[APPLe list] general internet news - 30 April

[David Goldstein <goldstein_david@yahoo.com.au>]

Hi all, 

As per the domain name news notice, just to let you know I have changed my domain name for any of you who by 
chance check out my website at any time. 

The new address is http://goldsteinreport.com/. 

I'll continue to add stories on a range of internet governance issues as 
before, with the occasional domain name story. 

And as always, feel free to give me any feedback you have. 

Regards, 
David 

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Sponsored by the Singapore Internet Research Centre
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sci/sirc/

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Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for today's edition of the complete domain news, already online!


And see my website - http://GoldsteinReport.com/ - for daily updates in between postings.


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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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RESEARCH PAPERS
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OECD: Online Identity Theft
The growth of Internet and e-commerce has taken ID theft to new levels. Using widely available Internet tools, thieves trick unsuspecting computer users into providing personal data, which they then use for illicit purposes.
The potential for fraud is a major hurdle in the evolution and growth of online commerce. E-payment and e-banking services -- the focus of this book -- suffer substantially from public mistrust.
Given the growth of online ID theft, many OECD member countries have taken steps to ensure that consumers and Internet users are adequately protected. These steps encompass various measures: consumer and user-awareness campaigns, new legislative frameworks, private-public partnerships, and industry-led initiatives focused on technical responses.
http://www.oecd.org/document/44/0,3343,en_2649_34223_42420716_1_1_1_1,00.html

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INTERNET USE
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Google search engine drives online flu map [AFP]
Google.org is using flu-related internet search traffic in Mexico to create an online map that might provide clues to how influenza is spreading in that country.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/30/2556732.htm
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25407965-15306,00.html
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/google-mines-online-searches-to-map-flu-in-mexico-20090430-ank6.html
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/google-mines-online-searches-to-map-flu-in-mexico-20090430-ank6.html

Google puts flu tracker to work on swine flu
Using a new tracking tool, search engine giant Google said on Wednesday it saw a spike in searches for information about flu among people in Mexico last week even before news of the outbreak became widely known.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-39333920090430

us: Survey: 22 pct of Internet users ditch newspaper [AP]
Sure, plenty of readers are turning more to the Web for newspaper and magazine stories, but are they giving up on print altogether? In many cases, yes, according to a recent study by the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication. It found that 22 percent of Internet users have canceled a print subscription because they could get the same product online.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/survey-22-pct-of-internet-users-ditch-newspaper-20090430-anp6.html
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/survey-22-pct-of-internet-users-ditch-newspaper-20090430-anp6.html

The Queen sends first official email to Commonwealth youngsters
The Queen, who shares video clips on YouTube and texts her grandchildren, has now sent her first official email to young people to celebrate 60 years of the Commonwealth.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/theroyalfamily/5230762/The-Queen-sends-first-official-email-to-Commonwealth-youngsters.html

Jakob Nielsen on the BBC's snappy web headlines
Usability expert Jakob Nielsen has been singing the praises of the BBC this morning, specifically for its headline writing skills.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/apr/27/bbc-research

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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New users deserting Twitter [AFP]
More than 60 per cent of Twitter users have stopped using the micro-blogging service a month after joining, according to Nielsen Online research.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/29/2555673.htm
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/04/29/1240684502081.html
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/04/29/1240684502081.html
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25403554-15306,00.html

Twitter users don't stick around
More than 60 per cent of Twitter users stop using the micro-blogging service a month after joining, according to Nielsen Online research.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-39314020090429
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2372601/Twitter-users-don-t-stick-around

Nielsen: Twitter's explosive growth can't be sustained
Will Twitter quitters kill the popular service? Data from audience tracking firm Nielsen Online suggests Twitter may not be attracting enough loyal users to sustain the service. But because of the large number of users that access the service from desktop clients or SMS, the data may not accurately reflect Twitter's true "audience retention rate."
http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2009/04/nielsen-report-twitters-explosive-growth-cant-sustain.ars

Beware the Twitter fakers: all that Twitters is not gold: enter the squatters
What do Kevin Rudd, Nicole Kidman, Coca-Cola and Nike all have in common? They are all victims of squatters of their Twitter identities, in what appears to be a growing phenomenon on the burgeoning social networking website.
http://business.smh.com.au/business/all-that-twitters-is-not-gold-enter-the-squatters-20090429-anet.html
http://business.theage.com.au/business/all-that-twitters-is-not-gold-enter-the-squatters-20090429-anet.html
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2375578/Beware-the-Twitter-fakers

Roman Catholics told to Twitter prayers
The leader of Ireland’s four million Roman Catholics has urged social network users to start sending daily prayers by text, Twitter or e-mail.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6180743.ece

