NIST to retrain NASA feds as cyber pros

Monday - 9/13/2010, 8:30am EDT


  • Job losses from the ending space shuttle program could provide new talent to protect computer networks. The National Institute of Standards and Technology is helping to open a public-private research center that would retrain NASA contractors. It's called the Global Institute for Cybersecurity and Research. NextGov reports the center might qualify for a federal grant designed to minimize the impact of job losses.

  • A hacker claiming responsibility for last week's "Here you have" internet worm says the he launched it as a propaganda tool. The fast-spreading e-mail worm crippled some corporate and government networks. Computerworld reports, the worm's author goes by the handle Iraq Resistance. In response to e-mails, he (or she) wrote, "The creation of this is just a tool to reach my voice to people maybe... or maybe other things." The hacker also wrote,"I could smash all those infected but I wouldn't," adding he hoped victims don't think he is a negative person. Although the worm did little damage other than spam, security experts point out it did contain a keylogger for obtaining passwords.
