Could Your New PC Be Patchless?

The excitement home buyers feel when taking a new PC out of its box can be short-lived if the machine is vulnerable to the swarm of viruses and worms on the Internet.
One senior administrator at a major research university recently endured a prolonged setup procedure with his new laptop. The administrator, who asked not to be identified due to the visibility of his position, purchased a laptop in May after encountering delays in obtaining the notebook, which was first introduced last March along with Intel's Centrino technology.
After connecting the notebook to the Internet over a dial-up connection, the machine started crashing repeatedly in a sequence that looked eerily familiar to the administrator's experiences with the Blaster worm last August. Sure enough, a Google search quickly confirmed his diagnosis, setting the stage for a two-hour marathon download of Windows Update patches and the Blaster Worm Removal Tool from Symantec.

Out of Date

Current PC users are constantly reminded about the need to download patches and operating system updates as soon as they are made available. But those users may not realize that a "new" PC might actually have been sitting in a warehouse for several months, and might lack the most recent patches required to keep it safe from viruses and worms.
In order to meet delivery deadlines, PCs bound for the retail market must have their operating systems frozen about three to four weeks prior to the date on which they are made available, said Jim Kahler, manager of consumer support for Hewlett-Packard's consumer PCs. With Microsoft releasing several new security updates almost every month, there's no simple way to ensure that when a PC finally makes it to the user, that PC contains the latest updates required to secure the system, he said. HP advises all purchasers to activate the built-in firewall that comes with Windows XP (news - web sites) prior to connecting the machine to the Internet, Kahler said. The next major update to the Windows operating system, Windows XP Service Pack 2, will help improve security by turning the firewall on as the default option on future releases of the operating system.



Checking Defenses

Toshiba ships every PC with documentation that urges customers to immediately visit the Windows Update Web site and download and install any software patches that the site identifies as missing on that PC, said Carl Pinto, director of product development.
Most of IBM's PC customers are businesses that have an IT staff member who makes sure each PC contains the necessary updates before passing it along to the user, said Clain Anderson, director of marketing for IBM's wireless and security solutions.
IBM can also set up a system that monitors the patch status of an enterprise's network of PCs, automatically downloading updates as they are provided by Microsoft, Anderson said.
Representatives from Dell did not respond to requests for comment. However, Dell doesn't sell its PCs through retail stores, which means it only carries four days of inventory at any one time, according to its financial results presented last month.
The Windows Update feature is only one line of defense against fast-moving worms and viruses. Just about every PC company ships a free trial version of an antivirus product such as Symantec's Norton Antivirus that will help detect viruses and worms.



Onus on the Owner

Besides those two defenses, there's not much the PC industry can do to protect users against worms and viruses other than pleading with them to install Windows Update patches and regularly update their virus definitions, said Stephen Baker, director of industry analysis with NPD Techworld in Reston, Virginia.
Unlike other electronic devices that consumers are used to owning, such as televisions, PCs require regular maintenance and a willingness to cede control of the update process to a vendor, Baker said.
"You have a lot more responsibility as a PC owner to maintain and take care of your device than you do as a television owner," Baker said.
Virus-infected PCs aren't just problematic for their users. They are often used as spam relays or to launch other virus and worm attacks, making it essential that all PC users patch their systems, Baker said.
The university administrator eventually discovered a guide called "Windows XP: Surviving the first 24 hours" on the interesting-people.org mailing list maintained by Dave Farber of Carnegie Mellon University that would have provided tips such as turning on the firewall and manually checking for updates.
The episode turned out to be nothing more than an evening of aggravation, but it could have been avoided with clearer instructions on how to safely break in a new PC, the administrator said.

Written by: Tom Krazit, IDG News Service

New Virus called "the Kongo Worm"

Yet another computer worm that takes advantage of a Windows vulnerability is spreading, with the potential to cause serious headaches for users who are not protected. The Korgo worm, which first emerged last month, attempts to propagate by exploiting the same Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT - news) buffer-overrun vulnerability used by the nefarious Sasser virus. It affects computer users on Windows 2000 (news - web sites) and Windows XP (news - web sites), and potentially could open back doors on TCP ports 113 and 3067.


Confidential Data Under Attack

In its latest iteration, W32.Korgo.G, the worm could leave systems open to unauthorized access, resulting in the theft of confidential data and compromised security settings, according to security firm Symantec (Nasdaq: SYMC - news). Users are advised to stay current with security patches offered by Microsoft.
Korgo is a low threat that is spreading slowly, says Bruce Hughes of TruSecure, but he told NewsFactor that if it invades a machine, hackers could gain full access to the computer.


Latches Onto Chat Server

The worm essentially attaches itself to the IRC server, which handles online chat communications. Once inside, it can download any information in the computer, he explained.
Companies and individual users should block TC port 6667, which connects the computer to the IRC server, Hughes advises. With this outbound port blocked, he says, the worm cannot propagate.
As of this morning, the number of Korgo infections has tapered off after spiking on Wednesday, wreaking havoc primarily among consumers, according to Symantec.


Written by: Jay Wrolstad, www.enterprise-security-today.com

Internet Access @ McDonalds bought to you by SBC

SBC, McDonald's Hook Up on Wi-Fi

SBC Communications is serving up Wi-Fi service at McDonald's announcing an agreement with wireless-broadband technology provider Wayport that will let the carrier's customers connect on local area networks at some 6,000 McDonald's restaurants within the coming year.
The partnership significantly expands SBC's FreedomLink Wi-Fi network and represents a springboard to sell other services, company spokesperson Michael Coe told NewsFactor. FreedomLink customers will have unlimited access to Wayport's hot spots at McDonald's sites, for US$19.95 per month.


Operator Pushes WLANs

SBC Internet Services companies also will provide high-speed business DSL Internet access to Wayport for backhaul transport at McDonald's Wi-Fi restaurants in the 13-state SBC territory.
Noting the ubiquitous presence of McDonald's in the operator's territory, Coe said offering access to the Wi-Fi system will help push sales of the FreedomLink service. SBC in March inked a deal to provide Wi-Fi access at some 900 UPS stores nationwide, with plans to add thousands more in Mail Boxes Etc. outlets.

Keeping Customers Happy

"Wi-Fi represents another revenue stream, and adds value as a customer retention and acquisition tool," said Coe. The next step for SBC, he said, is to bundle Wi-Fi with DSL broadband service in a package at rates competitive with those offered via cable modem. SBC currently boasts 4 million SBC DSL customers.
The operator plans to offer some 20,000 hot spots to FreedomLink customers by the end of 2006 and currently sells home Wi-Fi gear. FreedomLink service also is offered at airports, hotels, convention centers, restaurants and SBC Park, home of the San Francisco Giants baseball team.
In April, McDonald's and Wayport said they are eyeing Wi-Fi access at 13,000 golden arches in the U.S. among 30,000 McDonald's sites worldwide. Wayport also will link the technology to a cashless debit- and credit-card payment system.

Written by: Jay Wrolstad, wireless.newsfactor.com