Qikker than Twitter by Stephen Balkam
Twitter is so ten minutes ago. Now there's Qik - an application that allows you to stream live video from your cell phone directly to the web or your Facebook account or to another phone. Don't have a video camera as part of your phone? No worries, the downloaded software turns your ordinary camera phone into a cam corder while simultaneously broadcasting whatever you're doing or looking at, to the world.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-balkam/qikker-than-twitter_b_191262.html

Phishers hit Facebook with scam messages [IDG]
Facebook users were hit today with a phishing attack that tried to steal names and passwords from users of the popular social network.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9132322
http://computerworld.com.au/article/301363/
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/164091/.html

E Pluribus Facebook by Jonathan Zittrain
The social networking giant recently published “Governance Documents” which would give its users a vote – potentially binding, albeit in unlikely circumstances – in how it is run. Jonathan Zittrain notes this populous community’s move towards a form of citizenship. ... So Facebook draws from the public and public interest sphere, a simultaneously bold and modest step towards acknowledging that our new networked technologies deeply affect our lives in ways not always captured or best shaped by the typical template of consumer and seller. So I’ve become voter number 167,476 in the poll. (Yes, they say results will be audited by an outside firm.) I’m not expecting to add another passport to my drawer, but I’m heartened at the prospect that the amazing engine of private enterprise may find creative ways to tap into and reinforce our civic instincts. 
http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/e-pluribus-facebook

Facebook Opens Site To Developers Of Services
Facebook Inc. is expected to announce significant plans to open up core parts of its sites -- namely the information that appears in the stream of updates on users' homepages and profiles -- to third-party developers so that they can build new services on top of it, people familiar with the matter say.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124078628311057281.html

Facebook To Let Others Play In Its Stream
Seeing the explosion in growth of Twitter right now, it's pretty clear that the hot trend on the web is to have a service which acts as a central hub for information, and allows third party sites and services to built on top of it. For most of its life, Facebook has been almost the exact opposite, insisting that developers work from within its walls to keep much of the data ¿ and the users ¿ there. Tomorrow, it looks like Facebook may be knocking down its dam to let its streams of data flow more freely.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/04/26/facebook-to-let-others-play-in-its-stream/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/26/AR2009042602363.html

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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G.E.’s Breakthrough Can Put 100 DVDs on a Disc
General Electric says it has achieved a breakthrough in digital storage technology that will allow standard-size discs to hold the equivalent of 100 DVDs.
http://nytimes.com/2009/04/27/technology/business-computing/27disk.html

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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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IWF reports global decrease in child sexual abuse websites [news release]
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) today published its Annual Report 2008 revealing a fall of nearly 10% in the number of international websites with child sexual abuse content. The report warns against complacency, pointing to the serious nature of the images which are often carried on commercial websites.
http://iwf.org.uk/media/news.258.htm

UK internet watchdog: Drop in child porn sites [AP]
The number of international websites showing sexual abuse of children has fallen by about 10 per cent, but the images on these sites are more violent, a British internet watchdog said.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10569299
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30460852/
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/internet-watchdog-drop-in-child-porn-sites-1675996.html

Child porn websites fall but more work needed
Websites displaying child pornography fell by almost 10 percent in 2008, but most of those images were still being peddled by commercial sites, an Internet watchdog said on Wednesday.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE53R82620090428
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSTRE53R84G20090428

Child Porn Websites Domains Concentrated in Ten Registries
A small number of registries and registrars are responsible for three-quarters of child porn websites says the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) in their annual report released this week.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=7989
http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/04/29/child-porn-websites-domains-concentrated-in-ten-registries/
http://www.domainnews.com/en/child-porn-websites-domains-concentrated-in-ten-registries.html

Child abuse images becoming more severe
Commercial websites hosting child abuse images are remaining difficult to trace and hosting more severe content, according to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).
http://www.computeractive.co.uk/computeractive/news/2241395/child-abuse-images-becoming

us: NTIA Unveils Web Safety Working Group
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration unveiled its Online Safety and Technology Working Group on Tuesday -- a panel of experts dedicated to keeping children safe on the Internet.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/04/ntia-unveils-web-safety-workin.php

us: Program takes aim at cyberbullying
MySpace and Facebook, texting and e-mail can be great ways to keep in touch with friends, but they can also provide easy, anonymous ways for young people to hurt each other. The cloak of anonymity is what makes cyberbullying so attractive and so dangerous, Deborah Ruiz, program director for the Anti-Defamation League’s No Place for Hate program told a group at Midbar Kodesh Temple in Henderson recently.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/apr/27/program-takes-aim-cyberbullying/

