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Outlook Express flaw speeds hacking By Robert Lemos Staff Writer, CNET News.com October 11, 2002, 10:40 AM PT Microsoft warned Outlook Express users late Thursday that a software flaw could allow an online vandal to control their computers. A critical vulnerability in the e-mail reader could allow an attacker to send a specially formatted message that would crash the software and potentially take control of the recipient's computer. The flaw occurs in how the software handles messages that include components using secure MIME (multipurpose Internet mail extensions), a standard that allows e-mail messages to contain encrypted data and digital signatures....

My system: Dell Dimension 8100 with windows ME which I have since upgraded to 2000 I cannot utilize Outlook Express. Everything is read-only, if I attempt to forward, reply or even open, I get the following message: msimn.exe has generated errors and will be closed by windows. You will need to restart the programs.Couple weeks ago had a major break down, lost files, computer wasnt working properly, and while on phone to Dell support, system died. Dell sent me a new mother board which I have since installed. Downloaded IE 6.0, and have since uninstalled it and loaded 5.5. Still ...

Several vulnerabilities were reported in Outlook Express (OE). A remote user can send malicious e-mail with an attachment that will bypass OE's malicious file type filter and misrepresent the name and size of the file. http://securitytracker.com/alerts/2002/Jul/1004805.html

Bank customers know to shield their ATM passwords from prying eyes. But with the rise of online banking, computer users may not realize electronic snoops might be peeking over their shoulder every time they type. In a twist on online fraud, hackers and identity thieves are infecting computers with increasingly sophisticated programs that record bank passwords and other key financial data and send them to crooks over the Internet. That's what happened to Tim Brown, who had account information swiped out of the PC at his Simi Valley store. "It's scary they could see my keystrokes," said Brown, owner of...

NEW YORK (AP) - Anticipating that the Hurricane Katrina recovery will be a big story for months to come, both NBC and CNN said Thursday they are opening full-time news bureaus in New Orleans. NBC News said its bureau will operate out of space at WDSU-TV, its local affiliate, and will help the network and MSNBC originate shows in the city. Brian Williams anchored the "NBC Nightly News" from there on Thursday in advance of President Bush's speech. Frieda Morris, currently chief of NBC's Atlanta bureau who has been living out of a trailer in Biloxi, Miss., since the storm,...

New Orleans, LA (LifeNews.com) -- Pro-life advocates say Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion business, continues to exploit victims of Hurricane Katrina. The organization previously said it would provide morning after pills to victims, instead of food or shelter, and is now raising money off of the hurricane for its local abortion centers. On its national web site, Planned Parenthood solicits funds for Hurricane Katrina support efforts. In fine print, the abortion advocacy group explains that all of the money raised will be used to support its local abortion businesses. Under a headline "Help Those Affected by the Hurricane," Planned...

Computer users are being urged to be on guard for a bogus e-mail that pretends to offer news updates about Hurricane Katrina as a means to infect their PCs. The malicious e-mail gives a brief news bulletin on the disaster before urging people to click "read more" and be taken to the full story on a website. Yet once directed to the website, a virus is sent to the user's computer. People are also being told to watch out for fraudulent e-mail scams pretending to raise cash for Katrina victims. It's sickening to think that hackers are prepared to exploit...

Microsoft Corp. warned users of its Windows operating system on Tuesday of three newly found "critical" security flaws in its software, including one that could allow attackers to take complete control of a computer. Computer security experts urged users to download and install the patches, which are available at www.microsoft.com/security. "Users (should) apply the updates as quickly as possible," said Oliver Friedrichs, senior manager of Symantec Security Response, part of security software company Symantec Corp. SYMC.O. Microsoft said that vulnerabilities exist in its Internet Explorer Web browser, the most severe of which could allow an attacker to take complete control...

Microsoft on Tuesday issued alerts on several security flaws in Windows, the most serious of which could allow an attacker to gain control over a victim's computer. Microsoft released six security bulletins as part of its monthly patching cycle, three of which it deems "critical." The Redmond, Wash., software gives that rating to any security issue that could allow a malicious Internet worm to spread without any action required on the part of the user. One bulletin addresses three flaws in Internet Explorer. Of all the issues Microsoft offered fixes for Tuesday, these put users at most risk of attack,...

Nova Scotia July 19, 2005 -- SpyCop today announced that the use of commercial monitoring spy software is on the rise in Internet phishing schemes, the latest scam used to steal personal information and even entire identities. The Anti-Phishing Working Group, web site at www.antiphishing.org, explains: "Phishing attacks use both social engineering and technical subterfuge to steal consumers' personal identity data and financial account credentials... Technical subterfuge schemes plant crimeware onto PCs to steal credentials directly, often using Trojan keylogger spyware." The commercial spy software market has made available over 525 payware spy programs which include URL recorders, keyloggers, chat...

