Forwarded From: Simon Taplin <sticker@icon.co.za>
Comnputerweek 18 May 1998 Vol21 No 19
Cracks in the foundations of local ISP, MWeb?
Hackers Find a way in
Security - Jason Norwoord-Young
Hackers claim they have broken into M-Web's servers and obtained
information from 30 000 user accounts containint 8 000 credit card
numbers. A log in Computerweek's posession purpors to show a hacker
entering through M-Web's mail server, obtaining root access and accessing
the www.mweb.co.za machine.
Although acknowledging that it may have been hacked, M-Web denies that its
account information has fallen into the wrong hands. It says that this
information is not accessible from the Internet, and is kept entirely on
back-end servers.
Gary Bonney, marketing director for M-Web, states that the hackers have "a
complete lack of understanding of our system and out security needs,
casting doubt on the validity of their information."
However, Bretton Vine, MD of the SA Tiger Team Initiative (SATII), a
security consultant group, argues that M-Web's account information is
available on the Web "for a price or for trade of information". He
maintains M-Web has no back-end server, and that all of its servers are
accessible over the Web.
"SATTI has approached M-Web on numerous occasions, but to no avail. They
believe that their technical staff have the competency rtequired to
protect their site," says Vine.
"Are we aware when hackers come in? Generally. Do we pursue them?
Absolutely!" states Bonney.
Vine claims that any ISP that uses Windows NT server is at high risk, and
rates IS as having the best security in SA, followed by UUNet, Iafrica and
GIA.
-o-
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Received on Tue Jul 21 10:03:39 1998