ISS: Security Mailing Lists FAQ

# Security Mailing Lists

The following FAQ is a comprehensive list of security mailing lists. These security mailing lists are important tools to network administrators, network security officers, security consultants, and anyone who needs to keep abreast of the most current security information available.

General Security Lists

- 8lgm (Eight Little Green Men)
- Academic-Firewalls
- Alert
- Best of Security
- Bugtraq
- COAST Security Archive
- Computer Privacy Digest (CPD)
- Computer Underground Digest (CuD)
- Cypherpunks
- Cypherpunks-Announce
- European Firewalls
- Firewalls
- Intruder Detection Systems
- Infsec-L
- NT Security
- Phrack
- PRIVACY Forum
- Risks
- SAS (French Speaking Firewalls)
- S-HTTP
- Sneakers
- Secure Socket Layer - Talk
- UNINFSEC - University Information Security Forum
- Virus
- Virus Alert
- WWW Security

Security Products

- Firewall-1
- Linux
- Linux Alert
- SOS Freestone Firewall package
- Tiger
- TIS Firewallk Toolkit

Vendors and Organizations

- CERT
- CIAC
- HP
- Sun

To get the newest updates of Security files check the following services:

> mail info@iss.net with "send index" in message
> http://www.iss.net/
> ftp iss.net /pub/

### 8lgm (Eight Little Green Men)

To join, send e-mail to majordomo@8lgm.org and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> subscribe 8lgm-list

Group of hackers that periodically post exploit scripts for various Unix bugs. (Footnote: 8lgm originally stood for: Eight Legged Groovin' Machine)

### Academic Firewalls

To join, send e-mail to majordomo@net.tamu.edu and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUBSCRIBE Academic-Firewalls

This is an unmoderated list maintained by Texas A&M University. Its purpose is to promote the discussion and use of firewalls and other security tools in an academic environment. It is complementary to the Firewalls list maintained by Brent Chapman (send subscription requests to Majordomo@GreatCircle.COM) which deals primarily with firewall issues in a commercial environment. Academic environments have different political structures, ethical issues, expectations of privacy and expectations of access.

Many documented incidents of cracker intrusions have either originated at or passed through academic institutions. The security at most universities is notoriously lax or even in some cases completely absent. Most institutions don't use firewalls because they either don't care about their institution's security, they feel firewalls are not appropriate or practical, or they don't know the extent to which they are under attack from the Internet.

At Texas A&M University we have been using a combination of a flexible packet filter, intrusion detection tools, and Unix security audit utilities for almost two years. We have found that simple firewalls combined with other tools are feasible in an academic environment. Hopefully the discussion on this list will begin to raise the awareness of other institutions also.

### Alert

To join, send e-mail to request-alert@iss.net and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

            subscribe alert

To remove, send e-mail to request-alert@iss.net and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

            unsubscribe alert

This is a moderated list in the effort to keep the noise to a minimal and provide quality security information. The Alert will be covering the following topics:

- Security Product Announcements
- Updates to Security Products
- New Vulnerabilities found
- New Security Frequently Asked Question files.
- New Intruder Techniques and Awareness

### Best of Security

To join, send e-mail to best-of-security-request@suburbia.net with the following in the body of the message:

> subscribe best-of-security

REASONS FOR INCEPTION

In order to compile the average security administrator it was found that the compiler had to parse a foreboding number of exceptionally noisy and semantically-content-free data sets. This led to exceptionally high load averages and a dramatic increase in core entropy.

Further, the number, names and locations of this data appears to change on an almost daily basis; requiring tedious version control on the part of the mental maintainer. Best-of-Security is at present an un-moderated list. That may sound strange given our stated purpose of massive entropy reduction; but because best often equates with "vital" and the moderator doesn't have an MDA habit it is important that material sent to this list be delivered to its subscribers' in as minimal period of time as is (in)humanly possible.

