RealNetworks says it wants to help increase DVD sales by allowing people to copy their movie discs. Hollywood studios say that idea will only hurt their already struggling business. The two sides square off in a federal court to determine who prevails.
Online Bank Security Called Privacy Threat
A widely used technology to authenticate users when they log in for online banking may help reduce fraud, but it does so at the expense of consumer privacy, a civil liberties attorney said during a panel at the RSA security conference. When logging into bank Web sites, users are typically asked for their user name and password. But that's not all that is happening.
Hospitals Affected by Conficker, Security Official Says
The Conficker worm infected several hundred machines and critical medical equipment in an undisclosed number of hospitals recently, a security expert said on Thursday in a panel at the RSA security conference. "It was not widespread, but it raises the awareness of what we would do if there were millions" of computers infected at hospitals or in critical infrastructure locations, said Marcus Sachs, director of the SANS Internet Storm Center and a former White House cybersecurity official.
Facebook Users Vote to Support Changed Terms
Facebook users have voted to back changes which give them control over data and content they post on the site. Early results suggest 75% of those who voted support the proposals.
2 Million PCs Reportedly Hit by Ukrainian Hackers
Almost two million PCs globally, including machines inside U.K. and U.S. government departments, have been taken over by malicious hackers. Security experts Finjan traced the giant network of remotely controlled PCs, called a botnet, back to a gang of cyber criminals in Ukraine.
White House Planning New Security for Military Computers
The Obama administration is finalizing plans for a new Pentagon command to coordinate the security of military computer networks and to develop new offensive cyber-weapons, sources said. Planning for the reorganization of Defense Department and intelligence agencies is underway, and a decision is imminent, according to a person familiar with the White House plans.
Germany Backs New Law to Limit Child Porn Online
The German cabinet backed a new draft law that would make it harder to access child pornography online and easier to prosecute those who use it. The bill will oblige Internet providers to block access to child porn sites by installing a "stop" sign when people try to enter them, the German ministries for justice, families and the economy said in a joint news conference.
Defense Secretary Says U.S. Under Constant Cyberattack
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that the United States is "under cyberattack virtually all the time, every day" and that the Defense Department plans to more than quadruple the number of cyber experts it employs to ward off such attacks. In an interview for an upcoming edition of 60 Minutes, CBS News anchor Katie Couric asked Gates about the nation's cybersecurity after hackers stole specifications from a $300 billion fighter jet development program as well as other sensitive information.
Infections by Conficker.C Worm Reported Higher
IBM is the second company in two days to suggest that the number of computers infected by the Conficker.C worm may be higher than previously thought.
EU States, Parliament at Odds Over Illegal Downloads
European Union states headed for a collision course with the bloc's parliament as a spat over how to tackle illegal downloads threatened a wider telecom reform. There is broad agreement over the reform package, authored by EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding, but a last-minute standoff between member countries and parliament has put back final adoption to May at the earliest.
House Committee Reopens Probe of File-Sharing Services
The main investigative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives has reopened a probe of Lime Wire and other peer-to-peer file-sharing companies over the issue of "inadvertent sharing." The move comes nearly two months after it was alleged that Iran took advantage of a computer security breach to obtain information about President Barack Obama's helicopter.
Computer Spies Penetrate Penatgon Weapons Program
Computer spies have broken into the Pentagon's $300 billion Joint Strike Fighter project -- the Defense Department's costliest weapons program ever -- according to current and former government officials familiar with the attacks. Similar incidents have also breached the Air Force's air-traffic-control system in recent months, these people say.
Blog Post Says Pirate Pay Verdict Appealed
Days after four defendants in the high-profile Pirate Bay case were found guilty of violating copyright law, the Web site implored fans to stay calm, not to send donations, and to stay united. In a blog posted to Thepiratebay.org, the controversial BitTorrent tracker said the "verdict has already been appealed by us and will be taken to the next level of court."
10% of Video Game Players Show Addictive Behavior Signs
About one in 10 videogame players show signs of addictive behavior that could have negative effects on their family, friends and school work, according to a new study. Researchers at Iowa State University and the National Institute on Media and the Family found that some gamers show at least six symptoms of gambling addiction such as lying to family and friends about how much they play games, using the games to escape their problems and becoming restless or irritable when they stop playing.
Opposition Growing to Google's Book-Scanning Settlement
With a May 5 deadline for filing objections to the Google books settlement looming, opposition to and criticism of the settlement continues to cement. The Internet Archive, which is currently working to match Google’s effort to digitize millions of books from major libraries, has filed a motion to intervene in the case.
South Korean Economics Blogger Acquitted of Charges
An economic commentator on the Internet who criticized and angered the South Korean government but commanded a huge following was freed from jail after a court acquitted him of charges of using the Web to maliciously spread false information. The arrest of Park Dae-sung in January and his trial on charges of spreading false data in public with a harmful intent -- a crime punishable by as much as five years in prison -- prompted debate about how much freedom of expression should be tolerated in cyberspace in this extensively wired country.
College Student Charged in Craigslist Murder
A 22-year-old college student in Boston, Massachusetts, has been charged with murder in connection with the death of a woman who may have been contacted through a Craigslist ad, police said. Philip Markoff, a pre-med student at Boston University, also was charged with the armed robbery and kidnapping of another victim, Police Commissioner Ed Davis announced.
Swedish Court Conicts Men in Pirate Bay Case
A court in Sweden convicted four men linked to the notorious Internet file-sharing service The Pirate Bay of violating copyright law, handing the music and movie industries a high-profile victory in their campaign to curb online piracy. The court found that the men had aided copyright infringement by operating the site, which provides links to thousands of songs, films, video games and other material, and helps users download them.
White House to Get Report on Cybersecurity Status
President Barack Obama will soon receive the results of a 60-day review of cybersecurity that should weigh in on whether he should name a cybersecurity czar, the White House said. The review could also make recommendations on how much should be budgeted to prevent potential hacker attacks on critical infrastructure and fight widespread Internet fraud.
FBI Used Spyware in Online Investigations
The FBI has used a secret form of spyware in a series of investigations designed to nab extortionists, database-deleting hackers, child molesters, and hitmen, according to documents obtained by CNET News. One suspect used Microsoft's Hotmail to send bomb and anthrax threats to an undercover government investigator; another demanded a payment of $10,000 a month to stop cutting cables; a third was an alleged European hitman who was soliciting for business from a Hushmail.com account.
