Lost+Found: bit.ly, Hustlers, Lolcats, Reports and Tools

Too short for news, too good to lose; lost+found is a round up of useful security information. Today, bit.ly, Hustlers, Lolcats, Reports and Tools.

• URL shortener bit.ly plans to improve its filters for links that lead to spam and malware using services provided by VeriSign, Websense and Sophos.

• Criminals have a better understanding of the human psyche and behaviour than the developers of security systems. As a result, they are more successful in their efforts than the developers, says a study conducted by the University of Cambridge. The study is based on the BBC series "The Real Hustle", which involves unsuspecting people being conned by actors in various real-life situations.

• For those who like lolcats: After lolcode, there is now also lolsql.

• The graphical Picviz tool can reportedly help detect stealthy attacks within networks. It takes data from tcpdump, syslog, iptables logs and Apache logs and presents it graphically.

• Password cracking: Does it require PC clusters worth millions, or is a simple $5 tool enough? A comic at xkcd provides the answer.

(crve)