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 *************************************************** VeriSign to Celebrate .COM's 25th Birthday in March http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10291 Verisign drag their heels at removing malware sites http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9151739/Versign_fails_to_take_action_against_malicious_sites_researcher_says China?s domain name rules spur website flight http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7374f5ee-0f52-11df-a450-00144feabdc0.html InternetNZ appoints chief executive http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/78BC1F89823756EBCC2576BD00683860 New boss at InternetNZ, sort of http://www.techday.co.nz/telecommunicationsreview/news/new-boss-at-internetnz-sort-of/15266/ Senators Warned of Terror Attack on U.S. by July http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/us/politics/03intel.html Google to enlist NSA to help it ward off cyberattacks http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/03/AR2010020304057.html Domain Name Security Gains Prominence in German-Speaking World http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10262 Swiss Among World Leaders in Enabling DNSSEC http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10275 ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Obama Is Surrendering Control Of The Internet [former deputy assistant to President George W. Bush] Without the ingenuity of America?s brightest minds and the investment of U.S. Taxpayer dollars, there would be no Internet, as we now know it today. Now, the Obama administration has quietly moved to cede control of the web from the United States to foreign powers. http://newsmax.com/Headline/obama-internet-iana-united/2010/01/31/id/348514 http://eforum.reviewjournal.com/lv/showthread.php?t=39447 A very partial view of the Internet? and the world Chanced upon a little beauty of an article about how the US invented and paid for the Internet and should therefore keep controlling it forever. Now I realise that the author's views aren't shared by everyone in the States. The site on which the article is being run is obviously slightly Republican friendly to say the least, and the article's "foreigners are going to take our Internet away from us" diatribe is obviously more political than anything else. Still, I can't help but be worried when the article's author, Bradley A. Blakeman, is an ex American President's deputy assistant and now teaches politics at a major US university. http://stephanevangelder.com/archives/303-A-very-partial-view-of-the-Internet-and-the-world.html ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Call for Applicants for the Position of Volunteer Review Team Member ICANN reminds interested individuals that February 17th 2010, midnight UTC is the application deadline for the position of volunteers Review Team Members representing a Supporting Organization or Advisory Committee for the ?Accountability and Transparency? review which is called on by the Affirmation of Commitments. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-03feb10-en.htm Publication of Three Review Working Group Final Reports ICANN is pleased to announce that the following review working group final reports have been published: http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-03feb10-en.htm Domain Name Registry and Registrar Separation Now Probably Going to Be a Policy Debate by Michele Neylon Again on the subject of new Top-Level Domains (TLDs) ... One of the "issues" that concerned a number of people is the concept of "vertical separation". The basic idea is that domain name registries and registrars should be kept separate. While that is a wonderful Utopian ideal, the reality is that in the real world companies own other companies, people trade in stocks and shares etc., etc. So it's far from being a simple "cut and dried" situation. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20100202_domain_name_registry_registrar_separation/ New gTLD updates from DomainFest in LA Last week, I attended the DomainFest conference in Los Angeles where new gTLDs continued to be a hot topic within the Internet community. http://www.ausregistry.com/blog/?p=272 ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** .com Approaches 25th Anniversary [news release] In March 1985, the first .com domain was registered, igniting the birth of the consumer Internet that, 25 years later, continues to transform communications, commerce and our society as a whole. https://press.verisign.com/easyir/customrel.do?easyirid=AFC0FF0DB5C560D3&version=live&prid=583114&releasejsp=custom_97 VeriSign to Celebrate .COM's 25th Birthday in March VeriSign have announced .COM will be celebrating its 25th birthday in March. In March 1985 the first .com domain was registered. There are now around 80 million.COM domains registered. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10291 http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/02/04/verisign-to-celebrate-coms-25th-birthday-in-march/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/verisign-celebrating-.com-s-25th-birthday-in-march.html VeriSign Toasts 25 Years of .Com VeriSign 25yearsof.com.Com registry VeriSign has launched a new campaign to celebrate 25 years of dot com domain names and the emergence of the web. The campaign ? found online at 25YearsOf.com ? will celebrate a number of the milestones and important individuals that have made .com what it is today. http://domainnamewire.com/2010/02/03/verisign-toasts-25-years-of-com/ Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the .COM gTLD Versign's .COM Anniversary SiteVerisign will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the .COM gTLD with a Policy Forum and Gala and has also set up a website with a timeline of the development of .COM. The first domain name, symbolics.com, was registered on March 15th, 1985 and is today owned by domain investor Aron Meystedt. http://www.domainnamenews.com/registries/verisigns-celebrates-25th/7102 Verisign drag their heels at removing malware sites [IDG] A security researcher is accusing Verisign of not acting fast enough to take down several dozen sites that he says are known to be spewing malware. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9151739/Versign_fails_to_take_action_against_malicious_sites_researcher_says http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/020410-versign-fails-to-take-action.html http://www.cio.co.uk/news/3211934/verisign-drag-their-heels-at-removing-malware-sites/ http://www.computerworlduk.com/management/online/isp/news/index.cfm?newsId=18666 China?s domain name rules spur website flight China?s tighter regulation of internet domain names is driving website owners to register overseas, according to industry sources and internet activists. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7374f5ee-0f52-11df-a450-00144feabdc0.html .eu Top Level Domain Names and Public Policy Considerations ... The European Union (EU) regulates the .eu Top Level Domain system (TLDS) through Regulation (EC) No. 733/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 22, 2002, and implementing Regulation No. 874/2004. Two articles of Regulation 733/2002 particularly address public policies regarding .eu TLDS. http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=latestnews&id=2304 InternetNZ appoints chief executive InternetNZ has appointed Vikram Kumar as its new chief executive officer. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/78BC1F89823756EBCC2576BD00683860 New boss at InternetNZ, sort of The organisation that administers the country?s internet domain names has appointed a new Chief Executive - however he won?t oversee the entire multi-million dollar organisation. http://www.techday.co.nz/telecommunicationsreview/news/new-boss-at-internetnz-sort-of/15266/ Nominet consultation on .UK Nominet, the body that administers the .UK country code, is holding an EGM later this month to decide on its future governance structure. As my old colleague Kieren McCarthy points out, the proposals include ?a larger Board, lower voting thresholds, explicitly recognising that Nominet has a ?public purpose?, giving the Board the right to set pricing, and a promise to review the organisation?s current membership setup to pull in more of the Internet community into its decisions.? These are all very good things. http://crookedtimber.org/2010/02/03/nominet-consultation-on-uk/ Nominet to debate the future of .uk Nominet, the registry for over eight million .uk domain names, is to hold an extraordinary general meeting on 24 February in London to discuss proposed changes to its constitution. http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2257109/nominet-calls-members-shape Who gets .vegas name unclear despite city?s vote The Las Vegas City Council endorsed Wednesday an Internet entrepreneur?s plan to create a .vegas Internet domain over the objections of Clark County officials and a local company. But it doesn?t appear the decision by a divided council will resolve who get the rights to the Vegas name. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/feb/04/who-gets-vegas-name-unclear-despite-citys-vote/ Vegas not alone in wanting in on .vegas The Las Vegas City Council will debate Wednesday whether to strike a deal with an Internet entrepreneur who seeks to use the Internet suffix .vegas. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/feb/02/vegas-not-alone-wanting-vegas/ City OKs .vegas domain deal despite Greenspun opposition The Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday endorsed a local company?s push for a .vegas Internet domain suffix despite protestations from the Greenspun Corp., which has been preparing a similar application. http://www.lvrj.com/news/breaking_news/Council-backs-companys-move-for-vegas-domain-83492872.html Council endorsement for .vegas doman questioned The Las Vegas City Council endorsed a local company's push for a .vegas Internet domain suffix Wednesday despite protestations from the Greenspun Corp., which has been preparing a similar application. http://www.lvrj.com/news/council-endorsement-for-vegas-doman-questioned-83527582.html Vegas City Council Supports .vegas Domain The Las Vegas City Council is now a catalyst in helping Sin City go viral. On Wednesday, the council approved a motion to support the ?.vegas? effort. http://www.fox5vegas.com/news/22458271/detail.html City votes 4-3 to back company over .vegas Internet suffix After a lengthy hearing, the Las Vegas City Council voted this afternoon to support Dot Vegas Inc. in its effort to become the registry of the .vegas top level domain on the Internet. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/feb/03/city-votes-4-3-back-company-over-vegas-internet-su/ Article spotlights partnership and conflict over .VEGAS top-level-domain The Las Vegas Sun ran a story yesterday regarding the efforts of the City of Las Vegas to enter into a partnership with a local company, Dot Vegas Inc. (?Dot Vegas?), over the creation of a new top-level-domain (?TLD?) ? .VEGAS (a new domain name address suffix that could be used instead of the more common TLDs of .COM, .ORG, or .NET). Dot Vegas is proposing that the City of Las Vegas get 75 cents per registration or 10 percent of the gross revenues from future registrations. http://www.vegastrademarkattorney.com/2010/02/article-spotlights-partnership-and.html ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Senators Warned of Terror Attack on U.S. by July ... But Mr. Blair began his annual threat testimony before Congress by saying that the threat of a crippling attack on telecommunications and other computer networks was growing, as an increasingly sophisticated group of enemies had ?severely threatened? the sometimes fragile systems undergirding the country?s information infrastructure. ?Malicious cyberactivity is occurring on an unprecedented scale with extraordinary sophistication,? he told the committee. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/us/politics/03intel.html US threatened by cyber attacks The top United States intelligence chief says the US is at risk of a crippling cyber attack. In his annual threat assessment delivered to the US Congress, National Intelligence director Dennis Blair said the extent of malicious cyber activity was growing and critical US infrastructure was being threatened. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/04/2810584.htm Cyber-warfare 'is growing threat' Cyber-warfare attacks on military infrastructure, government and communications systems, and financial markets pose a rapidly growing but little understood threat to international security and could become a decisive weapon of choice in future conflicts between states, the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies warned yesterday. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/feb/03/cyber-warfare-growing-threat House Poised To Pass Cybersecurity Bill The House is expected to finish work Thursday on legislation that would authorize cybersecurity research and development funding and calls for the creation of cybersecurity standards. House lawmakers began work Wednesday on the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2009, adopting several amendments before putting off votes on four other amendments and on final passage until Thursday. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/02/house-poised-to-pass-cybersecu.php Google to enlist NSA to help it ward off cyberattacks The world's largest Internet search company and the world's most powerful electronic surveillance organization are teaming up in the name of cybersecurity. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/03/AR2010020304057.html Pentagon says boosting cyber operations' role The U.S. Defense Department is putting cyberspace on a par with land, sea, air and space as a potential conflict zone, and developing new ways to operate there, a top-level Pentagon's strategy review said Monday. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-45832320100201 us: House to consider cybersecurity bill on Wednesday The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a proposed bill that is designed to bolster federal cybersecurity research and development activities, and stimulate the growth of a cybersecurity workforce in the country. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9151099/House_to_consider_cybersecurity_bill_on_Wednesday Intel Chief Cites Threat Of Cyber Attacks Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair told the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday that cyber attacks are a growing threat to the United States, saying in written testimony that "malicious cyber activity is occurring on an unprecedented scale with extraordinary sophistication." http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/02/intel-chief-cites-threat-of-cy.php ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** New Software Makes it Easier to File UDRPs Alias EncoreTyposquatting domain recovery company Alias Encore has opened a beta for its new Domain Enforcement and Management System. The system helps companies find out which of their domain names are being typosquatted, prioritize enforcement action, and even use a simple tool to create and file UDRP cases. http://domainnamewire.com/2010/02/01/new-software-makes-it-easier-to-file-udrps/ ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** YouTube support of IPv6 seen in dramatic traffic spike Google has quietly turned on IPv6 support for its YouTube video streaming Web site, sending a spike of IPv6 traffic across the Internet that has continued from last Thursday until Monday. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/020110-youtube-ipv6.html http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/334678/ http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/334678/youtube_support_ipv6_seen_dramatic_traffic_spike/ http://www.thestandard.com/news/2010/02/01/youtube-support-ipv6-seen-dramatic-traffic-spike ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Domain Name Security Gains Prominence in German-Speaking World The 2010 Domain Pulse, hosted by SWITCH (the .CH registry) was held in the snowy Swiss city of Luzern. Domain Name Security (DNS) was of particular importance in this year?s meeting with DNSSEC being implemented in the root zone in 2010 by ICANN, and by many registries in the next few years. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10262 http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/02/02/domain-name-security-gains-prominence-in-german-speaking-world/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/domain-pulse-luzern-lucerne-domain-name-security-dns-austria-germany-switzerland-.de-.at-.ch-phishing.html http://www.circleid.com/posts/20100202_domain_name_security_gains_prominence_in_german_speaking_world/ Swiss Among World Leaders in Enabling DNSSEC SWITCH, the registry for .CH and .LI domain names, enabled DNSSEC on day two of the annual Domain Pulse conference in Luzern yesterday. SWITCH became the third ccTLD registry to enable DNSSEC giving registrants of .CH domain names added security following .SE (Sweden) and .CZ (Czech Republic). http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10275 http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/02/03/swiss-among-world-leaders-in-enabling-dnssec/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/swiss-among-world-leaders-in-enabling-dnssec.html http://www.circleid.com/posts/20100203_swiss_among_world_leaders_in_enabling_dnssec/ How Network Solutions Notifies Customers about Expiring Domain Names A lot of times domain name registrars get the blame when their customers forget to renew domain names. ?I didn?t get the notice? is a common line. http://domainnamewire.com/2010/02/02/how-network-solutions-notifies-customers-about-expiring-domain-names/ Information pirates called threat to Arab world Arab states need to strengthen their information security in order to bolster e-commerce and beat online pirates, according to IT specialists