to chip away noncore businesses in a bid to improve efficiency.

NetScreen looks to boost security with partners

With an eye towards improving security by integrating with third-party products rather than developing new ones, NetScreen Technologies Inc. Monday announced its Global Alliance Program, through which NetScreen devices will be made to interoperate with a host of other security products from a range of vendors.

Check Point cuts costs, boosts profits in Q3

Leading firewall and security vendor Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. Thursday announced profits of US$74.3 million for the third quarter of 2001, citing decreased costs and strong uptake of new products as driving the results.

Anthrax worm fails to spread on 'Net

A new mass mailer worm, purporting to provide information about the disease anthrax, has appeared on the Internet, but is being hampered because of a flaw in its design, antivirus companies said Wednesday.

McAfee ASaP targets new WebShield at small business

Looking to add to its portfolio of hardware and services and attract smaller businesses to its offerings, McAfee ASaP, the services division of Network Associates Inc., will offer a new version of its WebShield antivirus system in December, according to Sal Viveros, director of marketing in Europe, the Middle East and Asia for Network Associates.

[]