Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of the last 3 months of the news. And see my website - http://GoldsteinReport.com/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Wolfgang Kleinwachter: Don't move backwards on Internet governance http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2010/2/14/4455885.html ICANN Update On Nairobi Meeting Security Issues http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10405 ICANN Increases Nairobi Meeting Security and Investigates Enhanced Remote Participation http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10389 Pre-Nairobi ICANN Policy Update Briefing Meeting Details and How to Participate http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-17feb10-en.htm Public Comment: Draft Report on WHOIS Accuracy http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-3-15feb10-en.htm 77% of domain registrations stuffed with rubbish http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/02/17/domain_name_problems/ ICANN Study Finds Three-Quarters of Whois Data Inaccurate http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10400 Non-Lawyers' Guide to the 2009 RAA http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-15feb10-en.htm DNS.BE Passes One Million Domain Name Registrations After Another Record Year in 2009 http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10393 In a doomsday cyber attack scenario, answers are unsettling http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-cyber-attack17-2010feb17,0,305928.story Dengate-Thrush appointed to Copyright Tribunal http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10626303 Poker.org sold for $1 Million, Most Ever For .org Domain http://techcrunch.com/2010/02/17/poker-org-sold-for-1-million-most-ever-for-org-domain/ ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Wolfgang Kleinwachter: Don't move backwards on Internet governance IGP note: This is a comment Professor Wolfgang Kleinwachter made regarding the future of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF). At the recent Geneva consultations of the IGF, there was a disagreement over whether the UN Secretary-General's recommendations on the continuation of the IGF should be delivered through the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) or the Committee onScience and Technology for Development (CSTD) prior to the UN General Assembly receiving it to make a final decision. This seemingly obscure bureaucratic disagreement reflects a larger debate over how open and "multistakeholder" the IGF should be. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2010/2/14/4455885.html ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** ICANN Update On Nairobi Meeting Security Issues ICANN has given an update on the situation with their planning to deal with the security issues at the upcoming meeting in Nairobi in March. While they continue to monitor the situation, there will also be increased access to remote participation and there is a board meeting scheduled for 19 February to ?give the Board a final opportunity to review the situation and plans.? http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10405 http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/02/18/icann-update-on-nairobi-meeting-security-issues/ ICANN Increases Nairobi Meeting Security and Investigates Enhanced Remote Participation There has been an enhanced, on the ground commitment for additional security by local members of the Kenyan security committee in preparation for the upcoming ICANN meeting to be held in the country?s capital, with the group working closely with the on-site security experts that ICANN has under contract, ICANN has announced in a security update on the upcoming meeting. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10389 http://www.domainnews.com/en/icann-increases-nairobi-meeting-security-investigates-enhanced-remote-participation.html http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/02/16/icann-increases-nairobi-meeting-security-and-to-investigate-enhanced-remote-participation/ Pre-Nairobi ICANN Policy Update Briefing Meeting Details and How to Participate Whether you plan to participate in the upcoming Nairobi meeting remotely or in person, you're invited to a quick reminder of the background and current status of each major policy issue currently under discussion in ICANN. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-17feb10-en.htm 15 February 2010 Nairobi Update ICANN's internal team ? including staff from the US (California, Texas, New Jersey), France and Niger - continued to meet daily over the weekend to discuss and share information regarding the ICANN Nairobi meeting. Today and last night, we had direct contact with the local Kenyan members of the security planning committee, and there has been an enhanced, on the ground commitment for additional security and this group will work closely with the on-site security experts that ICANN has under contract. ICANN's security team thinks these are strong, positive steps. http://nbo.icann.org/meetings/security-information-15feb10-en.htm Remote Participation for Nairobi: Details Available As some of you will have already noticed, remote participation details are in the process of being posted on the ICANN Nairobi site. Work on the remote participation for Nairobi began for me on the first day of December when I took up the post of Senior Director for Participation and Engagement, as the Board?s Public Participation Committee asked me to propose the suite of remote participation options for Nairobi. They, and the staff, clearly understood that we would likely see a considerable increase in the use of remote participation in Nairobi. http://blog.icann.org/2010/02/remote-participation-for-nairobi-details-available/ Security Scare Hits City Meeting Plan Kenya's security forces have stepped up anti-terrorism surveillance ahead of a landmark Internet conference scheduled for next month in Nairobi that has been hit by delegates' withdrawal over security fears. http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Company Industry/-/539550/864086/-/t3e86kz/-/index.html http://allafrica.com/stories/201002171076.html Public Comment: Draft Report on WHOIS Accuracy The National Opinion Research Center (NORC) recently completed a study commissioned by ICANN to determine the percentage of domain names registered under the top 5 gTLDs (i.e., .com, .net, .org, .biz, and .info) that contain accurate WHOIS data. Today, the draft report is being posted for review and comment through 15 April 2010. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-3-15feb10-en.htm 77% of domain registrations stuffed with rubbish An incredible 77 per cent of internet domains - nearly 90 million internet addresses - are registered with false, incomplete, or unverifiable information. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/02/17/domain_name_problems/ ICANN Study Finds Three-Quarters of Whois Data Inaccurate More than three-quarters (77%) of all Whois records for five of the generic Top Level Domains (.COM, .ORG, .NET, .INFO and .BIZ) are filled with at least partially inaccurate information, according to a survey by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) for ICANN. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10400 http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/02/17/three-quarters-of-whois-data-inaccurate-finds-icann-study/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/three-quarters-of-whois-data-inaccurate-icann-study.html ICANN fails to control Internet, 77% of domains have no valid information A recent report revealed that 77% of Internet domains, which is about 90 million Internet addresses, are registered with false, incomplete, or unverifiable information. http://www.ecommerce-journal.com/node/26970 ICANN admits domain holders impossible to find More than three-quarters of Internet domain registrants have incomplete, invalid or false names. And 22 percent of website owners proved to be impossible to trace. http://news.techworld.com/networking/3212964/icann-admits-domain-holders-impossible-to-find/ ICANN: Most web domain registrations are faulty A new report on the accuracy of domain registrations has found 77 per cent of records have information that is missing, incorrect or deliberately falsified. http://www.itpro.co.uk/620599/icann-most-web-domain-registrations-are-faulty Non-Lawyers' Guide to the 2009 RAA ICANN has produced a Non-Lawyers' Guide to the May 2009 Registrar Accreditation in response to the At-Large Advisory Committee's (ALAC) request for such a guide. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-15feb10-en.htm New gTLD Program Makes Available New Documents for Community Discussion ICANN is publishing today several materials related to the New gTLD Program. These materials have been grouped below in categories to facilitate understanding. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-4-15feb10-en.htm Fiscal Year 2011 Operating Plan and Budget Framework Posted for Community Review The release of ICANN's Proposed Framework for the Fiscal Year 2011 (FY11) Operating Plan and Budget kicks off the operational planning process for ICANN, providing the community the first look at the planned work and financial resources required for FY11. The framework will be discussed with members of the ICANN community at the Nairobi meeting in March, through online public comment areas, and through conference calls with ICANN constituencies. A more detailed draft FY11 Operating Plan and Budget will be posted by 17 May 2010. After more public comment and feedback, the budget is expected to be adopted by the ICANN Board at its Brussels meeting in June 2010. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-15feb10-en.htm Experts Predict 100-1500 New TLDs by 2011-2012 Last Friday I had the opportunity to moderate a panel on new top level domain names during Domainer Mardi Gras in New Orleans. http://domainnamewire.com/2010/02/16/experts-predict-100-1500-new-tlds-by-2011-2012/ ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** Drop in number of .az domains Azerbaijan had 9,228 domains in the national .az Internet domain zone as of 17 February, a fall of 50 since 11 January. http://www.news.az/articles/9365 1,000,000th .be domain name registered This weekend, DNS BE registered the 1 millionth .be domain name for an end-user. The domain name in question is boekee.be, registered by Erwin Boekee. By way of gift the domain name registration with his present registrar will be paid by DNS BE for the next 25 years. http://www.dns.be/en/home.php?n=441 DNS.BE Passes One Million Domain Name Registrations After Another Record Year in 2009 A record number of domain name registrations in 2009 have led to the registration of the one millionth .BE domain name last weekend. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10393 http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/02/17/dnsbe-one-million-registrations-record-2009/ ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** In a doomsday cyber attack scenario, answers are unsettling What if a crippling attack struck the country's digital infrastructure? Experts including current and former officials tackle the question. The results show that the peril is real and growing. http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-cyber-attack17-2010feb17,0,305928.story Simulation shows government lacks policies needed to respond to cyberattack A simulation of a widespread cyberattack against the nation's critical infrastructure on Tuesday demonstrated the cascading effects an attack can have on networks and the difficulty the government would have in quickly responding, including dealing with civil liberties and how to work with corporations. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100216_5378.php Group Simulates Cyber Attack Intelligence experts playing a cyber war game Tuesday to test America's readiness for a nationwide hack faced a simulated crisis that crippled America's power grid - trouble that started with a cell phone virus. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/02/group-simulates-cyber-attack.php War game reveals U.S. lacks cyber-crisis skills Scene: The White House Situation Room. Event: A massive cyber attack has turned the cellphones and computers of tens of millions of Americans into weapons to shut down the Internet. A cascading series of events then knocks out power for most of the East Coast amid hurricanes and a heat wave. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/16/AR2010021605762.html U.S. Fails Test In Simulated Cyberattack A large-scale simulated cyberattack on the U.S. yesterday proved one thing, according to organizers: The country isn't prepared for a real attack. http://www.darkreading.com/security/cybercrime/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222900775 Malicious Software Infects Corporate Computers A malicious software program has infected the computers of more than 2,500 corporations around the world, according to NetWitness, a computer network security firm. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/19/technology/19cyber.html Broad New Hacking Attack Detected: Global Offensive Snagged Corporate, Personal Data at nearly 2,500 Companies; Operation Is Still Running Hackers in Europe and China successfully broke into computers at nearly 2,500 companies and government agencies over the last 18 months in a coordinated global attack that exposed vast amounts of personal and corporate secrets to theft, according to a computer-security company that discovered the breach. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704398804575071103834150536.html More than 75,000 computer systems hacked in one of largest cyber attacks, security firm says More than 75,000 computer systems at nearly 2,500 companies in the United States and around the world have been hacked in what appears to be one of the largest and most sophisticated attacks by cyber criminals discovered to date, according to a northern Virginia security firm. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/17/AR2010021705816.html ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** BofA wins judgment over cybersquatter on Web names Bank of America Corp has won a court judgment barring a self-described cybersquatter from using the "bofaml.com" and "mlbofa.com" Internet domain names following the bank's acquisition of Merrill Lynch & Co. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61F3Y420100216 Measuring Typosquatting Perpetrators and Funders by Tyler Moore and Benjamin Edelman For more than a decade, aggressive website registrants have been engaged in 'typosquatting' -- the intentional registration of misspellings of popular website addresses. Uses for the diverted traffic have evolved over time, ranging from hosting sexually-explicit content to phishing. Several countermeasures have been implemented, including developing policies for resolving disputes. Despite these efforts, typosquatting remains rife. But just how prevalent is typosquatting today, and why is it so pervasive? http://www.circleid.com/posts/20100217_measuring_typosquatting_perpetrators_and_funders/ ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Dengate-Thrush appointed to Copyright Tribunal Commerce Minister Simon Power has announced the appointment of lawyer Peter Dengate-Thrush to the Copyright Tribunal for a five year term. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10626303 nz: Top tech lawyer joins Copyright Tribunal Commerce Minister Simon Power has appointed Peter Dengate-Thrush to the Copyright Tribunal for a term of five years. http://www.sharechat.co.nz/article/a1691d7b/top-tech-lawyer-joins-copyright-tribunal.html Registration of Generic Names: Advocate General's Opinion Before the Court of Justice of the EU One of the most debated questions at the time of the opening of the .eu Top-Level Domain (TLD) was whether or not it was possible to register names on the basis of prior rights on signs which include special characters, such as an ampersand. The Advocate General of the Court of Justice of European Union has just published his opinion (4 years later...). http://www.circleid.com/posts/registration_of_generic_names_advocate_generals_opinion_court_eu/ Domain Registry Locking Program: It Is There for a Reason, So Why Not Use It? by Elisa Cooper At the beginning of last year, MarkMonitor participated in VeriSign's beta program to test server-level protections which were designed to mitigate the potential for unintended domain name changes, deletions and transfers. When VeriSign finally released their Registry Locking Program to all registrars, I expected to see the owners of highly trafficked sites flocking to this new offering. However, after a review of the top 300 most highly trafficked sites, I was shocked to uncover that less than 10% of these valuable domains were protected using these newly available security measures. http://www.circleid.com/posts/domain_registry_locking_why_not_use_it/ ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Poker.org sold for $1 Million, Most Ever For .org Domain Sedo, a domain marketplace, has brokered the largest sale of a .org domain to date. Brokered on behalf of National A-1 Advertising, the domain poker.org was sold to PokerCompany.com for the sum of $1 million. http://techcrunch.com/2010/02/17/poker-org-sold-for-1-million-most-ever-for-org-domain/ ?Halvarez? Caused $2M Loss to SnapNames Customers A document filed today in a lawsuit against Oversee.net and Snapnames shows that the total loss to U.S. customers from the bidding scandal was about $1 million, including interest. The total damages for all customers can be extrapolated to be about $2.0 million. http://domainnamewire.com/2010/02/16/halvarez-caused-2m-loss-to-snapnames-customers/ Report: Google May Earn $497 Million a Year from Typosquatting A new study suggests that Google may earn $497 million a year from typosquatters targeting the 100,000 most popular .com sites on the web. http://domainnamewire.com/2010/02/17/report-google-may-earn-497-million-a-year-from-typosquatting/ ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Beware of newspapers bearing surveys There's been more grim reading on the state of the global newspaper industry. USA Today, America's second-largest paper, is ordering its 1,500 employees to take a week of unpaid leave by the middle of the year. It's the latest cost-cutting drive by the once thriving national daily as it grapples with tumbling advertising revenue and the shift of readers to online news sites. So it will be with some relief that Australian newspaper journalists read the results of a new survey of reader behaviour here. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/15/2820001.htm Online dating gaining worldwide acceptance - study If you spent Valentine's Day looking for love online then you are among the one in three Internet users who regard the web as a good place to find a relationship, according to a new study. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-46183020100215 ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Twitter 'is a weapon in cyber warfare': British Air Chief Marshal Britain needs to learn from the actions of the Israeli military in the Gaza in using YouTube and tweets to engage in 21st-century cyber-warfare, the head of the Royal Air force said yesterday. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/online/twitter-is-a-weapon-in-cyber-warfare-1900535.html au: Police probe Facebook abuse posted on tribute pages for slain schoolboy Elliot Fletcher [AAP] POLICE have vowed to hunt down and charge whoever posted child pornography on online tribute pages for slain schoolboy Elliot Fletcher. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/police-probe-facebook-abuse-posted-on-tribute-pages-for-slain-schoolboy-elliot-fletcher/story-e6frg6nf-1225831042935 au: Anti-Aboriginal Facebook group condemned A Facebook group that targets Aboriginal people in Alice Springs is simplistic and divisive, the Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Commissioner says. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/16/2821481.htm Australian students threaten teachers on Facebook Facebook, the world's largest social network site, is under more pressure to tighten security after West Australian high school students used it to threaten teachers, calling for them to be "massacred by chainsaws". http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/students-threaten-teachers-on-net/story-e6frg6nf-1225831550708 Social media tool for Kiwi business going strong A New Zealand company which has developed a free gadget to help businesses develop policies for social networking sites has now signed up nearly 600 clients. Netsafe has developed 'The Whatsit', a free tool being used by small businesses to help to draft workplace policies around staff using communication technology and social media sites like Facebook. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10626563 ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Google and Yahoo raise doubts over planned Australian net filters Google and Yahoo have joined two Australian organisations calling for a "rethink" of the country's controversial internet filter plans. The Australian government has announced proposals to introduce a mandatory filter which would block all RC (Refused Classification) content. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8517829.stm au: Internet filtering laws outdated before they are passed [news release] The Federal Government's plan to compel Internet Service Providers to filter the Internet has been unanimously opposed by Australasian Computer Science academics, says University of Sydney Associate Professor Bjorn Landfeldt. http://www.usyd.edu.au/news/84.html?newsstoryid=4488 ISOC-AU says no to ISP filter The Internet Society of Australia (ISOC-AU) has voiced its criticism of the Federal Government?s mandatory ISP-level content filter, arguing ISPs should have no role in determining what content their customers can access. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/336505/isoc-au_says_no_isp_filter/ AG's office defends record on Anonymous attacks The Federal Government has defended its ability to combat cyber-crime in the face of repeated successful attacks on Government websites carried out under the name Anonymous. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/336514/ag_office_defends_record_anonymous_attacks/ NZ's filter starts next month As Australia's ICT Minister Stephen Conroy faces a Titstorm and internet black-outs in protest of his mandatory internet filter, New Zealand has quietly been working on its own, due for launch by the end of next month. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/NZ-s-filter-starts-next-month/0,130061791,339301140,00.htm Internal Affairs to filter URLs in New Zealand Many people have heard of other countries having web filtering, and even New Zealand recently had a protest about Section 92a with a decent amount of success. http://www.3news.co.nz/Internal-Affairs-to-filter-URLs-in-New-Zealand/tabid/1172/articleID/142244/Default.aspx?ArticleID=142244 New Online Safety Effort Launched The online safety nonprofit group Enough is Enough Wednesday announced a new Internet safety campaign and Web site aimed at helping parents, educators and others protect children from predators and inappropriate content on all Internet-enabled devices. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/02/new-online-safety-effort-launc.php ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** VoD service SeeSaw launches Video-on-demand service SeeSaw is launching today with more than 3,000 hours of content, including programmes first broadcast in the past seven days such as Home and Away, Neighbours, Hollyoaks and Skins. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/feb/17/vod-service-seesaw-launches YouTube's fifth birthday: watch its top five videos People who want to see the latest viral videos, very old TV commercials and pop videos, great sporting moments or almost anything else that can be delivered in a brief video, will usually turn to YouTube, which now serves up more than 1bn streams a day. