News Topic - Microsoft
Articles 51 - 60 of most recent articles
Early leak exposes DNS flaw details
Security researchers are rushing to patch a flaw in the domain name system (DNS) servers that direct internet traffic, after details of how it worked were revealed online where they could be exploited by hackers. The researchers had thought that their own agreement to allow a 29-day "blackout" period during which the software vulnerability - which may allow hackers to misdirect innocent surfers to fake sites, even though the address in their internet browser was correct - could be patched. The discoverer of the flaw, Dan Kaminsky of IOActive, found it several months ago and had asked other researchers to hold off on speculating about how it worked until he could distribute it to companies such as Microsoft, Cisco and the Internet Systems Consortium to let them develop patches. He said he would announce the details on August 6 at the Black Hat security conference. But Thomas Dullien, chief executive of Zynamics.com (who uses the online name Halvar Flake) seems to have reverse-engineered the details of the weakness without being told its specifics, and he then speculated on how it worked in a blog post. This prompted Matasano Security, another company which - unlike Dullien - had been briefed on the flaw to put up a blog post of its own confirming the details. That was quickly withdrawn on realising that Dullien's post was only speculation - but it was time enough for the post to be cached and copied widely. The attack uses a method called "DNS cache poisoning", which relies on the fact that DNS servers do not store the entire map of the internet (converting a domain name such as guardian.co.uk into a numerical "quad" such as 212.187.153.30). When a server does not have the quad conversion, it asks the next one along to do the lookup. By targeting a DNS server, hackers could poison its "store" of lookups and tell it to point users to fake sites. Such changes have been made accidentally in the past: in February, changes by Pakistan to DNS servers it operated made YouTube inaccessible worldwide. But an attack by hackers could be serious. Kaminsky has provided a "Check my DNS" button on his blog (doxpara.com) that will let people check whether the DNS they are using is vulnerable to the hack. In the latest post on his blog, Kaminsky accepts that the flaw has been revealed - giving it the headline "13>0", implying that having 13 days to fix the flaw is better than having none - and urges the people who will have to do the fixing to "patch. Today" and "stay late" as necessary. Quite how the bug is being fixed will probably remain secret - to defeat hackers.Related StoriesLocation technology finally finds its feetLetters and blogsAleks Krotoski, gamesblog: Capturing game data is the futureCold callers target O2 users with false Bluetooth security warningTouch takes hold, but it's no mouse-killer
The Guardian – 14 hours, 30 minutes ago ¦ comment?
found in Technology
Security researchers are rushing to patch a flaw in the domain name system (DNS) servers that direct internet traffic, after details of how it worked were revealed online where they could be exploited by hackers. The researchers had thought that their own agreement to allow a 29-day "blackout" period during which the software vulnerability - which may allow hackers to misdirect innocent surfers to fake sites, even though the address in their internet browser was correct - could be patched. The discoverer of the flaw, Dan Kaminsky of IOActive, found it several months ago and had asked other researchers to hold off on speculating about how it worked until he could distribute it to companies such as Microsoft, Cisco and the Internet Systems Consortium to let them develop patches. He said he would announce the details on August 6 at the Black Hat security conference. But Thomas Dullien, chief executive of Zynamics.com (who uses the online name Halvar Flake) seems to have reverse-engineered the details of the weakness without being told its specifics, and he then speculated on how it worked in a blog post. This prompted Matasano Security, another company which - unlike Dullien - had been briefed on the flaw to put up a blog post of its own confirming the details. That was quickly withdrawn on realising that Dullien's post was only speculation - but it was time enough for the post to be cached and copied widely. The attack uses a method called "DNS cache poisoning", which relies on the fact that DNS servers do not store the entire map of the internet (converting a domain name such as guardian.co.uk into a numerical "quad" such as 212.187.153.30). When a server does not have the quad conversion, it asks the next one along to do the lookup. By targeting a DNS server, hackers could poison its "store" of lookups and tell it to point users to fake sites. Such changes have been made accidentally in the past: in February, changes by Pakistan to DNS servers it operated made YouTube inaccessible worldwide. But an attack by hackers could be serious. Kaminsky has provided a "Check my DNS" button on his blog (doxpara.com) that will let people check whether the DNS they are using is vulnerable to the hack. In the latest post on his blog, Kaminsky accepts that the flaw has been revealed - giving it the headline "13>0", implying that having 13 days to fix the flaw is better than having none - and urges the people who will have to do the fixing to "patch. Today" and "stay late" as necessary. Quite how the bug is being fixed will probably remain secret - to defeat hackers.Related StoriesLocation technology finally finds its feetLetters and blogsAleks Krotoski, gamesblog: Capturing game data is the futureCold callers target O2 users with false Bluetooth security warningTouch takes hold, but it's no mouse-killer
The Guardian – 14 hours, 30 minutes ago ¦ comment?
found in Technology
Gates, Bloomberg Pool Riches To Fight SmokingMicrosoft founder Bill Gates and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg are pooling their piles of money and pouring $375 million into a global effort to cut smoking.
wnbc.com – 15 hours, 29 minutes ago ¦ comment?
found in Local: New York: New York
Bloomberg, Gates pledge $375 million against tobacco
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates pledged $375 million on Wednesday to fight what they called a global tobacco epidemic.
