NATS breach hits MSNBC and the Big Time

[Bill]

before today, all the mainstream news about the NATS breach wa sin relatively smaller newspapers.

Now it's on MSNBC. However, the news seems to accurately focus on the stolen email addresses.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22613868/

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"MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. - When operators of sex-oriented Web sites gather at the Internext convention starting Sunday in Las Vegas, a major leak at a little New Jersey company is likely to be a big topic.

Freehold-based Too Much Media, which sells accounting software for adult Web sites, told its customers last month that a security breach on its computers allowed hackers to access various adult Web sites’ subscriber lists.

Keith Kimmel of Norman, Okla., who runs two Web sites that feature porn, said the breach has the potential to embarrass.

“Would you really want a record floating around the Internet that you subscribe to hardcore bondage?” he asked.

Indeed, it appears stolen personal and company information is being used to bombard subscribers, many of whom would rather not have their identities known, with junk e-mails advertising sexually explicit images from competitors. No credit information appears to have been stolen.

Company co-founder John Albright said someone stole addresses and passwords from Too Much Media’s computers that allowed them to log onto its customers’ porn Web sites as the webmasters and extract information about porn subscribers and the Web sites that refer them.

Too Much Media’s Next-Generation Administration and Tracking Software, known as NATS, tracks referrals to porn Web sites from other sites and calculates how much the affiliate sites are owed. The porn purveyors typically pay the affiliates a portion of their subscription revenue.

Using the e-mail addresses and passwords, the hackers — seeking customers for still other porn enterprises — sent around new waves of pornographic spam, Albright said."

story continues at the link

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[Bill]

MSNBC also has an article on the Network Solutions name-grabbing scheme.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22608368/

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New domain name practice criticized

Company grabbing names people search for but don't immediately register

updated 11:07 a.m. ET, Fri., Jan. 11, 2008
NEW YORK - A company that sells Internet domain names is facing criticisms for holding some in reserve as a consumer-protection measure, a move that also prevents interested parties from shopping around for better prices.

After weeks of testing, Network Solutions began this week to grab names that people search for on its Web site but don't immediately register.

The name is locked up for about four days, during which the person who made the search can buy it directly from the company for $35 a year — a few times more than what many of its rivals charge. After that, the name returns to the pool and can be registered by anyone through any registration company.

Spokeswoman Susan Wade said Network Solutions was trying to combat domain name front running — the use of insider information to snatch desired domain names before an individual or business can register them.

But what it's doing shares similarities with the practice the company says it is trying to prevent, which the Internet's oversight agency for domain names already is investigating.

One blogger termed Network Solutions' action "deplorable."

"They actually think they are doing customers favors with this little dirty trick," wrote Jay Westerdal, president of Name Intelligence Inc., which analyzes domain name patterns. "These guys are clueless!"
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[webpimp]

I have long suspected that domain registrars will take domain names that are searched for but not registered. Looks like my hunch was right. I doubt that Network Solutions is the only one, unfortunately.

[horney]

That's simply not true, webpimp. They may not be the only one,but there are very, very, few who stoop to such levels.

There were similar rumours a few years ago but they were never substantiated. More likely, there were a small number of dishonest individuals within the registrar companies abusing their positions but it seems these have been flushed out or blocked.

[webpimp]

I suppose it could also be malicious people sniffing your search queries, working on their own and not associated with the company. But I've seen it happen - a friend searched for a business name, and decided a couple days later to register it. It was a very uncommon name, yet it was taken when he went back just a couple days later.

[tickler]

Originally Posted by Bill

K^%$#@ K?~`*&^% ...............

I am so tired of hearing about this asshat.

[secretagentwilly]

I always thought dotster did this...they have a thing, a running ticker, that shows premium names for sale and also shows recently searched domains...I always thought that was not very cool...it lets the world know what you're up to...

[GonZo]

AP reporter took some of my quotes out of context.

[Bill]

Never, never trust a reporter.

How'd they take your quotes out of context?