President Barack Obama is still searching for the right person to lead the fight against an epidemic of cybercrime, the White House said as it came under fire following the resignation of a top cybersecurity adviser. Melissa Hathaway, who led a 60-day White House review of cyber policies, resigned and said she had withdrawn her application for the position of cybersecurity coordinator out of frustration over the administration's delays in filling the post.
White House Acting Cybersecurity Czar Resigns
The White House's acting cybersecurity czar announced her resignation, in a setback to the Obama administration's efforts to better protect the computer networks critical to national security and the global economy. The resignation highlights the difficulty the White House has had following through on its cybersecurity effort.
Jury Orders Student to Pay $675,000 for File-Sharing
A federal jury ordered a Boston University graduate student who admitted illegally downloading and sharing music online to pay $675,000 to four record labels. Joel Tenenbaum, of Providence, admitted in court that he downloaded and distributed 30 songs.
Man Charged with Stealing, Selling Domain Name
A northern New Jersey man is charged with stealing a prime piece of Internet real estate and reselling it for $111,000 in the first prosecution of a suspected domain name thief in state history. Authorities say Daniel Goncalves, 25, of Union, hacked into an online account belonging to one of the owners of the P2P.com domain name.
FTC to Continue Google-Apple Board Investigation
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said that the agency will continue to investigate the board of director relationship between Apple and Google. Richard Feinstein, director of the FTC bureau of competition, commended the two companies for recognizing that sharing directors raises competitive issues, in light of the resignation of Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt from Apple's board.
U.S. Worried About "Collateral Damage" from Cyber-Attack
Senior White House officials remain so concerned about the risks of unintended harm to civilians and damage to civilian infrastructure in an attack on computer networks that they decline any official comment on the topic. And senior Defense Department officials and military officers directly involved in planning for the Pentagon's new "cybercommand" acknowledge that the risk of collateral damage is one of their chief concerns.
Student Sues Amazon for Deleting Book from Kindle
A 17-year-old from Michigan has filed a lawsuit against e-commerce powerhouse Amazon after it deleted a book he had purchased for his Kindle device. Justin Gawronski's complaint alleges that he was reading "1984" as summer reading for an advanced-placement class and had to turn in "reflections" on each hundred pages.
FCC Probing Apple's Exclusion of Google Voice App
The Federal Communications Commission is examining a recent decision by Apple to reject an iPhone application developed by Google. The commission sent letters to executives at Apple, Google and AT&T, which is the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the United States, saying it was "interested in a more complete understanding of this situation."
British Hacker Loses Appeal Against Extradition
A Briton wanted in the United States for breaking into NASA and Pentagon networks in "the biggest military hack of all time" lost an appeal against his extradition, making a U.S. trial more likely. Gary McKinnon, 43, has fought a three-year battle to avoid extradition, including going to the European Court of Human Rights, but he appeared to have run out of options as Britain's High Court ruled against his latest appeal.
iPhone Has Flaws for Hackers, Security Experts Say
Security experts have uncovered flaws in Apple's iPhone that they said hackers can exploit to take control of the popular device, using the tactic for identity theft and other crimes. Users need to be warned that their iPhones are not entirely secure and Apple should try to repair the vulnerability as soon as possible, they said at the Black Hat conference in Las Vegas, one of the world's top forums for exchanging information on computer security threats.
Court Orders Pirate Bay Blocked in Netherlands
A Dutch court has ruled in favor of antipiracy foundation BREIN, giving three of The Pirate Bay's co-founders 10 days to block traffic to and from the Netherlands, effectively revoking access to its residents.
EBay Works on Technical, Legal Fights with Skype
EBay is working on software to replace the guts of Skype but is worried that it may not succeed, may lose a court battle with Skype's founders over rights to the core technology and may need to do something drastic in the next few years. The company said in a regulatory filing that if it fails in both the legal and technical avenues it's pursuing then "continued operation of Skype's business as currently conducted would likely not be possible."
Regulators Face Complex Issues in Microsoft-Yahoo Deal
Microsoft and Yahoo's blockbuster deal to form a 10-year partnership in Internet search and advertising lands at a time when the Obama administration is taking an especially hard look at consolidation in the high-tech industry. But the companies say it is the only way to form a credible competitor to the industry's Goliath, Google, which holds 65 percent of the market for Internet search advertising.
Lawmaker Wants Regulation of File-Sharing Services
A senior U.S. lawmaker said that it may be time for the government to regulate companies that provide online file-sharing services after a number of people managed to access FBI files, medical records and Social Security numbers. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Edolphus Towns said during a hearing on the safety of peer-to-peer software that he was astonished at privacy breaches involving LimeWire, operated by the Lime Group.
Spam, Botnets Reach Record Levels, McAfee Reports
Spam and botnets have hit their highest levels ever, according to McAfee's second-quarter Threats Report. McAfee's Avert Labs says spam recorded in the second quarter shot up 80 percent compared with the first quarter of the year.
More Internet Users Falling for Fake Security Software
Insufficiently knowledgeable computer users are downloading and paying for fake security software in increasing numbers, creating massive revenue for cybercriminals. "More and more people are acclimating to the Internet and they feel they can make these important security decisions," said Sean-Paul Correll, security evangelist and threat researcher for Panda Security.
Mac Security Expert Finds Flaw Allowing Data Access
A Mac security expert has uncovered a technique that hackers could use to take control of Apple computers and steal data that is scrambled to protect it from identity thieves. Prominent Mac researcher Dino Dai Zovi disclosed the software flaw at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas, one of the world's top forums for exchanging information on Internet threats.
Apartment Tenant Sued Over Tweets About Mold
A tenant who used the micro-blogging service Twitter to complain about mould in her Chicago apartment is being sued. Horizon Group Management filed a lawsuit that has accused Amanda Bonnen of defaming the company with her tweet.
White House Clarifies How Staff Accesses Twitter
Bloggers were all aflutter earlier this month when White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told C-SPAN that, for some reason, Twitter usage was blocked at the White House. Now, White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton said Twitter access is enabled on White House computers for the new media team, but it is blocked on the remainder of White House computers for security purposes–though they're working on getting those restrictions relaxed.
China Bans Websites Glamorizing Mafia Gangs
China has banned websites featuring or publicizing online games which glamorize mafia gangs, saying violators will be "severely punished," state media reported. The Culture Ministry said such games "advocate obscenity, gambling, or violence," and "undermine morality and Chinese traditional culture," the official Xinhua news agency said.