McAfee Addresses the Need to Keep Families Protected Online [news release]
McAfee, Inc. announced that it has completed an internal beta for a new offering that will help families oversee their kids’ and teens’ online interests, while keeping them safe as they learn and explore the Internet. The McAfee product is named “McAfee Family Protection” and will be available for sale later this quarter.
http://newsroom.mcafee.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=3510

McAfee launches service for cybercrime victims [IDG]
McAfee has launched a new Web site designed to help cybercrime victims recover from hacker attacks. The company bills its Cybercrime Response Unit as a kind of "online 911" where consumers and small-business owners can figure out whether they've been hacked, and to take the first steps to connect with law enforcement once they know a crime has been committed.
http://computerworld.com.au/article/301044/
http://www.pcworld.com/article/163994/.html
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/301044/

us: Adults get lessons on how to prevent cyberbullying
Every Maryland Board of Education is required by law to come up with plans and policies on cyber bullying. However, Maryland lawmakers still heard cries from mothers about the impact it has on their children.
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1663349

au: Police to control child-sex passports
Pedophiles who travel abroad to molest children risk having their passports cancelled and being deported to Australia as part of an aggressive crackdown on child-sex tourism. The Australian Federal Police has broadened the fight against child-sex offenders by liaising with overseas forces to arrest suspected pedophiles before they assault children.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25390456-2702,00.html

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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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Second chance for French net bill
A controversial French bill which could disconnect people caught downloading music illegally three times returns to parliament on Wednesday for debate.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8024475.stm

French parliament debates Internet piracy again
French parliamentarians revived debate on a bill to crack down on Internet piracy at the behest of President Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday after it had been the subject of an embarrassing defeat for the ruling party.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE53S7KW20090429

French Internet piracy bill back in parliament
French lawmakers were on Wednesday to examine a new version of a contested bill that would cut off illegal downloaders from the Internet, in a tough new precedent for efforts to fight film and music piracy.
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/french-internet-piracy-bill-back-in-parliament-20090429-anhz.html
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/french-internet-piracy-bill-back-in-parliament-20090429-anhz.html

Q&A: Swedish anti-piracy ruling will have huge impact: Attorney [Billboard]
"It's been a busy week," deadpanned Jo Oliver, several days after a Swedish court sentenced four men behind the notorious BitTorrent tracker site the Pirate Bay to a year in jail each, after they were found guilty of assisting in making copyrighted material available.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/musicNews/idUKTRE53O0S120090425
http://billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/industry/e3i55fbb4c9063b301de3ab8b2f1f04995c

Taiwan Passes Three-Strikes Piracy Law
Taiwan's legislature has passed an amendment to the island's copyright act aimed at discouraging digital copyright infringement over peer-to-peer networks and increasing the responsibility of ISPs.
http://billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/industry/e3ib20649ac4d6059c2ff7b95023c51cbe6

Pirate Bay: industry lawyers' websites attacked
Lawyers who helped prosecute The Pirate Bay have become the latest targets in an internet backlash over the decision to jail the site's founders.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/27/pirate-bay-law-firms-attack

UK IP minister rules out 'three strikes' disconnection law
The Government minister responsible for intellectual property has ruled out a 'three strikes' law denying internet access to illegal file sharers. David Lammy said cutting off users was not "the right road" for UK law makers.
http://out-law.com/page-9977

Antipiracy law fallout: Swedish ISP won't store IP addresses of users [IDG]
Tele2 AB, one of the largest Internet service providers in Sweden, said today that it has decided to stop storing the IP addresses of customers in the wake of the Swedish government's implementation of a law designed to make it easier for copyright holders to go after suspected illegal file-sharers.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9132324
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/8F884B2D6292BA02CC2575A70071EA52
http://www.pcworld.com/article/164056/.html

Swedish Internet firm to delete user data
Swedish telecom supplier Tele2 said Monday it will delete information allowing their customers to be identified, a move police argue could make the hunt for Internet pirates "impossible."
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/swedish-internet-firm-to-delete-user-data-20090428-akt6.html
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/swedish-internet-firm-to-delete-user-data-20090428-akt6.html

Swedish ISPs vow to erase users' traffic data
Having apparently been scared off illegal file sharing in large numbers by a new Swedish law that went into effect April 1, pirates in that country now have a new safe harbor to escape law enforcement.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10229618-93.html
http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62053646,00.htm

Second Swedish ISP decides to nuke IP address logs
Tele2 has decided to skirt a new Swedish law that allows the courts to force ISPs to turn over user data. How? By not keeping user data at all. This is the second Swedish ISP to do so in recent weeks, though they might not be able to keep it up for long.
http://arstechnica.com/telecom/news/2009/04/second-swedish-ip-decides-to-nuke-ip-address-logs.ars

