[DNS] domain name news - 18 October

[DNS] domain name news - 18 October

From: David Goldstein <goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au>
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2010 02:17:00 -0700 (PDT)
Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of 
the last 3 months of the news.


And see my website - http://GoldsteinReport.com/ - for daily updates in between 
postings.


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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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Web worlds collide in war for followers
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/3422fc06-d88d-11df-8e05-00144feabdc0.html

Challenger, defender or both? ITU Secretary General Tour? talks Internet
http://gibc.biz/2010/10/challenger-defender-or-both-itu-secretary-general-toure-talks-internet/


Iran?s Arabic domain choice approved
http://domainincite.com/irans-arabic-domain-choice-approved/

uk: Cyberwarfare defence spending to rise despite cuts
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/oct/17/cyberwarfare-defence-spending-increase-cuts


IPv4: And then there were 12
http://blog.icann.org/2010/10/and-then-there-were-12/

Hackers waiting for IP addresses to run out
http://www.securecomputing.net.au/News/235242,hackers-waiting-for-ip-addresses-to-run-out.aspx


URL shorteners, domain hacks and quasi-gTLDs: what are ccTLDs really about? by 
Jon Lawrence, Business Development Consultant, AusRegistry International
http://www.ausregistry.com/blog/?p=575


**********************
GOVERNANCE
**********************
Web worlds collide in war for followers
A phony war being waged between some of the biggest companies on the web broke 
out into the open this week. The worlds of internet search and social networking 
have finally collided ? with long-term implications both for the experience of 
using the web, as well as the online competitive landscape. The opening salvo in 
the battle was fired on Wednesday, with news of an alliance between Facebook and 
Microsoft?s Bing search engine.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/3422fc06-d88d-11df-8e05-00144feabdc0.html

Challenger, defender or both? ITU Secretary General Tour? talks Internet
Last week, Malinese representative Hamadoun Tour? was selected to a second term 
as Secretary-General of the ITU. It will be a difficult four years for the man 
who has to navigate the organisation through a crisis of identity and purpose, 
as well as a reduction in its funds. Surprisingly, but probably crucially, he is 
quite upbeat about the challenges ahead when we met him during the second week 
of the ITU?s three-week Plenipotentiary in Guadalajara.
http://gibc.biz/2010/10/challenger-defender-or-both-itu-secretary-general-toure-talks-internet/


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DOMAIN NAMES
**********************
**********************
 - ICANN
**********************
Public Comment: Allow the Allocation of Numeric-Only (Excluding Single-Digit) 
Domains in .TEL
ICANN is today opening a public comment period on a proposed amendment from 
Telnic Ltd. to Appendices 6 and S of the .TEL Registry Agreement.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-14oct10-en.htm

Hogan Lovells becomes registrar
Law firm Hogan Lovells has been accredited by Icann as a domain name registrar. 
It claims to be the first law firm to have taken such a step. ... He told 
Managing Internet IP the move would enable the firm to service clients on gTLDs 
and sunrise periods "but also, and importantly, be positioned to assist our key 
clients when new gTLDs are launched in 2011".
http://www.managingip.com/Article/2693449/Latest-News-Magazine/Hogan-Lovells-becomes-registrar.html


WIPO Activities Related to New gTLDs
These pages seek to provide a distillation of WIPO?s Activities Related to New 
gTLDs designed to assist in the prevention and resolution of domain name-related 
trademark abuse.
http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/newgtld/

**********************
 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
**********************
Iran?s Arabic domain choice approved
Iran?s choice of Arabic-script top-level domain has passed the string approval 
stage of ICANN?s internationalized domain name process, making a delegation 
likely before long.
http://domainincite.com/irans-arabic-domain-choice-approved/

Iran's Top-Level Domain Approved by ICANN, That is .IRAN in Non-Latin
ICANN announced today its approval of non-Latin string evaluation of Iran. This 
approval will allow the availability of Iran's top-level domain in its own 
native language, Persian, also known as Farsi (that is, the domain name .IRAN, 
in non-Latin characters).
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20101015_iran_non_latin_top_level_domain_approved_by_icann/


