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Symantec may not be concerned about the much-discussed Conficker virus, but the company is now dealing with an incident involving its own data security. Two weeks ago, the BBC published an investigative report in which reporters, working with an India-based middleman, bought credit-card information obtained from a Symantec call center. Cris Paden, a spokesman for the Cupertino, Calif., security-software firm, said it sent warning letters to the slightly more than 200 customers affected by the theft. It began an internal investigation immediately after being notified by the BBC. "We believe this was an isolated incident," Mr. Paden said, "but as the investigation continues, we will promptly notify any additional customers affected by the situation and will take appropriate action to protect their interests." In a letter to New Hampshire's attorney general, Symantec said, "We have no evidence that the credit card information of any United States resident was actually compromised." Mr. Paden added that to his knowledge, none of the stolen credit cards were used before their owners canceled them.

Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 Time: 2:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. PST Follow the link below to register: http://sc.haymarketcomm.net/r/?ZXU=775318&ZXD=33050957 Organizations are still struggling to get into compliance with PCI DSS, especially as the PCI Security Standards Council continues to update and tweak the standards. There's much to keep in mind and even more to do in order to adhere to the mandates, so what are the critical steps to get there. Experts share their know-how. Featured speakers Rich Mogull, L.L.C., Founder and Principle Analyst, Securosis Murray Rosenthal, CISA, Senior Policy Analyst - Security I&T Strategic Planning & Architecture Information & Technology Division, City of Toronto Sponsored by Symantec http://sc.haymarketcomm.net/r/?ZXU=775319&ZXD=33050957 Follow the link below to register: http://sc.haymarketcomm.net/r/?ZXU=775320&ZXD=33050957

"Rogue security software, also dubbed scareware, is an "ongoing threat" that is impacting largely users from English-speaking markets, according to findings from a year-long study by Symantec. Released Tuesday, Symantec's report on rogue security software noted that 250 rogue security programs launched some 43 million attempts to prompt user installation between July 2008 and June 2009. "

"A new proof-of-concept (PoC) application enables an attacker to remotely activate a BlackBerry microphone and listen in on surrounding sounds and conversations. The application, called PhoneSnoop, was released last week on the blog of security researcher Sheran Gunasekera. To download and install the application, an attacker would need physical access to a BlackBerry device and to know a PIN, if the owner uses one to lock his or her device. After PhoneSnoop is installed on a device, when a call is received from a preconfigured number, the BlackBerry automatically answers the phone, allowing an attacker to listen in, Marc Fossi, senior researcher at Symantec Security Response told SCMagazineUS.com on Thursday. Once the call is connected, the BlackBerry is set to speakerphone, increasing the microphone's sensitivity to pick up sound from far distances. "First and foremost, the most important thing about this is it's a proof of concept, Fossi said. "It's not something you need to worry about right now.""

A Microsoft-led group set up three years ago has backed away from its original goal of pushing for comprehensive U.S. privacy legislation. Originally, the Consumer Privacy Legislative Forum was set up to bring a diverse array of consumer companies, technology vendors and even advocacy groups together and help drive privacy legislation. But now the group has been renamed the Business Forum for Consumer Privacy and is instead being billed as "an organization focused on fostering innovation in consumer privacy governance," according to the group's new mission statement. The Forum has released a white paper at the International Association of Privacy Professionals conference held in Washington this week. "What the organization is doing is developing the framework that would make new governance possible," said Martin Abrams, an adviser to the Forum who is executive director with the Centre for Information Policy Leadership at Hunton & Williams, an international law firm. Two of the Forum's original members, Symantec and the Center for Democracy and Technology, say they have dropped out. Eastman Kodak has also dropped out, according to Abrams. He was not authorized to say who the current members are, but the group appears to include Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, eBay and Google. U.S. consumers are covered by a patchwork of state and federal laws that are confusing for companies, and which often force consumers to work hard to protect their own data. Many of the Forum's members would like to change things, but it appears that coming up with legislative proposals was too much.

