Clinton and Obama XSS Battle Develops

Posted by Paul Mutton at 24 April 2008

While Clinton and Obama are battling it out in the political arena, security researchers are continuing to find vulnerabilities in the candidates’ and supporters’ websites. Interestingly, while a typical exploit is to redirect one party’s site to their opponent’s, the reasons for seeking to discover such vulnerabilities are not always politically motivated.

Following the recent cross-site scripting attacks against Barack Obama’s website, Finnish security researcher Harry Sintonen has published an example of a cross-site scripting vulnerability on votehillary.org.

Sintonen’s example submits a POST request to the Vote Hillary website and injects an iframe, causing the site to display the contents of Barack Obama’s website. Unlike the Obama incident, which redirected the user’s web browser, Sintonen’s method retains the votehillary.org URL in the address bar while displaying the opposing website.

Sintonen told Netcraft that he was inspired by the recent Obama attacks and first examined Hillary Clinton’s official website at www.hillaryclinton.com. Sintonen did not find any cross-site scripting vulnerabilities on this site, adding that it looked quite secure, but subsequently found XSS opportunities available on the Vote Hillary website. Sintonen lives in Finland and has no strong interest in US politics.

While the example exploits have so far been relatively benign (limited to redirecting a user to the opponent’s website, for example), future cross-site scripting vulnerabilities found on political candidate sites have plenty of scope to be much more serious. Obama’s and Clinton’s websites both accept monetary contributions towards their campaigns, so cross-site scripting vulnerabilities could be leveraged to steal money and identities from supporters.

Sintonen told Netcraft he informed the webmasters of votehillary.org about this cross-site scripting vulnerability two days ago, but has not yet received a response.

Source: www.internet.com

 

Ramos returns

The centre back and Miguel Torres to face Athletic Bilbao

Arancha Díaz / Translation by Michael J. O’Donnell

 

Bernd Schuster has recovered Sergio Ramos after his recent suspension, as well as Miguel Torres for the fixture with Athletic Bilbao. Guti has has also been included on the coach’s squad list after recovering from his niggles. Fabio Cannavaro will miss the match due to suspension. Metzelder continues with his recovery programme, the same as Van Nistelrooy, who may be able to play his first game since his injury next week. Soldado, Salgado and Codina have been left out for coaching decisions.

 

Source: http://www.realmadrid.com

How to Choose an eCommerce Package

By Shannon Watters

Published on June 18, 2007

Whether you’re a freelance designer looking for a solution for your latest client, or a new company preparing your first online store, choosing an eCommerce package can be a daunting decision. The industry’s rapid growth over the last few years makes it difficult to immediately determine whether a specific package suits both your present and future needs, but there are a few things you can keep in mind to help you through the process. Below, I’ve outlined the top eleven things to consider when choosing an eCommerce package, considering everything from your company’s growth, your store’s integration and checkout needs—right down to the kind of eCommerce firm you want to work with. By considering the following key areas, you can have a stronger understanding of what your company—or client—needs in an eCommerce package.

Scalability

Choosing open-source eCommerce solutions for your online business is becoming a popular option, especially for companies seeking greater flexibility.

As your client or your company grows, your eCommerce infrastructure should be able to grow with you, supporting more customers, products, and traffic as needed. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always occur, which is why scalability is such an important element in any eCommerce package. Look for a company that treats your online store as an important long-term investment, and can make appropriate adjustments for growth when changes in technology or customer volume inevitably occur. These priorities will keep you and your site up and running—whether your order volume is five a day or five thousand—without skipping a beat. Remember, an eCommerce company or product should support the total growth of your business, not limit it.

Integration

There may come a time when you need your site’s structure to be able to work well with third party applications (shipping, payment, fulfillment, inventory, EDI, accounting, API, etc.), both internally and externally. Integration is a key to retail success, and especially to eCommerce success, so ensuring that your site can successfully implement the right applications to meet your business’ needs is a must. Consider what your site needs to do, and what it may need to do in the future. Can your eCommerce package provide a site that can work well with the tools that can make these a reality? Are there APIs to make the process easier? Can you extract your previous database and integrate it with your new site? Make sure the eCommerce package you choose accounts for this need for integration and that it’s a system that can work well with the other solutions you need to keep your store—and business—functioning continuously at their highest levels.