Registering domains within co.no
The domain co.no is registered by the Norwegian organization ELINEWEB AS. It 
appears to be run by the company CoDNS BV, which is offering sub-domains of 
co.no to other entities.
http://www.norid.no/nytt/co.en.html

Norid Trying To Scare Prospective Registrants of co.no domains?
Norid, the domain name registry for Norway (.no), has a page on their site about 
co.no which is worth reading.
http://www.dnsnews.me/2010/10/11/norid-trying-to-scare-prospective-registrants/

.SE?s statement concerning One.com
In. SE's letter to PTS, we answer questions about the closure of One.com for new 
registrations as of September 14, 2010
http://www.iis.se/en/pressmeddelanden/se-svar-gallande-one-com

IDNs coming next week!
IDNs for .si will become available in just a couple of days. Registrations will 
start on 20.10.2010 at 10:00. Contact your registrar for timely registration of 
your .si IDN. Supported character list can be found here.
http://www.registry.si/news/news-item/article/idns-coming-next-week/285.html

Will ITU object to phone number .tel domains?
Should Telnic be allowed to let people register their phone numbers as .tel 
domain names?
http://domainincite.com/will-itu-object-to-phone-number-tel-domains/

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 - DNS SECURITY
**********************
uk: Cyberwarfare defence spending to rise despite cuts
A significant rise in resources devoted to cyberwarfare, intelligence gathering 
and special forces will be signalled tomorrow when the government reveals full 
details of a defence review that will impose sweeping cuts on the armed forces' 
more traditional forms of firepower.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/oct/17/cyberwarfare-defence-spending-increase-cuts


Cyber-attacks are 'key threat to UK security' [PA]
Britain's new National Security Strategy is today expected to name terrorism and 
cyber-attacks on vital computer networks as the biggest threats to the UK in the 
immediate future.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cyberattacks-are-key-threat-to-uk-security-2109628.html


Terrorism and cyber attacks are key threats to Britain, says report
Britain faces an increased threat from terrorism, cyber attack and small-scale 
wars, a National Security Strategy will say.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/8070022/Terrorism-and-cyber-attacks-are-key-threats-to-Britain-says-report.html


Call to define rules of cyber war
Nations need to define the rules of engagement for acts of cyber terror. The 
call for clarity was issued by Michael Chertoff, former head of the US 
Department of Homeland Security, at the RSA security conference in London.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11545040

uk: Strategic defence review to prioritise cyber security
A major increase in resources devoted to combating the threat posed by internet 
attacks will feature in next week's strategic defence and security review, the 
government's cyber tsar signalled today.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/oct/13/strategic-defence-review-cyber-security


Editorial: Cyber warfare: Low blows
There are 1,000 emails a month trying to penetrate or disable government 
computer networks. Losses from online banking fraud reached ?39m in the first 
half of 2009, a rise of more than 50% over the year before. Whichever way you 
look at it, the director of GCHQ, Iain Lobban, was not exaggerating when he said 
this week that Britain's critical infrastructure faced a real and credible 
threat from cyber attack.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/oct/14/cyber-warfare-gchq-espionage

us: Defense, Homeland Security Reach Cybersecurity Compromise
The heads of the Defense and Homeland Security departments on Wednesday formally 
agreed to coordinate on cybersecurity in a newly established office, amid a 
debate over whether the Pentagon, Homeland Security or the White House should 
have chief responsibility for protecting information networks, Nextgov.com 
reported.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/10/defense-homeland-security-reac.php


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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
**********************
Law, politics and internet addresses: Shortened web links are convenient, but 
they come at a price
Physical investment in Libya would merit much due diligence. On the internet, 
this is not yet standard. The woes of vb.ly, a website that used Libya?s .ly 
domain name, highlight a neglected problem for web businesses and users.
http://www.economist.com/node/17249654

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 - IPv4/IPv6
**********************
And then there were 12
This week we allocated two more /8s, this time to APNIC, the Regional Internet 
Registry (RIR) for the Asia Pacific region. There are now just 12 unallocated 
unicast IPv4 /8s.
http://blog.icann.org/2010/10/and-then-there-were-12/

