IP: Re: MS strikes yet again and again at security PAY ATTENTION

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

>From: "Steve Wolfe" <swolfe@codon.com>
>To: <farber@cis.upenn.edu>
>Subject: Re: MS strikes yet again and again at security PAY ATTENTION
>Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2001 17:47:30 -0700
>X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300
>
> > "Such a
> > >program," Microsoft said, "would be capable of taking any action that the
> > >user himself could take on his machine, including adding, changing or
> > >deleting data, communicating with web sites, or reformatting the hard
>drive."
>
>   Of course, the greatest danger is not that someone will format your hard
>drive, or look at your documents.  While it would be very annoying, the real
>danger is that the malicious person will use the opportunity either to
>directly install a "back-door" onto the computer, or to degrade the
>machine's security in order to install the back-door later.
>
>    Once the back-door is installed, the malicious person can then use your
>computer for further malicious deeds whenever he sees fit, not just when you
>visit their site.  Back-door kits are easily accessible, and often require
>very little expertise to install.  A recent article profiling the average
>day of a cyber-criminal  (http://www.msnbc.com/news/550567.asp) involves
>nothing more than setting up a quick web page to accept credit cards for
>entrance to a fictitious web site, and sending out spam to attract unknowing
>visitors, particularly preying upon those who are new to the Internet.  The
>technique only needs to be modified to execute the back-door installation
>instead of (or even in addition to) accepting the credit card payment.
>
>steve



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