Authorities Warn About Online Scams Related to Hurricane Harvey

There have been numerous stories out of Texas in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey that will restore your faith in humanity, as ordinary people have sent money and scores of supplies to help those who lost everything. But along with the outpouring of donations and on-the-ground assistance, there are always the scams. The National Guard had to tweet out a warning that a phone number shared on Facebook claiming to connect callers to their offices was actually for an insurance company, Foremost Insurance Group.

Security Researcher Discovers Spambot with 711 Million Email Accounts

A huge spambot ensnaring 711 million email accounts has been uncovered. A Paris-based security researcher, who goes by the pseudonymous handle Benkow, discovered an open and accessible web server hosted in the Netherlands, which stores dozens of text files containing a huge batch of email addresses, passwords, and email servers used to send spam.

U.N. Agency Criticizes Facebook for Allowing Video of Threatened Migrants

The U.N. migration agency hammered Facebook for allowing what it said was a “horrifying” video showing gangs in Libya threatening to harm a group of terrified migrants, many from Somalia and Ethiopia. One migrant in the video is lying on his chest with a concrete block on his back, and that the video shows the faces of some migrants without their consent in a way that they can be identified. 

Chinese Regulations Require Real Names When Posting Online

China’s top Internet censor announced a new set of regulations meant to eliminate posts by anonymous users on Internet forums and other platforms. According to the new regulations, Internet companies and service providers are responsible for requesting and verifying real names from users when they register and must immediately report illegal content to the authorities.

Internet Firms Seek Content Protection in Revised Version of NAFTA

Big Internet firms are seeking to get liability protections they enjoy in the U.S. inserted into a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement, adding fuel to a fight over the legal shield that some lawmakers say has facilitated online sex trafficking. The proposed change to NAFTA would mean online platforms in all three countries would be protected from liability for activities of their users, such as harmful or illegal posts.

U.S. Arrests, Indicts Record Number of Russian Hackers

An increase to a record level of Russians arrested or indicted on U.S. cyber crime charges this year shows that although President Donald Trump is trying to improve relations with Moscow, the United States has not shied away from pursuing Russians suspected of cyber crime. The prosecutions coincide with intensified scrutiny of Russian hackers since U.S. intelligence officials determined that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election using cyber warfare methods to help Trump.

FBI Charges Alleged Malware Broker for Conspiring with Hackers

The FBI has filed charges against a Chinese malware broker named Yu Pingan, alleging that he provided hackers with malware, including the Sakula trojan, to breach multiple computer networks belonging to companies in the U.S. The FBI's criminal complaint alleges that Yu, also known as "GoldSun," conspired with two unnamed hackers from around April 2011 through around January 2014 to maliciously target a group of US companies' computer networks.

Dating Apps Join Social Media Services Banning Hate

The Silicon Valley companies that make money off social media and online services have started to enact strong measures against extremism, barring white nationalists, white supremacists, neo-Nazis and others who follow creeds they deem racist and hateful.Most remarkably, perhaps, the efforts have even spread to the free-wheeling world of dating apps, where users have for years been welcome to screen potential lovers based on everything from height to religious beliefs.

Georgia Voters Sue to Overturn Special Election, Cite Hacking

A group of Democrat and Republican voters in Georgia is suing the state to overturn its fiercely fought June special election, saying evidence the state's voter database was exposed to potential hackers for at least eight months invalidates the results. The lawsuit, which went to pre-trial conferences this week, could be a sign of disputes to come as revelations mount about the vulnerability of the U.S. election system and Russian attempts to infiltrate it.

Judge Orders DreamHost to Disclose Data on Users of Anti-Trump Site

U.S. prosecutors prevailed in their request to seek information about subscribers to an anti-Trump website allegedly linked to rioting during the presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C. A judge in District of Columbia Superior Court ordered DreamHost LLC, the host of the website disruptj20.org, to comply with a government warrant seeking information about the site’s subscribers.

U.K. Government Plans to Adhere to EU Data-Sharing Rules

The U.K. government is set to reveal plans that show it will adhere to European data-sharing rules, to minimize disruption for U.K.-based companies conducting business with the bloc. The paper will outline how data will be protected and exchanged with the EU, and which “reflects the unprecedented alignment between British and European law,” according to the Department for Exiting the European Union.

FTC Says It Won't Block Amazon's Acquisition of Whole Foods

The Federal Trade Commission will allow Amazon to continue its $13.7 billion deal to acquire Whole Foods. The FTC conducted an investigation to gauge whether the merger would decrease competition under federal regulations, Bruce Hoffman, acting director of the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Competition, said in a statement. It ultimately decided not to pursue the matter further.

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Justice Dep't Drops Request for Visitor Logs on Trump Protest Site

The U.S. Department of Justice is rescinding its request for IP logs that would have revealed visitors to a website used to plan a protest during Donald Trump’s inauguration. DreamHost, the web hosting provider that was hit with the request, has been fighting back against what it characterized as an over-broad warrant that would have forced the company to hand over “all information available to us about this website, its owner, and, more importantly, its visitors.”

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.