Don't forget to check out www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for today's edition of the complete domain news, already online! And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** ICANN: Updates to New gTLD Program Implementation http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-08aug08-en.htm Over 2 Million .biz Domain Names Under Management [news release] http://www.neustarregistry.biz/?q=node/32#j Free.nz is the domain name of the game http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10526659 Patch for Web Security Hole Has Leaks of Its Own http://nytimes.com/2008/08/09/technology/09flaw.html DNS creator: It's time to add security http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/security/0,39044215,62044795,00.htm Cyberspace Barrage Preceded Russian Invasion of Georgia http://iht.com/articles/2008/08/12/technology/webcyber.php Georgia Takes a Beating in the Cyberwar With Russia http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/11/georgia-takes-a-beating-in-the-cyberwar-with-russia/ VeriSign Reports $68 Million Loss; 87.3 Million .com/.net Domain Names http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=5617 Flipping For Domains http://www.forbes.com/home/2008/08/10/domains-flip-aftermarket-tech-ebiz-cz_cf_0811domains.html ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** ICANN: Updates to New gTLD Program Implementation Economic Case for Auctions in New gTLDs Paper Released -- During the ICANN meeting in Paris, France, ICANN staff made a commitment to release a paper describing the economic case for auctions as a tiebreaking mechanism for resolving contention among identical or confusingly similar applications for new gTLDs. ICANN is today making the Economic Case for Auctions in New gTLDs paper available so that the community can provide feedback on this element of the forthcoming implementation plan. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-08aug08-en.htm ICANN approves the introduction of internationalized domain names On Thursday 25 June the Board of Directors of ICANN at the closing of its 32 International public meeting in Paris, unanimously approved the introduction of Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) in the top level of Internet addresses. http://portal.unesco.org/ci/fr/ev.php-URL_ID=27461&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html ICANN study favors auctions for new gTLDs Are auctions the best solution for allocating a new TLD when there are several applicants? A study commissioned by ICANN and now made public says yes. http://domainesinfo.fr/english/217/icann-study-favors-auctions-for-new-gtlds.php ICANN Paints Itself Into a Corner by John Levine ICANN recently commissioned a report from a domain auction company to see whether it would be a good idea to auction TLDs that have multiple applicants. Remarkably, the domain auctioneers came to the conclusion that auctions are a great idea, which they surely are for some people. But are they a good idea for ICANN? And if ICANN admits they can't evaluate competing applications on their merits, how can they keep the process from turning into another speculative land grab? http://www.circleid.com/posts/88117_icann_paints_itself_into_corner/ ICANN to Auction New Generic Top Level Domains by Patrick Vande Walle ICANN has just published a paper from its contractor PowerAuctions LLC, regarding the use of auctions to award new TLD strings in case of contention. I can understand what ICANN wants to avoid. In the past, it has been criticized for using the "beauty contest" model with the redelegation of the .net TLD... However, the auction model is based on the idea that whoever wins the auction will be able to recoup its investment on the sale. http://www.circleid.com/posts/88984_icann_auction_new_top_level_domains/ The US Government Tugs the Reins on ICANN, Again by Milton Mueller About ten days ago the US Commerce Department sent ICANN a letter slapping it upside the head for suggesting in its President's Strategy Committee report that the US might actually keep its 1998 promise to turn over root zone file to ICANN/IANA. On August 1, Commerce sent ICANN another letter, warning ICANN that it had better continue to allow unrestricted public access to personal information in the Whois database. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/8/6/3827683.html FBI contracting for access to global DNS, Whois information by Brenden Kuerbis The FBI is soliciting vendor proposals to provide one-stop, turn-key access to Internet Zone files, domain WHOIS and DNS records. Posted July 22, with responses due yesterday, the solicitation details a system that would aggregate the data and provide it to the FBI for up to the next 5 years. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/8/6/3827679.html Root Zone Management Not Transitioning to ICANN, Commerce Declares [sub req'd] BNA?s Electronic Commerce & Law Report reports that the Department of Commerce has no plans approve a transition of the root zone management to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. Commerce made the statement in response to a paper published by ICANN suggesting that such a transition may be in the works. https://pubs.bna.com/gatekeeper/signin.html?dl=02w02x02y0026fi6fn9b707e07f09t ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** Region-wide Businesses, Events and Initiatives Embrace .Asia Domains [news release] DotAsia Organisation announced today that auction proceeds for the .Asia Sunrise and Landrush auctions reached US$7 Million after surpassing the US$6 Million mark 2 weeks ago. http://dotasia.org/pressreleases/DotAsia-PR-2008-08-04_EN.pdf Over 2 Million .biz Domain Names Under