Jim Lawrence
accessd at shaw.ca
Tue Jan 19 12:49:39 CST 2010
It seems that many governments have stopped using IE until a patch can be built and deployed. I think Microsoft is working fulltime on this fix as it has been and is an ongoing public relations nightmare... I also wonder whether this will adversely affect them in the continuing browser wars? Jim -----Original Message----- From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Max Wanadoo Sent: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 10:23 AM To: 'Discussion of Hardware and Software issues' Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] The storm after the break in I wonder what MS's take on this is. They are just as affected as Google. Max -----Original Message----- From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Jim Lawrence Sent: 19 January 2010 18:07 To: 'Discussion of Hardware and Software issues' Subject: [dba-Tech] The storm after the break in Google has been going into over-drive mode trying to find the culprits who managed the break-in to the Google Gmail sites. To that end they have shut down the Beijing office while a forensic search of all data and communication records goes on...it may be a Google insider who had the required knowledge. Supposedly, a security hole in a number IE versions allowed the attack and governments all over the world seem to be very concerned. (As of yet the patch has not been completed.) http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-10436618-245.html?tag=newsLeadStoriesArea. 1 The attack is considered a super sophisticated and required a number of integrated components to work. The nature of the attack is such that it is widely believed that the process was encourage and sponsored by the Chinese government who would have a vested interest in the discourse of foreign and local decedents. http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/01/operation-aurora In addition, to the hacking of Google a number of companies were hacked and source code extracted which may have in turn been used to launch the Google attack that appears to have been the main object of the exercise: http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-10434721-245.html?tag=mncol;txt The actual code that utilized the IE hole has been posted according to the following link and if so it will not be long before every devious hacker and script kiddies will have a copy: http://siblog.mcafee.com/cto/%E2%80%9Caurora%E2%80%9D-exploit-in-google-atta ck-now-public Does this mean that we should stop using IE, as some have suggested, until a patch can be created and distributed? That would be difficult as so many companies and individuals depend on IE to run their business. According to many experts the attack code can not be deployed unless the victim initially connects to a tricked up predatory site. AVG now has a free link-scanner which is supposed to catch or be able to identify links from your current web page that may be dangerous: http://linkscanner.avg.com The truth is, it is probably beyond the capability of any browser to be a hundred percent effective against an attack especially if the perpetrator is capable of investing unlimited resources, in such a venture. Jim _______________________________________________ dba-Tech mailing list dba-Tech at databaseadvisors.com http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-tech Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com _______________________________________________ dba-Tech mailing list dba-Tech at databaseadvisors.com http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-tech Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com