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. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Who Wrote Those ICANN Papers, Anyway: The European Commission or the Government of Iran? by Milton Mueller http://www.circleid.com/posts/who_wrote_those_icann_papers_anyway_european_commission/ The second EC ICANN Paper: How low can they go? by Milton Mueller http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2011/9/4/4893009.html ICANN public comments: a glacier moving in the wrong direction http://kierenmccarthy.com/2011/09/06/icann-public-comments-a-glacier-moving-in-the-wrong-direction/ ICANN's "Unelected" Crisis by Michael Roberts http://www.circleid.com/posts/20110905_icanns_unelected_crisis/ GoDaddy still violates ICANN policy--and still sleazy http://www.zdnet.com/blog/perlow/godaddy-still-violates-icann-policy-and-still-sleazy/18518 InternetNZ happy with a low public profile http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/internetnz-happy-with-a-low-public-profile 10 years after 9/11, cyberattacks pose national threat, committee says http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9219756/10_years_after_9_11_cyberattacks_pose_national_threat_committee_says The Calm Before the Storm http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/09/06/the_calm_before_the_storm Takeover Speculation for Verisign http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=15747 ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Southern African Internet Governance Forum launches [Computerworld Zambia] The New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) has teamed up with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to launch the Southern African Internet Governance Forum. http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=B60D6F85-1A64-6A71-CE7EE677BEE62132 ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Who Wrote Those ICANN Papers, Anyway: The European Commission or the Government of Iran? by Milton Mueller The most notable thing about the EC Papers on ICANN, which were leaked by Kieren McCarthy last week, is that they are designed to completely subordinate ICANN as an institution. We have not seen such a comprehensive attack by a government on ICANN since the World Summit on the Information Society. One can infer that this is payback for the Board's decision to not treat the EC's views, expressed in its Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC), as binding instructions rather than as nonbinding advice. http://www.circleid.com/posts/who_wrote_those_icann_papers_anyway_european_commission/ The second EC ICANN Paper: How low can they go? by Milton Mueller You cannot have a global manager of the domain name system without some kind of agreed policy for adding new TLDs to the root. As a matter of economic policy, the DNS system should allow organizations to apply for new domains, and ideally the choices of users and consumers should determine the fate of new registries and new names. The new TLD program is also important because domain names are a form of expression on the Internet. Any policy that regulates the creation or operation of new domains based on their meaning or the content hosted under the names is, de facto, a form of globalized content regulation. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2011/9/4/4893009.html ICANN public comments: a glacier moving in the wrong direction I am both happy and depressed to see a public comment period open at ICANN talking about making changes to ICANN?s public comment period process. http://kierenmccarthy.com/2011/09/06/icann-public-comments-a-glacier-moving-in-the-wrong-direction/ ICANN's "Unelected" Crisis by Michael Roberts The leaked release of the European Commission's working papers on the future of TLDs highlights the impending collision between adherents of the present "multistakeholder" ICANN governance model, and an ever longer list of national governments who challenge that model. At the core of the controversy is the question of how ICANN can claim legitimacy in the DNS world when none of its Directors or Officers are elected. Even worse, its only answer, when challenged legally, is that it is responsive to its contract with an agency of the U.S. Government. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20110905_icanns_unelected_crisis/ Another registrar on the ICANN naughty step ICANN has threatened to terminate the accreditation of Samjung Data Service, a South Korean domain name registrar. http://domainincite.com/another-registrar-on-the-icann-naughty-step/ GoDaddy still violates ICANN policy--and still sleazy It?s no secret that GoDaddy is a domain registrar and web hosting provider that uses sleazy marketing. It?s also no secret that they have come under attack for business practices that have angered many of their customers?myself included. http://www.zdnet.com/blog/perlow/godaddy-still-violates-icann-policy-and-still-sleazy/18518 The Nominating Committee Announces Selection of an At Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) Member from the North American Region The 2011 Nominating Committee (NomCom) is pleased to announce the selection of Dr. Ganesh Kumar as a member of the ALAC from the North American region. http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-06sep11-en.htm ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** Landrush for .Asia IDN Begins Today - Around 10,000 .Asia IDNs already asked for at Close of Sunrise Following the successful completion of Sunrise, DotAsia today announces the opening of Landrush (idn.asia) for Chinese, Japanese and Korean ".Asia" IDNs starting August 2, closing October 11, 