The assertion that packet filtering firewalls cannot block this attack is just plain wrong. For instance, Check Point, and probably other firewall manufacturers, had a block for this attack back in April of 04. Firewalls aren't just the freeware open source flavor of the month gang. Some corporations actually buy more advanced tools that have features beyond blocking a given port.
It's not my liability. It's the credit card companies liability. If someone steals my card number and charges up on it, it's not my problem, it's theirs. The CC companies know that fraud is unavoidable without huge amounts of investment, and tolerate a certain amount because it still nets them a huge profit.
So, let them steal it, I don't care. I care much more about things I can't change or cancel, like my drivers license number or SSN. Now why can't I change those when they are stolen?
I wouldn't call it self-promoting hype, I would call it assurance of continued funding. See, they are a government agency, which is funded by the US taxpayers. And as such, believe it or not, the taxpayers could decided to stop funding it. So any good agency that wants to keep their funding must ensure their funders know what sort of good stuff (tm) they are getting for their money.
In other words, NASA isn't assured anything, and it is vital for them to keep their PR efforts front and center to assure their continued operations. Frankly, people would be bitching if they did the opposite.
For the record, they don't make rfid tags, that's a different company found at www.checkpointsystems.com. They are often confused with Check Point Software though.
And how exactly should a firewall system stop social engineering attacks that worked exactly like a valid customer?
This incident had nothing at all to do with the IT security of ChoicePoint, and everything to do with not verifying the intentions of the crooks who posed as a fake customer.
Understand what you're talking about before you spread FUD.
Indeed, many companies are doing this same thing. It's called using 802.1x. As long as the switch architecture supports it, many vendors can do function the same way. ZoneLabs Integrity does it for instance. I'm sure you'll see something like this in some MS OS down the line as well.
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The assertion that packet filtering firewalls cannot block this attack is just plain wrong. For instance, Check Point, and probably other firewall manufacturers, had a block for this attack back in April of 04. Firewalls aren't just the freeware open source flavor of the month gang. Some corporations actually buy more advanced tools that have features beyond blocking a given port.
i c/2005/cpai-28-Dec.html
Reference: http://www.checkpoint.com/defense/advisories/publ
It's not my liability. It's the credit card companies liability. If someone steals my card number and charges up on it, it's not my problem, it's theirs. The CC companies know that fraud is unavoidable without huge amounts of investment, and tolerate a certain amount because it still nets them a huge profit.
So, let them steal it, I don't care. I care much more about things I can't change or cancel, like my drivers license number or SSN. Now why can't I change those when they are stolen?
I wouldn't call it self-promoting hype, I would call it assurance of continued funding. See, they are a government agency, which is funded by the US taxpayers. And as such, believe it or not, the taxpayers could decided to stop funding it. So any good agency that wants to keep their funding must ensure their funders know what sort of good stuff (tm) they are getting for their money.
In other words, NASA isn't assured anything, and it is vital for them to keep their PR efforts front and center to assure their continued operations. Frankly, people would be bitching if they did the opposite.
For the record, they don't make rfid tags, that's a different company found at www.checkpointsystems.com. They are often confused with Check Point Software though.
And how exactly should a firewall system stop social engineering attacks that worked exactly like a valid customer?
This incident had nothing at all to do with the IT security of ChoicePoint, and everything to do with not verifying the intentions of the crooks who posed as a fake customer.
Understand what you're talking about before you spread FUD.
Indeed, many companies are doing this same thing. It's called using 802.1x. As long as the switch architecture supports it, many vendors can do function the same way. ZoneLabs Integrity does it for instance. I'm sure you'll see something like this in some MS OS down the line as well.