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"Rational Trader" - 5 new articles

1. DNS survey shows significant risk to the internet
2. Sketchy details on restrictive DoCIS modems
3. Cashing in on banking security and compliance
4. Cyber warfare 'now a reality' with United States and Russia armed
5. Common chemicals making boys soft
6. More Recent Articles
7. Search Rational Trader

DNS survey shows significant risk to the internet

The survey results indicate that there has been a mass proliferation in the percentage of external name servers that allow open access to intruders. These external servers depict a major risk to the Internet because they can be used as vehicles of malice to implement distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.

Cricket Liu, vice president of architecture at Infoblox and author of O'Reilly & Associates' DNS and BIND, DNS & BIND Cookbook, elaborated.

"Of particular interest is the enormous growth in the number of Internet-connected name servers, largely attributable to the introduction by carriers of customer premises equipment (CPE) with embedded DNS functionality,” Liu said. “This equipment represents a significant risk to the rest of the Internet, as without proper access controls, it facilitates enormous DDoS attacks."

DNS Servers are network infrastructure that define domain names to IP addresses and route Internet queries to the correct location. Domain name resolution is essential to complete any Internet request. If an enterprise’s DNS system is subjected to attack, the results could be catastrophic causing loss of its web presence, inability of employees to access external web services and redirection of web and mail traffic to malicious sites. The last will result in data loss, identity theft, ecommerce fraud and much more.

The fifth annual DNS survey covered five percent of the IPV4 addresses -- or nearly 80 million web addresses. It assigned positive, negative and neutral ratings to various results achieved.

Sketchy details on restrictive DoCIS modems

Cashing in on banking security and compliance

With awareness of data breaches at an all-time high, banking institutions are working hard to implement policies and solutions that protect sensitive financial information along with their reputations and industry competitiveness.

In today’s digital world, critical financial data - including social security numbers, bank account information, payment card numbers, and other highly confidential information - is being sent back and forth between businesses and individuals at speeds faster than anyone ever thought possible.

While this information exchange allows financial institutions to deliver higher levels of service and capitalize on emerging growth opportunities, it also leaves them vulnerable to security breaches and data leaks.

Cyber warfare 'now a reality' with United States and Russia armed

A wave of politically-motivated cyber offensives this year – such as attacks on the White House and the US Department of Homeland Security – show that the international arms race is now moving online, a study claims.

The report warns that cyber strikes could have a "devastating" impact on national infrastructure with power grids, water supplies and financial markets all at risk.

While the potential of online warfare has long been talked up, the Virtual Criminology Report released by the web security firm McAfee claims that it is now moving from science fiction to fact.

France, Israel and China are among the countries known to have cyber weapon programmes, according to Paul Kurtz, the former White House adviser who complied the study based on interviews with more than 20 experts.

“McAfee began to warn of the global cyber arms race more than two years ago, but now we’re seeing increasing evidence that it’s become real,” said Dave Dealt, president of McAfee.

“Now several nations around the world are actively engaged in cyber warlike preparations and attacks. Today, the weapons are not nuclear, but virtual, and everyone must adapt to these threats.”

The infrastructure of most developed nations is connected to the internet and vulnerable to hackers because of insufficient security controls, the report warns.

Companies will also be caught in the crossfire of future cyber wars between governments because so many essential services are privately run, it advises.

Last month a congressional advisory panel in the US warned that China appears to be using the growing technical abilities to collect US intelligence through a sophisticated and long-term computer attack campaign.

Common chemicals making boys soft

Phthalates are used on household items and are present in processed food. New evidence suggests boys who were exposed to high levels of the chemicals in utero are less masculine.

It is a finding which has implications not only for pregnant women, but society at large.
Phthalates are chemicals which are used to soften up many household items such as flooring, furniture, wall coverings, shower curtains, soft toys and carpet backing.
Professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Rochester in New York, Shanna Swan, says some phthalates inhibit testosterone production during pregnancy.
Professor Swan measured phthalate levels in 145 pregnant women, and those who had boys then filled out a scientifically-recognised survey designed to show how male-typical their son's behaviour is.
Professor Swan says she found a direct correlation between phthalate exposure and masculine behaviour.

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