Lawmakers Focus on Cyberattacks on Infrastructure

During the five-month period between October and February, there were 86 reported attacks on computer systems in the United States that control critical infrastructure, factories and databases, according to the Department of Homeland Security, compared with 11 over the same period a year ago. The increase has prompted a new interest in cybersecurity on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are being prodded by the Obama administration to advance legislation that could require new standards at facilities where a breach could cause significant casualties or economic damage.

Free System to Alert Users of Online Fraud

Internet security experts have set up a system to alert Americans when sensitive personal information such as social security numbers and online banking log-in credentials turn up in the hands of cyber fraudsters. AllClear ID, an Austin, Texas-based company that provides identity theft protection, is offering the free service with help from the non-profit National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance.

ISPs to Launch Anti-Piracy Program in July

Last July, Comcast, Cablevision, Verizon, and Time Warner Cable and other bandwidth providers announced that they had agreed to adopt policies designed to discourage customers from pirating music, movies and software over the Web. During a panel discussion at a gathering of U.S. publishers, Cary Sherman, CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America, said most of the participating ISPs are on track to begin implementing the program by July 12.

FTC Subpoenas Apple in Google Antitrust Case

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission subpoenaed Apple Inc. as part of its antitrust probe of Google Inc., seeking information on how the computer maker incorporates the search engine on the iPhone and iPad, two people familiar with the matter said. The agency’s request for documents includes the agreements that made Google the preferred search engine on Apple’s mobile devices, said the people, who weren’t authorized to speak publicly and declined to be identified.

Justice Dep't Approves Sale of Nortel's Patents

The consortium of companies who successfully bid on Nortel's patent portfolio last year received the go-ahead from the U.S. Department of Justice to proceed with the acquisition. That deal was struck last June by the Rockstar Bidco consortium -- a group of companies led by Apple that sought ownership of some 6,000 patents and patent applications from the bankrupt Canadian telecom equipment maker.

Google, Facebook Face Web-Blocking Trial in India

Google Inc. and Facebook Inc. are set to stand trial in a New Delhi court to face charges that they failed to censor objectionable content from their sites, putting on stark display the legal risks for Internet companies chasing growth in India. The case is the highest-stakes example yet of the controversy in India over what role Internet companies should have in policing content on the Web.

Aereo Files Countersuit Against TV Broadcasters

Aereo Inc, a new online television service backed by Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp, has filed a countersuit against several broadcasters, seeking a declaration that it does not infringe their copyrights. The countersuit was filed 11 days after broadcasters including Walt Disney Co's ABC, CBS Corp and Comcast Corp's NBCUniversal and Telemundo sued Aereo, seeking an injunction to stop its alleged plan to retransmit their programs without permission.

Yahoo Files Patent Lawsuit Against Facebook

In what is either the boldest gamble of its history or the most boneheaded, Yahoo has filed a massive patent infringement lawsuit against Facebook. The attack by the Internet icon against perhaps the most powerful consumer social networking site today is sure to be a controversial one, pitting Yahoo against a company that has surpassed it handily in recent years among consumers.

Sixth Grader Sues School District Over Facebook Search

A Minnesota middle school student, with the backing of the American Civil Liberties Union, is suing her school district over a search of her Facebook and e-mail accounts by school employees. The 12-year-old sixth grade student, identified in court documents only as R.S., was on two occasions punished for statements she made on her Facebook account, and was also pressured to divulge her password to school officials, the complaint states.

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Britain Hosts 'Cyber Security Challenge'

Amateur cybersleuths have been hunting malware, raising firewalls and fending off mock hack attacks in a series of simulations supported in part by Britain's eavesdropping agency. The games are intended to pull badly-needed talent into the country's burgeoning cybersecurity sector, according to former security minister Pauline Neville-Jones, who spoke at a closing ceremony at the Science Museum in the English port city of Bristol.

Germany Wants Publishers Paid for Online News Clips

In a move aimed at helping newspapers generate new revenue from struggling online operations, the German government intends to require search engines and other Internet companies to pay publishers whose content they highlight. The German governing coalition, led by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, said that it planned to introduce legislation to create a new kind of copyright for online publishers. Under the proposal, Internet aggregators and search engines would have to pay the publishers if they wanted to display all or parts of their articles — even small snippets like those that are shown in search links.

Internet Companies Prepare for Online Privacy Fight

Emboldened by their victory in quashing online piracy legislation, U.S. Internet companies are gearing up for a battle over whether consumers should be able to restrict efforts to gather personal data. Google Inc, Facebook, Apple Inc and other tech companies have lobbied against congressional and federal agency proposals that would let Internet users press "do not track" buttons on their browsers to block targeted advertising.

Consumer Electronics Association Pushing Online Sales Tax

Fresh off its success in helping to derail anti-online piracy legislation, the Consumer Electronics Association has set its sights on persuading lawmakers to pass legislation that would require online retailers to collect sales taxes from out-of-state customers. The association voted in December to take on the issue that has been simmering before Congress for two decades.

Judge Rules Against Apple in Kodak Patent Case

A judge said Apple Inc. couldn't pursue patent infringement litigation against Eastman Kodak Co. over a patent the computer giant fears might be sold during Kodak's bankruptcy before an ownership dispute is resolved. Judge Allan L. Gropper of U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan's rulings covered both a pending suit Apple has against Kodak over the patent, as well as another complaint it wants to bring that covers damages the company thinks it is owed since Kodak filed for Chapter 11.

Anonymous Hackers Claim Attacks on Vatican Sites

Anonymous hackers claimed to have taken down several Vatican websites run by the Catholic Church to protest the "corrupt Roman Apostolic Church." The hacking attacks on www.vatican.va and other sites came the day after several alleged members of the Anonymous-associated hacking group LulzSec were charged by U.S. authorities and it was revealed that LulzSec's leader had been an FBI informant.

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