I read a report today from The Inquirer that purports Linksys (now owned by Cisco) hasn't updated their firmware to popular products such as the BEFSR41 for a year now. The article was published today based on an exploit released by Jon Hart that claims via BOOTP can be used to crash or sniff Linksys devices remotely.

WeekEnd Feature: Bombproof?

by Ian Thompson, CCSP Staff Editor
April 3, 2004

If your information were vital, how far would you go to ensure it gets to where it is needed? How much would you invest to create a backup route? I know its all a matter of cost (or more specifically it’s a matter of cost-benefit analysis), but the costs are falling and perhaps it’s time to assess things again.

Opinion: Staffing for security - Mission-critical positions

by Marcia J. Wilson, CCSP Staff Writer
March 16, 2004

"Reprinted from March 25, 2K3"

Staffing for security positions is a dilemma. Organizations are searching for the right mix of technologists and managers to meet the demands of securing networked computing environments.

Opinion: Network Security-Best Practices

by Marcia J. Wilson, CCSP Staff Writer
March 9, 2004

"Reprinted from January 27, 2k3"

Advice by Marcia J. Wilson

Believe it or not, best practices in network security begin with a top-down policy. Policy begins with understanding what it is you need to protect and what it is you need to protect against. The levels of responsibility need to be understood, and that implies that security is everyone's job, as each employee understands how he or she contributes to the organization. Best practices in network security are more about the what and why of securing the organization's information assets than about the how.

Network Box: Real Time Network Security

First security product to block encrypted Zip file viruses at the gateway
Stops ploy used by Bagle virus

4th March 2004

Network Box, an Internet security vendor, today announced an industry first: gateway-level anti-virus protection to scan inside password-protected Zip files. This blocks a technique used by the Bagle virus to infect the computers of unsuspecting users.

Opinion: How to develop blueprints for network security.

by Marcia J. Wilson, CCSP Staff Writer
March 4, 2004

"Reprinted from February 27, 2k3"

A blueprint is a detailed plan or program of action. When thinking in terms of a network security blueprint, one would think of the overall architecture first and then the individual components of the system. Oftentimes, we focus on individual technologies such as a firewall or intrusion-detection system. Everyone needs a firewall, right? Wrong. The firewall will do absolutely no good if security can be breached through a poorly configured virtual private network (VPN) connection or if you have a disgruntled employee who has access to critical information systems.

Cisco, Anti-virus Vendors Team on Network Security
By Dennis Fisher

LAS VEGAS—Cisco Systems Inc. on Tuesday announced partnerships with several anti-virus vendors to license the company's new Trust Agent technology to help enforce network access control policies. The partnership is part of a new program at Cisco, called Network Admission Control, that is designed to help prevent unprotected devices from connecting to corporate networks.

Web hijack riles Belkin router users
By Declan McCullagh
CNET News.com

Belkin is trying to defuse a potentially explosive situation that arose after network administrators learned that the company's wireless routers periodically hijack users' Web connection and display an advertisement for its software.

Worming out the truth
In the face of vendor denials, it pays to stick to your hunches.
By Vanessa Watkins

We had been, in the main, happy with our ATM network, with its 155Mbps backbone and its mixture of 10/100Mbps switches and 10Mbps hub-stacks. It had been in operation for some years. Now, for the reasons acknowledged by the rest of the planet, it was time to upgrade to Gigabit Ethernet.

Wired or Wireless? Choose Your Network
Getting connected is a fast, cheap affair. Here's how to decide which network is right for you.
Scott Spanbauer

You probably recognize this scenario: As everyone in the house or in a small office gets their own computer, each wants to connect to the printer, phone line, or high-speed Internet connection. They may even want to collaborate on or view the same files. What's a buzzing hive of computerized folk to do?