Management [news release] NeuStar announced that two million domain names have been officially registered within the .BIZ Internet domain. NeuStar is the operator and administrator of the .BIZ top-level domain (TLD) registry, and was awarded the contract by ICANN. http://www.neustarregistry.biz/?q=node/32#j New Delegation Policies Approved for .co The Ministry of Communications has advised that new delegation policies were approved on July 30 regarding the delegation of .co domain names. http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/new-delegation-policies-approved-for-.co.html http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/08/08/new-delegation-policies-approved-for-co/ WWW.COOP ? New Site Launches on International Co-op Day [news release] On Saturday, July 5, .coop celebrated the 86th International Co-operative Day by turning the switch on a new www.coop site with a focus on providing the answers to the questions that people ask most about .coop. http://www.nic.coop//News/coopNews-125.aspx Welsh Assembly Government to fund campaign to create .cym internet domain The bid to achieve full internet status for Wales has been given a boost following an announcement by the Welsh Assembly Government that it will provide funding to support the campaign. Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones has confirmed that the government will back the work of the 'dotCYM' campaign in bidding for a national domain name for Wales on the world-wide web. http://publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=16937 Will xxx.cym be more trusted than xxx.com? "Mr Ieuan Wyn Jones, Wales' Minister for the Economics & Transport, announced on Wednesday morning that the Welsh Assembly Government's would be seeking an internet top level domain for the Welsh linguistic and cultural community in the new round of internet expansion. "Proper Internet status for our nation will open up new marketing opportunities and help promote the Wales brand", said the Minister. http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/when-it-meets-politics/2008/08/will-xxxcym-be-more-trusted-th.html The AFNIC published its response to the public consultation on the management of the French Internet domains [news release] On April 28th, 2008, the public authorities started a public consultation about the management of French Internet domains: .fr, .re, .gp, .mq, etc. The AFNIC today published the response which it submitted to the authorities. http://www.afnic.fr/actu/nouvelles/general/CP20080704_en Free.nz is the domain name of the game Internet New Zealand held its annual meeting recently. You probably didn't hear about it. Just a bunch of people from across the political spectrum sitting in a room talking about stuff most of us now take for granted. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10526659 InternetNZ announces publication of Internet history book [news release] InternetNZ (The Internet Society of New Zealand Inc) is pleased to announce the publication of 'Connecting the Clouds - The Internet in New Zealand' - a history of the New Zealand Internet by author and freelance journalist Keith Newman. http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/2008/historybook Peter Dengate Thrush named InternetNZ Fellow [news release] InternetNZ (the Internet Society of New Zealand Inc) has bestowed its highest honour upon longstanding member Peter Dengate Thrush who was made an InternetNZ Fellow at the Society?s Annual General Meeting last week. http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/2008/pdt You Need a .Pro! Pre-register now before the Dot-Pro Re-launch [news release] Don?t let just any web address do, get a dot-pro! The dot-pro pre-registrations are taking place now, before the official re-launch on September 8, 2008. At that time, pricing will drop another 50 percent, resulting in a surge of interest in dot-pro domains. To avoid disappointment, EnCirca encourages trademark owners to register their desired names today. Domain names can be registered on a first-come, firstserved basis for just $49 for one year. http://www.encirca.com/html/press/You_Need_A_Pro_Pre_Register_Now_Before_the_Dot-Pro_Relaunch.pdf Soviet Internet Domain Survives ? in Obscurity In the culmination of a decades-long debate, the international community has finally recognized the Soviet Union ? online, that is. The ISO, or International Organization for Standardization, voted this summer to grant the .su domain the status of exclusively reserved. Previously, all web sites ending in .su were to be phased out by 2042, at the latest. http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article/1009/42/369759.htm keepyour.co.uk renewals campaign [news release] Our renewals advertising campaign starts on Monday 11 August and will be running in print and online media through August and September. http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=5537 ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Patch for Web Security Hole Has Leaks of Its Own Faced with the discovery of a serious flaw in the Internet?s workings, computer network administrators around the world have been rushing to fix their systems with a cobbled-together patch. Now it appears that the patch has some gaping holes. http://nytimes.com/2008/08/09/technology/09flaw.html http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080809/news_1b9internet.html http://www.gainesville.com/article/20080809/znyt05/808090308 DNS creator: It's time to add security The man who authored the Domain Name System architecture has called on Internet service providers to secure it on their networks. Following the publication of a fundamental flaw in the Domain Name System (DNS) by security researcher Dan Kaminsky, DNS inventor Paul Mockapetris told ZDNet Asia's sister site ZDNet UK on Thursday that Internet service providers (ISPs) should "take action" and "add more security to DNS". http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39459935,00.htm http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/security/0,39044215,62044795,00.htm Cyberspace Barrage Preceded Russian Invasion of Georgia Weeks before physical bombs started falling on Georgia, a security researcher in suburban Massachusetts was watching an attack against the country in cyberspace. http://nytimes.com/2008/08/13/technology/13cyber.html http://iht.com/articles/2008/08/12/technology/webcyber.php Georgia Takes a Beating in the Cyberwar With Russia Besides the bloody shooting war going on between Georgia and Russia, there?s another, quieter battle going on in cyberspace. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/11/georgia-takes-a-beating-in-the-cyberwar-with-russia/ Georgia accuses Russia of waging 'cyber-war' Georgia today accused Russia of waging a parallel ?cyber-war?, using hacking techniques to block key Georgian government websites. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article4508546.ece Estonia, Poland help Georgia fight cyberattacks [IDG] In an intriguing cyberalliance, two Estonian computer experts are scheduled to arrive in Georgia by evening to keep the country's networks running amid an intense military confrontation with Russia. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9112399 http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/BEA47151896EBCEFCC2574A300717880 Russia and Georgia continue attacks--online Researchers studying botnets have reported an increase in attacks on Georgian Web sites, including that of the country's president, within the last two weeks. While the attacks--Web site defacement and denial-of-service packet floods--are reminiscent of the Internet attacks waged against Estonia in May 2007, Jose Nazario, security researcher for Arbor Networks, told CNET News that he's seeing evidence that Georgia is apparently fighting back, attacking at least one Moscow-based newspaper site. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10015657-83.html Georgian Government, News Sites Under Cyber Attack The fierce fighting that began last week between Russia and the former Soviet republic of Georgia is being mirrored in a fierce cyber battle between the two countries, according to Georgian officials and third-party observers. http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=161293 Russian hacker 'militia' mobilizes to attack Georgia Security researchers on Tuesday disputed claims that a well-known Russian hacker-hosting network is responsible for cyberattacks against sites belonging to Georgia, the former Soviet republic that has been battling Russian military forces since Friday. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9112443 http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/076B601C9F5F88B4CC2574A30070B0A3 Cyber attacks knock out Georgia's Internet presence Hackers, perhaps affiliated with a well-known Russian criminal network, have attacked and hijacked Web sites belonging to Georgia, the former Soviet republic now in the fourth day of war with Russia, a security researcher claimed Sunday. http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1528065017 http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9112201 http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/6F9AC917A2298DF7CC2574A200715DAC Russian hackers continue attacks on Georgian sites [AP] Attacks by Russian hackers against Georgian Web sites, including one hosted in the United States, continued Tuesday even as Russian President Dmitri Medvedev ordered a halt to hostilities against Georgia. http://news.smh.com.au/technology/russian-hackers-continue-attacks-on-georgian-sites-20080812-3tpo.html http://news.theage.com.au/technology/russian-hackers-continue-attacks-on-georgian-sites-20080812-3tpo.html http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TEC_GEORGIA_INTERNET Black Hat conference spotlights virtualization, DNS issues The 12th Black Hat conference convened at Caesar's Palace, where the 4,500 attendees (a 12.5 percent increase over last year) heard about the security problems that will plague virtualized environments, why Cisco routers are more of a hacker target than ever, and a detailed explanation of DNS attacks. http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/08/08/Black_Hat_Conference_spotlights_virtualization_DNS_issues-Network_1.html Cybersecurity lessons from the Civil War The security issues we face today in cyberspace are the same ones the country faced during the American Civil War when Abe Lincoln was relying on telegraph transmissions to help keep the country united, a top U.S. cybersecurity official said in a keynote speech at the Black Hat security conference here Thursday. