Re: Cisco blunders with insecure web page

2002-04-25 Thread Chris Adams


Once upon a time, blitz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> said:
> >But applicants registering for the programme online discovered their
> >banking and company details were going onto an open web page. When one
> >irate silicon.com reader called the Cisco helpdesk, he was informed
> >that the company was aware of the problem because several other users
> >had complained.

> >In a statement, Cisco said it had pulled the registration URL for 48
> >hours to install SSL (secure sockets layer) - a common way of securing
> >web pages.

SSL does not secure web pages.  It secures web _traffic_.  If you don't
protect a web page by required a password (either via HTTP
authentication or a CGI based scheme), SSL won't help protect the data
stored on the web server one bit.

Okay, SSL _can_ be used to secure web pages with client certs, but that
is not as common in the "real world" as different forms of password
based authentication.

Or is the article an over-simplification of the issue?
-- 
Chris Adams <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Systems and Network Administrator - HiWAAY Internet Services
I don't speak for anybody but myself - that's enough trouble.



Re: Cisco blunders with insecure web page

2002-04-25 Thread Stephen J. Wilcox



> >But applicants registering for the programme online discovered their
> >banking and company details were going onto an open web page. When one

Makes it sound like Cisco were publishing the private details, so they
forgot an SSL cert. big deal, its not like snooping unencrypted details on
ISP backbones is a reality anyway!

> >irate silicon.com reader called the Cisco helpdesk, he was informed
> >that the company was aware of the problem because several other users
> >had complained.

In fact people have much more access to the information when its posted in
the mail.. looks like Silicon have an axe to grind

Steve

> >Helpdesk staff recommended that users enter fake details on the web
> >and forward the real information in the post, a course of action our
> >reader regarded as an extreme waste of time.
> >
> >In a statement, Cisco said it had pulled the registration URL for 48
> >hours to install SSL (secure sockets layer) - a common way of securing
> >web pages.
> >
> >A spokesman for the company said: "I can only put it down to an
> >unfortunate oversight in corporate procedure¬ a great deal of
> >people have been affected but that's no excuse."
> >
> >The registration site had been running for 10 days before it was taken
> >down on Monday. Cisco said just 100 people had registered in that
> >time.
> 
> 




Cisco blunders with insecure web page

2002-04-25 Thread blitz


Cute..like they didn't know any better, sheesh!




>http://www.silicon.com/public/door?6004REQEVENT=&REQINT1=52897&REQSTR1=silicon.com
>
>Wednesday 24th April 2002
>
>Cisco has been forced to close an online registration form after
>neglecting to secure the web page.
>
>The page was part of a marketing programme which offered Cisco's
>second-tier resellers in Europe the chance to increase marketing funds
>if they upped sales of certain Cisco products.
>
>But applicants registering for the programme online discovered their
>banking and company details were going onto an open web page. When one
>irate silicon.com reader called the Cisco helpdesk, he was informed
>that the company was aware of the problem because several other users
>had complained.
>
>Helpdesk staff recommended that users enter fake details on the web
>and forward the real information in the post, a course of action our
>reader regarded as an extreme waste of time.
>
>In a statement, Cisco said it had pulled the registration URL for 48
>hours to install SSL (secure sockets layer) - a common way of securing
>web pages.
>
>A spokesman for the company said: "I can only put it down to an
>unfortunate oversight in corporate procedure¬ a great deal of
>people have been affected but that's no excuse."
>
>The registration site had been running for 10 days before it was taken
>down on Monday. Cisco said just 100 people had registered in that
>time.