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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CSIRO developing 100Mbit wireless broadband
Wireless technology currently in development by the CSIRO may be the key to bringing a cost effective National Broadband Network to regional and rural Australia, according to the national science organisation.
http://cio.com.au/article/300793/
http://computerworld.com.au/article/300793/

In China, Knockoff Cellphones Are a Hit
The phone’s sleek lines and touch-screen keyboard are unmistakably familiar. So is the logo on the back. But a sales clerk at a sprawling electronic goods market in this Chinese coastal city admits what is clear upon closer inspection: this is not the Apple iPhone; this is the Hi-Phone.
http://nytimes.com/2009/04/28/technology/28cell.html

Japan, China may jointly develop mobile network [AFP]
The leaders of Japan and China may this week discuss jointly developing a next-generation mobile telephone network for the Chinese market, a government official said Tuesday.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/japan-china-may-jointly-develop-mobile-network-20090428-alu8.html
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/japan-china-may-jointly-develop-mobile-network-20090428-alu8.html

The Fog of Cellphone Wars
All the chatter about Verizon’s talks with Apple and with Microsoft seem to be off topic for what is the important development over the next year in the cellphone industry.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/the-fog-of-cellphone-wars/

Apple iPhone Owners Favor Personal Uses, Not Business
... A new report from Compete surveying the behavior of 600 smartphone users found that 73 percent of iPhone owners used their mobile devices primarily for personal reasons, like entertainment. By comparison, 59 percent of owners with other types of smartphones — from manufacturers like HTC, Research in Motion and Nokia — primarily used their devices for business and work-related needs.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/apple-iphone-owners-dont-use-it-for-work/

Microsoft and Verizon Plot an iPhone Rival
Microsoft Corp. and Verizon Wireless are in talks to launch a touch-screen multimedia cellphone on the carrier's network early next year, in an ambitious effort to challenge Apple Inc.'s iPhone, according to people familiar with the matter.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124093915558664239.html

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SPAM
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Cybercriminals exploit swine flu fears with spam emails
Spammers and cybercriminals are looking to exploit fears over swine flu to peddle counterfeit drugs and steal credit card details, internet security firms have warned.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article6187942.ece

Cybercrooks exploit swine flu hysteria
Cybercriminals are exploiting the worldwide hysteria over swine flu to peddle fake drugs and steal credit card details, security experts warn.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/04/30/1240982319722.html
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/04/30/1240982319722.html

BBB Representative Warns Against Swine Flu Scams
The swine flu may not just hurt health, it could empty wallets. Criminals are trying to cash in on fears of the flu by using scams.
http://www.wpbf.com/health/19328513/detail.html

Cyber swine tap global flu hysteria with spam blitz
Crooks have been quick to latch on to global swine flu hysteria as a way to turn a quick profit.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10569427

BBB Warns Against Swine Flu Scams: Scammers are creating their own epidemic of spam e-mails [news release]
Relying on reports from online security experts, Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to be on the lookout for fraudulent e-mails and Web sites trying to take advantage of the current swine flu outbreak.
http://www.bbb.org/us/article/10186

Swine flu causes spam fever
Just days after news surfaced of a swine flu outbreak in Mexico, spammers are exploiting the news to advertise online pharmacies.
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2241236/swine-flu-causes-spam-fever

Spammers use swine flu panic to peddle products
Security experts are warning today that computer viruses may be the next part of the swine flu outbreak. Spammers, it seems, have taken advantage of the worldwide panic over the disease to send out e-mails mentioning swine flu to try to trick people into opening them, according to McAfee Avert Labs.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/04/swinefluspam.html

Internet flooded with swine flu spam
Exploiting worries over the swine flu outbreak, spammers flooded the Internet on Monday with millions of e-mails peddling counterfeit drugs as remedies and seeking to steal credit card data, a security firm said.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE53Q5ZE20090427

Conficker Adds New Weapon: Spam [AP]
The giant Conficker computer worm, once feared as an out-of-control Internet doomsday machine, seems to have settled — for now — on trying to make money in very predictable ways.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10569242
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/04/28/1240684448622.html
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/04/28/1240684448622.html
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Technology/wireStory?id=7443868
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30453812/
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/04/27/financial/f173614D47.DTL

Spam levels continue to surge
The level of spam flooding inboxes is at its highest level in more than a year, according to researchers. The latest monthly report from security firm MessageLabs lists spam loads at 85 per cent, an increase of more than 9 per cent from last month.
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2241428/spam-levels-continue-surge