2011. http://www.idn.asia/main/2011/08/landrush-for-asia-idn-begins-today.html .eu spotlights European business in latest magazine Small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with .eu websites are showcased in the latest issue of .eu Identity, the magazine published by the .eu registry, EURid. .eu Identity presents a statistical overview about why a surprising number of Europe?s SMEs do not have websites and outlines reasons why .eu is the best way forward for business in the European Union. http://www.eurid.eu/en/content/eu-spotlights-european-business-latest-magazine .FR Celebrates 25 Years A number of ccTLDs are celebrating 25 years of existence this year. Among others, .AU and .AT celebrated their 25th birthdays earlier this year, .DE celebrates in November while .FR celebrated theirs on 2 September. http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/09/05/fr-celebrates-25-years/ InternetNZ happy with a low public profile In the second part of Computerworld's Q and A interview with Internet NZ CEO Vikram Kumar he discusses the organisation's public image. - What kind of profile do you think InternetNZ has with New Zealanders in general; those not knowledgeable about the internet? Do you want a better profile there? http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/internetnz-happy-with-a-low-public-profile Nominet Seeks Feedback on Plans To Suspend Domains Connected With Serious Crime Nominet is seeking feedback from stakeholders on how the registry should deal with domain names used in connection with criminal activity. http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/09/05/nominet-seeks-feedback-on-plans-to-suspend-domains-connected-with-serious-crime/ UK police may be given domain name-suspension powers UK police could be able to order the suspension of website domain names without first having to obtain a court order under new plans being considered by a domain name registry. http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2011/september/uk-police-may-be-given-domain-name-suspension-powers/ .xxx rated: internet's red-light district has arrived Stuart Lawley is expecting a gold rush ? and xxx marks the spot. Following a decade-long battle, his company has been given the go-ahead to set up a new sponsored TLD targeting the adult entertainment industry. Despite the approval of .xxx the controversy, predictably, has raged on. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/xxx-rated-internets-redlight-district-has-arrived-2350302.html Porn domain .xxx blocks use of celebrity names Thousands of celebrities and politicians have had their names permanently banned from the new .xxx adult pornography internet domain. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/sep/07/porn-domain-xxx-celebrity-names .XXX web domain registration begins Companies and celebrities are being given the chance to protect their names from porn hijacking ahead of the launch of the .xxx web domain. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14821192 .XXX Sunrise Registrations Commence Today The Sunrise registration period for .XXX domain names commences today (7 September) to allow registrations from those in the adult entertainment business (Sunrise A) and to assist brand managers from other industries who want to protect their trademarks ahead of wider availability (Sunrise B). http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/09/07/xxx-sunrise-registrations-commence-today/ ********************** - NEW TLDS ********************** .ECO Top-Level Domain in Danger? by Jean Guillon I once wrote about about the legal right objections on Guillon.info and with all these new gTLD announcements, I find it interesting to check if an application could be blocked by paragraph 3.2.2.2 of the latest Draft Applicant Guidebook. http://www.circleid.com/posts/eco_top_level_domain_in_danger/ ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** 10 years after 9/11, cyberattacks pose national threat, committee says Ten years after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the nation faces a critical threat to its security from cyberattacks, a new report by a bipartisan think tank warns. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9219756/10_years_after_9_11_cyberattacks_pose_national_threat_committee_says The Calm Before the Storm Cyberwar is already happening -- and it's about to get much, much worse. A veteran cyberwarrior explains how America can prepare itself. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/09/06/the_calm_before_the_storm Dutch Widen Inquiry Into Hacking of Official Sites The Dutch government said Tuesday that it was widening its investigation into an Internet security breach in an effort to learn whether the private data of Dutch citizens, many of whom file income tax returns online, had been compromised. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/07/technology/dutch-widen-probe-into-hacking-of-official-sites.html Hacking in the Netherlands Took Aim at Internet Giants [AP] Attackers who hacked into a Dutch Web security firm have issued hundreds of fraudulent security certificates for intelligence agency Web sites, including the C.I.A., as well as for Internet giants like Google, Microsoft and Twitter, the Dutch government said on Monday. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/06/technology/hacking-in-the-netherlands-broadens-in-scope.html DigiNotar SSL certificate hack amounts to cyberwar, says expert The Dutch government says hackers who broke into a web security firm in the Netherlands last month issued hundreds of bogus security certificates that could be used on websites including the CIA and Israel's Mossad, as well as internet giants such as Google, Microsoft and Twitter. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/sep/05/diginotar-certificate-hack-cyberwar GlobalSign stops secure certificates after hack claim Belgian security firm GlobalSign has temporarily stopped issuing authentication certificates for secure websites. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14819257 Turkish hackers strike websites with DNS hack [IDG] A Turkish hacking group managed to tamper with internet addressing records over the weekend, redirecting dozens of websites belonging to companies including Microsoft, UPS and Vodafone to a different web pages controlled by the hackers. http://pcworld.co.nz/pcworld/pcw.nsf/news/turkish-hackers-strike-websites-with-dns-hack http://www.pcworld.com/article/239501/turkish_hackers_strike_websites_with_dns_hack.html ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** WIPO Advanced Workshop on Domain Name Dispute Resolution: Overview of Precedent and Practice The WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Centre is holding a workshop that will focus on the numerous developments in relation to UDRP decision precedent and process, including the 2011-launched WIPO Overview of WIPO Panel Views on Selected UDRP Questions at WIPO?s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 and 12 October, 2011. http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/09/06/wipo-advanced-workshop-on-domain-name-dispute-resolution-overview-of-precedent-and-practice/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/wipo-advanced-workshop-on-domain-name-dispute-resolution-overview-of-precedent-and-practice.html WIPO Advanced Workshop on Domain Name Dispute Resolution: Overview of Precedent and Practice The WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center is internationally recognized as the leading institution in the resolution of Internet domain name disputes. Since December 1999, the WIPO Center has administered over 36,000 proceedings, of which over 20,000 under the WIPO-initiated UDRP adopted by ICANN. The UDRP applies to disputes in the gTLDs (e.g., .com, .net, .org, .mobi), as well as an increasing number of ccTLDs. http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/events/workshops/2011/domainname TLD Domain Abuse: Threat Report - First Half 2011 by Gunter Ollmann When it comes to building a robust globe-spanning network of crimeware and making the victims dance to a tune of the cyber-criminals' choosing, you're guaranteed to find domain name abuse at the heart of the operation. DNS provides the critical flexibility and underlying scalability of modern command-and-control (C&C) infrastructure. Cyber-criminals that master DNS (and manage to maintain the stream of new domain registrations that keep it fed) tend to find themselves in command of the largest and most profitable crimeware networks. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20110907_tld_domain_abuse_threat_report_first_half_2011/ ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** Telstra launches IPv6 for businesses, govt Telstra has today officially launched IPv6 connectivity for enterprise, government and wholesale customers after completing critical network upgrade preparations. http://www.zdnet.com.au/telstra-launches-ipv6-for-businesses-govt-339321752.htm Telstra rolls out IPv6 for business, government Telstra begun its roll out of Internet Protocol Version six (IPv6) for enterprise, government and wholesale customers. BigPond customers won't be offered IPv6 at this stage. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/399720/telstra_rolls_ipv6_business_government/ ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Takeover Speculation for Verisign Verisign's share price has risen 14 per cent in two days fuelling rumours it could be in line for a takeover according to several news reports. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=15747 http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/09/08/takeover-speculation-for-verisign/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/verisign-takeover-speculation.html VeriSign Cancels Appearances at Conferences, Fueling Takeover Speculation VeriSign Inc. rose 7.6 percent on the Nasdaq Stock Market after canceling appearances at two investment conferences, fueling speculation that the company is in talks to be acquired. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-07/verisign-jumps-after-conference-cancellations-prompt-takeover-speculation.html VeriSign Shares Pop on Deal Rumors VeriSign?s stock price has climbed more than 14% in two days as chatter swirls the Internet domain-name company could be ripe for a takeover. http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2011/09/07/verisign-shares-pop-on-deal-rumors/ The design of the Domain Name System (Part VII) - Related names are not related Internet by John Levine In previous installments we've been looking at aspects of the design of the DNS. Today we look at the relationship of similar names in the DNS. A poorly appreciated aspect of the DNS is that there is no inherent relationship between similar looking names. That is, to a person the names example.com and www.example.com may look obviously related, but to the DNS, they're just two different names. Names do exist in a tree, and as we saw in part III, if a name exists in a tree, all names above it (closer to the root) exist, even if there is no data at some of those names, and conversely, if a name does not exist, all possible names below it don't exist either. But if two names both exist, the DNS has no good way to describe the relationship between