ua.InfoSec Monthly Update Newsletter

Sec-U-R-IT-y Tips | Cybercrime

Did you know that the current era of cybercrime is dominated by criminals who want to use your computer for illegal activities, to steal data for profit, and organized crime is heavily involved?  These attackers exploit vulnerabilities in computer software in order to develop “crimeware,” such as viruses, Trojans, and keyloggers, to carry out their criminal acts.  To learn more about cybercrime current trends, how to protect yourself and what to do if you fall victim, go to http://security.arizona.edu/files/nov2009securitytip.pdf.

Securing UA | Revised Application Security Standard

Following review by the Information Security Advisory Committee, the Application Security Standard was clarified with references to security testing of new Internet applications.  To view the full standard, go to http://www.security.arizona.edu/files/ISS801v2.pdf. 

News | How Victims Encourage Cybercrime

The relative anonymity of Internet users is the key issue in managing cybercrime.  To read more on preventing your becoming a victim of cybercrime, go to http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/174292/how_victims_encourage_cybercrime.html.

News | Stealing Identities on the Street is Easy

Many of us are concerned about how well companies and organizations are protecting our personally identifiable information - but how good are we at protecting our own details, such as name, date of birth and email address? To read more and watch the video, go to http://www.sophos.com/blogs/gc/g/2009/10/19/video-stealing-identities-street-easy/. 

News | Hackers Use Facebook to Link to Malicious Sites

Hackers have found a way to create Facebook profiles and use them to link to malicious sites. Users who click on the links are prompted to install rogue anti-spyware tools on their systems.  Users of social networking should be aware of such threats and take measures to address them.  Adjusting Web site privacy settings, being selective about friends and what they are allowed to view and disabling options such as texting and photo sharing when they are not being used are all ways users can protect themselves on social networking sites.  Read the following articles for more information: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9138780/Facebook_Captchas_broken_?source=rss_security and http://www.pcworld.com/article/157817/how_to_safeguard_your_online_security.html?tk=rel_news.

Tools | Sophos Free Encryption

Securely sending or storing data can be tricky.  Sophos is offering a free encryption product for Windows to help protect valuable, confidential data on notebooks and PCs, and ensure that the data is sent securely when emailed.  For more information and to download the tool, go to http://www.sophos.com/products/free-tools/sophos-free-encryption.html?utm_source=Non-campaign&utm_medium=Prospect%20newsletter&utm_campaign=NA-NL-20091029?lang=en.   

For non-Windows machines, see UA’s Encryption Guideline for suggested solutions at http://www.security.arizona.edu/files/ISG301.pdf.