Web attack that poisons Google results gets worse

The Gumblar attack has infected more than 3000 Web sites
By Robert McMillan , IDG News Service , 05/19/2009

A new attack that peppers Google search results with malicious links is spreading quickly, the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team warned on Monday.

The attack, which has intensified in recent days, can be found on several thousand legitimate Web sites, according to security experts. It targets known flaws in Adobe's software and uses them to install a malicious program on victims' machines, CERT said.

The program then steals FTP login credentials from victims and uses that information to spread further. It also hijacks the victim's browser, replacing Google search results with links chosen by the attackers.

Security experts started tracking the attack in March, when it had infected several hundred Web sites, but in recent weeks the number of infected sites has jumped dramatically. The attack has been called Gumblar because at one point it used the Gumblar.cn domain, though on Monday it had switched to a different one.

Security vendor ScanSafe has counted more than 3,000 infected Web sites, up from around 800 just over a week ago.

That kind of continued growth is unusual, according to Mary Landesman, a senior security researcher with ScanSafe. Attackers have launched many widespread Web attacks over the past few years, but after a few months the total number of infected sites usually drops as Webmasters clean up their servers.

With Gumblar, more and more sites are now being infected. Landesman believes it's because Gumblar's creators have been good at obfuscating their attack code and making it harder to spot on infected sites. And because they've been stealing FTP login credentials, they've been able to use a few new tricks to get their software onto the sites. "They're doing things like changing folder permissions … and leaving behind multiple ways that they can get back into the server," she said.

Still, Web attacks have become so widespread that Gumblar remains a relatively small-scale phenomenon, according to Symantec Security Response Product Manager John Harrison. Last year, Symantec counted 18 million online attacks against its customers. With Gumblar, it has counted 10,000. "It's really just another day with drive-by downloads," he said. "There really are so many of these."

Security experts say that if you're using a fully-patched system with up-to-date security software, you should be protected from these attacks. To date, they've worked by hitting the victim with malicious PDF or Flash files.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.

Downtime expected May 18th to May 20th

A large operation to maintain the equipment for the state consortium that handles most of our online resources will be undertaken that will extend from Monday, May 18th to Wednesday, May 20th.

Do not expect to be able to use all of the library's online resources between these dates. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Extended Hours for Finals

The library has extended hours this weekend, so you can study harder than ever!

Friday, May 1: 7:30 am – 6:00 pm

Saturday, May 2: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Sunday, May 3: 10:00 am – 1:00 am

New ULM Library Green Committee Formed

ULM Library recently formed the ULM Library Green Committee to help find ways in which the University Library can be greener place for our patrons.

We welcome your ideas and suggestions to help make our library a better Eco Friendly place for the University. Please email: magee@ulm.edu with ideas and suggestions.

Library Student PC Lab

With the move of the Library PC Lab to the new larger area on the 1st floor, plans are now in the works to grow the number of PCs. We recently changed out the printers using 2 new Hewlett Packard high speed laser printers.

We also still have PC lab desk assistants to answer your questions when using the lab.

We always welcome any comments or suggestions to improve the lab for your benefit. Comments and suggestions can be emailed to magee@ulm.edu

Evolution of Nursing, ULM Library Special Collections

ULM Library Special Collections, 5th Floor now showing a interesting collection of historical artwork and hospital equipment celebrating our nursing school.

The Evolution of Nursing: 49 Years, shows the evolution of the nursing program with the university.

This display is open to students and the public.

Saturday, April 18: Enjoy a Free Day in the Parks!

In celebration of 75 years of Louisiana State Parks, Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu declared Saturday, April 18, to be a free "Day in the Park." During this special event, entrance fees will be waived for all visitors to Louisiana's State Parks and Historic Sites throughout the state.

"For three-quarters of a century, our State Parks and Historic Sites have given locals and visitors a chance to experience Louisiana's natural beauty," said Lt. Governor Landrieu, who oversees the Office of State Parks. "We are proud to have one of the finest parks systems in the country, offering recreational and educational opportunities throughout Louisiana. Our parks and historic sites are vitally important to our local economies. I invite you to come see for yourself all our State Parks have to offer."

