Children Cannot Be Protected from Porn 03/28/2007

The American Civil Liberties Union and Focus on the Family agree on little. But both say it will be difficult for U.S. lawmakers to craft new legislation to keep children away from online porn after a judge last week ruled a 1998 act unconstitutional.

Prepare for Emergency 03/27/2007

A new website Prepare for Emergency has launched. The site is designed to help people dealing with emergencies. Preparation for any emergency is half the battle. This site will help guide visitors through dealing with emergencies. Whether you are facing an impending hurricane, just encountered a tornado or medical emergency this site will provide you some assistance.

WhoIs Hiding 03/27/2007

An ICANN Task Force has recommended some changes to the domain registration process that would allow registrants to more easily shield their identities. A report released by the Task Force on Whois Services suggests that registrars make it easier for domain name owners to shield their identities. The Task Force is recommending that domain name owners be permitted to list third-party contact information instead of their own. Administrative and technical contacts would be no longer displayed within the whois system, with their information being supplanted by an "operational point of contact."

Dating Bill for Background Checks 03/27/2007

"Don't you have an expectation when you pay $30 to find true love that it won't turn out to be a sex offender?" asked Democratic Rep. John Bradley, according to STLToday, during a hearing in Illinois for the Internet Disclosure and Safety Awareness Act. The Illinois House Judiciary Committee shot down the bill (HB 563) this week which was introduced in February by Bradley. It would have required online dating sites offering services to citizens of the state to disclose whether or not they perform background checks on their members, and aimed to provide a feeling of safety among those users, armed with the knowledge that the other members were not criminals or sex offenders. Dating Background Check

New Picture of Identity Theft 03/26/2007

When a criminal can pick up a fake identity, complete with credit card information, for under twenty bucks, it's clear that the identity theft market has become an efficient place to do business. A recent survey claimed that nearly 9 million adults in the US were victims of identity theft in 2006, and the problem caused losses of $50 billion. In testimony to Congress this week, Associate Deputy Attorney General Ronald Tenpas painted a grim picture of the organized criminal networks behind the scams. Identity Theft

Security Survival 03/26/2007

There’s no surefire way to completely eliminate the risk of information leakage in a blogging environment. Due diligence requires an approach that involves defense, detection and deterrence: Security Survival

A Lesson in Security 03/25/2007

InformIT covered the Mid-Atlantic Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition where college students are handed insecure networks that they have to lockdown and keep running, all while a team of hackers attempt to gain access any way they can. As can be expected, the hackers provided several amusing moments - and all in the name of education! complete article

Blogger Hacked 03/24/2007

Google's blogger.com is being hijacked to spread malware through fake blogs, a security vendor warns.

Washington Times Reports Terrorists Driving Busses 03/23/2007

Members of suspected extremist groups have signed up to drive school buses nationwide, federal authorities said yesterday in a law-enforcement bulletin, but the FBI said there was no reason for parents or children to be concerned. "There is no threat, there is no plot," FBI spokesman Richard Kolko told The Washington Times. "Parents and children should feel safe in riding the nation's school buses. They have nothing to fear." He said the FBI had no information leading it to conclude "there is any reason for concern." Terrorists and Busses

Michigan is Offering Biometric Security Degree 03/22/2007

Biometric security, which identifies people based on unique personal characteristics -- has become more common since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Government agencies and private businesses are investing in biometric devices that grant or block access after scanning fingerprints, eyes, facial features or vocal patterns.

The FBI Internet Complaint Center 03/21/2007

The FBI Internet Complaint Center released statistics from January 1 to December 31, 2006. They received 207,492 complaint submissions. These filings were composed of fraudulent and non-fraudulent complaints primarily related to the Internet and included many different fraud types to include auction fraud, non-delivery, and credit/debit card fraud, as well as non-fraudulent complaints, such as computer intrusions, spam/unsolicited email, and child pornography.