Hackers waiting for IP addresses to run out
Cyber criminals are ready to pounce when current IPv4 web addresses run out and 
firms migrate to IPv6, a security firm warns.
http://www.securecomputing.net.au/News/235242,hackers-waiting-for-ip-addresses-to-run-out.aspx

http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/235242,hackers-waiting-for-ip-addresses-to-run-out.aspx


IPv6 Momentum? by Craig Labovitz
Last month, the Obama administration sponsored one of the first high-level 
government workshops on IPv6. At the meeting, the administration's Chief 
Information Officer, Vivek Kundra, announced a remarkable 2012 deadline for 
federal agencies to support IPv6. So with a high-level US government mandate and 
a recent spade of vendor and carrier IPv6 announcements (e.g. VeriSign, 
Hurricane Electric), is the 15 year old IPv6 migration effort finally gaining 
momentum?
http://www.circleid.com/posts/ipv6_momentum/

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
**********************
URL shorteners, domain hacks and quasi-gTLDs: what are ccTLDs really about? by 
Jon Lawrence, Business Development Consultant, AusRegistry International
The Twitterverse is awash with catchy URL shortening services, which allow what 
would otherwise be long URLs to fit within the strict character limit of 
individual Tweets. Before the Twitter phenomenon really took hold, tinyurl.com 
was one of the more popular services; now much shorter options are available, 
using various ccTLDs which have the significant advantage of being only two 
characters after the dot.
http://www.ausregistry.com/blog/?p=575

Netcraft October 2010 Web Server Survey
In the October 2010 survey we received responses from 232,839,963 sites. Again 
this month Apache increased its market share by approximately 1 percentage 
point, gaining 5.5M hostnames, while Microsoft and Google lost 1.3M and 400k 
hostnames respectively. Microsoft's losses in Active Sites were much smaller, at 
just over 100k, while Google lost 150k.
http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2010/10/12/october-2010-web-server-survey.html

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
**********************
Half Million Dollar Sale at Sedo and .CO Landrush Auction Sales Dominate This 
Week's Domain Sales Chart
Sedo rang up one of the year's 10 biggest sales to date to take the top spot on 
our new weekly all extension domain sales leader board. They did it with 
IPO.com, a name that changed hands for an even $500,000. Sedo also claimed the 
runner-up position with AirTickets.com at $80,000 and wound up sweeping 11 of 
the 20 chart entries overall.
http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2010/20101006.htm

us: Stearns to speak to domain-name industry
An influential Florida Republican will become the highest-ranking government 
official to address the domain-name industry in Miami Beach next week.
http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/124475-stearns-to-speak-to-domain-name-industry


**********************
REPORTS & RESEARCH PAPERS
**********************
Thinking Through Active Defense in Cyberspace by Jay P. Kesan & Carol M. Hayes 
[Illinois Public Law Research Paper]
Abstract: In this article, we take a forward-looking approach to the issue of 
active defense in cyberspace. Active defense typically occurs in the following 
way: the victim of a cyber attack detects an intrusion, identifies the source of 
the attack, and sends the data back at the attacker with the goal of 
interrupting the attack, thereby mitigating the harm to the victim?s system. 
Building on our earlier work that active defense is socially optimal when 
accurate technology exists and civil litigation, criminal prosecution, and 
purely defensive strategies would be ineffective or impractical, we now discuss 
the domestic and international law implications of permitting active defense and 
offer recommendations for who should be responsible for active defense and under 
what circumstances. We recommend further improvement of the current technology 
available for active defense in order to ensure that any cyber counterstrikes 
have a strong chance of hitting the attacker. We stress the importance of any 
active defense regime being compatible with notions of self-defense under 
international humanitarian law and domestic law, though we reject the common 
conclusion that the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act could be read broadly to 
prohibit any sort of activity on the Internet that might cause harm to another 
computer owned and operated by a private citizen. We also discuss the 
implications of permitting active defense by private firms and conclude that 
there may be too many potential harms to permit private firms to engage in 
active defense in the absence of controlling government oversight. However, the 
need for a more centralized response to cyber attacks raises the question of 
whether a government entity should be responsible for conducting cyber 
counterstrikes, and if so, what legal considerations would arise in the event of 
government-controlled active defense. Additionally, we examine the sort of 
controls that might be put in place to ensure the protection of oblivious third 
parties whose compromised computers might be inadvertently harmed by a 
cyberattack victim?s choice to employ active defense.
http://ssrn.com/abstract=1691207