For more information, read the full press release available through www.louisiana.gov.

Ebrary to be removed at end of April

Ebrary, while a very good e-book product, has unfortunately increased its price significantly. Do feel free to use it until the end of the month, however.

Earth Day 2009 (April 22) is just around the corner. What can you do?

If you are ready to do more than you are already to protect and preserve our environment, the Environmental Protection Agency is ready to help, with a free monthly newsletter.

"America is shifting to a "green culture" where all 300 million citizens are embracing the fact that environmental responsibility is everyone's responsibility. To help, you can sign up to receive EPA's new consumer newsletter, GO GREEN!

EPA launched this monthly email newsletter to provide "what you can do" information about activities and events that we can use in our homes, communities, and offices."

To subscribe, go to (http://www.epa.gov/newsroom/gogreen/) and enter your preferred email address.

American History in Video, FREE ACCESS, through April 30

American History in Video is live! And now, through April 30th, it's free on the Web at the URL below.
Since launching this online collection of streaming video, we've been inundated with trial requests. So, we've decided to make it as easy as possible for everyone to take a look.
This new online resource for teaching and research is growing to include thousands of rare newsreels from 1929 through the 1960s, including the entire series of both Universal and United. You'll also find the historic Longine Chronoscope broadcasts and hundreds of hours of documentaries from leading producers such as The History Channel®.
Freely access the entire collection on the Web now through Thursday, April 30th.

http://ahivfree.alexanderstreet.com

No username or password required—enjoy!

Upgrade to system

On Wednesday, March 25, from 8 - 8:30 am, LOUIS in Baton Rouge will upgrade our system for off campus access to ULM Library Journals.

Federal Trade Commission and "Free" Credit Reports

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The FCRA promotes the accuracy and privacy of information in the files of the nation’s consumer reporting companies. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, enforces the FCRA with respect to consumer reporting companies.

The three nationwide consumer reporting companies have set up a central website, a toll-free telephone number, and a mailing address through which you can order your free annual report: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.

Warning: Only one website is authorized to fill orders for the free annual credit report you are entitled to under law — annualcreditreport.com. Other websites that claim to offer “free credit reports,” “free credit scores,” or “free credit monitoring” are not part of the legally mandated free annual credit report program. In some cases, the “free” product comes with strings attached. For example, some sites sign you up for a supposedly “free” service that converts to one you have to pay for after a trial period. If you don’t cancel during the trial period, you may be unwittingly agreeing to let the company start charging fees to your credit card.

For more information on how and why you might want to obtain your credit report(s), visit the FTC page, visit "Facts for Consumers: Your Access to Free Credit Reports," at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre34.shtm.

Federal Consumer Information Center Warning

"Beware!" says the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The BBB has seen a considerable spike in both complaints and inquiries from consumers who state that they received misleading mailers or high-pressure telemarketing calls claiming their auto warranty was about to expire.

“As an outgrowth of our country’s economic troubles, and to some extent problems in the auto industry, BBB is hearing from consumers nationwide who are being bombarded by telemarketers and mailers trying to scare them into thinking their auto warranty is about to expire and if they don’t sign-up now the offer expires,” said Steve Cox, BBB spokesperson. “Not only are these telemarketers lying about the consumer’s coverage, they are potentially ignoring federal laws such as the Do-Not-Call registry.”

For the full story on this and other consumer alerts, visit the Federal Consumer Information News & Notes site at http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/newsnote.htm.

Special Mardi Gras Hours

You are diligent and noble, right? So you'll be working on something instead of partying this weekend, right? Of course you are. That's why ULM has special hours for the Student Success Center and the Library. We'll be open 12-8 on the 24th. Here's a complete list:

	Student Success Center	University Library
Saturday, February 21	12:00 - 5:00 PM	Closed
Sunday, February 22	4:00 - 8:00 PM	Closed
Monday, February 23	12:00 - 5:00 PM	Closed
Tuesday, February 24	Closed	12:00 - 8:00 PM
Wednesday, February 25	Regular hours	Regular hours

Is it cold in here?