who gathered January 25th-27th in Tunis under the auspices of the Arab League. ... "Navigating [the internet] without control or safeguards may create risks for users. Hence there is a need for security applications and systems of government," George Sadowsky, a board member of ICANN, told conference participants. http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/02/02/feature-02 VeriSign Reports Fourth Quarter and 2009 Results [news release] VeriSign, Inc. today reported financial results for the fourth quarter of 2009 and year ended December 31, 2009. ... Business and Corporate Highlights: VeriSign Naming Services ended the quarter with approximately 96.7 million active domain names in the adjusted zone for .com and .net, representing a 7% increase year-over-year; On December 17, 2009, VeriSign announced that as of July 1, 2010, the registry fee for .com domain names will increase from $6.86 to $7.34 and that the registry fee for .net domain names will increase from $4.23 to $4.65. https://press.verisign.com/easyir/customrel.do?easyirid=AFC0FF0DB5C560D3&version=live&prid=583085&releasejsp=custom_97 10 places with an Internet top-level domain but hardly any people Most country code top-level domains on the Internet represent areas with millions of people, such as .uk (United Kingdom), .ca (Canada), .de (Germany), .se (Sweden), and so on, but there a places where the population isn?t counted in the millions, or even thousands, that still have their very own top-level domain on the Internet. Some of them aren?t even inhabited. http://royal.pingdom.com/2010/01/26/10-places-with-an-internet-top-level-domain-but-hardly-any-people/ The ccTLD That Represents a Place Where No One Lives! Plus 5 More That Serve Areas With Less Than 1,000 Residents Peter Alguacil at Pingdom.com has a knack for turning up very interesting tidbits of information about the world of domains. I got a note from him while I was in Los Angeles covering DOMAINfest Global last week telling me about a new post on his site detailing the most sparsely populated places on earth that still have their own country code domain extensions. One of them even has NO residents whatsoever. I finally got a chance to check out his research this evening and it is interesting indeed. http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2010/dailyposts/20100203.htm ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Social Media and Young Adults Overview: Two Pew Internet Project surveys of teens and adults reveal a decline in blogging among teens and young adults and a modest rise among adults 30 and older. Even as blogging declines among those under 30, wireless connectivity continues to rise in this age group, as does social network use. Teens ages 12-17 do not use Twitter in large numbers, though high school-aged girls show the greatest enthusiasm for the application. http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Social-Media-and-Young-Adults.aspx ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** 'Internet addiction' linked to depression, says study There is a strong link between heavy internet use and depression, UK psychologists have said. The study, reported in the journal Psychopathology, found 1.2% of people surveyed were "internet addicts", and many of these were depressed. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8493149.stm Excessive internet use linked to depression, research shows British psychologists have found evidence of a link between excessive internet use and depression, research published today has shown. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/feb/03/excessive-internet-use-depression Depression: The darker side of your Internet habit Feeling a bit blue? Maybe you've spent too much time surfing the Web. In a report released today, a team of psychologists at the University of Leeds in the U.K. said they have found that people who spend significant time online are far more likely to suffer symptoms of depression. When people begin to substitute real-life, face-to-face interaction with online conversations in chat rooms and on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, there's often "a serious impact on [their] mental health," the study found. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9151299/Depression_The_darker_side_of_your_Internet_habit http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/020310-depression-the-darker-side-of.html Excessive internet use is linked to depression [news release] People who spend a lot of time browsing the net are more likely to show depressive symptoms, according to the first large-scale study of its kind in the West by University of Leeds psychologists. http://www.leeds.ac.uk/news/article/707/excessive_internet_use_is_linked_to_depression Blogging loses appeal for US teenagers, says Pew survey A US study has indicated that younger internet users are losing interest in blogging and switching to shorter and more mobile forms of communication. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8497427.stm Some News Outlets Ready to Try Charging Online Readers Extracting payment from online readers has been called everything from the next great folly of print journalism to its salvation, but to get a glimpse of how it really looks, head to Lancaster, Pa. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/business/media/03brill.html IE8 is now the world's top browser, says NetApps, as XP falls IE8 has just taken the "most used" spot from IE6, which has been hit by the decline in the use of Windows XP, on Net Applications' market share figures for January 2010. Meanwhile, Windows 7 use has just hit 10% http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/feb/01/ie8-top-browser Teen sells virginity for $45,000 online Going, going, gone - a New Zealand teenager has auctioned off her virginity to a stranger for over $45,000 to fund her university tuition fees. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3286794/ Poor New Zealand student 'sells virginity to stranger for ?20,000' A poor university student in New Zealand who offered her virginity on an auction site has accepted a ?20,000 offer to sleep with a stranger. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/newzealand/7146187/Poor-New-Zealand-student-sells-virginity-to-stranger-for-20000.html Kiwis flock to online dating A flurry of single New Zealanders looking for love in cyberspace has triggered a spike in the use of online dating. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3285105/ WikiLeaks whistleblower site in temporary shutdown WikiLeaks, a whistleblower website that allows people to publish uncensored information anonymously, has suspended operations owing to financial problems. Its running costs including staff payments are $600,000 (?377,000), but so far this year it has raised just $130,000 (?81,000). http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8490867.stm Number of web addicts in China soars: survey [AFP] The number of young Internet addicts in China soared to 24 million last year as the world's largest web population exploded, according to a survey carried by state media Wednesday. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/number-of-web-addicts-in-china-soars-survey-20100203-ncyq.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/number-of-web-addicts-in-china-soars-survey-20100203-ncyq.html Bandwidth speed increases may mask price rises Broadband is continuing to get cheaper, in terms of dollars per megabit, but users may be paying more for their connections, according to broadband-tracking company Point Topic. Senior analyst Fiona Vanier says: "Operators have overall been raising prices of the entry level services they offer in the last few months, particularly for DSL. They have achieved an overall reduction in the price per megabit by increasing speeds -- or at least the headline speeds they quote for the services." http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/feb/03/roadband-bandwidth-speeds-costs ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Twitter not all that popular among teenagers, report finds According to a new report released Wednesday, only 8 percent of online teens have embraced Twitter, a notable low for a generation so passionate about technology. Think of the millions of text messages that teens send. Think of their endless hours on Facebook. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/03/AR2010020302591.html Tweets ahead: Aussies embrace social media Australians are leading the world when it comes to time spent on social media sites, with a new survey showing we spend on average almost seven hours a month on sites such as Twitter and Facebook. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/01/2807088.htm File-sharing scam targets Twitter Twitter has identified a scheme that uses compromised file-sharing sites to steal the log on information of users. The service said it had discovered a number of compromised "torrent" sites that had been set up specifically to skim usernames and passwords. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8495087.stm ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Why the iPad Web Demo Was Full of Holes Adobe?s Flash will probably not come to the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, but for many people with these iProducts, this may prove to be a nonissue, as I report in Monday?s Times. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/why-the-ipad-web-demo-was-full-of-holes/ ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Child Pornography, and an Issue of Restitution ... Now, with the help of an inventive lawyer, the young woman known as Amy ? her real name has been withheld in court to prevent harassment ? is fighting back. She is demanding that everyone convicted of possessing even a single Misty image pay her damages until her total claim of $3.4 million has been met. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/us/03offender.html Australian child predators to face harsher penalties The Federal Government is moving to strengthen the nation's child sex exploitation laws by making it illegal to be a member of a child pornography network. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/04/2810541.htm Conroy: We didn?t claim filtering was a silver-bullet solution In Bernard Keane?s response yesterday to my article before Christmas ????Filtering the facts: Conroy slips up when hitting back????he again makes several claims that are wrong. http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/02/03/conroy-weve-didnt-claim-filtering-was-a-silver-bullet-solution/ Filtering the facts: Conroy slips up when hitting back Just before Christmas, while the rest of us were engaged in hi-jinks and end-of-year japery, Stephen Conroy was a man on a mission, to correct the calumnies heaped upon him by opponents of his internet filtering proposal. He therefore sent a Crikey a lengthy and detailed rebuttal of points made by myself and the estimable Stilgherrian. http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/02/02/filtering-the-facts-conroy-slips-up-when-hitting-back/ NZ Government gears up to block child porn on the net The New Zealand Government will shortly launch a centralised Internet filtering system designed to block access only to child pornography. Participation by ISPs will be voluntary but the scheme is facing strong opposition from InternetNZ. http://www.itwire.com/telecommunications-news/policy-and-regulation/36442-nz-government-gears-up-to-block-child-porn-on-the-net What Swedish kids do online The Swedish Media Council is coordinating national stakeholders who are planning activities on Safer Internet Day 2010 (SID) as well as managing our own activities. Joint efforts include a common program for SID, use of SID logo and Think B4 U post video clip on the web and other channels for distribution, dissemination of the Insafe quiz to schools and others, joint press activities, and possibly a joint debate article (under progress). The Swedish Media Council, the Swedish Safer Internet Centre, has been organizing Safer Internet Day in Sweden since 2004. http://www.saferinternet.org/web/guest/home http://www.saferinternet.org/web/guest/blog Sheep teach Slovak kids online safety Marcela Alzin, Manager for International Cooperation at eSlovensko, the Slovakian Insafe Awareness Centre introduces their latest campaign to promote Internet safety using a fun cast of characters that would not normally spring to mind when one thinks of modern communication technology - sheep! http://www.saferinternet.org/web/guest/spotlight ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Film industry loses iiNet download case The Australian film and television industry has lost a case against a major internet service provider whose customers downloaded pirated movies and television programs. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/04/2809856.htm Australian piracy case to shake up global fight A Federal Court ruling in favour of internet service provider iiNet could have international ramifications for the fight against illegal content. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/04/2810520.htm High Court appeal over illegal downloads looks imminent The Federal Court has found that internet provider iiNet isn't responsible for its customers illegally downloading movies. Legal experts say it's inevitable that film and television copyright holders will challenge the decision all the way to the High Court of Australia. http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2010/s2810582.htm iiNET wins court case against Hollywood heavyweights iiNET has won a landmark Federal Court battle against a clutch of Hollywood movie studio heavyweights which alleged the Perth-based internet service provider had encouraged copyright violations. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/iinet-wins-court-case-against-hollywood-heavyweights/story-e6frgakx-1225826637560 iiNet slays Hollywood in landmark piracy case The giants of the film industry have lost their case against ISP iiNet in a landmark judgment handed down in the Federal Court today. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/iinet-slays-hollywood-in-landmark-piracy-case-20100204-ndwr.html http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/iinet-slays-hollywood-in-landmark-piracy-case-20100204-ndwr.html AFACT v iiNet: Legal expert says it's far from over iiNet's win in its civil case against the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) in the Federal Court of Australia is just the start of a potentially long legal war, according to a Melbourne University copyright law expert. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/335119/afact_v_iinet_legal_expert_says_it_far_from_over/ iiNet wins landmark case The Federal Government has handed down a landmark decision today which found that Internet service provider (ISP) iiNet was not liable for copyright infringements that occur when people use their service to download film and television content. http://www.aar.com.au/med/audio.htm ISPs won't need to be cops: iiNet Australian Internet Service Providers (ISPs) may now be free of liability from instances of copyright infringement by its users, according to iiNet managing director Michael Malone. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/335092/isps_won_t_need_cops_iinet/ ISP cleared of copyright infringement In the first case of its kind, an Australian court has ruled that an internet service provider cannot be responsible for illegal downloading. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8498100.stm Hollywood loses piracy case to Australian ISP iiNet A David and Goliath battle between the giants of the film industry and an Australian internet service provider has ended in victory for iiNet after the Australian Federal Court absolved the ISP of responsibility for illegal movie downloads by its users. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/gadgets_and_gaming/article7014617.ece ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** 'Mobile Banking' a Welcome Addition to Financial Sector With a banking population of not more than 21 percent in Rwanda, it translates into approximately 1.9 million Rwandans with access to financial services according to the Central Bank. http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14160&article=25476 http://allafrica.com/stories/201002030879.html Symbian phone operating system goes open source The group behind the world's most popular smartphone operating system - Symbian - is giving away "billions of dollars" worth of code for free. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8496263.stm uk: Mobile phones drive increase in exam cheating A leap in the number of pupils trying to cheat in their GCSEs and A-levels by smuggling mobile phones and MP3 players into exams saw penalties issued for malpractice rise by 6% in one year, according to official statistics out today. http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/feb/03/exam-cheating-mobile-phone-increase ********************** SPAM ********************** Social-networking spam hit business hard in '09 A survey of 500 companies found a 70 percent jump in spam and malware attacks via social networking sites in 2009, according to a new report from security firm Sophos. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10445723-83.html Spam and malware rockets on social networking sites Nearly three-quarters of companies have been sent spam or malware via social networking sites, potentially putting corporate systems and sensitive information at risk, according to new research from security vendor Sophos. http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2257151/spam-malware-rockets-social Sophos Security Threat Report 2010 SophosLabs today published its latest Security Threat Report, exploring the last 12 months of attacks against computers and what the future might hold for threats. http://www.sophos.com/blogs/gc/g/2010/02/01/sophos-security-threat-report-2010/ ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** Bridging the Digital Divide Will Help Shield Africa From External Shocks Twelve months ago, the economic clouds were dark and prospects gloomy. As a result of the crisis at the epicentres of the global economy, demand for and prices of our exports, especially mineral products, were falling. http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Opinion%20&%20Analysis/-/539548/854252/-/sv3ecyz/-/index.html http://allafrica.com/stories/201002021116.html Mobile phone the new driver of Kenya's Internet access Government services offered online and growing mobile phone access will be the key drivers of mass internet adoption in the country, say industry experts and a national survey. http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/-/539444/854972/-/t2ckye/-/index.