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Computer Security Weekly, Oct.8. 2000

© Robert Slade

Wanna try out the new MSN Explorer beta? Maybe you'd better think again. First problem to surface was that the new system, with very little warning, would spam all your friends with an ad for MSN. (Regardless of how you actually felt about it.) Microsoft has now changed the text of the ad, but the function remains.

The tryout also changed your email to Hotmail, and removed your ability to get POP3 access to your MSN email account.

http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-287... http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0... http://www.woodyswatch.com/windows/archt... http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-288... http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/1/1...

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More on E*Trade. The fix implemented after publication of the original security hole renders the system even less secure than it was originally. The new encryption scheme is a simple XOR function--with a fixed byte.

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In regard to the recent Palm trojans and viruses, there has been some delving into the security on Palm systems. Bottom line is, it doesn't exist. The password for the system is transmitted encrypoted during HotSync operations, but the encryption is very weak. As well, the password is stored on the Palm in an area accessible to all programs.

http://ww.atstake.com/research/advisorie... http://www.atstake.com/research/advisori... http://www.atstake.com/research/advisori... http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/C... http://jpilot.linuxave.net/

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The U.S. Department of Commerce has picked a new encryption standard to replace DES. Rather oddly, given American paranoia in this field, the algorithm is the work of two Belgian computer scientists.

http://www.nist.gov/aes http://partners.nytimes.com/2000/10/03/t...

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