**********************
INTERNET USE
**********************
Are we smarter or stupider with the internet? [Sunday Star Times]
Is the internet making us stupid? Sarah Harvey searches for the answer: Our 
online reading habits are making us stupid and unable to read anything longer 
than a paragraph or two, according to research in London.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/4241832/Are-we-smarter-or-stupider-with-the-internet


S.Korea widens lead in global broadband quality
South Korea has surpassed Hong Kong and Japan in broadband quality for the 
second consecutive year, setting a new global benchmark for speed and 
penetration, a study said on Monday.
http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-52254720101018

UK net is "not ready" for future
The UK is slowly climbing up the broadband world rankings, but is still not 
"ready for tomorrow," according to a global study of net services.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11551200

Third annual broadband study shows global broadband quality improves by 24% in 
one year [news release]
The results of the third annual study of the quality of broadband connections 
around the globe reveals continued improvements worldwide, with more countries 
already prepared for the applications of tomorrow than in previous years and two 
thirds of the countries analyzed meeting or surpassing today's needs. Overall, 
thanks to a range of investments in infrastructure, global broadband quality has 
improved by 50% in just three years and penetration of broadband continues to 
improve, with about half of the households (49%) of the countries investigated 
now having access to broadband (up from 40% in 2008).
http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2010/prod_101710.html

Get Britons Online internet use campaign under way
A major drive to get more people to use the internet has started, with the aim 
of persuading reluctant users that the web can save them money and time.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11562798

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
**********************
Google Determined to Crack the Social Code
Google has been stunningly adept at devising computer algorithms to help people 
search the Internet. But when it comes to building features for social 
networking, the company has been much less effective.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/18/technology/18google.html

Facebook 'encourages to children to spread gossip and insults'
Facebook, Twitter and Bebo are undermining children?s moral development by 
rewarding the use of ?inneuendo, half-truth and insult?, according to a leading 
headmaster.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8067093/Facebook-encourages-to-children-to-spread-gossip-and-insults.html


Facebook works to remove anti-gay hate speech [AP]
Facebook is working with a gay-advocacy group to reduce the amount of hate 
speech and bullying on the online social hub.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/facebook-works-to-remove-antigay-hate-speech-20101016-16nwt.html

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/facebook-works-to-remove-antigay-hate-speech-20101016-16nwt.html


Facebook and Skype deal to dial friends and family
Skype is integrating with Facebook to make it easier to call and video chat with 
friends and family on the social network.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11547799

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
**********************
Poll Confirms Ubiquity Of Tech Gadgets
A new poll released Thursday confirms what most of us probably already know: 
cell phones, laptops, Mp3 players and other tech gadgets are becoming an 
ubiquitous part of most U.S. households.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/10/poll-confirms-ubiquity-of-tech.php


Americans and their gadgets
Overview: In recent years the digital world has expanded far beyond the desktop, 
and consumers can now choose from an array of devices capable of satisfying 
their need for ?anytime, anywhere? access to news, information, friends and 
entertainment.
http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Gadgets.aspx

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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
**********************
Half off! France "fights piracy" by subsidizing digital music
France has decided to try something... novel. The country will attempt to prop 
up the digital music industry by subsidizing legal music consumption by young 
people. Under the initiative, citizens between 12 and 25 years old will be able 
to purchase a "carte musique"?a prepaid card usable on subscription-based music 
websites. The card will come with ?50 worth of credit, but customers only have 
to pay ?25. The rest will be paid by the French government.
http://arstechnica.com/media/news/2010/10/france-to-fight-piracy-prop-up-music-industry-with-new-subsidy.ars


French to bankroll music-buying
French people aged 12-25 are to be encouraged to buy music via a 
state-subsidised scheme.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11549874

French music download subsidy cleared by Europe
A French scheme to subsidise music downloads for young people has been given the 
green light by the European Commission, which has said that the measure does not 
breach its rules on state aid.
http://out-law.com/page-11454

