[LINK] Fwd: Optus and Telstra security

[jwhit at internode.on.net]

 I would want to read the fine print on this -- missed crucial
information, liability for NON-blocked malware. Who is responsible
when it fails?

----- Original Message -----
From: "Roger Clarke" 
To:"link" 
Cc:
Sent:Tue, 30 Mar 2021 12:36:22 +1100
Subject:[LINK] Fwd: Optus and Telstra security

 A risky business, in terms of false-positive blocking of traffic?

 Not to mention the Global Threat that is McAfee? (:-)}

 The latest round:
 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/05/john-mcafee-indicted-court-fraud-cryptocurrency

 The company inherited a degree of wildness from its founder:
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McAfee

 _______________

 Stephen Loosley posted on Tue, 30 Mar 2021 00:54:57 +0000:

 Blocking software to sit on home routers as Optus looks to prevent
 malware and other threats.
 Chris Duckett
 zdNet
 March 29, 2021
 https://www.zdnet.com/article/optus-puts-mcafee-monitoring-on-its-home-router-for-wifi-secure/

 Optus has announced its WiFi Secure product, which makes use of
active
 monitoring by McAfee software sitting on home routers in an attempt
to
 block the spread of malware and other malicious threats.

 The telco said as the number of internet-connected devices in the
home
 continues to rise, there has been a growing need to "automatically
 protect" those potential threat vectors.

 "It's built into the Optus compatible modems and, helps to make sure
all
 internet traffic passing through the modem, to any device on that
 network, is safe -- even those without a display screen," Optus said.

 Optus customers on a family plan will get the blocking at no
additional
 cost, otherwise WiFi Secure will cost AU$5 a month.

 The software on the router is connected to the McAfee Global Threat
 Intelligence Cloud Network, and is claimed to not receive any
personally
 identifiable information. ZDNet has asked if the router fails
gracefully
 if the McAfee cloud is not reachable.

 "Based on activity from millions of sensors worldwide and a dedicated
 research team, this always-on, cloud-based threat intelligence
service
 collects and publishes online threats that are uploaded to your
network
 every minute to provide you and your family the latest protection,"
the
 telco said.

 Taking another route, Australian incumbent telco Telstra has been
using
 upstream DNS filtering, phishing text, and scam call blocks to fight
 malicious threats.

 Dubbed Cleaner Pipes, the DNS side of the initiative focuses on
blocking
 command and control communications of botnets, the downloading of
remote
 access trojans, as well as other forms of malware.

 --
 _______________________________________________
 Link mailing list
 Link at anu.edu.au
 https://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link

 -- 
 Roger Clarke mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au
 T: +61 2 6288 6916 http://www.xamaxcom.au http://www.rogerclarke.com

 Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd 78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA

 Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Law University of N.S.W.
 Visiting Professor in Computer Science Australian National University

 _______________________________________________
 Link mailing list
 Link at anu.edu.au
 https://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link