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/feb/15/youtube-fifth-birthday ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Five billion people to use mobile phones in 2010: UN [Relax News] The ranks of cell phone subscribers will swell to five billion people this year thanks to the growth of smartphones in developed nations and mobile services in poor nations, a UN agency said Monday. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/five-billion-people-to-use-mobile-phones-in-2010-un-1900768.html ITU sees 5 billion mobile subscriptions globally in 2010 [news release] After reaching around 4.6 billion mobile cellular subscriptions by the end of 2009, ITU expects the number of mobile cellular subscriptions globally to reach five billion in 2010, driven by advanced services and handsets in developed countries and increased take-up of mobile health services and mobile banking in the developing world. http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2010/06.html Skype Fights to Be Heard on Mobile Phones Josh Silverman, the chief executive of Skype, the voice-over-Internet phone service, could tick off the names of mobile phone operators that block his company?s service. But for Mr. Silverman, a 41-year-old Michigan native, it is quicker to name those that allow it, no strings attached. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/technology/18voip.html Telstra doubles the speed of its Next G HSPA+ network Telstra has doubled the speed of its Next G HSPA+ network to allow theoretical maximum download speeds of 42 megabits per second and says speeds of up to 82Mbps are now only a year away. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/telstra-doubles-the-speed-of-its-next-g-hspa-network/story-e6frgakx-1225830673282 Telstra doubles Next G speeds in 'record' upgrade Telstra claims its Next G network is the first mobile service in the world to offer 42Mbps download speeds, but analysts say the record-breaking network upgrade counts for little more than bragging rights. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/biz-tech/telstra-doubles-next-g-speeds-in-record-upgrade-20100215-o2bt.html Microsoft Starts Over in Phone Software The frenetic pace of the mobile phone industry has forced some of the technology world?s largest players to make a break with the past. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/technology/16phone.html Mobile Data, the Next Generation: High Speeds but at What Cost? The next great leap forward in wireless broadband networks, a superfast technology called Long Term Evolution, is being hailed as a breakthrough that will transform the world?s mobile operators into the lucrative gatekeepers of the on-the-go Internet. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/technology/16lte.html Intel and Nokia merge software to create MeeGo The world's largest chip maker and the world's largest mobile phone maker have merged operating systems to create a single platform for mobiles. The new MeeGo platform, unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, will be used to power phones, netbooks, TVs and in-car entertainment systems. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8516368.stm Microsoft launches Windows Phone Series 7 Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer is hoping that 7 will turn out to be a lucky number again. With Windows 7 helping to bury the ghosts of the poorly received Windows Vista in its core PC market, the software group is hoping to repeat the trick with a new version of its software for mobile phones, a device that has refused to yield to the firm's attentions despite almost a decade of trying. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/feb/15/microsoft-launches-windows-phone-7 Nokia chief: we want to be all things to all consumers again Nokia has yet to produce a viable competitor to the iPhone, the boss of the Finnish mobile phone maker admitted in an interview with the Guardian, but its tie-up with Intel should give the company a leading role in the next generation of wireless internet devices. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/feb/15/nokia-chief-interview Smartphones a growing problem for networks The chief executive of Vodafone Group Plc, the world's largest mobile network operator, expressed the fears of many on Tuesday when he said Google Inc should not be allowed to dominate the mobile space. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE61F5UO20100216 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-46221920100216 Vodafone chief: mobile groups should be able to bypass Google Vodafone boss Vittorio Colao sounded a warning to the mobile phone industry today over the dominance of Google in the search and advertising markets. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/feb/16/vodafone-warns-google-power Operators unite to challenge Apple's apps Twenty-four telecom operators have formed an alliance to build an open platform that will deliver applications to all mobile phone users in an effort to compete with Apple's successful apps store. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE61E1BM20100215 Google chief extends olive branch to mobile phone groups Google chief executive Eric Schmidt has extended an olive branch to the mobile phone industry saying he is "not trying to run rough shod" over the operators or turn them into "dumb pipes" in the air. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/feb/17/google-chief-olive-branch-mobile-groups Google CEO woos suspicious mobile industry Google's Chief Executive Eric Schmidt urged the mobile industry to embrace the mobile Web instead of seeing Google as the enemy, in his first speech to the world's biggest wireless industry fair. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-46214420100216 Cyber crime gains mobility with Wi-Fi Everyone now, we piously hope, knows about computer malware - the viruses, Trojans, worms, spam scams, phishing and social engineering frauds that daily rip millions of dollars from internet users all over the world. And yet people still get caught. Worse than that, the criminal take keeps rising. http://www.theage.com.au/business/cyber-crime-gains-mobility-with-wifi-20100215-o2zp.html http://www.smh.com.au/business/cyber-crime-gains-mobility-with-wifi-20100215-o2zp.html Mobile operators talk up prospects of voice on LTE phones [IDG] While LTE modems delivering mobile broadband services already appearing on the market, LTE phones are still some way off -- not least because manufacturers and operators have yet to agree how calls will be placed and voice traffic carried over LTE's all-IP networks. One of the solutions to that problem got a boost Monday, though, with more operators and vendors lending it their support. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/336280/mobile_operators_talk_up_prospects_voice_lte_phones/ Is Skype's challenge to telcos dwindling? Australian ISPs and telcos dismissed Skype as serious threat despite continued rise Australian Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and telecommunication carriers have shrugged off any notion that free Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services such as Skype are threatening their businesses. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/336718/skype_challenge_telcos_dwindling_/ ********************** SPAM ********************** Nigerian 419 fraud spam bounces back The Nigerian 419 scam has returned to plague email inboxes once again, with Symantec's February 2010 spam analysis reporting that old-style social engineering fraud is at the highest levels ever measured by the company. http://news.techworld.com/security/3212730/nigerian-419-fraud-spam-bounces-back/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/021610-nigerian-419-fraud-spam-bounces.html ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** Transferring Money Internationally Becomes Easier and Cheaper with Sicap Transferring money internationally, a large source of remittances from the developed world to the developing world, has just become easier and cheaper with the launch of Sicap at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Tuesday. Sicap is a fee-free means of transferring money internationally and domestically that can also be used to pay for pre-and post-paid mobile phone accounts. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10390 http://www.telconews.com/2010/02/16/transferring-money-internationally-becomes-easier-and-cheaper-with-sicap/ ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** In a doomsday cyber attack scenario, answers are unsettling What if a crippling attack struck the country's digital infrastructure? Experts including current and former officials tackle the question. The results show that the peril is real and growing. http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-cyber-attack17-2010feb17,0,305928.story Simulation shows government lacks policies needed to respond to cyberattack A simulation of a widespread cyberattack against the nation's critical infrastructure on Tuesday demonstrated the cascading effects an attack can have on networks and the difficulty the government would have in quickly responding, including dealing with civil liberties and how to work with corporations. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100216_5378.php Group Simulates Cyber Attack Intelligence experts playing a cyber war game Tuesday to test America's readiness for a nationwide hack faced a simulated crisis that crippled America's power grid - trouble that started with a cell phone virus. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/02/group-simulates-cyber-attack.php War game reveals U.S. lacks cyber-crisis skills Scene: The White House Situation Room. Event: A massive cyber attack has turned the cellphones and computers of tens of millions of Americans into weapons to shut down the Internet. A cascading series of events then knocks out power for most of the East Coast amid hurricanes and a heat wave. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/16/AR2010021605762.html U.S. Fails Test In Simulated Cyberattack A large-scale simulated cyberattack on the U.S. yesterday proved one thing, according to organizers: The country isn't prepared for a real attack. http://www.darkreading.com/security/cybercrime/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222900775 China leads the world in hacked computers, McAfee study says More private computers were commandeered by hackers for malicious purposes in China in the last quarter of 2009 than in any other country, including the United States, according to a new study by an Internet security company. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/14/AR2010021403817.html McAfee Q4 Threats Report Finds Political Hacktivism and the Exploitation of Tragedies is on the Rise Worldwide [news release] McAfee Inc. unveiled its Q4 Threats Report, which highlights the most significant spam-generating stories in 2009 as well as the rise of political hacktivism in countries like Poland, Latvia, Denmark and Switzerland. Report findings also reveal that 2009 averaged approximately 135.5 billion spam messages per day, yet spam volume decreased by 24 percent in Q4 compared to Q3. http://newsroom.mcafee.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=3621 Internet fraud targeted by new British cyber enforcement team A new team is being created to tackle online fraudsters operating in Britain amid a failure to secure any conviction under existing measures. The "cyber enforcement team" will be set up as part of a ?4.3m investment by the government over three years to tackle internet and e-mail cons. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8516003.stm Cyber-security: A growing threat and a growing opportunity Bill Morrow, the head of CSIdentity, a company that protects people from identity theft, paints a grim picture. In the 1980s, he explains, perhaps several hundred people a year would be unlucky enough to have their identities stolen. Last year, it happened to perhaps 10m people. In fact, there are so many thefts that it may take the crooks as long as a year or two to get around to draining your bank account. In the face of such facts, the most usual prophylactic measures can seem comically low-tech: update your virus-protection software, don?t save your passwords in a document called ?passwords? and if a ?friend? sends you a Facebook message asking you to wire money to Wales, be sceptical. http://www.economist.com/world/united-states/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15498304 Malicious Software Infects Corporate Computers A malicious software program has infected the computers of more than 2,500 corporations around the world, according to NetWitness, a computer network security firm. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/19/technology/19cyber.html Broad New Hacking Attack Detected: Global Offensive Snagged Corporate, Personal Data at nearly 2,500 Companies; Operation Is Still Running Hackers in Europe and China successfully broke into computers at nearly 2,500 companies and government agencies over the last 18 months in a coordinated global attack that exposed vast amounts of personal and corporate secrets to theft, according to a computer-security company that discovered the breach. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704398804575071103834150536.html More than 75,000 computer systems hacked in one of largest cyber attacks, security firm says More than 75,000 computer systems at nearly 2,500 companies in the United States and around the world have been hacked in what appears to be one of the largest and most sophisticated attacks by cyber criminals discovered to date, according to a northern Virginia security firm. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/17/AR2010021705816.html ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Canada's privacy czar slams Google social network [AFP] Canada's privacy commissioner accused Google of breaching privacy laws when it launched its new online social network Buzz last week, and demanded compliance. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/canadas-privacy-czar-slams-google-social-network-20100218-oim5.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/canadas-privacy-czar-slams-google-social-network-20100218-oim5.html Commissioner challenges Google Buzz over privacy concerns [news release] Privacy Commissioner of Canada disappointed by lack of consultation with her Office prior to launch of new social network service and seeks clarification related to privacy protections. Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart has asked Google Inc. to explain how its new social network, Buzz, has addressed privacy issues since its recent launch. http://www.priv.gc.ca/media/nr-c/2010/nr-c_100217_e.cfm Privacy group files FTC complaint on Google Buzz [AP] A privacy watchdog group complained to federal regulators on Tuesday about Google's new Buzz social networking service, saying it violates federal consumer protection law. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/privacy-group-files-ftc-complaint-on-google-buzz-20100217-oa8v.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/privacy-group-files-ftc-complaint-on-google-buzz-20100217-oa8v.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/16/AR2010021604565.html Google Buzz 'breaks privacy laws' says watchdog A leading privacy group has urged US regulators to investigate Google's new social networking service Buzz, one week after its launch. The Electronic Privacy Information Centre (Epic) has made its complaint to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) It says that Buzz - which is part of Google's Gmail service - is "deceptive" and breaks consumer protection law. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8519314.stm EPIC files privacy complaint against Google Buzz [IDG] Despite the changes that Google has made to Buzz following negative reaction to the service, the Electronic Privacy Information Center has filed a complaint with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission charging the search giant with violating user privacy. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/021710-epic-files-privacy-complaint-against.html http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/189532/epic_files_privacy_complaint_against_google_buzz.html EPIC Urges Federal Trade Commission to Investigate Google Buzz EPIC has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, urging the FTC to open an investigation into Google Buzz. Last week, Google tried to transform its popular email service into an untested social networking service. As a consequence, Google displayed social networking lists based on a user's most frequent address book contacts. The change was widely criticized. EPIC's complaint cites clear harms to service subscribers, and alleges that the change in business practices "violated user expectations, diminished user privacy, contradicted Google's privacy policy, and may have violated federal wiretap laws." EPIC also noted that the FTC has failed to take action in another matter involving Google and Cloud Computing services. http://epic.org/2010/02/epic-urges-federal-trade-commi.html Facebook hit with class action over privacy changes A class action lawsuit has been filed against Facebook over changes that the social networking site made to its privacy settings last November and December. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9157758/Facebook_hit_with_class_action_over_privacy_changes http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/021710-facebook-hit-with-class-action.html Google boss says 'nobody was harmed' by Buzz debacle Google chief executive Eric Schmidt has suggested that users who complained about privacy invasions by Google Buzz were subject to "confusion". http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/feb/17/google-buzz-schmidt Google makes more changes to Buzz to address privacy concerns This was not the kind of buzz Google Inc. wanted to generate. The Internet giant took the unusual step of apologizing to users over the weekend for features in its new social networking service, Google Buzz, that some people said violated their privacy. It also tweaked the product for the second time in less than a week. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-google-buzz16-2010feb16,0,5039395.story Google admits Buzz social network testing flaws Google has admitted to BBC News that testing of its controversial social network Buzz was insufficient. The firm has had to make a series of changes to the service after a ferocious backlash from users concerned about intrusions of privacy. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8517613.stm ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Editoria: China: Internet censorship and cyber heists When Google threatened to quit China, most of the focus was on human rights and the country's extensive system of internet censorship, the Great Firewall. China rebuffed such criticism. Countries that censor political speech on the internet are quick to point out that ?western nations also have laws governing content online, some of it political. Germany bans ?neo-Nazi symbols on German internet sites. The state of South Australia recently attempted to ban anonymous political speech online in the lead-up to elections. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/feb/15/china-cyber-attacks-foreign-companies au: Sales fall, piracy rises in wake of censored games The lack of an R18+ classification for electronic games has been linked to an increase in piracy and poor sales of titles that were toned-down to meet Australia?s top M15+ rating. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/336363/sales_fall_piracy_rises_wake_censored_games/ China introduces tougher measures to combat providers of online porn [Xinhua] The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has pledged fresh measures to fight offensive content transmitted by mobile phones and websites. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-02/18/c_13178438.htm http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6896048.html http://china.globaltimes.cn/editor-picks/2010-02/506134.html Move over, Australia: France taking 'Net censorship lead Critics of government-mandated filtering schemes contend that such programs first focus on "child pornography" because it's such an unobjectionable target for censorship?but once the program is in place, it's much easier to extend it to more controversial areas, such as copyright protection. At least the French have the decency to admit that this is what's happening. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/02/move-over-australia-france-taking-net-censorship-lead.ars ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* E-books: Publishers poised for victory in latest battle Publishers look set to win the latest round in the battle for supremacy on electronic books, with Google ready to offer major concessions as it prepares to enter the increasingly competitive e-book market. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article7026793.ece Google books deal heads to New York court Google is preparing to face opponents in a New York court over long-delayed plans to create the world's biggest digital library. A judge will hold a fairness hearing to listen to arguments for and against a controversial deal between Google and US authors and publishers. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8520971.stm Court To Weigh Google Books Revised Settlement Google's revised settlement over its effort to create an online digital library will go before a federal court in New York Thursday. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/02/court-to-weigh-google-books-re.php ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Telstra seeks end to cap on fixed-line calls Telstra says restrictions on the price it can charge customers for fixed-line calls should be scrapped because of competition from mobile phones and voice calls over the internet. http://www.theage.com.au/national/telstra-seeks-end-to-cap-on-fixedline-calls-20100216-o91i.html FCC Plans for 100M Bps to 100 Million Households [IDG] U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski on Tuesday laid out some details, including an ambitious "100 Squared" initiative, that will be part of the agency's National Broadband Plan that it will send to Congress in March. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/189471/.html NZ Telecom's super-fast broadband not exempt Telecom's new super-fast internet technology won't be exempt from local loop unbundling rules, if it chooses to use it to deliver the regular service, the Commerce Commission says. http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/3345197/Telecoms-super-fast-broadband-not-exempt ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR ONLINE CHILD PROTECTION ********************************** au: Former Brighton Grammar teacher jailed over child abuse images A former Brighton Grammar grade six teacher who gagged and bound boys for his own sexual gratification has been jailed for four years. http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/former-brighton-grammar-teacher-jailed-over-child-abuse-images-20100218-ofdk.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2010 --------- David Goldstein email: goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au web: http://davidgoldstein.tel/ http://goldsteinreport.com/ phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9665 5773 - office/home "Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim Flannery __________________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo!7: Catch-up on your favourite Channel 7 TV shows easily, legally, and for free at PLUS7. www.tv.yahoo.com.au/plus7Received on Thu Feb 18 2010 - 03:05:59 UTC
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