Cyber swine tap global flu hysteria with spam blitz
Crooks have been quick to latch on to global swine flu hysteria as a way to turn a quick profit. Security company Symantec said in a blog post yesterday the outbreak had "spawned a spamming frenzy, like sharks smelling blood in the water".
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10569427

Symantec Announces April 2009 MessageLabs Intelligence Report [news release]
Symantec Corp. announced the publication of its April 2009 MessageLabs Intelligence Report. The analysis highlights that spam has increased almost ten percent in one month, reaching heights of 85.3 percent, levels not experienced since September 2007. Also in April, the high profile G20 summit was the subject for a rise in targeted malware attacks. In addition, the number of malicious websites intercepted per day continued to increase significantly, taking the average number of intercepted each day to 3,561.
http://www.messagelabs.co.uk/resources/press/28950

US responsible for 15% of global spam
The US continues to be the country responsible for most of the global spam, contributing 15 percent of the overall total says Sophos.
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=115122

Spam shame continues for USA as UK exits dirty dozen, Sophos reports Brazil sees biggest increase, taking second place in the 'Dirty Dozen' of spam relaying countries [news release]
IT security and control firm Sophos has published its latest report into the top twelve spam relaying countries, covering the first quarter of 2009. The United States of America continues its reign as the king of spam, relaying more than 15 percent of global spam messages. Conversely, the United Kingdom has disappeared from the 'Dirty Dozen' for the first time in two years, polling 14th overall, and relaying 2.1 percent of the world's spam.
http://www.sophos.com/pressoffice/news/articles/2009/04/dirtydozen.html

Spam From Hijacked Webmail Accounts
A family member called last night, upset and embarrassed that his yahoo.com account was used to blast out spam to all of his contacts. A quick examination of the message headers indicated the spam was indeed sent through his yahoo.com account, and that someone had hijacked his Webmail account password.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/04/spam_sent_through_hijacked_web.html

Four Indicted in Giant US College Spam Operation [IDG]
A federal grand jury in Missouri has indicted two brothers and two other people on charges related to an alleged e-mail spamming case that targeted more than 2,000 U.S. colleges and sold more than US$4.1 million worth of products to students, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/164098/.html

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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
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US Justice Dept. Opens Antitrust Inquiry Into Google Books Deal
The Justice Department has begun an inquiry into the antitrust implications of Google’s settlement with authors and publishers over its Google Book Search service, two people briefed on the matter said Tuesday.
http://nytimes.com/2009/04/29/technology/internet/29google.html

Google faces antitrust investigation over $125m book deal
Google is facing fresh accusations of anti-competitive behaviour, following reports that the US Justice Department is investigating the internet giant over its dealings with the book industry.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/apr/29/google-books-antitrust

German Authors Outraged at Google Book Search
Google wants to make millions of books accessible online. But a group of German authors are enraged at not having been asked for permission to use their books -- and at the mere $60 they might get for each one. Now German politicians are also voicing their dismay and pledging to protect author rights.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,621385,00.html

Judge issues extension in Google Book Search settlement
A federal judge has granted authors worldwide four more months to decide whether to participate in a settlement involving Google's online Book Search service.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10229372-93.html

Google book settlement delayed, DoJ has antitrust concerns
Late last year, Google announced that it had reached a settlement with several major publishers that would end their copyright lawsuit against the Google Books service. The settlement would put in place an agreement between Google and existing copyright holders, and give the search giant rights to out-of-print and orphaned works—those for which the copyright holder cannot be identified. Despite the complexity of the settlement, it was on a fast track to approval, with a final thumbs-up scheduled for May. Now, it looks like a delay in the decision is inevitable as opposition to it seems to be rising and the Department of Justice looking into the antitrust implications of the deal.
http://arstechnica.com/media/news/2009/04/googles-book-settlement-delayed-as-resistance-appears.ars

McAfee launches free online cyber crime help center
Is your computer acting funny? Are you worried that you may have visited a malicious Web site or opened an e-mail attachment with malware? Instead of worrying about it you can now go to a new Web site McAfee is launching on Tuesday that is designed to help computer users figure out if they have legitimate reason to be concerned.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10228520-83.html
http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/security/0,39044215,62053624,00.htm

McAfee, Inc. Introduces First Online Center to Assist Victims of Cybercrime [news release]
Consumers in the United States have lost close to $8.5 billion over the last two years to cybercrime, according to Consumer Reports. In response, McAfee Inc. (NYSE:MFE) today launched the Cybercrime Response Unit, the first online center to aid the diagnosis of cybercrime and help an individual recover from the crime.
http://newsroom.mcafee.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=3511

