Articles by date
01 August 2010
Cyberdeterrence and Cyberwar by Martin C. Libicki (Rand Corporation)
The protection of cyberspace, the information medium, has become a vital national interest because of its importance both to the economy and to military power. An attacker may tamper with networks to steal information for the money or to disrupt operations. Future wars are likely to be carried out, in part or perhaps entirely, in cyberspace.
Call to check on mobile network security (BBC News)
Mobile phone users are being encouraged to find out if operators are doing enough to keep their calls secret.
Google Android apps 'collecting personal data' (Daily Telegraph [UK])
Around 80 wallpaper apps designed for use on Google Android devices have been collecting personal information and transmitting it back to third parties, an investigation has found
Study: Youth Not Only Care About Facebook Privacy, They Do Something About It (New York Times)
Over the past year, Facebook and privacy are two topics that have become practically joined at the hip. The site has changed its privacy settings again and again and last winter CEO Mark Zuckerberg declared the death of privacy. One of the leading arguments behind all of this has been that we live in a new era, beyond the "age of privacy", and the new social norm for the next generation is to share, freely and without regard for such antiquated concerns as privacy.
The Web's New Gold Mine: Your Secrets (Wall Street Journal)
A Journal investigation finds that one of the fastest-growing businesses on the Internet is the business of spying on consumers. First in a series.
Hong Kong Privacy Chief Pushes for Regulation (Wall Street Journal)
Hong Kong's outgoing privacy commissioner Friday urged the government to consider legislation to better regulate the actions of service monopolies such as Octopus Holdings Ltd., after the cashless-payment operator provoked public discontent when it admitted to selling personal data of nearly 2 million customers to business partners even though it earlier denied doing so.
US Senator Kerry Prepping Legislation to Safeguard Privacy Online (Tech Daily Dose)
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., plans to introduce legislation to protect online privacy, saying the country needs new standards for "protection that ensure people's identity is treated with the respect it deserves."
31 July 2010
U.S. military cyberwar: What's off-limits? (CNET)
The United States should decide on rules for attacking other nations' networks in advance of an actual cyberwar, which could include an international agreement not to disable banks and electrical grids, the former head of the CIA and National Security Agency said Thursday.
Bet comes good as US moves to end ban on online gambling (The Guardian)
The four-year losing streak suffered by Britain's online gambling industry could be about to end. The multibillion-pound industry virtually collapsed after its biggest market - the US - was closed down overnight when Congress introduced a surprise clause to legislation in September 2006, in effect making internet betting illegal. Not only was that a blow for investors - it was a hugely expensive one.
Is an Internet sales tax coming to the US? (Washington Post)
A movement is slowly building in Washington to banish one of the biggest perks of shopping online: not paying sales tax.
30 July 2010
Nominet Celebrates .UK's 25th Birthday As Second Largest ccTLD
Nominet, the national registry for .UK domain names celebrates 25 years since the first .UK domain names were registered on Saturday 24 July 2010 by becoming the second largest country code Top Level Domain and fourth largest Top Level Domain. Since its inception in 1985, the .UK registry has witnessed the huge growth in the internet.
Global Internet Security Update Aims to Prevent Cybercrime
A critical upgrade to the internet's infrastructure that will help make it more secure has been made in what is described as an historic collaboration between ICANN, the US Department of Commerce and VeriSign. The upgrade is to the domain name system and aims to protect Internet users from certain forms of online fraud. The upgrade will eventually allow Internet users to know with certainty that they have been directed to the website they intended.
Google says China search block may be tech glitch (Reuters)
Google Inc said its earlier report that Internet search services in China were being fully blocked could have been the result of a technical glitch that overstated the problem.
Joi Ito: Life among the cyber-elite (BBC News)
Joichi 'Joi' Ito is to start-ups what Brian Epstein was to the Beatles. With a talented eye for a promising idea, the 44-year-old has spotted and nurtured some of the web's most famous names, with the likes of Twitter, Flickr and Last.fm all receiving his help on the path to social-networking success.
Australia's NBN to cover 93 per cent of nation - more than originally thought, says ALP (The Australian)
Labor says its national broadband network will deliver super-fast fibre optic cable internet access to 300,000 more premises than first thought.
Mobile use to take off on Australian flights (ABC News)
Australians could soon be able to use their mobile phones in flight after the latest ruling from the national communications watchdog.
DNSSEC soll Phishing unmöglich machen (Der Spiegel)
Die Internet-Netzwerkverwaltung Icann hat auf dem Hackerkongress Black Hat ihre Domain-Absicherung DNSSEC präsentiert. Das neue, endlich einsatzbereite Verfahren soll den Internetverkehr sicherer machen und Phishern, Botherdern und anderen Cyberkriminellen das Leben erschweren.
Can Surfing the Internet Help You Lose Weight? (Time)
The Web, it sometimes seems, is a siren specter that lures us into sitting around like some species of houseplant while our trunk grows abnormally wide. Its abundant enticements keep us from doing what we know we should, like, say, making any movement whatsoever or consuming foods that do not come packaged in styrofoam.
Google games pit search giant against Facebook (The Independent)
Google is spoiling for a fight with Facebook over the fast-growing market for online games, part of the search engine giant's latest attempt to build a social networking business.
YouTube Gives Users Their 15 Minutes of Fame (New York Times)
As of Thursday, you can subject your friends and family to 50 percent more of your baby making that cute cooing noise or your dog doing that funny dance.
iPhone 4's Facetime Inspires Video Sex Chat Services (Huffington Post)
It's a maxim of technology: Invent the newest gadget and the porn industry will find a way to cash in.
Facebook data harvester speaks out (BBC News)
The man who harvested and published the personal details of 100m Facebook users has spoken out about his motives.
YouTube banned by Russian court (The Guardian)
Court in Khabarovsk region orders internet provider Rosnet to block YouTube over ultra-nationalist video
29 July 2010
Australian government hints at possible filter changes during election campaign (The Australian)
Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan has suggested changes could be made to the Federal Government's proposed internet filter.
Google cleared of wi-fi snooping in UK (BBC News)
Google did not grab "significant" personal details when collecting data from wi-fi networks, according to the UK's Information Commissioner Office.