Germany Is the Last Holdout in YouTube's European Music Quest
In Europe, YouTube is still perceived in some circles as an illicit conduit for 
bootleg music.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/18/technology/18euroyoutube.html

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
**********************
Will Apple's Culture Hurt the iPhone?
If you want a smartphone powered by Google?s Android software, you could get 
Motorola?s Droid 2 or its cousin, the Droid X. Then there is the Droid 
Incredible from HTC, the Fascinate from Samsung and the Ally from LG.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/18/technology/18apple.html

FCC takes first step toward mobile broadband fund [IDG]
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission took the first step Thursday toward 
long-advocated reform of a huge program that subsidizes traditional phone 
service by proposing a new fund to pay for mobile service in rural areas.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9191198/FCC_takes_first_step_toward_mobile_broadband_fund


Prisons and mobile phones: If mobile phones can?t be kept out of prisons, can 
they be made useless?
The striking thing about mobile phones in American prisons is not that they 
exist?though they do, in great numbers?but the ingenuity used to get and keep 
them. There are the usual entry methods: from visitors, corrupt guards or in 
packages hurled over the fence. But phones often take more exotic paths. In 
South Carolina a potato gun was used to fire phones over prison walls from a 
distance of a third of a mile. In Mississippi a suspiciously heavy and 
bounceless basketball in the recreation yard was found to contain 19 phones and 
chargers.
http://www.economist.com/node/17257847?story_id=17257847

Toddlers' Favorite Toy: The iPhone
The bedroom door opened and a light went on, signaling an end to nap time. The 
toddler, tousle-haired and sleepy-eyed, clambered to a wobbly stand in his crib. 
He smiled, reached out to his father, and uttered what is fast becoming the cry 
of his generation: ?iPhone!?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/fashion/17TODDLERS.html

au: Push to kill mobile 'bill shock'
Mobile carriers would be forced to notify customers before slugging them with 
excess usage fees and other extra charges under tough new rules being considered 
by the Australian government and regulators.
http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/push-to-kill-mobile-bill-shock-20101018-16pux.html

http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/push-to-kill-mobile-bill-shock-20101018-16pux.html

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/push-to-kill-mobile-bill-shock-20101018-16pux.html


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SPAM
**********************
Spam nation: U.S. tops list of spam-relaying countries
Spam nation. Let's face it, that's what they should call us, and it's not the 
eatin' spam, it's the e-mail spam. The United States of America is the top 
spam-belching nation in the entire world ? by far.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/101410-spam.html

ACMA meets with international anti-spam partners
ACMA has kicked off a week-long series of anti-spam meetings and workshops with 
regulators, law enforcement and experts from more than 13 other countries.
http://www.securecomputing.net.au/News/235585,acma-meets-with-international-antispam-partners.aspx

http://www.itnews.com.au/News/235585,acma-meets-with-international-anti-spam-partners.aspx


ACMA hosts global anti-spam pow-wow
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will this week host a 
series of meetings between international anti-spam regulators.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/acma-hosts-global-anti-spam-pow-wow-339306647.htm

**********************
DIGITAL DIVIDE
**********************
Mobile phones help lift poor out of poverty: UN study
Mobile phones -- spreading faster than any other information technology -- can 
improve the livelihoods of the poorest people in developing countries, a United 
Nations report released on Thursday said.
http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-52199820101014
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE69D4WX20101014

UN highlights importance of ICT sector in creating opportunities for the poor 
[news release]
Services and goods associated with information and communications technologies 
(ICTs) are creating opportunities for the poor, but those sources of income are 
unevenly distributed and not always sustainable, the United Nations Conference 
on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said today in a new report.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=36451

**************************
ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
**************************
uk: Cyberwarfare defence spending to rise despite cuts
A significant rise in resources devoted to cyberwarfare, intelligence gathering 
and special forces will be signalled tomorrow when the government reveals full 
details of a defence review that will impose sweeping cuts on the armed forces' 
more traditional forms of firepower.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/oct/17/cyberwarfare-defence-spending-increase-cuts


Cyber-attacks are 'key threat to UK security' [PA]
Britain's new National Security Strategy is today expected to name terrorism and 
cyber-attacks on vital computer networks as the biggest threats to the UK in the 
immediate future.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cyberattacks-are-key-threat-to-uk-security-2109628.html