EC's Reding urges preventive action against cyberattacks [IDG]
Europe needs a "Mister cyber security" to take control in the event of an attack on Internet infrastructure, Europe's telecommunications commissioner, Viviane Reding said Monday.
http://computerworld.com.au/article/300856/
http://www.pcworld.com/article/163888/.html
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/300856/

EU Commissioner Reding calls for preventive action to make the EU resilient against cyber attacks [news release]
In a video posted on her website this morning, Viviane Reding, the European Union's Commissioner for Information Society and Media, called on Member States to act to ensure that Europe's electronic communication networks are well protected. While being the backbone of most other crucial services, such as energy and water distribution, air and road traffic control or banking, European critical information infrastructures are themselves under constant threat of technical breakdowns and cyber attacks.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/199

Panel Warns U.S. on Cyberwar Plans
The United States has no clear military policy about how the nation might respond to a cyberattack on its communications, financial or power networks, a panel of scientists and policy advisers warned Wednesday, and the country needs to clarify both its offensive capabilities and how it would respond to such attacks.
http://nytimes.com/2009/04/30/science/30cyber.html

U.S. Plans Attack and Defense in Cyberspace Warfare
When American forces in Iraq wanted to lure members of Al Qaeda into a trap, they hacked into one of the group’s computers and altered information that drove them into American gun sights.
http://nytimes.com/2009/04/28/us/28cyber.html

Report: U.S. needs policy for attacking foreign networks
The U.S. government lacks adequate rules of engagement for attacking the computer networks of adversaries, creating huge legal and policy questions that must be addressed, including the role that Congress should play in authorizing such use of force, according to a new report released today.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090429_8883.php

Report: US cyber warfare needs oversight, debate [AP]
Shrouded in secrecy, the U.S. government's policies on how and when to wage cyber warfare are ill-formed, lack adequate oversight and require a broad public debate, a new report by the National Research Council says.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/report-us-cyber-warfare-needs-oversight-debate-20090430-anjt.html
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/report-us-cyber-warfare-needs-oversight-debate-20090430-anjt.html

Panel Calls for National Dialog on Gov't Cyberattacks [IDG]
The U.S. needs to engage in a national dialog about its government's use of cyberattacks against other nations, and the government lacks a comprehensive policy about how and when it will engage in cyberwarfare, a new study said.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/164092/.html

US Lawmakers Seek to Tighten Cyber Regulation on Power Grids
Key lawmakers in the House and Senate are seeking to grant federal regulators new powers to protect the U.S. power grid in the face of an imminent or actual cyber attack on the nation's electric infrastructure.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/29/AR2009042902953.html

New US cybersecurity bill for electric grid readied
Amid growing concern over the vulnerability of the U.S. electric grid to cyberattacks, two lawmakers are preparing to introduce new legislation aimed at bolstering the industry's responsiveness to such threats.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9132288
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/042909-new-cybersecurity-bill-for-electric.html

Critics say bill to protect electric grid from cyberattacks lacks teeth
A bill expected to be introduced in the House and Senate this week would help protect the computers that control the country's power grid, but it does not go far enough, security experts said on Wednesday.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090429_2476.php

us: Bill would toughen security requirements over current law
A bill introduced in the Senate on Tuesday would strengthen the requirements in a much maligned security law, asking agencies to actively monitor and fix security holes in computer systems and requiring the White House to provide tougher enforcement.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090428_5942.php

US cyber-security 'embarrassing'
America's cyber-security has been described as "broken" by one industry expert and as "childlike" by another. The criticism comes as President Obama prepares to release the results of a review he had ordered.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8023793.stm

After cybersecurity review, Hathaway says White House should take lead
The federal official who led a 60-day review of the U.S. government's cybersecurity programs for President Barack Obama last week called for the White House to play a more direct role in coordinating national information security efforts.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=338289

Senator questions wisdom of White House control over cybersecurity
The ranking member of the U.S. Senate's Homeland Security Committee, Susan Collins (R-Maine), today raised questions about recent calls for a direct White House role in coordinating national cybersecurity affairs.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9132274

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PRIVACY
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U.S. says Internet firms near "last chance"
Companies that track consumer behaviour on the Web for targeted advertising without proper consent are near their "last chance" to self-regulate, the head of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Monday.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE53Q4MR20090427

Phorm: Does its stroppy campaign site signal the beginning of the end?
Phorm has, to its credit, always tried to engage with public discussion and concern about its ad-targeting service - but its latest move might have gone a little too far.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/apr/28/phorm-startups

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CENSORSHIP
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The internet is God's present to China by Liu Xiaobo
Today there are more than 100 million internet users in China. The Chinese Government is ambivalent towards it. On the one hand, the internet is a tool to make money. On the other, the Communist dictatorship is afraid of freedom of expression.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article6181699.ece