Alarm Tools 03/20/2007

Alarm solutions directory including security alarms, burglar alarms, companies, emergency response solutions and fire alarms. more on Alarm Tools

Cryptographer Solves Psychic Challenge 03/20/2007

In January, James Randi secured a mystery item in a specially designated locker in his Florida office, and challenged clairvoyants everywhere to use their remote viewing skills to divine its nature and claim a million dollar prize. As usual with Randi's contests, there's weren't a lot of takers in the professional psychic biz. But for perhaps the first time in the history of the supernatural challenges issued by the 79-year-old skeptic, there was a winner of sorts. Cryptographer Matt Blaze and a colleague correctly identified the contents of Randi's black box from a thousand miles away, using only the powers of their minds. complete article

Sweden Invades Privacy 03/19/2007

Sweden's government presented a contentious plan Thursday to allow a defense intelligence agency monitor e-mail traffic and phone calls crossing the nation's borders without a court order. The government insists only a fraction of the electronic communication will be affected, but critics worry that the program, designed to combat terrorism and other threats to national security, is too far-reaching. complete article

Accounts Frozen Due to Fraud 03/18/2007

Regulators obtained an order freezing $3 million in assets contained in a Latvian banks U.S. trading account after the account was allegedly used in a "pump-and-dump" scheme involving 15 different public companies, the Securities and Exchange Commission said.

Chinese Net Monitoring 03/17/2007

The Chinese government took steps during 2006 to increase its control and monitoring of Internet access by the country's growing Internet population, the U.S. Department of State said in a human-rights report released on Tuesday.

Walmart Pressured on Security 03/17/2007

Democratic presidential rivals Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama joined seven other U.S. senators on March 2 to urge WalMart, the nation's largest importer, to drop opposition to a bill that would require scanning all U.S.-bound cargo containers for possible terrorist nuclear bombs.

Pirated Software Seized 03/15/2007

Business Software Alliance (BSA) has seized pirated software from Adobe, Autodesk, McAfee, Microsoft and Symantec, valued around $2.1 million from India, in 2006. The BSA and its members conducted raids in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

DRM Advisory Board 03/14/2007

Aladdin Knowledge Systems, the leader in Software DRM, strong authentication, and content security solutions, today announced the formation of the Aladdin DRM Advisory Board. Aladdin now invites DRM experts, technology and software thought leaders, as well as select customers, to sit on ADAB for a one-year term, contributing valuable insight and recommendations for the direction of the software DRM market and tools for success. ADAB members will also provide vital feedback to Aladdin management regarding the market-leading HASP family of software DRM solutions which are consistently ranked the most commonly used software protection, licensing and distribution products worldwide.

Potential Security Issues in Software 03/13/2007

Experts say security problems are inevitable in software, which has grown more complex and isn't always built with adequate attention to potential problems. But Web applications, both relatively new and extremely popular, appear to be headed for a period of worsening malicious attacks and programming fumbles until software makers fully grasp the security issues and respond to them.

Navajo Trackers for Illegals 03/12/2007

A fresh footprint in the dirt, fibers in the mesquite. Harold Thompson reads the signs like a map. They point to drug smugglers, 10 or 11, crossing from Mexico. The deep impressions and spacing are a giveaway to the heavy loads on their backs. With no insect tracks or paw prints of nocturnal creatures marking the steps, Mr. Thompson determines the smugglers probably crossed a few hours ago. “These guys are not far ahead; we’ll get them,” said Mr. Thompson, 50, a strapping Navajo who follows the trail like a bloodhound. complete article

No Credit Card for Illegals 03/10/2007

U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., introduced legislation Monday that would prevent illegal immigrants from receiving credit cards from American financial institutions. The Photo Identification Security Act seeks to require "secure forms of identification" in order to obtain credit. complete article

RFID Hacked 03/09/2007

A security expert has cracked one of the U.K.'s new biometric passports, which the British government hopes will cut down on cross-border crime and illegal immigration. The attack, which uses a common RFID (radio frequency identification) reader and customized code, siphoned data off an RFID chip from a passport in a sealed envelope, said Adam Laurie, a security consultant who has worked with RFID and Bluetooth technology. The attack would be invisible to victims, he said. "That's the really scary thing," said Laurie, whose work was detailed in the Sunday edition of the Daily Mail newspaper. "There's no evidence of tampering. They're not going to report something has happened because they don't know." complete article

Afghan Insurgent Dressed as Woman 03/08/2007

Afghan soldiers have captured a Taliban leader who tried to flee a security operation in the south dressed in a burqa

WordPress Hacked 03/08/2007

Bloging software organisation WordPress has warned that hackers posted compromised versions of its open source software after breaking into one of the servers behind its website.

