contributed by YT Cracker
Japan's Defense Agency moved to barricade itself against computer hackers on Friday, saying a wave of attacks on government web sites last week could represent a 'grave threat' to national security.

Reuters

With a look at what seems to be the most reported on story of last week by the mainstream media (Reuters did nine separate articles) YT cracker took a cursory look at the some of the systems in the .go.jp domain. What he found probably won't shock anyone who has been around for a while but everyone else may be surprised.

Buffer Overflow

contributed by acopalyse
The newest version of the windows operating system, technically still in beta and not scheduled for release until February 17, 2000, has a major security hole. Microsoft has been quick to issue a patch for the hole that allows web surfers to view files stored on a targeted web server. The problem lies with Microsoft Index Server which is built into Windows 2000. At least six banks and three major computer manufacturers have been effected by the bug. (What the hell are they doing using beta software on production systems anyway?)

ZD Net
MSNBC

contributed by William
Peter Iliev Pentchev, a native Bulgarian and former Princeton University student, was indicted by a federal grand jury in San Jose last Wednesday. He has been accused of breaking into the computer system of a Palo Alto e-commerce company and stealing aprox. 1,800 credit card numbers in December of 1998. The unidentified company claimed damages of $100,000 after being forced to shut down their systems. If convicted, Pentchev faces a maximum penalty of 17 years in prison.

San Jose Mercury News

contributed by Evil Wench
MSNBC has a report that illustrates just how immature online banking is. The real scary part is that even if you don't use an online bank criminals can still use your account information to steal your money. X.com, the bank used in this example, says that they have fixed all the problems.

MSNBC

contributed by maierj
Lockheed Martin Energy Systems is progressing on the Ferret project, an artificial-intelligence concept that's being developed at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant in Tennessee. It is hoped that Ferret will help prevent the inadvertent, accidental release of classified information through email by scanning it for key words.

ABC News

contributed by Code Kid
While this was not a web page defacement, similarities can be drawn. Boston, New York, Washington, Denver and San Francisco had some copies of the USA Today paper wrapped in a fake masthead. The fake front page read USA Decay and had headlines like "Pentagon to Throw Bombs Away," and "Defense, Education Departments to Merge." A peace activist organization known as Shiftdough.org claimed responsibility.

Nando Times

contributed by Code Kid
The merger of hacker think tank L0pht Heavy industries with security consulting company @Stake Inc., is still making news. CNN has some video with a rare look inside the L0pht laboratories, they ask the question of whether L0pht has 'sold out?' (I guess we will just have to wait and see.)

CNN

contributed by Sarge
Simson Garfinkel's "Database Nation: The Death of Privacy in the 21st Century." says that capitalism, the free market, advanced technology, and the unbridled exchange of electronic information is assaulting the privacy of American citizens. (Definitely an eye opener.)

Nando Times
Database Nation

contributed by Anonymous
IBM Rumored to Purchase PWC Consulting Group
PricewaterhouseCoopers has denied a rumour that it is may sell its consulting unit to IBM. A report in the New York Post claimed that PricewaterhouseCoopers was considering selling its consulting business. A spokesperson for the company denied the report. IBM refused to comment.

C|Net