Kazakhstan moves to tighten Internet and media controls
Kazakhstan's parliament on Wednesday made a first step towards tightening state controls over the Internet and the media, in a move criticized by human rights watchdogs.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE53S6FJ20090429

Religious beat 'em up taken offline after complaints [AP]
An influential Islamic group branded an online video game depicting religious figures fighting each other as offensive to Muslims and Christians and successfully demanded that it be taken offline.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10569325

au: Written apology over holocaust denial
A man who breached Federal Court orders to remove website material which denied the holocaust has issued a written apology.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/28/2554971.htm

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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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EU states give green light to telecoms reform
European Union states gave the green light on Wednesday to a sweeping reform of the telecoms sector after accepting a last-minute deal to resolve a spat over Internet access, the Czech EU presidency said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE53R5NU20090429

NZ’s S92A failure linked to Aussie ISP copyright case
While New Zealand’s government, internet service provider industry and copyright owners contemplate their next move following the withdrawal of Section 92A of the Copyright Act, a legal action currently awaiting hearing in the Australian Federal courts is set to revolve around a strikingly similar provision in Australian law.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/D977FD6D78A9F631CC2575A7001B7B5B

NZ ICT body merger talks hit the wall
Negotiations between InternetNZ and TUANZ towards closer co-operation have hit a hiatus and the heads of the two organisations have different views of how far the joint arrangement was supposed to go.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/1E2D20C268E061CACC2575A5001CCD25

Anti-piracy law threatens EU telecoms revamp
An effort by the European parliament to limit the reach of anti-piracy prosecutions is threatening to derail the European Union’s ambitious plans to revamp telecommunications legislation.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b38643de-3381-11de-8f1b-00144feabdc0.html

UK plan to monitor all internet use
Communications companies are being asked to record all internet contacts between people to modernise police surveillance tactics in the UK. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith stepped back from a single database - but wants companies to hold and organise the information for the security services.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8020039.stm

UK government wants phone and internet providers to track users
The home secretary, Jacqui Smith, today ruled out building a single state "super-database" to track everybody's use of email, internet, text messages and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/apr/27/home-office-superdatabase-email-phones

Phone bills 'will rise' to pay for database
Ministers want to farm out a Big Brother database of everyone's emails, phone calls and internet use to private companies who will be given the job of storing the data on behalf of the state.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/phone-bills-will-rise-to-pay-for--database-1675170.html

UK scraps plans for Big Brother database
Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, has scrapped plans to build a giant database to monitor the UK’s e-mails, phone calls and internet activity. Instead, records of every electronic communication will be held by private companies at an estimated cost to the taxpayer of £2 billion over ten years.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6185098.ece

UK government drops plans for single communications database over privacy concerns
The Government has ruled out the creation of a controversial database which would have stored details of web use, emails and phone calls made by people in the UK. It said that it was the 'most effective' solution but has ruled it out on privacy grounds.
http://out-law.com/page-9976

Gov't outlines Facebook monitoring plans
The government wants communications service providers to record, retain and process details of all communications that take place over their networks, the home secretary said on Monday.
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39645572,00.htm

uk: Home Office 'colluded with Phorm'
The Home Office has been accused of colluding with online ad firm Phorm on "informal guidance" to the public on whether the company's service is legal. E-mails between the ministry and Phorm show the department asking if the firm would be "comforted" by its position.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8021661.stm

ISPs eye role in Jacqui's mass surveillance system
The trade body for ISPs has today cautiously welcomed news that the government does not plan to build a massive, centralised database of communications data, but voiced fears about the cost to its members.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/27/isp_imp_reaction/

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COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS
*********************************
Andrew Keen: Why Apple isn’t feeling the bite even as other tech titans stumble
As the global economic crisis shows little sign of relenting, it’s been another brutal week in tech.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/simon-carr/simon-carr-we-must-be-gullible-to-keep-listening-to-these-scares-1674766.html

How Google's Adwords can help your business
If you're a business owner, chances are you've been cold-called by an IT boffin pitching to fine-tune your Google Adwords. You don't use Adwords? Tsk, tsk, tsk.
http://smallbusiness.smh.com.au/managing/technology/how-google%27s-adwords-can-help-your-business-620473487.html

In Europe, Intel Faces a Large Antitrust Fine
European antitrust regulators, which have been aggressively pursuing what they see as anticompetitive practices among technology companies, could impose their largest fine ever in a market-dominance case against the chip maker Intel.
http://nytimes.com/2009/04/30/technology/companies/30chip.html

Microsoft Fights Antitrust Charge Over Its Browser
Microsoft has submitted a lengthy defense in the latest European antitrust case it faces, saying its practice of bundling the Internet Explorer Web browser with the Windows operating system did not violate European law.
http://nytimes.com/2009/04/30/technology/companies/30soft.html

