Cyberwarfare

(Newser) - Windows and Safari mix like virus-vulnerable oil and water, Microsoft warns, and Windows users should stop surfing with Apple’s web browser until the security holes have been patched. The “blended threat” combines a bug in Safari that downloads files to the desktop automatically and a vulnerability in how Windows XP and Windows Vista handle executable files there. More »

(Newser) - A message that hackers had “RoXed” the Comcast homepage took over the site for several hours last night starting a little before 11pm. Apparently hackers got control of the site’s domain name at the registrar, Network Solutions, and redirected it to servers hosting the hijacking message. A rep said the site was functioning again this morning, but not all users could access it, reports AP. More »

(Newser) - Yahoo is suing a group of unidentified spammers who’ve sent emails claiming to be from the "Yahoo International Lottery Organization," soliciting personal information and sometimes money from purported lottery winners. Yahoo is seeking damages for fraudulent use of its trademarks, but it might prove hard to identify the scammers, especially if they’re located outside the US, PC World reports. More »

(Newser) - A programming error discovered last week makes at least four open-source operating systems and 25 applications vulnerable to hacking, and a patch distributed to fix it doesn’t solve the problem. Worse, the vulnerability can extend to computers not even running the deficient code, reports Technology Review . The mistake went unnoticed for almost 2 years. More »

(Newser) - NATO is preparing for cyberwar, ComputerWorld reports. Sparked by a cyber attack on Estonia that took some financial systems off-line for hours in 2007, the Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence will open there next year. With the center’s help, NATO will be able to "defy and successfully counter the threats in this area," a commander said. More »

(Newser) - Almost 500,000 people have unintentionally downloaded an adware bundle from file-sharing networks in the past week, security firm McAfee says, with ugly consequences. Disguised as a music file or popular movies, the phony file is circulating on the eDonkey and Limewire networks. It asks users to install a codec to play the file, and then overwhelms them with popup ads, the BBC reports. More »

(Newser) - Yahoo search will now label risky sites, including spyware and virus hosts and spammers, thanks to an exclusive deal with McAfee SiteAdvisor, the companies said today. It also will omit sites entirely that attack visiting computers, reports CNet. Yahoo sees millions of clicks through to some such sites daily, a rep said, and expects the changes to significantly advance security. More »

(Newser) - Spam turns 30 today, but don't break out the champagne just yet: The junk e-mail is as healthy as ever, frustrating tech experts desperate to blow out its candles. It all started on May 3, 1978, with a pitch for a new computer on a government-run precursor to the Internet. Even then, the reaction was fierce, the Washington Post says. More »

(Newser) - Call it therapeutic or call it revenge, but more ex-spouses are airing their dirty laundry on the Internet—and courts are supporting them even if their former partners are not. Personal blogs have quadrupled since 2003, the New York Times notes in a look at the trend, with many using them to dish about everything from marital affairs, divorce proceedings, or their ex's profile on Match.com. More »

(Newser) - American executives are the latest targets of an incognito email virus that comes packaged as an authentic-looking subpoena demanding the corporate heads appear before a California grand jury. There have been several victims of the attack, the New York Times reports, which is thought to originated in Singapore or China—and could be spearheaded by a group that tried an attack last November. More »