Tech Sites Defy Kremlin's Order to Block Rally Access

Facebook Inc., Twitter Inc. and Google Inc. have started resisting Russian government orders to remove information about a rally next month in support of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, raising the prospect of a showdown over the Kremlin’s efforts to control online information. In response to a request from Russian prosecutors, Roskomnadzor, the country’s communications regulator, began issuing block orders for Russia just hours after the Moscow rally was publicized on social media, officials said

Iran Expanding Internet Censorship Controls

Iran is to expand what it calls "smart filtering" of the Internet, a policy of censoring undesirable content on websites without banning them completely, as it used to, the government said. The Islamic Republic has some of the strictest controls on Internet access in the world, but its blocks on U.S.-based social media such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are routinely bypassed by tech-savvy Iranians using virtual private networks (VPNs).

Credit-Rating Industry Faulted for Weak Cybersecurity

U.S. securities regulators faulted the credit-rating industry for a variety of lapses in adhering to Securities and Exchange Commission rules, including lax cybersecurity. In two annual SEC staff reports based on reviews of the 10 credit-rating firms registered with the agency, the agency said the industry’s largest players lacked sufficient internal systems to prevent the “misuse or inappropriate dissemination” of sensitive or restricted information about the firms and entities they rate.

Microsoft, Google Oppose Hotels' Wi-Fi Plans

Microsoft and Google recently joined the wireless industry’s lobbying group and a handful of other parties in opposing the hotel industry’s petition, which seeks the Federal Communications Commission’s permission to block personal Wi-Fi networks on their properties. This summer, the American Hospitality & Lodging Association and Marriott International asked the FCC to declare that a hotel operator can use equipment to manage its network even if it “may result in ‘interference with or cause interference’ to a [wireless device] being used by a guest on the operator’s property.”

FBI Arrests Man for Online Police Threats

FBI agents arrested a Colorado man who posted online threats advocating the killing of police officers after investigators received a tip-off about one of the messages from Google, prosecutors said. Jeremiah M. Perez, 33, was detained without incident at his home in Colorado Springs and faces up to five years in federal prison if convicted, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado said in a statement.

South Korea's Nuclear Plant Operator Hacked

Computer systems at South Korea’s nuclear plant operator have been hacked, the company said, sharply raising concerns about safeguards around nuclear facilities in a country that remains technically at war with North Korea. The Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co Ltd. and the government said only "non-critical" data was stolen by the hackers, and that there was no risk to nuclear installations, including the country's 23 atomic reactors.

Police Focus on Social Media After NYPD Killings

Police departments have little legal recourse against people who threaten violence against their officers, but they are aggressively monitoring social media in hopes of identifying dangers and thwarting violence. A warning from Baltimore County Police officials, who learned about an Instagram post that suggested Ismaaiyl Brinsley planned to kill police officers as revenge for the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, came too late to stop the fatal shooting of two New York Police Department officers.

Facebook Blocks Access to Russian Rally Page

Reportedly at the request of the Russian government, Facebook  has blocked access to a page on the social media site promoting a Jan. 15 rally for a prominent opposition leader and critic of President Vladimir Putin. Currently under house arrest, lawyer Aleksei Navalny has organized demonstrations promoting democracy and opposing political corruption.

Sony Threatens to Sue Twitter Over Links to Leaked Info

Sony Pictures Entertainment has already tried threatening members of the media with legal action in a bid to stem the spread of information stolen from its servers by hacker group Guardians of Peace last month. Now it's also decided to try targeting the means of disseminating that information — Motherboard reports the company has promised to sue Twitter unless it bans accounts that are linking to the leaks.

Simple Security Fix Cited in JPMorgan Hacking

A computer breach at JPMorgan Chase & Co. earlier this year could have been avoided if the bank had installed a simple security fix to an overlooked server in its network, the New York Times reported, citing people briefed on investigations. In October, JPMorgan Chase revealed that names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of the holders of some 83 million accounts were exposed when the bank's computer systems were compromised by hackers, making it one of the biggest data breaches in history.

Miss. Attorney General Seeks Settlement with Google

Attorney General Jim Hood of Mississippi agreed to call a “time out” in his fight with Google after the Internet giant filed a lawsuit accusing him of conspiring with the movie industry. The move by Mr. Hood, who has been one Google’s most outspoken critics, came only hours after the company asserted in its lawsuit that Mr. Hood had been improperly influenced by major Hollywood studios that are trying to crack down on the distribution of pirated movies on the Internet.

White House Considers Response to Sony Hacking

A White House official said that the administration was considering a “proportional response” against those who hacked into Sony Pictures computers, a retaliation that could thrust the United States into a direct confrontation with North Korea. Officials would not describe what such a response might entail, but they stressed that the episode had become a major concern at the upper levels of government, including President Obama, who lately has been discussing the issue with aides every day.

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The GigaLaw Firm helps companies of all sizes protect their brands online, using domain name dispute policies – such as the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) – and other legal tools available to copyright and trademark owners on the Internet.