New IT warnings issued; Focus turns to identity theft

Sep 11, 2003 12:00 PM

Microsoft has issued security bulletins for five new software vulnerabilities. The company has posted patches for each of the flaws on its Web site.

Four of the problems affect Microsoft's Office desktop software. A critical flaw in Visual Basic for Applications could be exploited by a hacker to execute code on a targeted PC, according to Microsoft. Two of the other affected programs -- a flaw in Microsoft Word and a buffer overrun in the WordPerfect converter -- were rated as important, while a glitch in Access's so-called snapshot viewer was considered moderate. Last and, according to Microsoft, of least significance is a hole in NetBIOS that a hacker could use to view information on a Windows PC or server.

In other news, Internet retailers and security companies have formed a group to battle online identity theft, reports the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA).

The group, called the Coalition on Online Identity Theft, includes Web retailers Amazon.com, eBay Inc., Microsoft Corp., VeriSign, and Visa U.S.A.

The coalition will focus on four goals: expanding public education campaigns; promoting technology and tips for preventing and dealing with online theft; documenting and sharing nonpersonal information about emerging online fraudulent activity to prevent future scams; and working with the government to ensure effective enforcement of criminal penalties against cyber thieves.

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