Terrorism and cyber attacks are key threats to Britain, says report
Britain faces an increased threat from terrorism, cyber attack and small-scale 
wars, a National Security Strategy will say.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/8070022/Terrorism-and-cyber-attacks-are-key-threats-to-Britain-says-report.html


Call to define rules of cyber war
Nations need to define the rules of engagement for acts of cyber terror. The 
call for clarity was issued by Michael Chertoff, former head of the US 
Department of Homeland Security, at the RSA security conference in London.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11545040

uk: Strategic defence review to prioritise cyber security
A major increase in resources devoted to combating the threat posed by internet 
attacks will feature in next week's strategic defence and security review, the 
government's cyber tsar signalled today.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/oct/13/strategic-defence-review-cyber-security


Editorial: Cyber warfare: Low blows
There are 1,000 emails a month trying to penetrate or disable government 
computer networks. Losses from online banking fraud reached ?39m in the first 
half of 2009, a rise of more than 50% over the year before. Whichever way you 
look at it, the director of GCHQ, Iain Lobban, was not exaggerating when he said 
this week that Britain's critical infrastructure faced a real and credible 
threat from cyber attack.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/oct/14/cyber-warfare-gchq-espionage

us: Defense, Homeland Security Reach Cybersecurity Compromise
The heads of the Defense and Homeland Security departments on Wednesday formally 
agreed to coordinate on cybersecurity in a newly established office, amid a 
debate over whether the Pentagon, Homeland Security or the White House should 
have chief responsibility for protecting information networks, Nextgov.com 
reported.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/10/defense-homeland-security-reac.php


The Case For Wiretapping The Internet
The directors of National Intelligence and the FBI say tech-savvy extremists 
pose a growing threat, setting the stage for a national debate over the need for 
Internet eavesdropping
http://www.darkreading.com/security_monitoring/security/government/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=227900053


us: Cyber czar: Threat protection is a shared responsibility
The government, individual users and the private sector all play critical roles 
in protecting the nation against cyber threats, a senior White House official 
said Friday.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20101015_9224.php

Britons urged to act on identity fraud
Only 7% of people are confident that the companies they deal with treat their 
data responsibly, a survey marking the start of National Identity Fraud 
Prevention Week found.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/oct/18/britons-identity-fraud

Criminals plunder Australians' identity from websites
Organised criminals are stealing Australians' identities by plundering the 
information they place on websites and using it to commit fraud, according to 
the head of the nation's elite criminal intelligence agency.
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/criminals-plunder-websites-20101017-16p46.html

http://www.watoday.com.au/technology/social-networking-sites-a-boon-for-criminals-intent-on-fraud-20101017-16p6e.html


The Internet Skeptic
Evgeny Morozov discusses cybersecurity and how software meant to help Iranian 
political dissidents put them at risk
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2010/tc20101014_792952.htm

FTC Files Comments on FCC's Proposed Cyber Security Certification Program
The Federal Trade Commission has filed comments with the Federal Communications 
Commission in response to the FCC?s proposal to establish a voluntary program 
under which communications service providers would be certified if they adhere 
to a set of cyber security objectives or practices.
http://ftc.gov/opa/2010/10/fcc.shtm

AU: Warning about scam phone calls [news release]
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Senator 
Stephen Conroy today reinforced warnings about an increase in the number of scam 
telephone calls.
http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2010/079

Hackers turn attention to corporate data theft
Financial services, professional services, media and technology companies are 
the most vulnerable to information theft, says the Kroll annual survey of 
corporate fraud
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/4927f4e2-da1a-11df-bdd7-00144feabdc0.html

**************************
PRIVACY
**************************
Facebook in Privacy Breach: Top-Ranked Applications Transmit Personal IDs, a 
Journal Investigation Finds
Many of the most popular applications, or "apps," on the social-networking site 
Facebook Inc. have been transmitting identifying information?in effect, 
providing access to people's names and, in some cases, their friends' names?to 
dozens of advertising and Internet tracking companies, a Wall Street Journal 
investigation has found.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304772804575558484075236968.html

