Jackie Chan's Kaspersky Ad/Comercial - kind of cool, kind of...

Mitnick the victim?

On the eve of the Black Hat security conference, malicious hackers posted a 29,000-line file detailing embarrassing attacks that took complete control of servers and websites run by several high-profile security researchers, including Dan Kaminsky and Kevin Mitnick.

Karma?

Register story here.

Prankster Gets Verizon's CEO Private Address, Visits Him to Discuss Privacy

John Hargrave tracked down Verizon CEO's private address and cellphone number. Then he went to his home—megaphone in hand—to ask him to stop Verizon's lousy privacy policies.

One In Two Security Pros Unhappy In Their Jobs

This U?

You'd think most professionals in a hot industry like IT security would feel content and challenged technically and creatively in their jobs -- but not so much. According to the results of a new survey that will go public next week at Defcon in Las Vegas, half of security pros aren't satisfied with their current jobs, and 57 percent say their jobs are neither challenging nor fully tapping their skills.

Full story.

Australian engulfed in flames after being Tasered

Who brought marshmallows?

A man whose relatives say had been sniffing gasoline burst into flames after a police officer Tasered him as he ran at officials carrying a container of fuel, police said Tuesday.

The man, identified by his family as 36-year-old Ronald Mitchell, was in critical condition at a Perth hospital in Western Australia state following Monday’s incident in Warburton, an aboriginal community 950 miles (1,540 kilometers) northeast of Perth.

Western Australia police said they were responding to a complaint at a house when Mitchell ran outside carrying a cigarette lighter and a large plastic bottle containing what they believe was fuel. When he refused to stop running toward them, one officer Tasered him, police said in a statement.

The man was immediately engulfed in flames. The officer threw him to the ground and smothered the blaze with his hands, the statement said. Mitchell was charged with assault to prevent arrest and possession of a sniffing substance.

More here.

"sudo make me a sandwich"

Wireshark 1.2.1 released

Mostly vulnerability and big fixes...

Official releases are available right now from the download page.

Is SecCon doomed?

Officials to probe color-coded terror alert system...

The Homeland Security Department will review and possibly replace the often-ridiculed multicolored terror alert system created after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Since it was created in 2002, the system has been confusing and became the butt of jokes by late-night television comics.

Critics have said assigning different categories to different colors is too vague an approach to deliver enough information to be useful. And Democrats said the Bush administration used it for political manipulation.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano appointed a task force Tuesday to determine in 60 days how effective the current system is.

More here.

Caffeine may stop Mad Cow

"Drinking five cups of coffee a day could reverse memory problems seen in Alzheimer's disease, US scientists say."

More here.