If you find *any* information from *any* source (including other mailinglists, newsgroups, conference notes, papers, etc) that fits into one of the acceptable categories described at the end of this document then you should *immediately* send it to "best-of-security@suburbia.net". Do not try and predict whether or not someone else will send the item in question to the list in the immediate future. Unless your on a time-delayed mail vector such as polled uucp or the item has already appeared on best-of-security, mail the info to the list! Even if it is a widely deployed peice of information such as a CERT advisory the proceeding argument still applies. If the information hasn't appeared on this list yet, then SEND IT. It is far better to run the risk of minor duplication in exchange for having the information out where it is needed than act conservatively about occasional doubling up on content.

### Bugtraq

To join, send e-mail to LISTSERV@NETSPACE.ORG and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUBSCRIBE BUGTRAQ

This list is for *detailed* discussion of UNIX security holes: what they are, how to exploit, and what to do to fix them.

This list is not intended to be about cracking systems or exploiting their vunerabilities. It is about defining, recognizing, and preventing use of security holes and risks.

Please refrain from posting one-line messages or messages that do not contain any substance that can relate to this list`s charter.

Please follow the below guidelines on what kind of information should be posted to the Bugtraq list:

- Information on Unix related security holes/backdoors (past and present)
- Exploit programs, scripts or detailed processes about the above
- Patches, workarounds, fixes
- Announcements, advisories or warnings
- Ideas, future plans or current works dealing with Unix security
- Information material regarding vendor contacts and procedures
- Individual experiences in dealing with above vendors or security organizations
- Incident advisories or informational reporting

### COAST Security Archive

To join, send e-mail to coast-request@cs.purdue.edu and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUBSCRIBE coast

About Purdue's COAST Security Archive

### Computer Privacy Digest

To join, send e-mail to comp-privacy-request@uwm.edu and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> subscribe cpd

The Computer PRIVACY Digest (CPD) (formerly the Telecom Privacy digest) is run by Leonard P. Levine. It is gatewayed to the USENET newsgroup comp.society.privacy. It is a relatively open (i.e., less tightly moderated) forum, and was established to provide a forum for discussion on the effect of technology on privacy. All too often technology is way ahead of the law and society as it presents us with new devices and applications. Technology can enhance and detract from privacy.

### Computer Underground Digest

To join, send e-mail to CU-DIGEST-REQUEST@WEBER.UCSD.EDU and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUB CUDIGEST

CuD is available as a Usenet newsgroup: comp.society.cu-digest

Covers many issues of the computer underground.

### Cypherpunks

To join, send e-mail to majordomo@toad.com and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUBSCRIBE cypherpunks

The cypherpunks list is a forum for discussing personal defenses for privacy in the digital domain. It is a high volume mailing list.

### Cypherpunks Announce

To join, send e-mail to majordomo@toad.com and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUBSCRIBE cypherpunks-announce

There is an announcements list which is moderated and has low volume. Announcements for physical cypherpunks meetings, new software and important developments will be posted there.

### Euro Firewalls

To join, send e-mail to majordomo@gbnet.net and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUBSCRIBE firewalls-uk email-addr

Euro flavour firewall list.

### Firewalls

To join, send e-mail to majordomo@greatcircle.com and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUBSCRIBE firewalls

Useful information regarding firewalls and how to implement them for security.

This list is for discussions of Internet "firewall" security systems and related issues. It is an outgrowth of the Firewalls BOF session at the Third UNIX Security Symposium in Baltimore on September 15, 1992.

## INFSEC-L Information Systems Security Forum

To join, send e-mail to listserv@etsuadmn.etsu.edu and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUB infsec-l your-name

INFSEC-L is for discussions of information systems security and related issues. Discussions are not moderated. Thus, all messages sent to the list are immediately distributed to members of the list. The discussion list is an outgrowth of the "Technology for the Information Security '94: Managing Risk" at Galveston, TX (December 5-8, 1994). The main objective of the list is to foster open and constructive communication among information systems security and auditing professionals in government, industry, and academic institutions. Initial subscriptions are screened by the listowner to ensure that only appropriate professionals are subscribed.