Netbook web surfers beware. That low-cost netbook you're using could be a high-speed gateway into your life, bank accounts, passwords and other personal data. Netbooks have made headlines since their 2007 launch, making PCs accessible to millions of non-traditional users. But their cheap cost could also carry a steep price tag due to lax security that makes them easier prey for viruses and hackers. Since their introduction less than two years ago by Taiwan's Asustek, nearly all major PC makers, including Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Acer and Lenovo, have jumped on the netbook bandwagon. But their no frills nature, combined with low computing power and relative lack of sophistication among their users could combine to create the perfect storm for hackers and virus creators looking for easy targets, analysts say. "The Internet is full of dangers, regardless of what computer you are using," said Sam Yen, greater China marketing manager at anti-virus software maker Symantec. "But keeping in mind that the netbook is primarily used to surf the Internet, those dangers are possibly multiplied many-fold, especially if there is no anti-virus software installed in the machine." Price tags as low as $300 mean that netbooks often lack such standard gear as firewalls and other anti-virus software typically found in other computers, leaving them highly vulnerable to attacks. "Frankly, netbook security is not there yet," said Pranab Sarmah, an analyst at the Daiwa Institute of Research. "The positioning of the netbook means PC brands are going to do whatever it takes to make the price point attractive to consumers, which means keeping costs low." Many netbook users are relative Internet newcomers, and may not be aware of precautions they can take to protect themselves. Low computing power also means savvy netbook users may shut down critical security programs to boost speed. "It's a Catch-22 situation," said Gartner analyst Lillian Tay. "If you're running too many security prog

There were only two of us on the graveyard shift. "If it's not locked up," a colleague at my first newspaper declared as he snatched a folder of papers from our boss' desk and strode towards the office copying machine, "Xerox it." (Old-tongue for photocopy.) That was long before CDs, and USB drives and, certainly, iPods, but the lesson was the same. If you are stupid about protecting company information, shame on you. I guess that's the message behind the "revelation" released in a survey this week that the majority of people who leave their jobs, voluntarily or otherwise, are taking company information with them. Lots of it. My reaction was the same as when I watched my fellow journalist grab and copy whatever it was that had been so carelessly left in the open. I shrugged. (We are by nature an overly curious species, and that overrides our normally dominant ethics gene.) Data Loss Risks During Downsizing conducted by the Ponemon Institute and sponsored by Symantec, was apparently designed to test the hypothesis that in this dire economy (ominous music in background), former employees are going to take important company information out the door. And, in fact, the poll of 945 former employees who left their jobs or were dismissed in the last 12 months showed that 59% stole company data. What kind of data? Email lists, non-financial business information and customer information, including contact lists. Not the secret formula for Coke, not the clinical trial reports on a cure for cancer, no insider information on proposed mergers and acquisitions. Not even a few thousand credit card numbers. Hardly worthy of shock and dismay. This is what a lot of people do when they leave jobs. Are they supposed to? No. Is it wrong? Yeah, but it's sort of like cheating on taxes. Folks rationalize it in a variety of ways, or it just doesn't weigh heavily enough on their conscience to set off an internal alarm. Most of the people who took data - 79% â

A defunct payment gateway has exposed as many as 19,000 credit card numbers, including up to 60 Australian numbers. The discovery by a local IT industry worker was made by mistake and appears to be caused by a known issue with the Google search engine, in which the pages of defunct web sites containing sensitive directories remain cached and available to anyone. The cached data, viewed by iTnews, includes 22,000 credit card numbers, including CVVs, expiry dates, names and addresses. Up to 19,000 of these numbers could be active. Most are customers in the US and Britain although some are Australian. The credit card numbers are for accounts held with Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Solo, Switch, Delta and Maestro/Cirrus. Within the address bars of the cached pages are URLs of companies, including UK retailers of laboratory supplies, sports and health goods, apparel, photo imaging and clothing.