Best Of The Web

ESECURITY PLANET
Small Businesses, Southern States Targeted By Spammers
Spammers appear to be targeting those with the weakest defenses, Symantec report says

COMPUTERWORLD
Some Experts Question Efforts To Identify Cyberattackers
Attribution continues to be a chief issue in cyberattacks

SOPHOS
Data-Stealing "Smart Dust" -- Should We Be Worried?
Futuristic hacking idea probably can be swept away for now

ARS TECHNICA
Users Of Location Services Worried About Robberies, Stalking
Geolocation services present security risks, study says

CNET
Finjan Sues McAfee, Symantec Over Patents
After Microsoft licensed its patents in 2005, company says other security vendors should follow suit

THREAT POST
Talk On Chinese Cyber Army Pulled From Black Hat
Concerns raised by Chinese, Taiwanese governments, according to report

KASPERSKY
'Myrtus And Guava' Malware Launches Via USB Devices
Malicious driver also carries valid digital signature, researchers say

ZDNET
Ex-MI6 Man Admits To Official Secrets Breach
Employee downloaded a list of staff and operatives to a USB drive, then attempted to sell it

COMPUTER ACTIVE
Visa Improves Online Security With Codesure
Chip-and-pin bank card also includes one-time password generator

SEARCH SECURITY
Poisoned Mel Gibson Search Results Yield Fake Adobe Flash Installer
Search for "Mel Gibson tapes" brings poisoned pages, TrendLabs says

HOST EXPLOIT
Men Say HP Put Them Through 'Nightmare'
Alleged hackers say charges brought against them were false

SOPHOS
The 'Never Gonna Drink Coca Cola Again' Facebook Scam
Link promises "horrific" video, but leads to horrific malware

PC WORLD
Seeing Tough Times Ahead, Symantec Plans Layoffs
Symantec will cut 4.5 percent of the cost of its workforce and outsource some of its IT and finance operations

INFO SECURITY
New Phishing Attack Disguised As PDF Reader Update
Attacks are on the upswing since June, Symantec research says

GOVERNMENT COMPUTER NEWS
Is Your Smart Phone Infected With Malware?
Most users wouldn't know if it were, survey says

SUPERSTORE SEARCH
The Top 10 Items Stolen Online
PlayStation, Wii at the top of the list, statistics say

HOST EXPLOIT
15,000 Victims Of Fraud In First Half Of 2010
Online shopping, auction frauds top the list, study says

THE ATLANTIC
What's This Mysterious White House Cyber Event All About?
Participants say Obama administration is doing another review on cyber policy

HEALTHCARE INFO SECURITY
HIPAA Privacy, Security Updates Unveiled
Proposed rules could strengthen enforcement of compliance

COMPUTERWORLD UKE
Phone Ransom Trojan Disables PC, Asks For $4
Bizarre piece of ransomware puzzles security researchers

GOVERNMENT COMPUTER NEWS
Forensic Web Service Could Reconstruct The Scene Of The Cybercrime
NIST considers Web forensics tool

ZDNET
Report: Apple Had The Most Vulnerabilities Throughout 2005-2010
Oracle was No. 2 on the hit parade, researchers say

COMPUTERWORLD UK
NSA Denies Nationwide Electronic Spy Network Claim
"Perfect Citizen" project involves no surveillance or monitoring, agency says

YAHOO!
Malware Support Even Better Than Security Vendors
Rogue software sometimes offers better customer service than the real thing

THE REGISTER
Facebook For Hackers Shut Down In Pakistan
Five arrested as Pakbugs cybercrime forum is cracked

COMPUTERACTIVE
How To Recognize And Avoid Online Scams
A look at the most common categories of scams, and what to do about them

THE HILL
White House Meeting Will Stress Economic Side Of Cybersecurity
Officials consider economic incentives to encourage private-sector investment in cybersecurity

THE REGISTER
Zeus Baddies Unleash Nasty New Bank Trojan
Toolkit targets U.S., U.K., Spanish, and German banks

GOVERNMENT INFO SECURITY
Pros And Cons Of A Cybersecurity Bill
Expert offers detailed analysis of legislation in Congress

KREBS ON SECURITY
Pirate Bay Hack Exposes User Booty
Security weaknesses in popular file-sharing site may have exposed personal info of 4 million users

FEDERAL COMPUTER WEEK
Homeland Security To Take FISMA Lead
Officials clarify federal government agencies' roles in cybersecurity efforts

DEFENSE SYSTEMS
Cybershield For Private Sector Sparks Big Brother Fears
NSA "Perfect Citizen" plan causes some observers to worry about a surveillance state

ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS
25,000 Sign Up For State Credit Protection After Data Lost
Breach causes high percentage of Alaska employees to seek identity theft protection

NETWORK WORLD
Facebook Slapped With Class-Action Privacy Lawsuit
Social networking firm says there is "no merit" to allegation that it mishandled user data

BIZ REPORT
Anchor Intelligence: Attempted Click Fraud Up 26 Percent
Increase may be due to resurgent botnet traffic, research firm says

HELP NET SECURITY
Employees Bypass Security Roadblocks To Engage In Social Networking
Workarounds are contributing to growth of malware distributed via social networks, study says

EXAMINER.COM
Virus Report: Rogue Progams Disabling Windows XP On The Rise
Malware works around most security controls built into the OS, report says

NETWORK WORLD
Cisco Warns Attendees That The Cisco Live Database Was Hacked
Cisco Live conference attendee database was hit by a hacker who was able to access badge numbers, name, title, company address, and email addresses

WIRED
FBI Raids 'Elektronic Tribulation Army' Over Witness Intimidation
FBI agents raided the homes of three alleged members of a hacker gang that harassed a security expert who helped put the group's leader in jail

COMPUTERWORLD
Researcher Cracks 'Secret' Code In U.S. Cyber Command Logo
A security researcher cracked the code embedded in the seal of the U.S. Cyber Command (Cybercom) -- it represents the MD5 hash of the group's mission statement