Physical Plant has informed us that they will be working on a leak in the heating system piping on the 5^th fl. This entails taking the heating system down for the entire building and could possibly take the rest of the week to make the repair and restore the heating system.

Friday the 13th: EBSCOhost Interruption

Don't procrastinate on your research if something is due on Friday the 13th.

Due to scheduled network maintenance, EBSCOhost will be unavailable on Friday, 13 February 2009 at 10:00 p.m. Central time (14 February 2009 at 04:00 GMT) for approximately one hour. Users attempting to access the site during the maintenance period may be redirected to a “network maintenance” page.

New Web interface for SciFinder Scholar

Exciting news for anyone who uses SciFinder Scholar! The database, which was previously accessed through a local client that required downloading and installation on users' computer(s), is making the switch to a Web-based interface. This means that you will be able to access SciFinder in your Web browser of choice and will be able to log in from any computer once you create your username and password. UPDATE 2/11/09: Technical difficulties are currently preventing off-campus access. We are working hard to resolve the problem and will keep you informed on the situation. NEW UPDATE 2/26/09: See end of this post.

What is SciFinder?
According to its website, SciFinder is "a research discovery tool that allows you to explore the CAS databases that contain literature from many scientific disciplines, including biomedical sciences, chemistry, engineering, materials science, agricultural science, and more." For help navigating the database, try the Support & Training pages or contact me (mawilliams@ulm.edu, 342-1065).

When?
From now until April 17, 2009, you will be able to access SciFinder either through the old downloaded client or through the new Web-based version. After April 17, the desktop client will cease to work and you will need to use the Web interface.

How do I register?
If you would like to register for the SciFinder Web version, I can supply you with ULM's registration URL. The terms of our license prevent me from posting it publicly here, but if you email me at mawilliams@ulm.edu I will send it promptly. All faculty and staff in the departments of Agriculture, Biology, Chemistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Toxicology should shortly receive an email containing this URL from me (Maren Williams) . All ULM students, faculty, and staff are welcome to register if interested. Please note that you will need to (1) register from an on-campus computer and (2) use an @ulm.edu email address in your registration.

NEW UPDATE 2/26/09:

Thanks to Mike Magee, the Library’s Computer Services Technician, you should now be able to access the Web version of SciFinder off-campus. Mike has tirelessly negotiated between CAS’s very strict security and our state library network’s servers to make them play well together.

In order to use SciFinder off-campus, you will now need to pass through two authentications. When you try to navigate to http://scifinder.cas.org from off-campus, you will first be redirected to a LOUIS (state library network) database login page as shown here. Enter your CWID and PIN (birth month and year with two digits in each), select ULM from the drop-down box, and click Authenticate*. That should get you to the SciFinder login page, where you will enter the username and password that you chose when you registered.

*At this point you will probably get a pop-up warning mentioning an “untrusted certificate.” Your computer may not trust us, but you can—click “Ignore” to continue on to the database.

Once again, we are very sorry for this delay. If you have any more questions or continue to have problems logging in, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Inauguration Got Your Attention?

Did you know that President Obama took the oath of office on the same Bible used by President Abraham Lincoln?

If you would like to know more about this, or what other Presidents had to say at their inaugurations, or if you really want to know more about where the President and his family live, or about that beautiful room in the U.S. Capitol where the VIPs had lunch after the inauguration ... Come to the University Library. There are new displays on the 1st and 2nd floors to satisfy your curiousity.

On a more serious note, the new bulletin board display in the 2nd floor Government Documents Reading Area shows how federal laws are made, and just how you can keep on top of what laws and regulations are being passed.

Wall Street Journal-Folks Flocking to Libraries

I found this to an interesting trend.

Link below to Wall Street Journal article:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123197709459483585.html

New Library Website Has Arrived

This week, the new library web site was unveiled!

http://www.ulm.edu/library/

We are still working on it. Feel free to ask us any questions or give us comments and suggestions.