If a little-known but influential alliance of state politicians, large retailers, and tax collectors have their way, the days of tax-free Internet shopping may be nearly over. A bill expected to be introduced in the U.S. Congress would rewrite the ground rules for mail order and Internet sales by eliminating what its supporters view as a "loophole" that, in many cases, allows Americans to shop over the Internet without paying sales taxes.
Many Data Breaches Linked to Few Organized Crime Gangs
A string of data breaches orchestrated principally by a handful of organized cyber-crime gangs translated into the loss of hundreds of millions of consumer records last year, security experts say. The size and scope of the breaches, some of which have previously not been disclosed, illustrate the extent that organized cyber thieves are methodically targeting computer systems connected to the global financial network.
Report Gives Details on Carbon Footprint for Spam
The mere act of people around the world deleting spam and searching for legitimate e-mail falsely labeled as junk creates the annual energy consumption equivalent in the U.S. of 2.4 million homes using electricity and the same greenhouse gas emissions as 3.1 million passenger cars using two billion gallons of gas. That's according to "The Carbon Footprint of Email Spam Report" conducted by climate-change consultants ICF and commissioned by security vendor McAfee.
Amazon UK Blocks Phorm Ad-Targeting System
Amazon has said it will not allow online advertising system Phorm to scan its web pages to produce targeted ads. Phorm builds a profile of users by scanning for keywords on websites visited and then assigns relevant ads.
AOL Asks Court for Ruling on Yahoo Patents
Time Warner's AOL has asked a federal court to rule that it is not infringing patents held by Yahoo. The request, in the form of a complaint seeking declaratory relief, cites an ongoing intellectual property dispute between Yahoo and Quigo, an online advertising company that AOL acquired for $340 million in 2007.
More Hackers Exploiting Web-Based Applications
Hackers are finding new ways to attack unknowing computer users by taking advantage of weaknesses in Web applications and browser plug-ins, sometimes turning even legitimate Web sites into a source of malicious code, according to a report issued by Symantec, the Cupertino security software company. In another trend, security experts are noticing a significant proliferation of Internet worms and other malicious activity in nations with "emerging economies," where increasing computer use has been accompanied by widespread adoption of pirated software that lacks updated security protection.
IRS Increasing Security Oversight for E-Filings
With more and more Americans using software to figure their taxes and the Web to file their annual returns, the Internal Revenue Service has decided it's time to beef up its oversight of the security and accuracy of such filings. The IRS is acting on a report by the Government Accountability Office that raised concerns about the lack of a clear system to monitor electronic tax filings prepared by software programs such as TurboTax, TaxCut or TaxAct.
Using Proxies During Crime Could Increase Sentence
A key vote on new federal sentencing guidelines would classify the use of proxies as evidence of "sophistication," increasing sentences by about 25 percent -- which could mean years or even decades longer behind bars, depending on the crime. It's akin to judges handing down stiffer sentences when a gun is used in a robbery.
Blogger Sues to Keep "Goldman Sachs" Domain Names
A blogger in the U.S. filed a lawsuit against Goldman Sachs to prevent the big investment bank from taking his domain names. Blogger Mike Morgan hopes to protect anti-Goldman Web sites, including www.goldmansachs666.com and www.goldmansachs13, from trademark action threatened by the powerful bank.
Prosecutors Seek 18-Month Sentence for S. Korean Blogger
Prosecutors demanded an 18-month sentence for a popular South Korean blogger who is accused of spreading false financial information in a case that has ignited a debate about freedom of speech in cyberspace. The 30-year-old blogger, a fierce critic of government economic policy, was arrested and indicted in January after he wrote that the government had banned major financial institutions and trade businesses from buying U.S. dollars.
Europe Takes Legal Action Against Britain Over Phorm
The European Commission has started legal action against Britain over the online advertising technology Phorm. It follows complaints to the EC over how the behavioural advertising service was tested on BT's broadband network without the consent of users.
Twitter Works to Repair Damages from Worm Attacks
Twitter security engineers were cleaning up following a series of worm attacks, including at least two credited to a bored 17-year-old. In the first attack four new accounts began spreading a worm, compromising about 90 accounts, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone wrote in a posting on the Twitter blog.
YouTube Disables Uploads, Comments in South Korea
Citing free-speech concerns about an anonymity-blocking law in South Korea, Google has disabled the ability to upload YouTube videos or comment on them in the country. "We believe that it is important for free expression that people have the right to remain anonymous, if they choose," the company said in a blog post that also tells people that they can get around the restriction by using a different country's version of the site.
California Tries to Ban Payday Loans Online
California business regulators are stumbling in their efforts to find and ban an unlicensed form of high-interest consumer credit: payday loans available on the Internet. For three years, the state Department of Corporations has been trying to force these Internet-only businesses to adhere to the same rules that govern the state-licensed payday loan stores that offer short-term, unsecured loans of up to $300.
Conficker Virus Found on University of Utah Computers
A worldwide virus known as the Conficker worm was located on more than 700 computers at the University of Utah. The vast majority of infected computers were in the health sciences, including the university's three hospitals, medical school, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy and College of Health, said Chris Nelson, spokesman for health sciences at the U.
Teenager Claims Responsibility for Twitter Exploit
As a second Twitter exploit began circulating on the micro-blogging site, a teenager from Brooklyn said he created both worms to promote his Web site. Much like the StalkDaily worm, the "Mikeyy" worm posts unwanted messages to users' pages.
As Tax Day Arrives, So, Too, Do Data Thieves
It's at tax time that the highest quantity of valuable data crosses the Internet and data thieves are surely hoping for a feast. Tax data is valuable not just because it contains financial information but also for the personal information it contains.
French Parliament Rejects Internet Piracy Bill
France's parliament rejected a bill that proposed disconnecting Internet users if they download music or films illegally, with the ruling UMP party failing to turn out in force to approve the law. Backed by President Nicolas Sarkozy's government, the legislation was meant to quell the flow of free songs and films on the Internet that has hurt the revenues of artists and production companies.
Jennifer Lopez Wins Domains in Cybersquatting Case
American singer and actress Jennifer Lopez has won a cybersquatting case against a U.S. web operator who registered two Internet addresses that used her name for commercial profit, a U.N. agency said. The disputed domain names, jenniferlopez.net and jenniferlopez.org, directed users to a website that generated paid advertising revenues, according to the ruling issued by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Anti-American Extremists Exploiting U.S. Technology
The odd pairing of violently anti-American extremists and U.S. technology companies continues elsewhere and appears to be growing. Intelligence officials and private experts cite dozens of instances in which Islamist militants sought out U.S. Internet firms -- known for their reliable service and easy terms that allow virtual anonymity -- and used them to incite attacks on Americans.
