Apple Prime Security Target 12/29/2010

Security firm McAfee expects malicious activity in 2011 to target smartphones, URL shorteners, geolocation services like Foursquare, and Apple products across the board, according to a report released today.

Screen Writers Worry About Security 12/27/2010

Screenwriters who use Web-based software and cloud storage face a new fear in their trade: security. Write Brothers veep Chris Huntley, for one, is skeptical that studios will adopt widespread online exchanges of information until military-grade protections are put in place. The WikiLeaks material was not something its originators wished to share with the world, so just imagine a studio freaking out about having its budgets, scripts and deal memos floating around, Huntley said. While Huntley understands the utility of the virtual collaborative aspects that most of the Web-based apps offer, he thinks putting scripts and story ideas online is problematic.

Terrorists Could Target the Holidays 12/24/2010

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security say terrorists could be preparing to target large crowds at holiday gatherings. Officials say they have no specific or credible information about any planned attacks, but they want Americans to be aware. In Boston Thursday, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder talked about what the U.S. is doing.

Could the Wikileaks Scandal Lead to New Virtual Currency? 12/23/2010

It is not an exaggeration to say that the recent Wikileaks scandal has shaken the Internet to its core. Regardless of where you stand on the debate, various services have simply refused to handle Wikileaks business--everything from domain-name providers to payment services--and this has led to many questioning how robust the Internet actually is. Hackers have already stated their aim to create their own DNS system, which will bypass officialdom. This uses peer-to-peer technology to get around the problem, a favorite of hackers because it's impossible to regulate. But how about an entire currency based on peer-to-peer technology?

Pentagon Bans Removable Drives on Classified Network 12/22/2010

In an effort to thwart future unauthorized releases of government documents, the Pentagon is now banning the use of removable drives on its classified network. The move comes after thousands of classified documents and several military videos were released to the WikiLeaks web site earlier this year. The order, initially from the Air Force and reportedly from the other services as well, prohibits users of its classified network, SIPRNet, from using what the Air Force described as "emovable media on all systems, servers and stand-alone machines on the network. Removable media include thumb drives, DVDs, CDs and similar devices.

Amazon: Web problem due to hardware, not Hackers 12/21/2010

Internet retailer Amazon is denying that pro-WikiLeaks hackers were responsible for the failure of its websites in several European countries. Amazon sites were offline for about half an hour in Britain, France, Germany and other countries late Sunday, leading to speculation they could have been targeted by online hacktivists. But Amazon said Monday that the problem was due to hardware failure in our European data center network and not a hacker attack.

Commerce Department Seeks Web Privacy 12/20/2010

The Commerce Department should have its own privacy office and develop voluntary, enforceable codes of conduct for data companies and advertisers that track people on the Internet, said a report by the department's Internet Policy Task Force. The report issued on Thursday arrives as people express more concern about the ability that companies have to collect data on Internet users' personal Web habits and sell it to advertisers.

Hacked Websites 12/19/2010

Google on Friday announced search engine upgrades that included alerting people to hacked websites that make it into query results.

Amazon Kicks off WikiLeaks Not Pressured 12/11/2010

Amazon Web Services kicked WikiLeaks off its servers for breaking rules designed to ensure websites use their own content and that it will not injure others, and not due to pressure from the U.S. government, Amazon said Thursday.

Google Takes on Piracy 12/10/2010

Google unveiled new tactics to thwart bad apples that post or share pirated material on the Internet. As the web has grown, we have seen a growing number of issues relating to infringing content," Google general counsel Kent Walker said in a blog post on Thursday. Along with this new wave of creators come some bad apples who use the Internet to infringe copyright. Google, which owns popular video-sharing website YouTube, is improving the process by which owners of digital content alert it to the unauthorized posting of copyrighted material.

WikiLeaks Up and Down 12/10/2010

Swiss group that supports WikiLeaks says the website's main server in France has gone offline. Denis Simonet of the Swiss Pirate Party says his group is currently redirecting the domain wikileaks.ch to another server based in Sweden. Simonet told The Associated Press by phone Sunday that the switch could take several hours but that the site that publishes leaked classified documents is still reachable through the numerical address of its Swedish server.

China leaders ordered hacking on Google 12/09/2010

Contacts told American diplomats that hacking attacks against Google were ordered by Chinas top ruling body and a senior leader demanded action after finding search results that were critical of him, leaked U.S. government memos show.

Use Caution Buying Online 12/08/2010

Internet security should be a top concern for anyone who shops for goods and services online — especially during the holiday season. A simple mistake or assumption about a retail shopping sites security can increase the possibility of having a credit card number stolen or even identity theft. Several websites offer solid information about online shopping security.