Privacy a priority, says Facebook director Randi Zuckerberg [AFP]
User privacy is the priority for internet social networking site Facebook, the 
company's director of market development said in Dubai.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/privacy-a-priority-says-facebook-director-randi-zuckerberg/story-e6frgakx-1225940133676

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/privacy-a-facebook-priority-says-director-randi-zuckerberg-20101018-16pca.html

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/privacy-a-facebook-priority-says-director-randi-zuckerberg-20101018-16pca.html


Many Germans Opt Out of Google's Street View
Google on Friday said that it remained on course to begin its Street View 
mapping service in Germany this year despite the thousands of people who have 
asked the company to delete their properties.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/16/technology/16streetview.html

German ministers slam Facebook for privacy glitch [AFP]
German ministers criticised social networking site Facebook on Sunday for 
failing to respect privacy, following a report of a serious flaw that allowed 
non-subscribers access to private data.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/german-ministers-slam-facebook-for-privacy-glitch-20101018-16pdv.html

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/german-ministers-slam-facebook-for-privacy-glitch-20101018-16pdv.html


Little Brother is Watching
In George Orwell?s ?1984,? that novel of totalitarian politics whose great 
mistake was to emphasize the villainy of society?s masters while playing down 
the mischief of the masses, the goal of communications technology was brutal and 
direct: to ensure the dominance of the state. The sinister ?telescreens? placed 
in people?s homes spewed propaganda and conducted surveillance, keeping the 
population passive and the leadership firmly in control. In the face of constant 
monitoring, all people could do was sterilize their behavior, conceal their 
thoughts and carry on like model citizens.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/magazine/17FOB-WWLN-t.html

Global Privacy Enforcement Network Launches Website
Thirteen privacy enforcement agencies around the world have joined forces to 
launch the ?Global Privacy Enforcement Network? (GPEN), a network designed to 
facilitate cross-border cooperation in the enforcement of privacy laws. In 
developing this network, the participating agencies recognized the need for 
greater international cooperation in this area. In the Action Plan launching the 
network, the founding privacy enforcement authorities stressed that ?it is 
important that government authorities charged with enforcing domestic privacy 
laws strengthen their understanding of different privacy enforcement regimes as 
well as their capacities for cross-border cooperation.?
https://www.privacyenforcement.net/

us: Encryption Debate Centers On Privacy
A top State Department official on Wednesday said despite global concerns about 
covert cybercrime, presidential administrations should not prohibit people from 
encoding their Internet messages, or rendering them indecipherable to law 
enforcement officials, Nextgov.com reported.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/10/encryption-debate-centers-on-p.php


**********************
CENSORSHIP
**********************
Microsoft Moves to Help Nonprofits Avoid Piracy-Linked Crackdowns
Microsoft is vastly expanding its efforts to prevent governments from using 
software piracy inquiries as a pretext to suppress dissent. It plans to provide 
free software licenses to more than 500,000 advocacy groups, independent media 
outlets and other nonprofit organizations in 12 countries with tightly 
controlled governments, including Russia and China.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/world/17russia.html

Big names on letter calling for China to end censorship
Retired VIPs in the Communist Party draft a tough call for freedom, an act that 
resulted in imprisonment for Liu Xiaobo, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 
last week.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-china-censorship-20101014,0,5621288.story


Holding Nokia Responsible for Surveilling Dissidents in Iran
EFF has long pointed out that technology companies are complicit in human rights 
violations when they knowingly sell customized human surveillance technologies 
to repressive regimes that are then used to target people for arrest, torture, 
and disappearance. Now a lawsuit filed recently against Nokia Siemens in 
Virginia by Isa Saharkhiz, an imprisoned Iranian dissident, and his son Mehdi 
Saharkhiz, brings this issue to the fore. The lawsuit accuses the Nokia Siemens 
Network of:
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/10/saharkhiz-v-nokia

**************************
GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
**************************
US studying Australian Internet security program [AP]
The US government is reviewing an Australian program that will allow internet 
service providers to alert customers if their computers are taken over by 
hackers and could limit online access if people don't fix the problem.
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/us-admires-australian-botnet-plan-20101016-16oih.html

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/us-admires-australian-botnet-plan-20101016-16oih.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/16/AR2010101600655.html