Content Management

When managing an online business, you should be able exert control over both your store’s site and your product catalog with relative ease. Content management is something many take for granted, but it’s one of the most important elements of a comprehensive eCommerce package. Catalog management systems can be complicated, so do your research. How long does it take to find products? To edit them? Is it easy to add extra fields for your products, such as a warranty? Also, make sure you consider how the catalog system works with your site design. Can the company or package you choose handle the requirements of your design? If someone else is designing the site for you, can you make changes easily to things like your landing page? Seek a package that offers you the flexibility to extend these changes consistently throughout the site. Remember, this is your store, and your site. If you want a smiling pumpkin on your landing page during the holidays, you should be able to place one there with relative ease.

Analytics

In order for your site and your business to grow, you must be able to track conversions, abandoned carts, what potential consumers are adding to their carts, and other site statistics clearly and easily. Streamlined analytics can allow you to see what’s working in your advertising and your pages, which in turn enables you to make the necessary changes to develop and expand your business. An analytic tool is rare to find in an eCommerce package, so make sure it is easy to integrate a third party application, such as Google Analytics, that can track the statistics important to you or your client’s business. These pieces of information are essential to the growth and success of your online store, and your system should make easy access to said information a priority.

Promotions and Discounts

Sooner or later you will want to provide returning customers with a special discount, or use a coupon as a promotional device. Does the eCommerce package allow for that contingency in your checkout? Can you easily generate creative marketing content and integrate it into the site’s infrastructure, or does the system seem limiting? Coupons and other promotions can be key conversion tools, so make sure your eCommerce package allows for this kind of marketing flexibility. Remember, promotions and marketing tools can make a difference in the crowded online marketplace, and can help set you apart from others with similar products to offer.

Customer Service

Any online retailer will understand how important customer service is to maintaining the success of a business. In choosing an eCommerce package, you’re the consumer, and customer support is just as important. Make sure that your eCommerce package provides you with the elements you need to keep an online business operating at its peak level at all times. Does the vendor offer notifications regarding product updates or enhancements, personalized service, and technical support? Is there an option for live chat? Keep in mind that your eCommerce package provider should offer you the same individualized service that you would give your own customers.

Technical Support

In the same vein, you shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to get someone to aid you if there is a problem with your online store—so make sure you can deal with experienced, reliable technical support within the company, and that they are committed to fixing a coding error or bug quickly. Quality counts; be assured that your eCommerce package has people behind it that are as committed to quality and the customer experience as you are.

Intuitive Checkout

As I mentioned previously, convenience is paramount to the online shoppers that will be browsing your store. Customers don’t want to search frantically for a view cart button, or encounter a clunky, confusing checkout page after finally locating the perfect item. The checkout process should be a smooth, streamlined one, a process that your consumers literally shouldn’t have to think about. Look at sites that have used the same package or vendor, and study their checkout processes. Do they force shoppers to search for options that should be upfront and easy to find? Can customers choose from a variety of options for payment and shipping, or are they forced to make unsatisfying decisions? Are they able to condense the process into a one-page checkout? Your eCommerce package should make this an easy, flexible process for customers. Checking-out is the last impression that they get before leaving your site; make sure it’s a good one.

Security

Identity theft is a concern for anyone who puts his or her information online. As an online retailer, customers put their trust in you to keep their credit card numbers, addresses, and purchase records safe. Your chosen eCommerce package must give you the means to keep that trust intact. The security procedures and systems must remain up-to-date throughout the site, and server, email, and checkout systems should be checked consistently. Find out if your eCommerce package includes regular security updates for your system. This commitment to site security should be one of your highest priorities when choosing an eCommerce package. Problems resulting from a poorly designed security system can permanently tarnish your reputation.

Examining the Open-Source Option

Choosing open-source eCommerce solutions for your online business is becoming a popular option, especially for companies seeking greater flexibility. If you decide to pursue an open-source application to manage your store, make sure to thoroughly research and examine your options. Is the project continuously updated, or has it been stagnant for a long time, with very few updates on the project and very little news as to where it is headed? Several open-source solutions are released every year. However, very few have the longevity that you will need to be used as a foundation for your online store. Examine the programmers behind it, and others who use the program. Will you be able to integrate your catalog, products, and orders into it successfully? With some research, open source could be exactly the eCommerce solution that you are looking for, allowing, in some cases, a flexibility you cannot find anywhere else.