SAN FRANCISCO, July 15 - Add personal computers to the list of throwaways in the disposable society. On a recent Sunday morning when Lew Tucker's Dell desktop computer was overrun by spyware and adware - stealth software that delivers intrusive advertising messages and even gathers data from the user's machine - he did not simply get rid of the offending programs. He discarded the whole computer. Mr. Tucker, an Internet industry executive who holds a Ph.D. in computer science, decided that rather than take the time to remove the offending software, he would spend $400 on a new machine. He...

NEW YORK - Internet users worried about spyware and adware are shunning specific Web sites, avoiding file-sharing networks, even switching browsers. Many have also stopped opening e-mail attachments without first making sure they are safe, the Pew Internet and American Life Project said in a study issued Wednesday. "People are scaling back on some Internet activities," said Susannah Fox, the study's main author. "People are feeling less adventurous, less free to do whatever they want to do online." Like no other Internet threat before it, spyware is getting people's attention, she said. "It maybe will bring more awareness of all...

As part of its monthly patching cycle, Microsoft on Tuesday plans to release three security alerts for flaws in Windows and Office. Two of the security bulletins apply to Windows, and at least one of them is deemed "critical," Microsoft's highest risk rating, the company said in a notice posted on its Web site Thursday. Its Office productivity suite will get one bulletin, also rated critical. The notice did not specify whether one of the patches will be for Internet Explorer. Microsoft earlier this week offered a workaround for a known flaw in the Web browser that opens the door...

Microsoft warns of unpatched IE flaw By Dawn Kawamoto, CNET News.com Published on ZDNet News: July 1, 2005, 8:55 AM PT Microsoft has issued a security advisory for Internet Explorer, after a research firm published a working exploit to demonstrate how attackers could take advantage of the flaw. The vulnerability, discovered by SEC Consult, mean that attackers could cause the browser to unexpectedly exit and execute arbitrary code. Versions of IE affected by the flaw include IE 6.0 on Windows 2000 with Service Pack 1, 3 and 4, and on Windows XP with Service Pack 1 and 2. "Microsoft is investigating...

A security breach of customer information at a credit card-processing company could expose to fraud up to 40 million cardholders of multiple brands, MasterCard International Inc. said Friday. The credit card giant said its security division detected multiple instances of fraud that tracked back to CardSystems Solutions Inc. of Tucson, Ariz., which processes transactions for banks and merchants. MasterCard said in a news release late Friday afternoon that it was notifying its card-issuing banks of the problem. CardSystems was hit by a computer virus that captured customer data for the purpose of fraud, said company spokeswoman Sharon Gamsin. The FBI...

NEW YORK - A security breach of customer information at a credit card-processing company could expose to fraud up to 40 million cardholders of multiple brands, MasterCard International Inc. said Friday. The credit card giant said its security division detected multiple instances of fraud that tracked back to CardSystems Solutions Inc. of Tucson, Ariz., which processes transactions for banks and merchants. MasterCard said in a news release late Friday afternoon that it was notifying its card-issuing banks of the problem. CardSystems was hit by a computer virus that captured customer data for the purpose of fraud, said company spokeswoman Sharon...

Jun 10, 2005 Experts at SophosLabs, Sophos's global network of virus and spam analysis centers, have warned of a spam campaign that claims that Michael Jackson has attempted suicide in an attempt to lure innocent computer users into being infected by a Trojan horse. The email claims that Michael Jackson has attempted to commit suicide. But clicking on the link will cause infection. Sophos has identified hundreds of the spam messages being sent, preying on intense media interest in the trial of the controversial popstar. The spam emails have the following characteristics: Subject: Re: Suicidal aattempt Message text: Last night,...

The next time you run a scan with your anti-spyware tool, it might miss some programs. Several anti-spyware firms, including Aluria, Lavasoft, and PestPatrol, have quietly stopped detecting adware from companies like Claria and WhenU--a process called delisting. Those adware companies have been petitioning anti-spyware firms to delist their software; other companies have resorted to sending cease-and-desist letters that threaten legal action. In most cases it's difficult for customers to determine whether their anti-spyware tool has delisted anything and, if so, which adware it skips. "When a spyware program gets delisted, users won't be aware of its presence," says Harvard...

Analysis On my computer right now I have three anti-spyware programs, three anti-virus programs, and three anti-spam programs, together with a hardware and software firewall, an IPsec VPN, and data level encryption on certain files (and no, this is not intended to be an invitation for you to try to test my security.) The anti-spyware, anti-virus, and anti-spam software all work in very much the same way - they have definitions of known malicious programs, and they may also have algorithms to raise flags about unknown programs which operate in an unusual way. Depending upon user preferences, the programs either...

Microsoft is readying a new consumer security product that offers virus and spyware protection, a new firewall and several tune-up tools for Windows PCs, a move that pits the software giant squarely against traditional security software vendors. The product, dubbed Windows OneCare, will be tested internally at Microsoft starting this week. A public test, or beta, version is scheduled to be available by year's end, Microsoft said in a statement this week. The final product will be offered as a subscription service, the Redmond, Washington, software maker says. OneCare marks Microsoft's long-anticipated entry into the antivirus space, until now the...