Taiwan PC Makers See Signs of Bottom
Taiwan's three major personal-computer makers reported mixed results in the first quarter, but all of them signaled that the market may have bottomed out and conditions are slowly improving.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124100489389768251.html

The consolidation game
In his public and his private life, Larry Ellison thrives on winning. The billionaire founder of Oracle races sailing boats, flies fighter jets - and is rumoured to have spent $200m (£136m) building his 138-metre super-yacht, Rising Sun, so that he could win bragging rights over the Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. That instinct is also evident in the 64-year-old's business dealings, in which he has a reputation for crushing potential competitors - and being vocal about it. During Oracle's brutal 18-month attempt to take over Peoplesoft, he said that if he were forced to choose between shooting his rival chief executive, Craig Conway, or Conway's pet, his bullet "wouldn't be for the dog".
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/22/larry-ellison-oracle-sun-microsystems

nz: Webby nomination for security site
Two Auckland-based companies have been collaboratively nominated for an international web award.
http://www.thechannel.co.nz/20090429858/webby-nomination-for-security-site.php

nz: NetSafe and Apropos nominated for major international award
NetSafe and local design agency Apropos have been nominated for a Webby Award for their collaborated effort to promote computer security and cybersafety at netbasics.org.nz.
http://www.tone.co.nz/news/4900/netsafe-and-apropos-nominated-for-major-international-award

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
**********************
NZ Telecom puts ultra-fast broadband options to Govt
Telecom is proposing two options for achieving the Government's ultra-fast broadband goals. At the end of March, Communications and Technology Minister Steven Joyce announced public-private partnerships would be established to deliver ultra-fast broadband to 75 per cent of New Zealanders within 10 years.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10569064

nz: Opinion: Building the Great Wall of Fibre – can we deliver?
It must have been a sweet, if short-lived, moment of political glory. On March 31, the government announced its $1.5 billion national broadband strategy. Its vision: to connect 75% of New Zealand to fibre-based broadband over the next decade through a matrix of 25 regional tenders. Bold, groundbreaking, high risk — and quickly eclipsed.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/227B45A64DEED7E5CC2575A7001B03E0

NZ's broadband bill total could hit $7 billion
The total investment required for rolling out fibre to the home and connecting those homes to fibre could be up to $7 billion. A fibre-to-the-premise cost study prepared for Treasury puts the fixed passive investment required for coverage of urban New Zealand premises — the 75% the government proposes should receive broadband over the next 10 years — at between $2.6 billion to $3.3 billion.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/3ECBAAF44B935C57CC2575A4006D1CB1
http://www.med.govt.nz/upload/63958/FTTP-Cost-Study-Public-Version.pdf

nz: Opinion: Fibre benefits are complex and multifaceted
Following the release of the papers outlining the government’s preferred approach to its broadband investment initiative, there were howls of disappointment from some who found themselves outside the areas where fibre is expected to be deployed.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/CDE3D1171122FD8CCC2575A600838B1D

NZ rural lobby gets behind Telecom's fibre plan
Federated Farmers has thrown its weight behind a Telecom proposal to use Government funding to help connect every school in the country to high-speed fibre-optic broadband within three years.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10569431

InternetNZ supports broadband initiative
InternetNZ announced today that it is in support of the government’s broadband initiative. InternetNZ executive director Keith Davidson said the organisation supported the “broad approach of an open access network providing dark fibre and some wholesale services.”
http://www.itbrief.co.nz/200904283379/internetnz-supports-broadband-initiative.php

InternetNZ provides feedback on Broadband Investment Initiative [news release]
InternetNZ (Internet New Zealand Inc) has responded to the Government’s request for comment on its Broadband Investment Initiative, supporting the approach and providing feedback on a variety of policy, consultation and timing aspects.
http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/media-releases-2009/internetnz-provides-feedback-on-broadband-investment-initiative

InternetNZ provides feedback on broadband initiative [sub req'd]
New Zealand internet advocacy group InternetNZ has responded to the New Zealand government's request for comment on its Broadband Investment Initiative, supporting the approach and providing feedback on a variety of policy, consultation and timing ...
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/

Telstra loses round one of SMS court case
Telstra today lost the first major round of its legal battle with wholesale premium SMS services customer Oxygen 8 in the NSW Federal Court.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,,25408647-5013040,00.html

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ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN
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au: 55yo charged over child porn
A former Clifton man allegedly found in possession of several thousand child pornography images has appeared in the Warwick Magistrates Court.
http://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/story/2009/04/29/55yo-charged-over-child-porn/


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