Company and Community

Finally, look at the company that’s behind your eCommerce package. What have they done in the past? Are they a growing enterprise, likely to continually make improvements to their firm, and pass on those benefits to you? When considering a package, make sure that the company you are dealing with is credible, with a solid reputation to back up any claims. See where your customer and technical support will come from. Is it in-house or out-sourced? Do they have a solid, supportive community in the form of a forum, blog, or network of satisfied eCommerce businesses? Examine the philosophy behind the company. Email others who’ve used their services in the past, and see what they have to say about the different aspects of the company you may be working with. These are the people who are going to help you build your business and make it a success; choose wisely.

 

Source: www.digital-web.com

Ready to hit the road

Final session before traveling to Santander

By Álvaro Velasco / Translation by Matthew Goltz

Real Madrid held their last workout of the week on Saturday prior to departing to Santander, where tomorrow they will have another chance to increase the lead over their closest rivals. Guti, who will serve his one-match suspension, chose to stay in the gymnasium.

This morning’s workout began with a light jog and stretching under the watchful eye of fitness trainer Jordi García. The squad then moved on to typical pre-match drills with the ball as Bernd Schuster incessantly shouted orders to his players.

Sunday’s match will be a difficult test as Santander are on the verge of qualifying for their first spot in European play, whether it’s the UEFA Cup or Champions League. Kick-off in the Sardinero is scheduled for 19:00.

Source: http://www.realmadrid.com

Stocks Rocket on Google, Citi Results

An unexpected earnings blowout from Google and results from Citigroup that weren’t as bad as feared sent stocks soaring on Friday.

April 18, 2008
By Paul Shread: More stories by this author:

An unexpected earnings blowout from Google and results from Citigroup that weren’t as bad as feared sent stocks soaring on Friday.

Google shares soared 20%, or nearly $90, to $539.41, its best one-day gain ever. Surprisingly strong results from IBM, Intel and Google and the lack of complete disasters at financials like Merrill Lynch and Citigroup sent major indexes surging to multi-month highs this week, as investors began to look past the credit market meltdown to economic recovery.

AMD lost ground, though, shedding 1.3% on a wider than expected loss of 59 cents a share. The company’s sales of $1.5 billion were in line with its lowered guidance earlier this month, and gross margins of 42% were better than expected.

But the biggest moves of the day were to the upside.

Overstock soared 33% on its results, and PMC-Sierra, SanDisk and Amdocs were other earnings winners.

Apple, Amazon, Broadcom, Texas Instruments and Microsoft, all of which will report their quarterly results next week, posted strong gains.

Yahoo added 1.4% ahead of results Tuesday night that could make or break its bid to remain independent in the wake of a takeover bid from Microsoft.

Raining Data soared 40% on a new search product and a name change to TigerLogic.

The Nasdaq soared 61 to 2402, the S&P gained 24 to 1390, and the Dow surged 229 to 12,849. Volume rose to 4.19 billion shares on the NYSE, and 2.23 billion on the Nasdaq. Advancers led by a 26-7 margin on the NYSE, and by a 21-8 margin on the Nasdaq. Upside volume was 80% on the NYSE, and 83% on the Nasdaq. New highs-new lows were 137-68 on the NYSE, and 79-84 on the Nasdaq.

Source: http://www.internet.com

Olympic torch to arrive in London

The Olympic torch is due to arrive in London from St Petersburg as part of its journey to the Beijing 2008 games.                              

On Sunday 80 athletes, entertainers and dignitaries will carry the torch by relay on a 31-mile long journey through the capital’s streets.

But activists critical of the Chinese government have vowed to stage protests along the route of the procession.

The Metropolitan Police said that 2,000 officers would be mobilised to maintain order along the route of the relay.

Insulting banners

A spokesman said Scotland Yard had heard from six organisations, including the Free Tibet movement, the Falun Gong spiritual group and the Burma campaign, which were planning to send a total of up to 500 demonstrators.

Tim Henman, Kelly Holmes and Kevin Pietersen will be among the 80 torch bearers named on Thursday and it will be carried 31 miles through 10 London boroughs.

But Comedian Francesca Martinez pulled out after she decided that talking part would legitimise the Chinese government’s role in Tibet.

The torch was lit in Olympia, Greece, on Sunday and will go through 20 countries before being carried into the Beijing games opening ceremony on 8 August.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown will welcome the torch outside 10 Downing Street.