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Senators Warned of Terror Attack on U.S. by July ... But Mr. Blair began his annual threat testimony before Congress by saying that the threat of a crippling attack on telecommunications and other computer networks was growing, as an increasingly sophisticated group of enemies had ?severely threatened? the sometimes fragile systems undergirding the country?s information infrastructure. ?Malicious cyberactivity is occurring on an unprecedented scale with extraordinary sophistication,? he told the committee. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/us/politics/03intel.html US threatened by cyber attacks The top United States intelligence chief says the US is at risk of a crippling cyber attack. In his annual threat assessment delivered to the US Congress, National Intelligence director Dennis Blair said the extent of malicious cyber activity was growing and critical US infrastructure was being threatened. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/04/2810584.htm Cyber-warfare 'is growing threat' Cyber-warfare attacks on military infrastructure, government and communications systems, and financial markets pose a rapidly growing but little understood threat to international security and could become a decisive weapon of choice in future conflicts between states, the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies warned yesterday. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/feb/03/cyber-warfare-growing-threat House Poised To Pass Cybersecurity Bill The House is expected to finish work Thursday on legislation that would authorize cybersecurity research and development funding and calls for the creation of cybersecurity standards. House lawmakers began work Wednesday on the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2009, adopting several amendments before putting off votes on four other amendments and on final passage until Thursday. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/02/house-poised-to-pass-cybersecu.php Google to enlist NSA to help it ward off cyberattacks The world's largest Internet search company and the world's most powerful electronic surveillance organization are teaming up in the name of cybersecurity. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/03/AR2010020304057.html Pentagon says boosting cyber operations' role The U.S. Defense Department is putting cyberspace on a par with land, sea, air and space as a potential conflict zone, and developing new ways to operate there, a top-level Pentagon's strategy review said Monday. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-45832320100201 us: House to consider cybersecurity bill on Wednesday The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a proposed bill that is designed to bolster federal cybersecurity research and development activities, and stimulate the growth of a cybersecurity workforce in the country. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9151099/House_to_consider_cybersecurity_bill_on_Wednesday Intel Chief Cites Threat Of Cyber Attacks Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair told the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday that cyber attacks are a growing threat to the United States, saying in written testimony that "malicious cyber activity is occurring on an unprecedented scale with extraordinary sophistication." http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/02/intel-chief-cites-threat-of-cy.php Cyberthieves 'hiring from online ads' The people who brought the world malicious software that steals credit card numbers from your personal computer and empties bank ATMs of their cash are hiring, and they're advertising online. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-45862520100203 http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/cyberthieves-hiring-from-online-ads-1888076.html Phishing attack nets 3 million euros of carbon permits The international carbon market has been hit by a phishing attack which saw an estimated 250,000 permits worth over 3 million euros stolen this week. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8497129.stm Phishing Scam Cripples European Emissions Trading Sneaky cyber-thieves have made millions by fraudulently obtaining European greenhouse gas emissions allowances and reselling them. The scam has hampered trading of the credits, which are seen as an important tool in curbing climate change, in several European countries. http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,675725,00.html British 'climate emails hacked by spies' A highly sophisticated hacking operation that led to the leaking of hundreds of emails from the Climatic Research Unit in East Anglia was probably carried out by a foreign intelligence agency, according to the Government's former chief scientist. Sir David King, who was Tony Blair's chief scientific adviser for seven years until 2007, said that the hacking and selective leaking of the unit's emails, going back 13 years, bore all the hallmarks of a co-ordinated intelligence operation ? especially given their release just before the Copenhagen climate conference in December. http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/climate-emails-hacked-by-spies-1885147.html David King admits to speculation over source of climate science emails The government's former chief scientist has backed away from his sensational claim that a foreign intelligence agency or wealthy US lobbyists were behind the hacking and release of controversial emails between climate scientists. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/feb/01/david-king-climate-emails-speculation au: Kaspersky: Target zombie servers too Russian antivirus tsar Eugene Kaspersky says Australian ISPs should not only cut off malware-infected personal computers but also infected web servers run by businesses. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Kaspersky-Target-zombie-servers-too/0,130061744,339300740,00.htm UK police unit formed to take down websites suspected of breaking terror laws A police unit has been created to force the take-down of web pages which break the UK's terrorism laws. The Government has set up a web page through which the public can tell the police about pages that they think are illegal. http://out-law.com/page-10720 ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Police survey provides glimpse of US Net-surveillance figures A forthcoming survey of computer crime investigators suggests that electronic surveillance is a bit more commonplace than most people might expect. Even a relatively small group of 100 police working on online investigations reports submitting as many as 22,800 legal requests for information a year to Internet and e-mail providers, a category that includes both subpoenas and search warrants. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10447269-38.html ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** US internet firms quizzed on China plans A top US Senator has asked 30 leading internet firms to provide details of their operations in China. It is ahead of a hearing on how well a voluntary code of conduct, signed by many of the firms, is working. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8495148.stm OSCE asks Turkey to change the laws allowing Internet blocking OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) Media Freedom representative Miklos Haraszti asked the Turkish Government on 18 January to change their Internet law in order to observe OSCE commitments and other international standards protecting freedom of expression. http://www.edri.org/edrigram/number8.2/turkey-internet-blocking-osce au: SA backs down on internet comment curb South Australia's Attorney-General Michael Atkinson admits he misjudged public opinion on the state's attempt to curb political comment on the internet. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/03/2808495.htm SA net censorship claims "overblown" The South Australian Attorney General has poured cold water on claims tougher laws will affect political comment on talkback radio and social networking sites in the lead up to state elections. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/334737/sa_net_censorship_claims_overblown_/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/020310-sa-government-to-retract-censorship.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** Europe Looms as Major Battleground for Google Google has a problem in China. It may be headed for a bigger one in Europe. So far, no one has accused European governments of cyberattacks like those that Google says it has suffered in China. But on issues from privacy to copyright protection to the dominance of Google?s Internet search engine, clashes with European lawmakers, regulators and consumer advocates are escalating. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/technology/companies/02google.html ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* British authors cry foul over Google 'rights grab' British authors are divided over plans by Google to create the world's largest online library and profit from out-of-print titles. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/feb/01/authors-google-rights-grab-books Old media wins battle in ebook war as Amazon raises prices to match Apple In a plot twist worthy of one of its own thrillers, publisher Macmillan has capitalised on the bitter rivalry between two of America's largest technology companies to strike a blow for old media by forcing through a price increase for digital versions of its bestselling titles. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/feb/01/amazon-macmillan-ebooks-apple Opinion: Microsoft?s Creative Destruction by Dick Brass, a vice president at Microsoft from 1997 to 2004 As they marvel at Apple?s new iPad tablet computer, the technorati seem to be focusing on where this leaves Amazon?s popular e-book business. But the much more important question is why Microsoft, America?s most famous and prosperous technology company, no longer brings us the future, whether it?s tablet computers like the iPad, e-books like Amazon?s Kindle, smartphones like the BlackBerry and iPhone, search engines like Google, digital music systems like iPod and iTunes or popular Web services like Facebook and Twitter. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/04/opinion/04brass.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Britain's Conservatives would end BT monopoly to deliver superfast broadband The Conservatives today claimed they were willing to loosen BT's grip on the local telephone network and use parts of the BBC licence fee to deliver "superfast" broadband to the majority of Britain's homes by 2017. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jan/31/conservatives-broadband-bt-bbc-licence-fee How to stop predatory tendencies by Africa's internet service providers The popular African saying that frogs croaking at a river does not prevent cows from drinking water may have taken a completely new meaning in the age of ICT for eastern and southern Africa. http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/-/539546/851482/-/9w03sl/-/index.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 04 2010 - 06:38:00 UTC
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