[ISN] Security UPDATE -- Safer Mobile Surfing -- February 9, 2005

Fri Feb 11 03:38:51 EST 2005

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1. In Focus: Safer Mobile Surfing

2. Security News and Features
   - Recent Security Vulnerabilities
   - February the 13th: Microsoft Issues Massive Number of Security Fixes
   - Microsoft to Purchase Sybari Software
   - Weakness in Windows XP SP2 Overflow Protection
   - SOHO Firewall Appliances

3. Security Matters Blog
   - Stop Users from Bypassing Group Policy
   - Two More Months to Opt Out of Windows XP SP2

4. Instant Poll

5. Security Toolkit
   - FAQ
   - Security Forum Featured Thread

6. New and Improved
   - Spam Firewall for Large Organizations

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==== 1. In Focus: Safer Mobile Surfing ====
   by Mark Joseph Edwards, News Editor, mark at ntsecurity / net

I'm sure you read lots of different security-related blogs and Web 
sites. There are a bunch of them out there, and the number seems to 
keep right on growing. I've got dozens of them in my RSS reader, and I 
often find new ones that I want to read now and then.

One interesting blog that I found some time ago is called Secureme. Not 
only is it informative, but the writing style is subtly humorous at 
times too. When I look at the "avatars" of the blog writers at the 
site, I'm not quite sure what's missing: a flashy mirrored disco ball 
and colored lights, or Santa's workshop. When you go to the blog, 
you'll see what I mean.
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=1651:4FB69

An interesting recent post at the blog ("No SSH server, no problem!" 
January 13) covered two tools, The Onion Router (TOR) and Privoxy, both 
of which can be used in a variety of situations, such as using them 
together to better protect your Internet communications when you're on 
the road. For example, if you're using a hotel's in-house network or a 
public wireless network, you could use TOR and Privoxy to help protect 
your network traffic.

TOR is a routing technology that encrypts and routes your Internet 
traffic through a number of TOR servers before the traffic reaches its 
destination. Privoxy is a proxy server that helps protect your Internet 
privacy by removing or obscuring various content, such as your DNS 
queries, browser type, OS type, and more. You can configure Privoxy to 
communicate with TOR so that all your Web traffic is routed through the 
TOR network.

I tried the two tools, and they seem to work all right. Setting up a 
TOR client is incredibly simple. Just install it, run it, and make sure 
there are open ports on your firewall to pass traffic. That's it! 
Privoxy is equally simple, except that to make it work with TOR, you'll 
need to add one line to the Privoxy configuration, which is explained 
in the TOR documentation. You can learn more about TOR and Privoxy and 
download copies at their respective Web sites.
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Until next time, have a great week.

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====================

==== 2. Security News and Features ====

Recent Security Vulnerabilities
   If you subscribe to this newsletter, you also receive Security 
Alerts, which inform you about recently discovered security 
vulnerabilities. You can also find information about these discoveries 
at
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=163B:4FB69

February the 13th: Microsoft Issues Massive Number of Security Fixes
   Yesterday, Microsoft issued a massive number of security bulletins 
and fixes as part of its regularly scheduled monthly security update 
release. The company released 12 security bulletins for various 
products, including several Windows versions, Exchange Server, Office 
XP, Windows Media Player, MSN Messenger, and SharePoint. Eight of the 
bulletins are rated as "critical," the company's most serious rating.
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=163D:4FB69

Microsoft to Purchase Sybari Software
   Microsoft announced yesterday that it has signed a definitive 
agreement to acquire Sybari Software, a New York-based company that 
develops antivirus, antispam, and content-filtering technologies. The 
acquisition will include all of Sybari's staff and technologies.
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=163C:4FB69

Weakness in Windows XP SP2 Overflow Protection
   Security company Positive Technologies released a white paper that 
explains what it considers to be weaknesses in the heap overflow 
protection and data execution protection in Windows XP Service Pack 2 
(SP2). The two technologies are designed to help prevent intruders from 
taking advantage of unchecked buffers to launch malicious code within 
the OS. 
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=1643:4FB69