### Intrusion Detection Systems

To join, send e-mail to majordomo@uow.edu.au with the following in the body of the message:

> subscribe ids

The list is a forum for discussions on topics related to development of intrusion detection systems.

Possible topics include:

- techniques used to detect intruders in computer systems and computer networks
- audit collection/filtering
- subject profiling
- knowledge based expert systems
- fuzzy logic systems
- neural networks
- methods used by intruders (known intrusion scenarios)
- cert advisories
- scripts and tools used by hackers
- computer system policies
- universal intrusion detection system

### NT Security

To join, send e-mail to request-ntsecurity@iss.net and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

            subscribe ntsecurity

To remove, send e-mail to request-ntsecurity@iss.net and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

            unsubscribe ntsecurity

NT Security Mailing List
This is an unmoderated mailing list discussing Windows NT security as well as the Windows 95 and Windows For Work Group security issues.
The issues discussed will be everything at the host and application level security as well as at the network level.

### Phrack

To join, send e-mail to phrack@well.com and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUBSCRIBE Phrack

Phrack is a Hacker Magazine which deals with phreaking and hacking.

### PRIVACY Forum

To join, send e-mail to privacy-request@vortex.com and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> information privacy

The PRIVACY Forum is run by Lauren Weinstein. He manages it as a rather selectively moderated digest, somewhat akin to RISKS; it spans the full range of both technological and non-technological privacy-related issues (with an emphasis on the former).

### Risks

To join, send e-mail to risks-request@csl.sri.com and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUBSCRIBE

Risks is a digest that describes many of the technological risks that happen in today's environment.

### SAS (French Speaking Firewalls)

To join, send e-mail to majordomo@edelweb.fr and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUBSCRIBE sas

Cette liste est destinee a la discussion sur la securisation des acces Internet, principalement a propos des solutions de type "Firewall" (sas de securite, coupe-feu ou garde-barriere).

### Secure HTTP

To join, send e-mail to shttp-talk-request@OpenMarket.com and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUBSCRIBE

Secure NCSA httpd is a World-Wide Web (WWW) server supporting transaction privacy and authentication for Secure WWW clients over the Internet using the Secure HyperText Transfer Protocol (S-HTTP). Secure NCSA httpd was developed by Enterprise Integration Technologies in cooperation with RSA Data Security and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

The purpose of this mailing list(shttp-talk) is to allow people who are interested in potentially using SHTTP to ask questions, air issues, express concerns and discuss the specification and reference implementation. Information about Secure HTTP can be found on the CommerceNet WWW server. Here is the URL to take you directly to the pertinent info:

http://www.commerce.net/software/Shttpd/Docs/manual.html

### Sneakers

To join, send e-mail to majordomo@CS.YALE.EDU and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUBSCRIBE Sneakers

The Sneakers mailing list is for discussion of LEGAL evaluations and experiments in testing various Internet "firewalls" and other TCP/IP network security products.

- Vendors are welcome to post challenges to the Internet network security community
- Internet users are welcome to post anecdotal experiences regarding (legally) testing the defenses of firewall and security products.
- "Above board" organized and/or loosely organized wide area tiger teams (WATTs) can share information, report on their progress or eventual success here.

There is a WWW page with instructions on un/subscribing as well as posting, and where notices and pointers to resources (especially if I set up an archive of this list) may be put up from time to time:

http://www.cs.yale.edu/HTML/YALE/CS/HyPlans/long-morrow/sneakers.html

### Secure Socket Layer - Talk

To join, send e-mail to ssl-talk-request@netscape.com and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUBSCRIBE

Mailing list to discuss secure sockets layer - Netscape's (and, increasingly, others') approach to providing encryption and authentication for IP-based services (primarily http, but expanding to address telnet and ftp as well).

### UNINFSEC - University Information Security Forum

To join, send e-mail to listserv@cuvmc.ais.columbia.edu and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> subscribe uninfsec

This is a closed, unmoderated discussion list for people that have information security responsibilities in their jobs and who work for educational institutions or have a close relation with education. Discussions range from policy discussions, awareness programs, virus protection, change control, privileges, monitoring, risk assessments, auditing, business resumption, etc.