China has denied its ambassador will pull out of the Olympic torch relay through London on Sunday.

It had been reported that Fu Ying would withdraw, with protests planned over the Chinese government’s treatment of Tibetan demonstrators.

But the Chinese embassy in London now says the ambassador has “no intention” of pulling out of the event.

Hundreds of Chinese students in the UK are planning counter-demonstrations in support of the Beijing games.

See a map of the torch relay route

The Metropolitan Police said it was aware of plans to disrupt the torch procession on Sunday.

“There are plans and I would say to those that do come to demonstrate, ‘Do so lawfully and we’ll allow it, but if you try and disrupt the torch or you try and grab the torch we’ll be there to stop you, so please don’t do it’,” said Cmdr Bob Broadhurst.

The police will also have Chinese interpreters on hand and any insulting banners will be confiscated, our correspondent said.

There were scuffles between police and pro-Tibet protestors when the torch was handed to Chinese officials in Athens at the end of last month.

Tibet’s government-in-exile, based in India, says about 140 people were killed in the crackdown on recent unrest by Chinese security forces. Beijing disputes this, saying 19 people were killed by rioters.

There has been little movement internationally towards a boycott of the games, although French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said “all options are open” following the recent unrest in Tibet.

LONDON TORCH RELAY 6 APRIL 1: Wembley 1030BST 2: Ladbroke Grove 1100 3: British Museum 1220 4: China Town 1230 5: Trafalgar Square 1250 6: Southbank Centre 1330 7: Somerset House 1415 8: St Paul’s Cathedral 1430 9: Potter’s Fields 1500 10: Whitchapel Road 1530 11: Stratford 1600 12: Canary Wharf 1700 13: North Greenwich 1800 Source: Mayor of London

 

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7331388.stm

Business-IT Alignment: It’s All In The Mind

By Chris Nerney on April 4, 2008 3:58 PM

It’s almost impossible to spend time on any enterprise technology web sites these days without coming across articles about the importance of aligning an organization’s technology with its business goals. Jupitermedia, our parent company, even has an entire site, bITa Planet, devoted to business-IT alignment issues.

And for good reason. It’s become commonly accepted wisdom that aligning technology with business goals is a competitive imperative today. It’s also common knowledge that too many enterprises are failing to adopt a cohesive business-IT alignment strategy.

A recent guest column in CIO Update places the blame on IT culture itself, noting that there is “no formal training in how to succeed as a senior executive within large corporations.” The author, Tom Trainer of BTM Corp., adds:

How, then, can we seriously refer to IT people as professionals when the management science of business technology has been missing all this time? …

We have at best been artists then, and in a great many cases we have been doing a phenomenal job. But, in its current state, it is a stretch to call what we do truly as a profession.

Fortunately, Trainer thinks things are changing, abeit slowly. He predicts technology professionals of the future “will intuitively grasp that business technology is strategic” and that the “next generation of leaders will understand they must invest in the management of technology as well as in the technology itself.”

Source: http://blog.datamation.com/blog/2008/04/businessit-alig.html

The Whites take a giant leap towards the title

The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium was packed and the crowd made it seem like a massive pressure cooker, as if tonight’s match was the final to a competition. Both them and the team knew exactly how important taking three points tonight was.Two of the best squads in the championship faced each other with minor set-backs: Real Madrid couldn’t count on Pepe due to an injury, while Sevilla missed the injured Dragutinovic and Escudé, and the suspended Maresca.Bernd Schuster replaced Baptista with Higuaín in the starting line-up and brought on Robben for Robinho. Fernando Gago thwarted Sevilla’s attacks in midfield and Higuaín moved well on the pitch. Sergio Ramos, who turned 22 today, had Diego Capel covered on the right wing and Robben proved overwhelming for Alves down the left.

Heinze’s first goal
The Madridistas did a solid job in the opening minutes, especially through men like Wesley Sneijder, who co-starred in the team’s opening goal with a brilliant set-piece that was finished off by Gabriel Heinze, who also performed brilliantly in defence minutes later by stopping Kanouté and Luis Fabiano on their feet (33′). The strike the Argentine scored gave Real Madrid some breathing space as it somewhat deflated Sevilla’s game, who allowed the locals to have several chances on goal. On the 24-minute mark, Crespo cleared the ball from Higuaín’s feet only for it to land inside the small box for Raúl to shoot. The ball was cleared by keeper Palop, who also saved the ensuing shot by Ramos. Two minutes later, Higuaín dribbled past Adriano and gave the ball to Raúl, who failed to defeat Palop (29′).

