[IS&T Security-FYI] Newsletter, May 30, 2008

[Monique Yeaton]

In this issue:

1. Security topics presented at IT Partners Conference on May 29
2. Apple Releases Mac OS X 10.5.3
3. Ways You Might Be Breaking the Law with Your Computer


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1. Security topics presented at IT Partners Conference on May 29
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The MIT IT Partners full day conference was held on Thursday, May 29,  
2008; 9am - 5pm. The IT Partners conference featured presentations and  
sessions on a variety of important topics. The security track featured  
sessions on: What YOU can do about Security; Protecting Sensitive Data  
at MIT; the Data Incidence Response Team; Credit Card Processing at  
MIT; and TSM Backup: New Services and Updates.

Topics in the other tracks included, among others, Electronic Document  
Management, Geographic Information Systems, the Future of Email and  
Calendaring at MIT, and Mobile Devices. A day-long track of focus  
groups allowed members to interact with each other, and as always  
there was a vendor fair. Keynote speakers were Jeff Schiller from  
Network Management who spoke on the topic of privacy, and Terry Stone,  
MIT Executive Vice President.


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2. Apple Releases Mac OS X 10.5.3
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Apple released Security Update 2008-003 and OS X version 10.5.3 for  
Leopard users this week to correct multiple vulnerabilities affecting  
Mac OS X and OS X Server.

Systems affected:
  * Mac OS X prior to v10.5.3
  * Mac OS X Server prior to v10.4.11

A remote, unauthenticated attacker may be able to execute arbitrary  
code using the vulnerabilities. To upgrade, install Apple Security  
Update 2008-003 or Apple Mac OS X version 10.5.3. These and other  
updates are available via Software Update or via Apple Downloads <http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/ 
 >.

More about this update:
<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1897>


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3. Ways You Might Be Breaking the Law with Your Computer
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If you attended the IT Partners conference yesterday, and were there  
early enough to listen to the keynote speaker Jeff Schiller, you will  
have heard about some ways in which companies or law enforcement  
organizations can gain access to your private electronic information.  
Concerns for privacy also work in the opposite direction, and laws are  
popping up everywhere to protect the data belonging to companies and  
other individuals from YOUR actions. The article linked below talks  
about some of the regulations that have been put into place for this  
purpose. As you will find out, you could be breaking the law without  
even knowing it. <http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/10things/?p=356>

Source: TechRepublic



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Monique Yeaton
IT Security Awareness Consultant
MIT Information Services & Technology (IS&T)
(617) 253-2715
http://web.mit.edu/ist/security