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/government/us-mulls-canberra-net-policy/story-fn4htb9o-1225940069987


US eyes Australian government web plan [sub req'd]
As the US government looks to improve internet security for American 
organisations, it?s turning to an Australian plan centered on internet service 
providers.
http://www.afr.com/p/business/technology/us_eyes_australian_government_web_3ZlNGn23yg8NqyZPdzTyDI


nz: The devil is in the press release
The devil may not be in the details but a press release. In this case, Minister 
Simon Power ordering a review of ?new media? by the Law Commission, it is even 
more so given that he used the same words in response to Parliamentary 
questions. The review is a good step. Asking the Law Commission to lead it is 
also good. They have both the credibility and skills do a thorough job and 
develop balanced perspectives. And first talking about the issues and defining 
real problems before looking at possible solutions is good.
http://www.internetnz.net.nz/news/blog/2010/devil-press-release

*********************************
MISCELLANEOUS
*********************************
WikiLeaks says funding has been blocked after government blacklisting
The whistleblowing group WikiLeaks claims that it has had its funding blocked 
and that it is the victim of financial warfare by the US government.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/14/wikileaks-says-funding-is-blocked

AOL, Firms Explore an Offer for Yahoo
AOL Inc. and several private-equity firms are exploring making an offer to buy 
Yahoo Inc., according to people familiar with the matter, devising a bold plan 
to marry two big Internet brands facing steep challenges.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703673604575550661101743360.html

Microsoft's Bing Gets a Social Lift From Facebook
Facebook and Microsoft announced a partnership on Wednesday that will give the 
results on Microsoft?s Bing search engine a social twist ? and could help both 
companies compete against a common adversary, Google.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/technology/14bing.html

Facebook, Microsoft Deepen Search Ties
Microsoft Corp. and Facebook Inc. unveiled a plan to improve the results of 
Microsoft's Bing search engine by tapping into peoples' social connections on 
Facebook, amping up the rivalry with Google Inc.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703673604575550342284601912.html

Google's profits lifted by higher advertising revenues
Google's latest quarterly results have beaten market expectations after it 
posted a 32% rise in profits.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11545463

Google?s Income Rises 32%, Topping Forecast
Google has spent the last few months arguing to anyone who will listen that its 
new advertising businesses ? including ads with images and video and on 
cellphones ? will fuel its next phase of growth. On Thursday, the company 
finally gave some numbers to support the claim.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/15/technology/15google.html

Yahoo used to be a giant. Now it's down to its last hurrah
Will somebody please put Yahoo, the fading internet star, out of its misery? The 
Silicon Valley company, destined to labour in the shadows of Google and 
Facebook, recruited Goldman Sachs this week to defend itself against circling 
predators. Top name in the bidders' frame is AOL, another blast from the Web 1.0 
past.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/oct/17/andrew-clark-yahoo

**********************
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
**********************
Fibre optic cables' data capacity may soon be reached
Technology may stretch the capacity of the fibre optic cables used to carry data 
sooner than has long been thought, according to a report in Science.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11544459

**********************************
ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR ONLINE CHILD PROTECTION
**********************************
au: Couple jailed for internet rape of son
A couple who filmed themselves sexually abusing their nine-year-old son and 
posted the images on the internet have been sentenced to jail.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/15/3039272.htm

au: Couple jailed for sex with 9 yr-old son [AAP]
A married Sydney couple have been jailed for "disturbing" sex crimes against 
their nine-year-old son.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10680779

nz: Child porn found on mislaid drive
A Christchurch man caught with child porn after he mislaid a USB drive at work 
has been sentenced to six months prison.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch/4239853/Child-porn-found-on-mislaid-drive


nz: Former teacher censured over child porn
A former Christchurch secondary school teacher who fled New Zealand to avoid 
court appearances for peddling child pornography has been censured by the 
industry body.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch/4239851/Former-teacher-censured-over-child-porn


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(c) David Goldstein 2010


 
---------
David Goldstein
email: goldstein_david&#167;yahoo.com.au
web:  http://davidgoldstein.tel/
         http://goldsteinreport.com/
phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9665 5773 - office/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



      
Received on Mon Oct 18 2010 - 02:17:00 UTC

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