FBI Executes 40+ Search Warrants in WikiLeaks Probe

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it had executed more than 40 search warrants in the United States as part of an investigation into an international group of computer hackers who attacked corporate Web sites last year in a show of support for WikiLeaks. The FBI investigation is part of a larger international inquiry into a loose confederation of hackers calling itself “Anonymous” that coordinated the cyberattacks against the Web sites of companies like PayPal, Visa and MasterCard late last year after they severed ties with WikiLeaks.

Men Settle "Scareware" Scam with FTC for $8 Million

Two men who set up an alleged online scheme to scare more than a million people into buying bogus software have agreed to pay more than $8 million in "ill-gotten gains," the Federal Trade Commission announced. The men, a father and son, agreed to pay the money as part of a settlement after federal investigators accused them and five others of creating "scareware" to trick people into thinking their computers were infected.

More Judges Grant Access to Social Media Details

It's the latest litigation tactic in the online age: U.S. lawyers are trying to mine the private zones of Facebook and other social-media sites for photos, comments, status updates and other tidbits that might contradict what their opponents are saying in court. And increasingly, judges in civil cases are granting access to online caches that had formerly been considered off-limits.

Internet Data Analysts Consider Code of Ethics

Amid increasing scrutiny of the Internet-data industry, a group of people who analyze such online information are trying to get their colleagues to commit to a code of ethics. Among other things, the new code asks workers to ensure that consumers have a means to opt out of tracking and that privacy policies provide a clear explanation of data collection and usage.

Netflix Targets Net Neutrality in Ranking ISPs

Netflix, the DVD mail-order-company-turned-online-video-giant, is firing back at cable and telecom firms as it weighs in on an increasingly thorny debate over net neutrality. In a blog, Netflix published a ranking of how Internet service providers perform in delivering Netflix's online streaming videos. Chartered gets highest marks for delivering videos at high speeds, therefore better resolution.

British Police Arrest Five for WikiLeaks-Related Attacks

Police in England have arrested five young men on suspicion of taking part in distributed denial-of-service attacks launched by Anonymous, the group that has targeted corporate sites for attack in defense of WikiLeaks. The five, aged 15 to 26, were detained at addresses in the West Midlands, Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, Surrey, and London, the Metropolitan Police Central eCrime Unit said in a statement.

House, Senate Leaders Back Online Surveillance

House and Senate committee leaders backed dueling legislation to extend online surveillance provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act that are set to expire at the end of February. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., introduced the bipartisan 2011 USA PATRIOT Act Sunset Extension Act, which would continue to allow roving wiretaps of suspects who change computers or phone numbers to avoid monitoring; tracking of "lone wolves" -- people of interest with no known links to terrorist groups; and retrieval of records and other tangible evidence from organizations with a court order.

EU Regulators Approve Intel-McAfee Deal

Intel's acquisition of data security firm McAfee cleared its last major hurdle after EU regulators approved the $7.68 billion deal on condition Intel grant rival firms access to its technology. Intel agreed to ensure that rival security firms have access to all necessary information that would allow their products to use Intel's chips and central processing units, the Commission said.

Hacker Posts Message on Zuckerberg's Facebook Page

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg appears to be the second high-profile victim of a hacking attack on his own Facebook page, following a similar account takeover targeting French president Nicolas Sarkozy. The page sported an uncharacteristic message advocating that Facebook adopt a "social business" model, where profits are invested in areas such as health care for the poor and other charitable causes, according to a report on TechCrunch.

Google, Microsoft Browser Tracking Settings Limited

Google's roll-out of Keep My Opt-Outs, a new Chrome browser privacy feature, does not really enable you to universally "opt out permanently," as the search giant puts it, from being tracked online by all advertising networks. Neither does a similar privacy feature Microsoft is developing for Internet Explorer 9, the next version of the world's most widely used Web browser, due out later this year.

Bill Would Require ISPs to Retain Customers' Records

The House Republicans' first major technology initiative is about to be unveiled: a push to force Internet companies to keep track of what their users are doing. A House panel chaired by Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin is scheduled to hold a hearing to discuss forcing Internet providers, and perhaps Web companies as well, to store records of their users' activities for later review by police.

French President's Facebook Account Hacked

President Nicolas Sarkozy says his Facebook page got hacked — and he jokingly used the opportunity to poke fun at the intruder's spelling mistakes in a fake message saying the French leader won't seek a second term. Sarkozy wrote Monday on his official Facebook page that it had been hacked the previous evening, "perhaps to remind me that no system is infallible."

Facebook Agrees to Privacy Changes in Germany

Facebook, facing potential fines for violating strict privacy laws in Germany, agreed to let users in the country better shield their e-mail contacts from unwanted advertisements and solicitations it sends. Facebook, which has more than 10 million users in Germany, agreed to modify its Friend Finder service to let Germans better block its ability to contact people, including non-Facebook users culled from a user’s e-mail address books.

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