## Virus

To join, send e-mail to LISTSERV@lehigh.edu and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUBSCRIBE virus-l your-name

It is an electronic mail discussion forum for sharing information and ideas about computer viruses, which is also distributed via the Usenet Netnews as comp.virus. Discussions should include (but not necessarily be limited to): current events (virus sightings), virus prevention (practical and theoretical), and virus related questions/answers. The list is moderated and digested. That means that any message coming in gets sent to me, the editor. I read through the messages and make sure that they adhere to the guidelines of the list (see below) and add them to the next digest. Weekly logs of digests are kept by the LISTSERV (see below for details on how to get them). For those interested in statistics, VIRUS-L is now up to about 2400 direct subscribers. Of those, approximately 10% are local redistribution accounts with an unknown number of readers. In addition, approximately 30,000-40,000 readers read comp.virus on the USENET.

### Virus Alert

To join, send e-mail to LISTSERV@lehigh.edu and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUBSCRIBE valert-l your-name

What is VALERT-L?

It is an electronic mail discussion forum for sharing urgent virus warnings among other computer users. Postings to VALERT-L are strictly limited to warnings about viruses (e.g., "We here at University/Company X just got hit by virus Y - what should we do?"). Followups to messages on VALERT-L should be done either by private e-mail or to VIRUS-L, a moderated, digested, virus discussion forum also available on this LISTSERV, LISTSERV@LEHIGH.EDU. Note that any message sent to VALERT-L will be cross-posted in the next VIRUS-L digest. To preserve the timely nature of such warnings and announcements, the list is moderated on demand (see posting instructions below for more information).

What VALERT-L is *not*?

A place to to anything other than announce virus infections or warn people about particular computer viruses (symptoms, type of machine which is vulnerable, etc.).

### WWW Security

To join, send e-mail to www-security-request@nsmx.rutgers.edu and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUBSCRIBE www-security your_email_address

The list is maintained by the www-security team of Network Services, Rutgers University Telecommunications Division.

www-security is the official mailing list of the IETF Web Transaction Security Working Group. While there are many approaches to providing security services in the Web, most of the current work is concerned with securing the HyperText Transport Protocol. Because of (1) the great need for quick implementation of Web security services, (2) HTTP-level solutions cover a wide range of WWW applications, and (3) the IETF is a proven forum for promoting standards to vendors and the international networking community, we suggest that the list focus and development of Internet standards and related documents for secure services within HTTP.

## Security Products

### Firewall-1

To join, send e-mail to majordomo@applicom.co.il and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUBSCRIBE firewall-1

This list is for discussions of "FireWall-1" issues: problems and (hopefully) their solution(s), requests for information, and ideas one wishes to share. The FireWall-1 list is open to the worldwide Unix community, which consists of commercial, educational, and private users.

### Linux Security

To join, send e-mail to majordomo@linux.nrao.edu and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUBSCRIBE linux-security your-name

What we offer to do is set up a mechanism for Linux that is able to distribute security-relevant information to Linux users or administrators that run a networked Linux box. This would allow them to plug any holes early on, without having to scan all Linux newsgroups and mailing lists all of the time.

### Linux Security Alert

To join, send e-mail to majordomo@linux.nrao.edu and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUBSCRIBE linux-alert your-name

This is the announcement list. It is mainly for postings about security holes, and how to plug them.

### SOS Freestone Firewall package

To join, send e-mail to majordomo@majordomo.soscorp.com and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUBSCRIBE freestone

The list is dedicated to the users and administrators of the free SOS firewall package, Freestone.

For more information, see http://www.soscorp.com .

### Tiger

To join, send e-mail to majordomo@net.tamu.edu and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUBSCRIBE tiger

Discussion list for the UNIX security audit tool TIGER

This is the TIGER users mailling list. It is for:

1. Update announcements
2. Reporting bugs in TIGER.
3. Discussing new features for TIGER.
4. Discussing use of TIGER.
5. Discussing anything else about TIGER.

