Fri,16 Jan Notes: Conficker, ISTTF report, Bartz’s Salary etc
The year hardly just started & already there are plenty of interesting news flying in the Infosec space that is worthy to take note of.
Firstly, many reports from security companies like F-secure, Microsoft & security blogs have been drumming up the fast spreading of the worm Conficker. To date, the estimate is 3.5m and counting.
If we are to dive a little deeper, this worm specifically attack the Server service in Windows system. Note this, and the workaround is to disable two services, the Computer Browser and Server services. Fundamentally, if the Windows client OS is less bloated, both this services should come disabled when shipped or even not installed in the first place.
But knowing Microsoft that is great to make everything dependent on everything else, this services usually come installed and configured to start up manually. If Microsoft is really serious to make it’s Windows OS to be more secure, it should seriously re-look at this basic OS design flaw. Make the OS lean (and mean) and don’t give the lay-man too many options. Keep it eXtremely Simple, PLEASE.
Next subject, the ISTFF report is out and already there are a few criticism on the report. The critics are basically saying the report down play the threat that children faced on the Internet. I have to read it and blog my comment later.
Interestingly, a few stories came out in The Register about a few kids got prosecuted for ‘sexting’ and also in Wired on the same subject. And on Jan 14, seven defendants got convicted for child porno, read here.
So, if we are to read the ISTFF report side by side with the other news that came out together, do we still all agree that the Internet is generally safe for children? Common sense tells me, simply No. With the easy access to the Internet, web cam and phones with camera, the issue of keeping Internet safe from being abused has not just gotten worse but is now extremely bad, so, what are we going to do about it? Or, what CAN we do about this?
Lastly, I can’t stop but really envy what Carol Bartz’s salary package is like being the new Yahoo! CEO and all. Getting this sort of salary at this time of the year when many many people got pink slipped really put some bad taste in my mouth. And her job in Yahoo! is simply to see how to sell it off to M$, isn’t this sound a LITTLE over paid?