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10010081-83.html Is There A Fundamental Flaw In The Internet's Inner Workings? News that there is a flaw in the inner workings of the internet has led to widespread concern in the computer industry. The recently discovered flaw related to the internet's Domain Name System (DNS), the system which points your website name address to the correct numeric number for the computer system serving that site, e.g. www.google.co.uk redirects to 216.239.59.99. http://itvibe.com/news/4371/ DENIC Recommends Software Update Due To Safety Gap in DNS Resolvers Recently, all well-known producers of DNS software and various Incident Response Teams (CERTs) have drawn attention to a current problem with the DNS, which provides the basis for third parties to sneak in forged information to name servers. With the explications below DENIC wants to inform about the background of the situation, give its own view of the problem and point out potential measures that can be taken by operators of name servers. http://www.denic.de/en/denic/news/news_86.html FICORA's CERT-FI information security review 2/2008: Security of web services tested in many ways [news release] The usability and information security of services provided on the Internet have been tested in many ways. Attempts have been made to hack websites and to prevent them from functioning by denial-of-service attacks. http://www.ficora.fi/en/index/viestintavirasto/lehdistotiedotteet/2008/P_8.html ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Typos can bedevil online political campaigns [AFP] Typos can bedevil online political campaigns by letting evil software wizards or crafty king-makers turn misspellings into opportunities for sabotage or theft, a security specialist has warned. http://news.smh.com.au/technology/typos-can-bedevil-online-political-campaigns-20080808-3s28.html http://news.theage.com.au/technology/typos-can-bedevil-online-political-campaigns-20080808-3s28.html http://www.france24.com/en/20080808-typos-can-bedevil-online-political-campaigns Typosquatting as Corporate Espionage Typosquatting, that seedy practice of registering domain names similar to legit sites but with typos in the name, has a new twist. At a Black Hat presentation last week on a Symantec long-term research on the practice as it cropped up in the 2008 election campaign, Oliver Friedrichs found an interesting tidbit. A typosquatting domain registered to someone in China had no Web page, but it did have a record that allowed it to receive e-mail. http://www.pcworld.com/article/149687/2008/08/.html Black Hat: Typosquatting the presidential election web sites Bad hackers haven?t caused much damage this year during the online-heavy presidential campaign. But the potential is there. Consider ?typosquatting.? http://venturebeat.com/2008/08/07/black-hat-typosquatting-the-presidential-election-web-sites/ http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/08/07/black-hat-typosquatting-presidential-election-web-sites Reverse Domain Name Hijacking Decision Under the UDRP: What Was The Attorney Thinking? A recent reverse domain hijacking decision in Collective Media, Inc. v. CKV / COLLECTIVEMEDIA.COM is interesting to any lawyer who practices domain dispute law. The law firm bringing the Complaint Lowenstein Sandler PC advertises as a large law firm specializing in domain name disputes as evidenced by a search of their web site for the words "domain name." Considering that the domain name was registered 5 years before Complainant's trademark application was even filed and 3 years before claimed first use of the trademark, and that it contains two generic words, it is hard to imagine whether the lawyers were thinking beyond the billable hour when they filed this one. http://tcattorney.typepad.com/anticybersquatting_consum/2008/08/reverse-domain.html ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** VeriSign Reports $68 Million Loss; 87.3 Million .com/.net Domain Names VeriSign reported a US$68 million loss this week that was made worse by the costs involved in restructuring and selling off non-core businesses. The report also noted there were approximately 87.3 million active domain names. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=5617 http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/08/08/verisign-reports-68-million-loss-873-million-comnet-domains/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/verisign-reports-68-million-loss-87.3-million-.com-.net-domains.html .org Registry and Noncommercial orgs warn against government misuse of IDNs by Milton Mueller Alexa Raad, CEO of Public Interest Registry, and Dr. Milton Mueller, Professor and Chair of the Noncommercial Users Constituency, released a joint statement on Internationalized domain names (IDNs) today. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/8/6/3827637.html Domain Pricing - Is There A Ceiling? by Michele Neylon The announcements by Verisign, PIR and Afilias of price increases in com,net,org and .info shouldn't really come as a surprise to anyone. However if the year on year price increases do leave an interesting question - is there an upper ceiling? http://www.isquattedyour.eu/2008/08/04/domain-pricing-is-there-a-ceiling/ Domain Name Lessons From iTunes by Alex Tajirian What do iTunes and a cooperative domain-name Intellectual Property (IP) regime have in common? They are market solutions to illegal activity: free downloading of music and free use of brands in domain names, respectively. The music industry tried to fight the free downloading of trademark-protected music by taking legal action against free downloaders under the pretext that their activity siphons industry revenue. http://www.circleid.com/posts/domain_name_lessons_from_itunes/ ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Flipping For Domains It wasn't a great school year for Steven McDonald. He didn't win a single track meet, and he was rejected or wait-listed by every college he applied to. McDonald's fiscal year, however, has been phenomenal. It started last September, when he paid $620 for the Internet domain name qsd.com and, two weeks later, sold it for $12,000 to a fellow domain trader, or "domainer." Since that first investment, McDonald has grossed $325,000 from flipping domains. http://www.forbes.com/home/2008/08/10/domains-flip-aftermarket-tech-ebiz-cz_cf_0811domains.html Action.com Commands Close to a Quarter of a Million Dollars to Lead This Week's Domain Sales Chart Moniker.com closed nine five-figure sales from recent live auctions this week, but it was a blockbuster six-figure deal that they handled away from the auction hall that tops this week domain sales leader board. Action.com did the honors stirring up $230,000 in one of the 20 biggest sales reported so far this year. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2008/domainsales08-05-08.htm The New Real Estate Trend, Website Flips ... There is a growing wave of entrepreneurs becoming fascinated with Internet domain names, niche blogs and niche websites that they can flip to make a nice profit for all of their sweat equity they put into building up the Internet business. Largely driven by the high-profile Internet deals such as; Cond? Nast?s $25 million purchase of Wired News, People.com?s acquisition of Celebrity Baby Blog, and Guardian News and Media and the owner of PaidContent for a reported $30 million. http://mosnarcommunications.blogspot.com/2008/08/new-real-estate-trend-website-flips.html Yahoo to Make Targeted Ads Optional-Lawmakers Scrutinize Impact of Data Collection on Privacy Internet giant Yahoo is set to announce today that it will allow users to shut off targeted advertising on its Web sites, a move that comes as a congressional committee continues to air concerns about consumer privacy. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/07/AR2008080703104.html .Me Auctions Getting Out of Hand; Brazilian Buys Toyota.me Auctions for .me domain names continue, but we?ve already seen some eye popping sales. Even more peculiar is the number of trademarks going for big dollars. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/08/12/me-auctions-getting-out-of-hand-brazilian-buys-toyotame/ Sedo Completes Website.org Sale for 20,500 EUR It?s not often that a domain name sales venue?s top sale is a .org or .info domain name, but that was the case this week at Sedo. The company sold Website.org for 20,500 EUR (roughly $30,000 USD). The company also completed its sale of Printer.info for $21,500. That particular domain was sold at auction a while back but the transaction was just completed. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/08/12/sedo-completes-websiteorg-sale-for-20500-eur/ ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Is Google a Media Company? Type ?buttermilk pancakes? into Google, and among the top three or four search results you will find a link to a detailed recipe complete with a photo of a scrumptious stack from a site called Knol, which is owned by Google. http://nytimes.com/2008/08/11/technology/11google.html eBay traders accuse site of selling out Going, going, gone? Furious fans have accused eBay, the website that brought auctions to the internet, of betrayal. They are upset by a decision to lurch away from the website's original format and instead allow major retailers to list thousands of products at fixed prices. The trend, they warn, marks the beginning of the end for the online auction - leaving eBay looking less like a car-boot sale and more like a shopping mall. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/aug/10/ebay.efinance ********************** SPAM ********************** Google Says Infected Spam Is Getting Worse On its enterprise blog on Tuesday, Google plans to report that it saw more infectious spam messages in July than any month so far this year. According to data gathered by Google's Postini corporate e-mail security service, the volume of e-mail virus attacks peaked at almost 10 million on a single day, July 24. http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/security/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210002878 'Pump and Dump' conmen targeted Scammers using the net to hype stocks are being targeted with software that can spot fraudulent trading patterns. Many hi-tech conmen use junk mail to hype stocks so they can sell shares they own in the companies at a profit. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7552009.stm VeriSign releases stock fraud protection service VeriSign has adapted its fraud protection service to help safeguard against a common form of stock trading fraud. The new module for the VeriSign Identity Protection (VIP) Fraud Detection Service, the Stock Trading Module, uses a self-learning behavioural engine to spot a form of trading fraud known as 'pump-and-dump' fraud. http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1704251297 Hi-tech thieves target Olympics The start of the Olympics has proved irresistible to cyber criminals, say security firms. The volume of junk e-mail messages with an Olympic theme spiked prior to the opening ceremony, said Symantec. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7548870.stm Obama, Olympics spam popular as year-over-year volume grows The most important way for a spam message to be successful is to catch the user's eye and overcome initial skepticism. That means, regardless of how the e-mail is flagged, the user is attracted by the e-mail title, body, and ultimately ends up clicking the included link that either sends in malware or tries to sell a crap product. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080812-obama-olympics-spam-popular-as-year-over-year-volume-grows.html Twitter tries 'following' limits to curb spam Did you know that you can only follow 2,000 people on Twitter--unless there are at least 2,000 people who have opted to follow you? This was one of the measures that the microblogging service formally announced Thursday as part of a new system to cut down on spam. The company acknowledged it only obliquely, but bloggers like David Risley picked up on the news and spread the word. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10015151-36.html http://blogs.zdnet.com/social/?p=566 ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Cyberspace Barrage Preceded Russian Invasion of Georgia Weeks before physical bombs started falling on Georgia, a security researcher in suburban Massachusetts was watching an attack against the country in cyberspace. http://nytimes.com/2008/08/13/technology/13cyber.html http://iht.com/articles/2008/08/12/technology/webcyber.php Georgia Takes a Beating in the Cyberwar With Russia Besides the bloody shooting war going on between Georgia and Russia, there?s another, quieter battle going on in cyberspace. The Georgian government is accusing Russia of disabling Georgian Web sites, including the site for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/11/georgia-takes-a-beating-in-the-cyberwar-with-russia/ Georgia accuses Russia of waging 'cyber-war' Georgia today accused Russia of waging a parallel ?cyber-war?, using hacking techniques to block key Georgian government websites. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article4508546.ece Estonia, Poland help Georgia fight cyberattacks [IDG] In an intriguing cyberalliance, two Estonian computer experts are scheduled to arrive in Georgia by evening to keep the country's networks running amid an intense military confrontation with Russia. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9112399 http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/BEA47151896EBCEFCC2574A300717880 Russia and Georgia continue attacks--online Researchers studying botnets have reported an increase in attacks on Georgian Web sites, including that of the country's president, within the last two weeks. While the attacks--Web site defacement and denial-of-service packet floods--are reminiscent of the Internet attacks waged against Estonia in May 2007, Jose Nazario, security researcher for Arbor Networks, told CNET News that he's seeing evidence that Georgia is apparently fighting back, attacking at least one Moscow-based newspaper site. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10015657-83.html Georgian Government, News Sites Under Cyber Attack The fierce fighting that began last week between Russia and the former Soviet republic of Georgia is being mirrored in a fierce cyber battle between the two countries, according to Georgian officials and third-party observers. http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=161293 Russian hacker 'militia' mobilizes to attack Georgia Security researchers on Tuesday disputed claims that a well-known Russian hacker-hosting network is responsible for cyberattacks against sites belonging to Georgia, the former Soviet republic that has been battling Russian military forces since Friday. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9112443 http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/076B601C9F5F88B4CC2574A30070B0A3 Cyber attacks knock out Georgia's Internet presence Hackers, perhaps affiliated with a well-known Russian criminal network, have attacked and hijacked Web sites belonging to Georgia, the former Soviet republic now in the fourth day of war with Russia, a security researcher claimed Sunday. http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1528065017 http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9112201 http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/6F9AC917A2298DF7CC2574A200715DAC Global Trail of an Online Crime Ring US prosecutors say their own informant stole millions of credit card numbers in a case that reveals how the Internet is enabling new crimes on a vast scale. http://nytimes.com/2008/08/12/technology/12theft.html http://iht.com/articles/2008/08/11/business/theft.php Reporters booted from Black Hat conference for hacking With thousands of hackers milling around the Black Hat convention here, and widespread snooping on the public WiFi network, one place was supposed to be off limits: the press room. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/08/AR2008080800003.html US internet fraud: many complaints, few repercussions [IDG] Despite receiving tens of thousands of online fraud complaints from consumers every year, U.S. states bring only a small number of Internet-related cases to court, according to research released on Tuesday. http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/08/12/Internet_fraud_many_complaints_few_repercussions_1.html http://www.itworld.com/legal/54215/internet-fraud-many-complaints-few-repercussions http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9112448 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/081208-internet-fraud-many-complaints-few.html U.S. Fails To Prosecute Internet Fraud Cases [Reuters] While Web users drown in spam and fend off scams aimed at stealing their money, U.S. federal and state law enforcement authorities are doing little to resolve what has become a multi-billion-dollar problem, a think tank said Monday. http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/security/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210002949 Belgian court dismisses L'Oreal claims against eBay A Belgian court on Tuesday dismissed all of the claims of cosmetics maker L'Oreal brought against eBay over the sale of fake fragrances and cosmetic products on online auction sites, eBay said in a statement. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-34976920080812 http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKLC68743420080812 Tiffany appeals eBay counterfeit ruling Tiffany & Co. has appealed a U.S. district court ruling that says eBay Inc. is not responsible for counterfeit goods sold on its Web site. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9112319 Tiffany appeals US court's eBay ruling Jeweller Tiffany has lodged an appeal against a US court ruling that said that eBay is not responsible for the sale of fakes on its auction site. http://out-law.com/page-9340 Tiffany Keeps Hammering at eBay Lawsuit Luxury-goods retailer Tiffany is keeping its battle with eBay alive, appealing a judge's ruling that Tiffany, not eBay, is responsible for protecting its brand on the auction site. The judge failed to account for the basic premise of trademark law in making his ruling, Tiffany's lawyers argue. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/Tiffany-Keeps-Hammering-at-eBay-Lawsuit-64131.html Tiffany appeals ruling in eBay counterfeit listings case Tiffany & Co. announced on Monday that it is appealing a recent federal court decision that said eBay is not responsible for policing counterfeit listings on its auction site. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10013681-38.html Tiffany appeals eBay counterfeiting decision [AP] Tiffany & Co. challenged Monday a federal ruling that largely absolved eBay Inc. of policing its auction site for counterfeit items, saying the judge was wrong to leave the primary burden to the jewelry maker. http://nytimes.com/aponline/business/AP-Tiffany-Appeal.html http://news.theage.com.au/technology/tiffany-appeals-ebay-counterfeiting-decision-20080812-3tpq.html http://news.smh.com.au/technology/tiffany-appeals-ebay-counterfeiting-decision-20080812-3tpq.html Tiffany appeals eBay Internet ruling U.S. jeweller Tiffany on Monday said it appealed a recent court ruling that found eBay was not responsible for policing fake Tiffany jewellery sold on its website. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKMOL16800620080811 ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Yahoo to Make Targeted Ads Optional-Lawmakers Scrutinize Impact of Data Collection on Privacy Internet giant Yahoo is set to announce today that it will allow users to shut off targeted advertising on its Web sites, a move that comes as a congressional committee continues to air concerns about consumer privacy. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/07/AR2008080703104.html us: Some Web Firms Say They Track Behavior Without Explicit Consent Several Internet and broadband companies have acknowledged using targeted-advertising technology without explicitly informing customers, according to letters released yesterday by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/11/AR2008081102270.html Web Privacy on the Radar in US Congress ... ?I?m pretty aware of the fact that anything you do on the Internet pretty much should just be considered public,? Mr. Martinez said. While he knows that companies are collecting his data and often tracking his online habits so they can show him more relevant ads, he said, he would like to see more transparency ?about what the company intends to do with your data and your information.? ?Like all privacy matters, it?s something that people need to be informed on,? Mr. Martinez said. http://nytimes.com/2008/08/11/technology/11privacy.html au: Online ticketing blunder puts thousands at risk Privacy groups say thousands of people could be targeted by online fraudsters because of a mistake by an online ticketing agency. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/12/2332436.htm au: Ticketek bungle prompts internet privacy debate An email sent by concert marketing group Ticketek to its customers has sparked new debate about internet privacy. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/12/2332367.htm Ticketek apologises for not-so-Dandy mailout 12/08/2008 17:30:36 CEO Geoff Jones says sorry for mistake that exposed 13,000 email addresses. http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1218267490 ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Australian ISPs join the copyright fight Australian internet users could have their online access curbed if a new trial launched in Britain last month takes hold here. The Australian entertainment industry wants internet service providers to act as file-sharing police and caution people who download illegal copies of films, TV shows and music via peer-to-peer networks. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/08/06/1217702054216.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/08/06/1217702054216.html Italian authorities attempt to take on Pirate Bay Italian internet service providers have attempted to block access to peer-to-peer (P2P) link-sharing site The Pirate Bay. The Pirate Bay claims that the action was taken on the orders of Italian prosecutor Giancarlo Mancusi. http://out-law.com/page-9336 ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Website blocking for your own good, Games chiefs tell Chinese [AFP] Olympic Games organisers say their controversial decision to block internet sites was taken to protect Chinese youngsters. Asked why sites such as Free Tibet and those covering the Tiananmen Square massacre were not accessible, Wang Wei, the vice-president of organising committee BOCOG, said: "We (BOCOG) promised free access except for a few websites that jeopardise our security and the healthy growth of our youth." http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/09/2329896.htm?site=olympics/2008 Rumor Control: Why I Can?t Put ?Tibet? in My Hotmail Address A reader wrote in to say he had heard that Microsoft was not letting people choose usernames with the word ?Tibet? in them when signing up for its online services. This turns out to be true, technically speaking. If you try to select such a name you get an error message: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/07/rumor-control-why-i-cant-put-tibet-in-my-hotmail-address/ Web users beat censors to attack ?authoritarian? opening ceremony While the world marvelled at the spectacular opening ceremony in Beijing, a surprising backlash was materialising this weekend among Chinese internet users. