Week in review: Smartphone security risks, botnet offering DDoS services, defense of the future Internet

Here’s an overview of some of last week’s most interesting news, interviews and articles:

“Here you have” virus authors may be based in Spain
Responsibility for this worm, which has already hit many multinationals and organizations, has been claimed by an Iraqi resistance group, Tariq ibn Ziyad, who may be based in Spain.

Global botnet offering DDoS services
The IMDDOS botnet, named after the commercial name on the botnet website, has grown to be one of the largest active global botnets in less than four months from initial testing.

Debunking the email privacy myth
“The reality is that anyone with access to a switch, router or hub between your outbox and your recipient’s inbox can read your unprotected email,” says SECNAP CTO Michael Scheidell.

Privacy expectations and the generation gap
Young people and old people use the Internet differently, and their privacy expectations vary, says Bruce Schneier, renowned security critic and author.

Securing new objects on the Internet landscape
Sensor systems, vehicles, home electronic appliances – these are all things for which we will have to find a secure way to use the various communication protocols on which the Internet is based.

Growing dangers of digital music and movies
A growing number of cyber threats are associated with the popularity of online music and videos, according to a McAfee report. Researchers found that adding the word “free” to searches increases the risk of landing on a malicious site.

Google engineer abuses power, violates privacy of minors
David Barksdale seemingly abused his power to access various information located in the users’ accounts and used it to demonstrate his power over at least four minors who were members of same technological group as him.

Inside backup and storage: The expert’s view
When professional community Wikibon recently translated the amount of digital information that is estimated to be created in 2010 in more physical terms, they calculated that to store all that data would require 75 billion fully-loaded 16 GB Apple iPads. It makes the mind reel, doesn’t it?

Cloud security challenges and adoption
Jim Reavis is the Executive Director of the Cloud Security Alliance. In this interview he talks about cloud security challenges, cloud computing adoption in the enterprise as well as the recently announced Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge.

How do we defend the Internet of the future?
As the Internet evolves, it will offer a vast array of possibilities such as new types of health services, personalized and mixed reality entertainment, and more. With new options inevitably come new security risks and challenges.

80% of network attacks target web-based systems
The report shows websites are constantly at risk of being taken offline or defaced from SQL injection, PHP File Include or other attacks, and that these types of attacks have doubled in the last six months.

Smartphone security risks and best practices research
ENISA is looking into smartphones and determining best practices for their use while researching the risks. Several manufacturers have been involved: RIM, Google, Microsoft, Nokia, and others, but they have not managed to get on Apple on board.

Social engineering definitely a massive threat
A report by Social-Engineer.Org reveals some alarming information regarding the DEFCON CTF contest. One of the most worrying findings was that it doesn’t take a seasoned expert in social engineering to successfully penetrate a company.

BruCON planning halted by malware-infected aiport website
Finalizing some details for the trip to BruCON next week, our Editor-in-Chief stumbled upon a reported attack page on the official Charleroi Airport website.