Saturday, June 14, 2003

W32.Bugbear.B@mm
W32.Bugbear.B@mm worm is:
A variant of W32.Bugbear@mm.
A mass-mailing worm that also spreads through network shares.
Polymorphic and also infects a select list of executable files.
Possesses keystroke-logging and Backdoor capabilities.
Attempts to terminate the processes of various antivirus and firewall programs.

The worm uses the Incorrect MIME Header Can Cause IE to Execute E-mail Attachment vulnerability to cause unpatched systems to auto-execute the worm when reading or previewing an infected message.

In addition, the worm contains routines that specifically affect financial institutions. This functionality will cause the worm to send sensitive data to one of ten hard-coded public Internet e-mail addresses. The information sent includes cached passwords and key-logging data.

Because the worm does not properly handle the network resource types, it may flood shared printer resources, which causes them to print garbage or disrupt their normal functionality.

NOTE: If you believe your computer may already be infected with W32.Bugbear.B@mm because your antivirus software does not work, scan your system over the Internet with Symantec Security Check.

Symantec Security Response has created a tool http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.bugbear.b@mm.removal.tool.html to remove W32.Bugbear.B@mm, which is the easiest way to remove this threat.

The worm can reply or forward an existing message or create a new message with one of the following subject lines:
Hello! update hmm.. Payment notices Just a reminder Correction of errors
history screen Announcement various Introduction Interesting...
I need help about script!!! Stats Please Help... Report Membership Confirmation
Get a FREE gift! Today Only New Contests Lost & Found bad news wow! fantastic
click on this! Market Update Report empty account My eBay ads Cows
25 merchants and rising CALL FOR INFORMATION! new reading Sponsors needed
SCAM alert!!! Warning! its easy free shipping! News Daily Email Reminder
Tools For Your Online Business New bonus in your cash account Your Gift
Re: $150 FREE Bonus! Your News Alert Hi! Get 8 FREE issues - no risk!
Greets!
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.bugbear.b@mm.html

Thursday, June 12, 2003

EU ends free Internet tax ride

July 1, a new EU directive goes into effect requiring all Internet companies to account for value added tax, or VAT, on "digital sales."

The law adds a 15 percent to 25 percent levy on select Internet transactions such as software and music downloads, monthly subscriptions to an Internet service provider and on any product purchased through an online auction anywhere in the 15-member bloc of nations.

The VAT is nothing new for some Net companies. European dot-coms have been charging customers VAT since their inception. Their overseas rivals, though, have been exempt, making foreign companies an obvious choice for the bargain-hunting consumer.

"It's a massive competitive disadvantage. It's good to see at last it being eroded," said David Melville, general counsel of U.K. ISP Freeserve, a division of French ISP Wanadoo.

Freeserve has lobbied furiously for the past two years to get the loophole closed, saying its chief rival, AOL U.K., the Internet unit of AOL Time Warner, saved $249.7 million in tax payments over the years.
AOL Europe has relocated its continental headquarters to tiny Luxembourg, one of the EU's cheaper tax regimes.

Seattle-based retailer Amazon.com said the new tax regime will affect its auctions, plus marketplace and zShops operations where third-party new and used items are sold.

In addition, VAT will now be charged on software downloads and the sale of e-books, Amazon said.

"We'll go out shortly to our seller community about how these changes will impact fees we currently charge," Amazon spokeswoman Patricia Smith said.

Online auctioneer eBay will swallow the VAT charge on behalf of consumers in a host of its smaller European operations such as France and Italy. But in the United Kingdom and Germany, its largest and most profitable European units, the company has raised fees to reflect the higher VAT charges.…
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104_2-1014519.htmlOn

Monday, June 09, 2003

Notebook flirts with $699 price tag
Notebook maker WinBook will attempt to turn consumer heads next week when it releases a laptop priced at $799 before a $100 rebate.
The WinBook J4 730 incorporates a 2GHz Intel Celeron chip, a 14.1-inch display, 256MB of RAM, a 20GB hard drive and a DVD-ROM drive.

With the release of the new machine for the retail market, WinBook will attempt to ride the wave of falling notebook prices that is luring buyers away from desktop PCs or is convincing them to pick up a laptop as a second PC. Notebook prices at retail, which still average about $1,300, according to NPD Techworld, have been falling steadily, as component prices have come down and competition has increased.

Although they still don't account for nearly as many units as desktops, notebook unit sales at retail have continued to post solid growth on a monthly basis, despite the economic downturn. This makes the category an important one for manufacturers and has helped to drive down prices on many models well below $1,000.

Meanwhile, the days are over when a $1,000 price tag meant cheap. At one time, notebooks that sold for $1,000 or less used lowly components like 12-inch screens. But many manufacturers are now fitting their $1,000 machines with 15-inch screens and CD burners. With rebates, the notebooks often dip well below the $1,000 mark.…
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103_2-1013954.html