SOHO Firewall Appliances
   Even if you have a home office or work for a small company, you 
still need to protect your valuable data and network. Firewalls have 
become a de facto standard for all organizations--large and small--as a 
frontline perimeter-based defense against attackers who want to steal 
your information, hijack your resources, and otherwise vandalize your 
network. Jeff Fellinge looks at several solutions in this Buyer's 
Guide. 
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==== Resources and Events ====

InfoSec World 2005, April 4-6, 2005, Orlando, FL
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tested techniques for meeting your toughest information security 
challenges. With a full spectrum of events, InfoSec World offers an 
array of stimulating programs, presentations, activities, networking 
opportunities and more!
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Ensure Successful Token Authentication
   What's more secure than password protection? Attend this free Web 
seminar and learn how to protect your network and make your mobile and 
remote users more secure with token authentication. Discover ways to 
evaluate, test, and roll out token authentication to protect your 
investment, while making a solid business case to justify the costs. 
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Windows Connections Conference Spring 2005
   Mark your calendar for Windows Connections Spring 2005, April 17-20, 
2005, at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco. Sessions jam-packed with 
tips and techniques you need to know to ensure success in today's 
enterprise deployments. Get the complete brochure online or call 203-
268-3204 or 800-505-1201 for more information.
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Configuring Blade Servers for Your Application Needs
   Blade servers pack a lot of function into a small space, conserve 
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====================

==== 3. Security Matters Blog ====
   by Mark Joseph Edwards, http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=164A:4FB69

Check out these recent entries in the Security Matters blog:

Stop Users from Bypassing Group Policy
   I read a really interesting thread on the Focus on Microsoft mailing 
list. A list member said his users found a way to bypass Group Policy 
so that they could install unauthorized software on their machines. The 
users entered their logon credentials, then as soon as they were 
authenticated to the domain, they unplugged the network cable so that 
Group Policy Objects (GPOs) weren't downloaded to their machines. 
However, there are ways to foil this strategy. 
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=1644:4FB69

Two More Months to Opt Out of Windows XP SP2
   According to Microsoft's TechNet Flash newsletter, "the mechanism to 
temporarily disable delivery of Windows XP SP2 is available only for a 
period of 240 days (8 months) from August 16, 2004. At the end of this 
period (after April 12, 2005), Windows XP SP2 will be delivered to all 
Windows XP and Windows XP Service Pack 1 systems."
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==== 4. Instant Poll ====

Results of Previous Poll:
Is comment spam a problem on your company's blogs or Web forums?

The voting has closed in this Windows IT Pro Security Hot Topic 
nonscientific Instant Poll. Here are the results from the 13 votes:
   - 23% Yes it was, but we solved it by requiring registration
   - 0% Yes, but we'll implement the new "rel" tag format to stop it
   - 0% Yes, but we don't plan to do anything about it
   - 77% No

New Instant Poll:
If your company uses Windows XP, do you use XP SP2?

Go to the Security Hot Topic and submit your vote for
   - Yes
   - No, but we intend to
   - No, and we don't intend to

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==== 5. Security Toolkit ==== 

FAQ
   by John Savill, http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=1647:4FB69 

Q: How can I view a list of all applications on my computer that start 
at boot-up? 

Find the answer at http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=1642:4FB69

Security Forum Featured Thread: ISAPI Extension Access to DCOM 
Application Server
   Nicola has an Internet Server API (ISAPI) DLL that connects to a 
Distributed COM (DCOM) application server. The setup includes a 
Microsoft IIS server configured with integrated security and anonymous 
access disabled, a domain group to collect all the domain users that 
should be able to use the procedures in the DLL, and DCOM configured 
with an administrator account and launch/access permissions for the 
domain group. The setup works if the domain group is included in the 
local Administrators group, but Nicola doesn't want to put the domain 
group in the local Administrators group and wonders if there's some 
other configuration that will work. Join the discussion at
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