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Using Layered Defenses to Stop Internet Worms

An anonymous submitter writes "Following last week's release of security configuration guidance for Mac OS X, the National Security Agency has released a paper on Internet worms and how to stop new worms using layered defenses (pdf). A good read - your US tax dollars at work."

11 of 148 comments (clear)

  1. Using ggv... by grub · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hrmmm...

    There was an error while scaning the file: /home/grieder/WORMPAPER.pdf

    **** This file has a corrupted %%EOF marker, or garbage after the %%EOF.
    **** The file was produced by Acrobat PDFWriter 5.0 for Windows NT:
    **** please notify the author of this software
    **** that the file does not conform to Adobe's published PDF
    **** specification. Processing of the file will continue normally.

    Do I "notify the author" (malcodeteam@nsa.gov> or just assume that Echelon will do it for me when you read this?

    --
    Trolling is a art,
  2. Tax dollars. by The+Old+Burke · · Score: 5, Funny
    What tax dollars?

    I'm rich.

    --
    Proud patriot and republican voter.
  3. what is this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    wormpaper.pif?

  4. Tech report by October_30th · · Score: 5, Funny

    Heh. Such a typical government tech report. No pics, just text and tables.

    --
    The owls are not what they seem
  5. Just Makes Sense by TheFlyingGoat · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Obviously multilayered security is a solution to many problems. A worm would have to exploit problems at multiple levels before being able to do what it wants. This would make it much harder for the average script kiddie to write a worm, and would force an excellent programmer to write a much larger program. It also has the benefit of stopping worm variations by applying a security fix at any one of the security levels, since it's unlikely for that complex a worm to include multiple attacks for every level.

    --
    You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. --Winston Churchill
  6. What happened to Darwinism? by DeepFried · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I wish they could just come out and clearly advocate diverstity among OSes. The biggest threat IMO is the ubiquity of holes, not severity.

    In my perfect world they would advocate open standards and address the flaws in the system not just individual "patients." As these plagues come and go, if we all have the same immune systems, our collective odds are not good.

    I am glad they are putting good info out there. I guess I am hoping that in each case they identify the larger problem so we can all keep our eye on the ball.

    --


    Who is General Failure, and why is he reading my hard disk?
  7. NSA vs. l33t h4x... by Sebastopol · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Does anyone else find it pretty cool that this battle is NSA vs script kiddies? I mean, a $2B a year cost is equvialent to a small terrorist attack, this is a big problem. I'm glad to see people from all walks of life attempting to combat the little punks.

    --
    https://www.accountkiller.com/removal-requested
  8. I Kind of Wish by Greyfox · · Score: 5, Funny
    They'd examined a few more Linux worms. They've looked at like 30 Windows worms and just one Linux worm, which exploited a Bind hole that's been known about and patched for years now. I mean, I know Windows has way more desktops installed so it should get the most scrutiny, but they could have at least chosen a current Linux worm from the multitude of worms that are out there! For example...

    Um...

    Hmm... Nevermind.

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

  9. /.ing the NSA!!?!?!! by Monf · · Score: 5, Funny
    I can't believe you /.ed the NSA - http://www.nsa.gov/snac/support/WORMPAPER.pdf

    we're all screwed now...

    --
    Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.
  10. Re:my guide to avoiding worms by Eric+Giguere · · Score: 5, Funny

    8) Don't dig into the ground
    9) Step carefully after it rains
    10) Stay away from bait shops
    11) ....
    12) Profit!

    (Sorry, couldn't resist...)

    Eric
    Why the Vioxx recall reduced spam (humor)
  11. Make MS security a point of nat;l security by gelfling · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I really don't understand that if the government spends billions of dollars a year on IT products and billions more in house fixing the holes why they don't simply create a master RFP for Microsoft clearly articulating what the security requirements are and that if they are not met they lose pieces of the bid until it is. I mean if the DoD doesn't have the clout to bash these lazy slackers in Redmond upside the head then we're all wasting our time worrying about security.

    MS annnounced yesterday that they are seriously considering ending FREE security patches in order,

    now listen real carefully -

    NOT to provide better or worse security, but to wield an effective blunt object against counterfeiters.

    Microsoft views YOUR security as nothing more than a convenient tool to blackmail the entire known world into paying for MS's product. It doesn't matter that you or I never actually stole any of their product - we WILL be threatened with cyber terrorism for the criminalities of other people until WE ALL cough up more money to pay.

    And at the end of the day MS makes zero warranty that patches that cost real money will be any better than the FREE updates we already get.

    Seriously, in other countries and in other industries this why industries get nationalized by an irate fed up underserviced populace.