21st Century Learning and Teaching

A team of researchers have created a proof-of-concept piece of malware that can give attackers control of USB smart card readers attached to an infected Windows computer over the Internet.

In the case of USB smart card readers, the attacker can use the middleware software provided by the smart card manufacturer to perform operations with the victim's card as if it was attached to his own computer, said Paul Rascagneres, an IT security consultant at Luxembourg-based security auditing and consulting firm Itrust Consulting, last week. Rascagneres is also the founder and leader of a malware analysis and engineering project called malware.lu, whose team designed this USB sharing malware.

There are already documented cases of malware that hijacks smart card devices on the local computer and uses them through the API (application programming interface) provided by the manufacturer.

Read more, a MUST:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2014713/security-team-finds-malware-that-hijacks-usb-smart-cards.html

by Michael Horowitz ===> August 27, 2008 10:41 PM PDT <===

A worm has infected machines on the International Space Station. But a few simple precautions likely could have prevented it. Read this article by Michael Horowitz on CNET News.

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Gust MEES

It's already an OLD article, but still a good "bad example" to show to learners about learning basics of Cyber-Security and the importance to know that USB flash drives could be infected and thus infecting also other computers!

Imagine that the whole mission cout have failed and this because of naivety and that astronauts could have died!!!

But this not yet enough, NASA didn't learn anything from it! Check: Stolen Nasa laptop contained sensitive staff information

- http://www.scoop.it/t/securite-pc-et-internet?tag=Stolen+NASA+Laptop

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Read more:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10027754-33.html