What is TIGER?

TIGER is a set of shell scripts, C code and configuration files which are used to perform a security audit on UNIX systems. The goals for TIGER are to make it very robust and easy to use. TIGER was originally developed for checking hosts at Texas A&M University following a break in in the Fall of 1992.

The latest version of TIGER is always available from the directory net.tamu.edu:/pub/security/TAMU. In addition, updated digital signature files for new platforms and new security patches will be maintained in the directory:

net.tamu.edu:/pub/security/TAMU/tiger-sigs.

### TIS Firewall Toolkit

To join, send e-mail to fwall-users-request@tis.com and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> SUBSCRIBE

Discussion list for the TIS firewall toolkit

## Vendors and Organizations

### CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) Advisory mailing list.

To join, send e-mail to cert@cert.org and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> I want to be on your mailing list.

Past advisories and other information related to computer security are available for anonymous FTP from cert.org (192.88.209.5).

### The CIAC (Computer Incident Advisory Capability) of DoE

CIAC has several self-subscribing mailing lists for electronic publications:

1. CIAC-BULLETIN for Advisories, highest priority - time critical information and Bulletins, important computer security information;
2. CIAC-NOTES for Notes, a collection of computer security articles;
3. SPI-ANNOUNCE for official news about Security Profile Inspector (SPI) software updates, new features, distribution and availability;
4. SPI-NOTES, for discussion of problems and solutions regarding the use of SPI products.

To join, send e-mail to ciac-listproc@llnl.gov and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write any of the following examples:

> subscribe ciac-bulletin LastName, FirstName PhoneNumber
> subscribe ciac-notes LastName, FirstName PhoneNumber
> subscribe spi-announce LastName, FirstName PhoneNumber
> subscribe spi-notes LastName, FirstName PhoneNumber
> e.g., subscribe ciac-notes O'Hara, Scarlett 404-555-1212

You will receive an acknowledgment containing address, initial PIN, and information on how to change either of them, cancel your subscription, or get help.

### HP, Hewlett Packard

To join, send e-mail to support@support.mayfield.hp.com and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write:

> subscribe security_info

The latest digest of new HP Security Bulletins will be distributed directly to your mailbox on a routine basis.

### Sun Security Alert

To join, send e-mail to security-alert@sun.com and, in the subject of your message write:

> SUBSCRIBE CWS your-email-addr

The message body should contain affiliation and contact information.

### Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the following people for the contribution to this FAQ that has helped to update and shape it:

- Steve Kennedy (steve@gbnet.org)
- Jacob Langseth (jacob@esisys.com)
- Dave Millar (millar@pobox.upenn.edu)
- Bill Bauriedel (Bill.Bauriedel@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU)
- Seth Robertson (seth@soscorp.com)
- Marc Baudoin (Marc.Baudoin@hsc.fr.net)

### Copyright

    This paper is Copyright (c) 1995
       by Christopher Klaus of Internet Security Systems, Inc.

Permission is hereby granted to give away free copies electronically. You may distribute, transfer, or spread this paper electronically. You may not pretend that you wrote it. This copyright notice must be maintained in any copy made. If you wish to reprint the whole or any part of this paper in any other medium excluding electronic medium, please ask the author for permission.

### Disclaimer

The information within this paper may change without notice. Use of this information constitutes acceptance for use in an AS IS condition. There are NO warranties with regard to this information. In no event shall the author be liable for any damages whatsoever arising out of or in connection with the use or spread of this information. Any use of this information is at the user's own risk.

### Address of Author

Please send suggestions, updates, and comments to:

### Internet Security Systems, Inc.

Internet Security Systems, Inc, located in Atlanta, Ga., specializes in the developement of security scanning software tools. Its flagship product, Internet Scanner, is software that learns an organization's network and probes every device on that network for security holes. It is the most comprehensive attack simulator available, checking for over 100 security vulnerabilities.