Celebrity deaths spark malicious emails

As is the case with most popular news stories, the recent passing of celebrities has given attackers another avenue to trick unsuspecting users interested in more “news” on the events.

We have received word that emails are circulating on the internet that suggest the user click on a link or execute a malicious attachment to view the updated news or watch a video. The link refers to a legitimate radio broadcasting web site and the attack process may even open a true news story to distract the user while the machine becomes infected in the background.

Please be aware of these kinds of emails and let it serve as a reminder that there are those with malicious intent. Always treat internet email (or websites) as suspect and with caution. Infected machines may send emails without the knowledge of the user, so it is possible for you to receive such an email from someone you know.

It is expected that these kinds of emails will change and morph to sensational messages about other celebrity news (true or not).

Electrical grid is vulnerable; thanks to the Stimulus

In an diary today, the Internet Storm Center (ISC) pointed out an article on The Register about how the electrical “Smart Grid” is vulnerable to attack by the actions of the “stimulus package”. It seems that they use P2P technology with very weak cryptography. The comparison is that music sharing programs use stronger cryptography.

Read the details: Scarey finding about the creation of a "Smart Grid" botnet . . .

Link: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/12/smart_grid_security_risks/