Google Buys Widevine 12/07/2010

Google has agreed to buy a company whose software is used to protect Internet video from piracy and make it play more smoothly. The Seattle-based company, Widevine Technologies Inc., makes so-called "digital rights management software that's used to secure video content as it makes its way to a variety of consumer devices, such as Internet-connected TVs, personal computers and cell phones.

Paypal Cut WikiLeaks Account 12/06/2010

WikiLeaks, beset by technical problems regarding its website and under fire from governments worldwide, has now lost a major revenue source. Payment service provider PayPal cut WikiLeaks online donation account Friday. WikiLeaks violated its acceptable use policy, which states that our payment service cannot be used for any activities that encourage, promote, facilitate or instruct others to engage in illegal activity, PayPal said in a statement.

Homeland Security Seizes Dozens of Piracy Websites 12/02/2010

Internet pirates are facing a big heap of new trouble with the U.S. government cracking down more than ever before. Over the past week, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement unit of the Department of Homeland Security seized more than 70 websites in a new crackdown on internet piracy. Visitors that once found links to illegal downloads or goods on these sites are now greeted by a seriously badass set of U.S. government emblems and a warning instead.

Exempt From Security 12/01/2010

Here is a review of who can and cannot bypass airport security, according to the Transportation Security Administration and congressional and Obama administration aides. Members of Congress: Congressional leaders traveling with a security detail the speaker of the House, the House minority leader, the Senate majority leader, etc. are allowed to bypass security checkpoints when flying on commercial jets, according to the TSA. All other members of Congress are expected to stand in line and wait. Other government officials: President Obama, Vice President Biden, and Cabinet secretaries who travel on government aircraft or with security details Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates do not pass through security checkpoints before flying. Cabinet secretaries who use commercial aviation and travel with bodyguards may bypass security, according to TSA. Cabinet secretaries traveling without protection and other senior government officials flying commercial must be screened. Other dignitaries: Former presidents flying commercial with Secret Service agents and some foreign ambassadors also traveling with guards are exempt from screening, according to the TSA and congressional aides. Members of the military: Members of the military traveling in uniform must pass through security checkpoints but are not required to remove footwear unless it sets off a metal detector, according to the TSA. The agency also allows airlines to issue special-access passes to military family members who are not flying but want to say goodbye or greet a loved one at the gate. Law enforcement officers: State, local and tribal police officers who must fly with a firearm have to obtain an identifier code from the TSA before flying. The officer must present the code and law enforcement credentials before passing through security.

Cancun Security 11/30/2010

Concerns about safety and security linger in the background of Cancun, Mexico, the sunny tourist destination where delegates will convene next week for the UN summit on climate change. The 12-day conference kicks off Monday, when worldwide delegates will talk about climate financial aid, deforestation and other issues in order to lay the groundwork for an umbrella climate deal down the road.

Security Clearance Gone 11/29/2010

Eighteen months ago, John Dullahan was an intelligence analyst with a long and varied career in both the military and the classified world. Today, he is jobless and blacklisted from the federal workforce, his loyalty to the United States, he says, brought into question. He just is not sure why.

Cyber Monday Shopping Risks 11/27/2010

Some of the greatest bargains of the holiday shopping season are offered online on Cyber Monday. Of course, cyber criminals and malware developers are also gearing up for the biggest online shopping day of the year, so you better have your defenses up before you jump online and start making purchases. The clock is winding down to the 2010 holiday shopping season. Black Friday--the day after Thanksgiving that marks the official kick-off of holiday shopping is one week away. Granted, it has lost some of its appeal as retailers have spread bargains out over the entire month of November to try and be the first to capture your coveted shopping dollars. The Monday following Thanksgiving weekend is Cyber Monday--a day of much holiday shopping and little productivity as people return to work and spend all day surfing the Web for online deals.

Text Messaging Software 11/26/2010

Check out software to send text messages from your computer - NotePage, Inc.

Threat to Free Trade 11/25/2010

Google Inc urged Western nations on Monday to challenge restrictions in China and other countries on the free flow of information over the Internet as a threat to free trade and to negotiate new deals to protect U.S. commercial interests harmed by the practices.

Chinese Internet Hijacking 11/24/2010

The claimed hijack of Internet traffic by China Telecom has been hugely exaggerated in scale and intent, a traffic analysis by Internet security company Arbor Networks has concluded.

Pat Down Not Going Away 11/23/2010

U.S. homeland security officials have no plans to back away from air passenger security patdowns despite a traveler uproar that they violate privacy rights and growing concerns in Congress over the policy. As the heavy holiday travel season got under way, John Pistole, head of the Transportation Security Administration, acknowledged on Sunday that the law enforcement-style patdowns, performed as an alternative or additional screening measure, can be unexpectedly intrusive.

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