Reuters – 15 hours, 29 minutes ago ¦ comment?
found in Top Stories
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates pledged $375 million on Wednesday to fight what they called a global tobacco epidemic.
Reuters – 15 hours, 29 minutes ago ¦ comment?
found in Top Stories
Netflix Head Likes Microsoft's Outlook
Reed Hastings bought $2 million in the software giant's shares.
Barron's Online – 15 hours, 34 minutes ago ¦ comment?
found in Business: Companies
Reed Hastings bought $2 million in the software giant's shares.
Barron's Online – 15 hours, 34 minutes ago ¦ comment?
found in Business: Companies
Mobile Browser Showdown: iPhone 3G vs Opera Mobile and SkyFire
The mobile Internet Explorer Web browser you get on Windows Mobile smart phones is less than desirable. It usually directs you to a mobile Web site instead of the full-blown interactive ones that we access on our computers. Sure, Microsoft has announced support for Silverlight and Flash in a new version of mobile IE by [...]
Laptop Magazine – 15 hours, 35 minutes ago ¦ comment?
found in Technology
The mobile Internet Explorer Web browser you get on Windows Mobile smart phones is less than desirable. It usually directs you to a mobile Web site instead of the full-blown interactive ones that we access on our computers. Sure, Microsoft has announced support for Silverlight and Flash in a new version of mobile IE by [...]
Laptop Magazine – 15 hours, 35 minutes ago ¦ comment?
found in Technology
Zune Guy fed up with Zune, seeks to cover up tattoos
Say it ain't so! America's most loyal advocate for Microsoft's Zune is apparently throwing in the towel.
N4G.com – 16 hours, 9 minutes ago ¦ comment?
found in Technology: Video Games
Say it ain't so! America's most loyal advocate for Microsoft's Zune is apparently throwing in the towel.
N4G.com – 16 hours, 9 minutes ago ¦ comment?
found in Technology: Video Games
Free As a Bird: The PC World Games For Windows Live Interview, Part One
Did you catch the news yesterday that Microsoft's Games For Windows Live online service, which used to cost $50 a year for multiplayer privileges, is now completely free? We caught up with Microsoft Senior Global Director of Games For...
PC World – 16 hours, 29 minutes ago ¦ comment?
found in Technology: Video Games
Did you catch the news yesterday that Microsoft's Games For Windows Live online service, which used to cost $50 a year for multiplayer privileges, is now completely free? We caught up with Microsoft Senior Global Director of Games For...
PC World – 16 hours, 29 minutes ago ¦ comment?
found in Technology: Video Games
Yahoo CEO remains upbeat despite lackluster 2Q
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- With Microsoft's $47.5 billion takeover bid off the table and his company's stock price down 20 percent during his 13-month reign as Yahoo's CEO, Jerry Yang has a message for his exasperated shareholders: Things aren't as bleak as they look....
AP – 16 hours, 32 minutes ago ¦ comment?
found in Technology
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- With Microsoft's $47.5 billion takeover bid off the table and his company's stock price down 20 percent during his 13-month reign as Yahoo's CEO, Jerry Yang has a message for his exasperated shareholders: Things aren't as bleak as they look....
AP – 16 hours, 32 minutes ago ¦ comment?
found in Technology
Gates Gives $125m To Bloomie's Global Anti-smoking Campaign
Mayor Bloomberg today enlisted Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates -- one of the few individuals in the U.S. wealthier than he is -- to bolster a campaign the mayor launched two years ago to combat smoking around the world. Gates said he'd contribute...
New York Post – 16 hours, 45 minutes ago ¦ comment?
found in Local: New York: New York
Mayor Bloomberg today enlisted Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates -- one of the few individuals in the U.S. wealthier than he is -- to bolster a campaign the mayor launched two years ago to combat smoking around the world. Gates said he'd contribute...
New York Post – 16 hours, 45 minutes ago ¦ comment?
found in Local: New York: New York
Bloomberg, Gates Join To Fight Smoking
Microsoft founder Bill Gates and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg are pooling their piles of money to pour $375 million into a global effort to cut smoking.
CBS News – 16 hours, 50 minutes ago ¦ comment?
found in Health
Microsoft founder Bill Gates and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg are pooling their piles of money to pour $375 million into a global effort to cut smoking.
CBS News – 16 hours, 50 minutes ago ¦ comment?
found in Health