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/olympics/article4493484.ece ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ A Children Based Browser For Children Offering A Plethora Of Benefits Children?s Educational Network, a leader in the software developing industry has launched a fully integrated suite of internet software products that offer safer platforms for children online. http://www.1888pressrelease.com/a-children-based-browser-for-children-offering-a-plethora-of-pr-66669.html nz: Students take online revenge on teachers Students are taking a high-tech approach to revenge on teachers - assuming their identities in fake online profiles and putting doctored photographs of them on the internet. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=137&objectid=10526073 UK mobile firms urged to improve age filtering The mobile phone industry is considering introducing cinema-style classifications for mobile phone content, to prevent children using the latest internet-enabled handsets to access websites that contain unsuitable material. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/aug/12/telecoms.internetphonesbroadband ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** us: Study: State AGs Fail to Adequately Protect Online Consumers State attorneys general received thousands of complaints about online fraud and abuse in 2006 and 2007. Yet, with the exception of several notable standouts, few states brought significant cases in response to those complaints, according to a report released today from the Center for American Progress and the Center for Democracy and Technology. The study finds online fraud and abuse aren't given a high priority by most attorneys general. The report recommends several steps state attorneys general can take to protect online consumers, such as: assess the applicability and adequacy of state laws; develop computer forensic capabilities; train investigators and prosecutors to identify Internet fraud; and devote greater resources to enforcement efforts. August 12, 2008 Study: Online Consumers at Risk and the Role of State Attorneys General: http://www.cdt.org/privacy/20080812_ag_consumer_risk.pdf au: New technology pushes privacy law change Advancements in information technology warrant changes in privacy laws, said the Australian Law Reform Commission. Today it launched a new report that recommends 295 changes to privacy laws and practices for government agencies, businesses, and the private sector. http://www.itnews.com.au/News/82268,new-technology-pushes-privacy-law-change.aspx ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** EC readies European satellite wireless spectrum Companies that offer satellite-based services including mobile data, mobile TV, disaster relief and remote medical services will soon be able to do so across the whole of Europe, after the European Commission announced it was harmonizing radio spectrum throughout the continent for this purpose. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/communications/0,39044192,62044744,00.htm http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39458727,00.htm Telstra, Optus experts clash on broadband build A regulatory expert on Telstra's payroll says the National Broadband Network's focus on a single ubiquitous build will drive down competitive investment in telecoms. Optus's regulatory expert, however, says Telstra has the story wrong. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24164965-5013041,00.html?referrer=email Aust Govt blitz on roaming bill shock The Rudd Government has sent a clear warning it wants mobile carriers to ease charges Australian consumers face when using their mobiles overseas. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24168118-15306,00.html Virgin Media aims for 40 times faster broadband in UK Virgin Media could be offering customers broadband at up to 200Mb per second by 2012, roughly 40 times faster than the average speed currently enjoyed by British web surfers, according to the cable company's chief executive, Neil Berkett. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/08/virginmedia.internet ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** WiMAX Forum Applauds India The WiMAX Forum today commended the Department of Telecommunications of India for the allocation and upcoming auction relating to the 2.3 and 2.5 GHz frequency bands. The availability of these key bands for WiMAX? technology in India will provide its consumers with much needed broadband connectivity across the diverse economic and social needs of the entire population. http://www.unstrung.com/document.asp?doc_id=161094 ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** au: Child-pornography teacher 'a broken man' A FORMER Brighton Grammar teacher who used words such as "pre-teen Lolita" to scour the internet for child pornography was a broken man whose reputation was in tatters, the County Court has heard. http://www.theage.com.au/national/childpornography-teacher-a-broken-man-20080811-3tn2.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2008 --------- David Goldstein address: 4/3 Abbott Street COOGEE NSW 2034 AUSTRALIA email: Goldstein_David §yahoo.com.au phone: +61 418 228 605 (mobile); +61 2 9665 5773 (home) "Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim Flannery Win a MacBook Air or iPod touch with Yahoo!7. http://au.docs.yahoo.com/homepagesetReceived on Tue Aug 12 2008 - 18:38:21 UTC
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