Raúl again
It always seems in this sport that, just when one team dominates and has more chances, the other one scores. So, in typical football fashion, Kanouté scored from a set-piece in which the ball hit Keita’s head only to land at the Malian’s feet (37′). But moments later, a man who seems to be determined to break every record responded to Sevilla’s equaliser. Raúl received the ball inside the box from Sneijder and scored sending it through the top right corner of Palop’s goal, reaching Santillana’s 290-strike record with the Whites and becoming the second top-scorer in the team’s history along with the former legendary player.

Higuaín nets a much deserved goal
The pace of the match slowed down in the second half although Sevilla tried their best to score another goal. Real Madrid still proved to be stronger with several more chances, such as one missed by Higuaín on the 58-minute mark after receiving the ball from Ramos, who in turn received it from Guti. The Argentinean striker missed twice again a few minutes later, but he eventually got his reward in the 65th minute thanks to a brilliant assist from Guti down the right wing. Higuaín burst with joy, as did the fans seeing that their team earned a victory that made them stronger leaders in the competition. With Villarreal now six points away, there are only eight more ‘finals’ to go.Source: www.realmadrid.com

“We don’t look at what our rivals do”

Higuaín was one of the stars of the match against Sevilla for scoring a goal and giving a good performance. The striker was happy with the way he played and said that Real Madrid shouldn’t have to worry about what Barcelona and Villarreal do if they continue playing this well.

The match against Sevilla seemed to be like a final for you.
I’m happy because I played well and scored a goal. The team’s attitude was the most important thing. We proved we want to win the League.Real Madrid went back to playing well after the fixture against Valencia. Who scares you the most, Villarreal or Barcelona?
I think we don’t have to worry about anybody if we work well to the end. We must naturally watch out for Villarreal and Barcelona, but the important thing is to work well.You defeated Villarreal 5-0 at El Madrigal Stadium. Are they a strong rival?
Resutls aren’t that important when it comes down to assessing how strong a rival is. Villarreal are having a great season, but we shouldn’t have to look at our opponents if we continue working well.Is it better for you if Barcelona are eliminated from the Champions League?
The only thing that’s better for us is to continue doing a good job. We don’t look at what Barcelona do. We only worry about ourselves. We played a good game against Sevilla and we won.

What’s harder for a striker, to have chances on goal or to score?
A striker’s goal is to score, but he can’t do so if he doesn’t create any chances. The good thing is to have them and to score from them, but I think having chances is more important.

Many Real Madrid fans want Shalke 09 to defeat Barcelona. Who do you support?
I don’t want Barcelona to to make it. Nevertheless, I insist, I only think about Real Madrid.

You scored a great goal against Mallorca in the King’s Cup.
I hope to be lucky to play against them again. It would be great to defeat them, and even better if I score. We must train well in order to play the best way we can. It will be a difficult match. Did you hear what the Bernabéu’s speaker said when you scored? He said “Higuaín scores at last…”
I honestly didn’t hear him because of the euphoria. He can say whatever he wants.Is scoring goals important to gain confidence?
It’s nice to score, but the difficult thing is to create chances and I am lucky enough to have many. I had several against Sevilla and scored from one, which is enough for me to gain confidence.

By Álvaro Velasco Photography by Alejandro González Translation by Michael J. O’Donnell

Source: www.realmadrid.com

Amazon Insists Publishers Use Their On-Demand Printer

Lawrence Person writes  

“According to a story up on Writer’s Weekly, Print on Demand publishers are being told to use Amazon’s own BookSurge POD printer or else Amazon will disable the ‘buy’ button for their books. After hemming and hawing, an Amazon/BookSurge rep ‘finally admitted that books not converted to BookSurge would have the “buy” button turned off on Amazon.com, just as we’d heard from several other POD publishers who had similar conversations with Amazon/BookSurge representatives… their eventual desire is to have no books from other POD publishers available on Amazon.com.’ So much for Amazon’s Vision Statement: ‘Our vision is to be earth’s most customer centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.’”

Posted by kdawson on Saturday March 29, @10:15PM
from the why-that’s-blackmail dept.

Source: www.slashdot.org