Image Crack Down 03/07/2007

The Bush administration has accelerated its Internet surveillance push by proposing that Web sites must keep records of who uploads photographs or videos in case police determine the content is illegal and choose to investigate. Image Crack Down

National ID Rules 03/06/2007

Homeland Security officials released long-delayed guidelines that turn state-issued identification cards into de facto internal passports Thursday, estimating the changes will cost states and individuals $23 billion over 10 years. The move prompted a new round of protest from civil libertarians and security experts, who called on Congress to repeal the 2005 law known as the Real ID Act that mandates the changes. Rules for National ID Revealed

Do Video Games Create Killers? 03/06/2007

Do video games kill? The jury is still out on whether violent video games lead to violent behavior in children, but a new study asserts that killer games do not make killer kids.

McAfee Security Podcast 03/05/2007

McAfee has launched a twice-monthly podcast series about topics related to computer and Internet security, starting with a discussion of the Nordea Bank phishing incident, and information disclosure

Prison Security Issues Brought to Light 03/04/2007

The Iowa State Penitentiary at Fort Madison still suffers from security flaws that could make it vulnerable to the type of escape that occurred in November 2005 when two dangerous convicts fled the maximum-security prison, according to a federal security audit.

Legislature to Make Companies Responsible for Security Breaches 03/02/2007

Massachusetts considers bills that would make retailers and merchants responsible for security breaches. As more details emerge about the recently disclosed security breach at TJX Companies , lawmakers in Massachusetts are considering new laws that would put the onus for paying for such breaches on retailers and merchants, rather than banks and credit unions.

Keeping Your Kids Safe 03/01/2007

Check to see if there are child predators, convicted offenders or rapists in your area. This is a handy online tool, enter your address and a map of the work places and homes of convicted criminals will show you the locations of the offenders. http://www.familywatchdog.us/

Added Risk to Self Checkout 02/28/2007

The Stop & Shop Supermarket chain announced Feb. 17 that thieves had tampered with check-out lane computers and had stolen account and personal identification numbers from customers' credit and debit cards at two of its stores in Rhode Island.

Pirate Extradited 02/27/2007

In one of the first ever extraditions for an intellectual property offence, the leader of one of the oldest and most renowned software piracy groups last week was extradited from Australia to appear in a US district court. The defendant is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement, and one count of criminal copyright infringement.

Tackling on Campus Piracy 02/27/2007

Cracking down on college students, the music industry is sending thousands more complaints to top universities this school year than it did last year as it targets music illegally downloaded over campus computer networks. A few schools, including Ohio and Purdue universities, already have received more than 1,000 complaints accusing individual students since last fall — significant increases over the past school year. For students who are caught, punishments vary from e-mail warnings to semester-long suspensions from classes.

Banning Terrorists from Purchasing Domains 02/26/2007

Cybercrime Law reports on bill A5026/S63 in the New York State Legislature which would make it a crime under New York State law to knowingly sell domain names to terrorist organizations.

Top Piracy Schools Rival Party Schools 02/26/2007

Forget party schools: The RIAA lists the top piracy schools in the US: Ohio University - 1,287 Purdue University - 1,068 University of Nebraska at Lincoln - 1,002 University of Tennessee at Knoxville - 959 University of South Carolina - 914 University of Massachusetts at Amherst - 897 Michigan State University - 753 Howard University - 572 North Carolina State University - 550 University of Wisconsin at Madison - 513 University of South Florida - 490 Syracuse University - 488 Northern Illinois University - 487 University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire - 473 Boston University - 470 Northern Michigan University - 457 Kent State University - 424 University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - 400 University of Texas at Austin - 371 North Dakota State University - 360 Indiana University - 353 Western Kentucky University - 353 Seton Hall University - 338 Arizona State University - 336 Marshall University - 331 complete article

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