Winny Defense Breaches

Begin forwarded message:

From: Rod Van Meter <[email protected]>
Date: January 9, 2007 7:41:16 PM EST
To: David Farber <[email protected]>
Subject: Winny Defense Breaches
Reply-To: [email protected]

Dave, for IP if you wish...

Winny, the popular Japanese file sharing program, has been linked to at
least 27 cases of data exposure from the GSDF (Ground Self-Defense
Forces) since 2002. According to sources, no classified data has been
compromised.

Last February a big incident was discovered, which led the Defense
Agency (as of yesterday, upgraded to the Defense Ministry, giving it a
cabinet position for the first time since the war) to procure 56,0000
PCs to be used by SDF personnel. Why? Because they were using their home
PCs for SDF-related work, due to lack of access to computers at work.
Presumably it will be easier for them to prevent the installation of
software such as Winny on ministry-owned computers, though repeated
security breaches elsewhere via company-owned computers shows it to be
no panacea.

This is the same Winny whose author was recently convicted of knowingly
supporting piracy of music and movies, but as far as I know, these kinds
of data leaks are unintentional. I haven't followed the details of these
breaches, but I suspect it's mis-setting of the controls resulting in
accidental sharing, though it's also possible that there are security
holes in Winny itself.

		--Rod

http://rdvlivefromtokyo.blogspot.com/
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070109TDY01004.htm




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