them. http://jl.ly/Internet/dnsdesign7.html The design of the Domain Name System (Part VI) - Overloaded record types by John Levine In the five previous exciting installments, we've been looking at aspects of the design of the DNS. Today we look at records types, and how you can tell what a DNS record means. All the records in the DNS are strongly typed. Each record includes an RRTYPE, a small number, which defines both the format of the record and what the record means. It is possible and common to have different record types with the same format, but different meanings. For example, the NS (name server), CNAME (canonical name), and PTR (name pointer) records all contain a single domain name, but their semantics are quite different. http://jl.ly/Internet/dnsdesign6.html Internet: Government Dominance or Governance? by Wout de Natris In an age where the world has gone global in many forms and guises, the political attention is more and more focussed on national, populist issues, that arise from fear for the unknown. I can't deny it: the future undoubtedly contains many uncertainties. This usually comes with a general public that's afraid and in fear of things they cannot oversee. Thus it is easily aroused by a populist leader who feeds on this fear and throws flammable material on the already smouldering fire. In a time where leadership is called for, it seems lacking. The Internet governance discussion demands visionary leadership on a cross border level and it needs it soon. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20110905_internet_government_dominance_or_governance/ ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Google+ launch: search giant closes 10 products Google is to shut down 10 products, including the search company Aardvark, bought for $50m last year, as the internet giant focuses on new social network Google+ ahead of its public launch. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/sep/05/google-plus-launch-closes Welcome to your curated Web, courtesy of corporate America The amount of content and information on the Web expands daily at a staggering rate. This explosion of information has created the need for talented digital curators who are able to filter the very best of the Web and help us find what?s worth reading each day. In fact, digital ?curation? may be one of the hottest-growing areas of the Web right now. For example, in early August, Google News began offering "Editors' Picks" alongside results from the Google search algorithm. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/post/welcome-to-your-curated-web-courtesy-of-corporate-america/2010/12/20/gIQAkMtR4J_blog.html Google Goes Big With Its Hulu Bid Hulu?s corporate owners are currently mulling bids from three would-be buyers: Amazon, Yahoo, and the Dish Network. http://allthingsd.com/20110906/google-goes-big-with-its-hulu-bid/ Content Deluge Swamps Yahoo: Yahoo, Rivals Fetch Less for Ads as Services That Sift Through Web Gain an Edge Ousted Yahoo Inc. Chief Executive Carol Bartz faced a plight all too familiar to many of her peers: Making money off digital content isn't easy and it's getting harder. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903285704576556973446155098.html Once a Leader, Yahoo Now Struggles to Find Its Way Yahoo has been one of the most-visited sites on the Internet since its glory days as a Web portal. Yet as the rest of the Internet moved on to social networks and mobile devices, Yahoo has failed to keep up. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/08/technology/once-a-leader-yahoo-now-struggles-to-find-its-way.html What's Yahoo To Do? Is there any way the once-great Internet company can reclaim its former glory? Fired Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz. Click image to expand.Fired Yahoo CEO Carol BartzGive Carol Bartz a break. When she was hired as CEO early in 2009, Yahoo was a floundering, once-great company that needed to slim down and reorganize to reckon with a future dominated by Google and social-networking giants. When she was fired as Yahoo's CEO on Tuesday afternoon, Yahoo was still a floundering, once-great Internet company. In two and a half years under Bartz, however, the firm had certainly slimmed down and reorganized. Bartz shed many popular but underperforming sites?including Delicious and MyBlogLog?and laid off a couple thousand people. Employees didn't love this, of course, but if you look at the financials, Bartz was vindicated. In her first full year as CEO, net income rose 43 percent, and in her second year, it rose 105 percent. All the while, Yahoo remained an enormously popular destination. When Bartz took over, Yahoo's collection of sites ranked just behind Google's in ComScore's list of Top 50 Web properties. Two years later, it was just ahead of Google. http://www.slate.com/id/2303265/ ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Give social media giants your real name or say goodbye to your friends Google and Facebook are trying to remove anonymity from the web by forcing people to sign up using their real names and banning those who use pseudonyms. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/give-social-media-giants-your-real-name-or-say-goodbye-to-your-friends-20110905-1juch.html http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/death-of-anonymity-online-has-net-users-fuming-20110905-1jtda.html uk: Third of companies block social media Almost a third of UK companies are blocking their employees from using social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter amid growing fears about internet security, according to a study. http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/4edb8512-d7de-11e0-a5d9-00144feabdc0.html Closed, Says Google, but Shops? Signs Say Open ... In recent months, plenty of perfectly healthy businesses across the country have expired ? sometimes for hours, other times for weeks ? though only in the online realm cataloged and curated by Google. The reason is that it is surprisingly easy to report a business as closed in Google Places, the search giant?s version of the local Yellow Pages. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/06/technology/closed-in-error-on-google-places-merchants-seek-fixes.html Over a quarter of American adults use mobile location-based services About 5 percent of mobile users and 12 percent of smartphone owners use location check-in services such as Foursquare. Not many people are ?checking in? using services such as Foursquare and Gowalla, but over a quarter of Americans are checking out their surroundings using location-based services. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/faster-forward/post/over-a-quarter-of-american-adults-use-mobile-location-based-services/2011/09/06/gIQAnFpE7J_blog.html Over a quarter of U.S. adults use location-based services Foursquare and similar location-based check-in apps might sound silly to some, but they're gaining in popularity nonetheless. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20102136-94/over-a-quarter-of-u.s-adults-use-location-based-services/ 28% of American adults use mobile and social location-based services Overview: More than a quarter (28%) of all American adults use mobile or social location-based services of some kind. This includes anyone who takes part in one or more of the following activities: http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Location.aspx ********************************* CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY ********************************* nz: Cyber-safety night for parents Motueka High School is running an information evening for parents with cyber-safety expert John Parsons. http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/5565861/Cyber-safety-night-for-parents au: Jail terms for bullies put on table LENGTHY jail terms for workplace and cyber bullying will be considered by the nation's chief law makers after a teenage waitress committed suicide following relentless abuse at a Melbourne cafe. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/jail-terms-for-bullies-put-on-table/story-e6frgczx-1226131723285 ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** au: Mobile telephony competition tipped to intensify A newly competitive Vodafone Hutchison Australia and the expected launch of the iPhone 5 before Christmas are expected to set the scene for increased competition in the mobile market in the second half of this year. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/mobile-telephony-competition-tipped-to-intensify/story-fn91v9q3-1226131714527 Mobile phones help to target disaster aid, says study Mobile phones of people fleeing natural disasters can be used to target emergency aid according to a new study. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14761144 Haiti: Cellphone Tracking Helps Groups Set Up More Effective Aid Distribution, Study Says Populations on the run during disasters can be tracked by cellphone signals, which could help guide life-saving aid to the right places, a new study has concluded. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/06/health/06global.html Android case documents reveal how Google favoured Motorola and Verizon Publication ordered by judge in lawsuit brought by Oracle shows internal policy of early release to partners which 'align', while HTC sues Apple with ex-Google patents http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/sep/07/android-favoured-motorola-revealed HTC Sues Apple With Patents Bought From Google HTC Corp., Asia?s second-biggest maker of smartphones, filed infringement claims against Apple Inc. today, using patents it bought from Google Inc. last week. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-07/htc-sues-apple-alleging-infringement-of-four-u-s-patents.html New patents from Google shore up HTC's defenses [IDG] Armed with new patents transferred from Google, HTC has filed a new lawsuit against Apple and amended two previous legal complaints. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/090811-new-patents-from-google-shore-250588.html http://www.pcworld.com/article/239663/new_patents_from_google_shore_up_htcs_defenses.html ********************** SPAM ********************** Spamhaus award reduced from $11m to $3 A UK anti-spam company that had previously been ordered to pay more than $11 million in damages for 'blacklisting' a US marketing company will only need to pay a nominal $3 amount following a US court ruling. http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2011/september/spamhaus-award-reduced-from-11m-to-3/ ********************** ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL ********************** 10 years after 9/11, cyberattacks pose national threat, committee says Ten years after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the nation faces a critical threat to its security from cyberattacks, a new report by a bipartisan think tank warns. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9219756/10_years_after_9_11_cyberattacks_pose_national_threat_committee_says US companies recruit former hackers Cyber-attacks on US corporations now average one a week and hackers in recent months have targeted Mastercard, Visa and Amazon. http://english.aljazeera.net/video/americas/2011/09/20119423515174506.html Iranian Internet users were victim to spying - report About 300,000 Internet users in Iran have been spied on last month by one or several hackers who stole security certificates from a Dutch IT firm, a report presented by the Dutch government said on Monday. http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/09/06/idINIndia-59164820110906 http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/09/06/oukin-uk-dutch-iran-hacking-idUKTRE7831H320110906 Global cybercrimes cost $114 bln annually - Symantec A study by Symantec Corp, the maker of Norton computer security software, estimates the cost of global cybercrimes at $114 billion annually. http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/09/07/idINIndia-59198820110907 http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/09/07/oukin-uk-symantec-idUKTRE7861XQ20110907 Cybercrime hits Aussies for $4.6b a year ? more than burglary, assault combined [AAP] Cybercrime is soaring, already costs Australians more than burglary, and will only increase as more people conduct their daily lives through relatively insecure and easily lost smartphones and other mobile devices, a specialist on cybercrime says. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/security/cybercrime-hits-aussies-for-46b-a-year--more-than-burglary-assault-combined-20110908-1jyeo.html http://www.theage.com.au/technology/security/cybercrime-hits-aussies-for-46b-a-year--more-than-burglary-assault-combined-20110908-1jyeo.html http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/400106/cybercrime_get_even_bigger_expert/ Cybercrime costs $109bn, Norton Cybercrime Report 2011 says [AFP] Cybercrime claimed 431 million adult victims last year and cost $US114 billion ($109bn), according to a report published today. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/cybercrime-costs-109bn-norton-cybercrime-report-2011-says/story-e6frg6so-1226131987306 ********************** SECURITY ********************** The Calm Before the Storm Cyberwar is already happening -- and it's about to get much, much worse. A veteran cyberwarrior explains how America can prepare itself. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/09/06/the_calm_before_the_storm Dutch Widen Inquiry Into Hacking of Official Sites The Dutch government said Tuesday that it was widening its investigation into an Internet security breach in an effort to learn whether the private data of Dutch citizens, many of whom file income tax returns online, had been compromised. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/07/technology/dutch-widen-probe-into-hacking-of-official-sites.html Hacking in the Netherlands Took Aim at Internet Giants [AP] Attackers who hacked into a Dutch Web security firm have issued hundreds of fraudulent security certificates for intelligence agency Web sites, including the C.I.A., as well as for Internet giants like Google, Microsoft and Twitter, the Dutch government said on Monday. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/06/technology/hacking-in-the-netherlands-broadens-in-scope.html DigiNotar SSL certificate hack amounts to cyberwar, says expert The Dutch government says hackers who broke into a web security firm in the Netherlands last month issued hundreds of bogus security certificates that could be used on websites including the CIA and Israel's Mossad, as well as internet giants such as Google, Microsoft and Twitter. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/sep/05/diginotar-certificate-hack-cyberwar GlobalSign stops secure certificates after hack claim Belgian security firm GlobalSign has temporarily stopped issuing authentication certificates for secure websites. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14819257 Turkish hackers strike websites with DNS hack [IDG] A Turkish hacking group managed to tamper with internet addressing records over the weekend, redirecting dozens of websites belonging to companies including Microsoft, UPS and Vodafone to a different web pages controlled by the hackers. http://pcworld.co.nz/pcworld/pcw.nsf/news/turkish-hackers-strike-websites-with-dns-hack http://www.pcworld.com/article/239501/turkish_hackers_strike_websites_with_dns_hack.html ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Group Says It Has New Evidence of Cisco?s Misdeeds in China An advocacy group that accuses Cisco Systems of aiding the Chinese government in monitoring and apprehending members of the banned Falun Gong organization said Friday that it had new evidence to suggest that Cisco specifically tailored its technology for that purpose. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/03/technology/group-says-it-has-new-evidence-of-ciscos-misdeeds-in-china.html New evidence links Cisco to jailing and torture of Chinese A human rights group suing Cisco for aiding the tracking and torture of people in China claims it has new evidence proving the tech giant tailored its technology to specifically enable these abuses. http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/new-evidence-links-cisco-to-jailing-and-torture-of-chinese-20110906-1jute.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/new-evidence-links-cisco-to-jailing-and-torture-of-chinese-20110906-1jute.html The Internet and China's Rule-of-Law Games: Why Beijing makes a business of allowing companies to break the rules. Every day Beijing grows more uncomfortable with the degree of free communications it has accidentally allowed in China. Witness a growing list of commentaries appearing in official media outlets directed especially at Sina Corp.'s Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter. The site sparked authoritarian concern in the weeks after late July's deadly high-speed train crash in Wenzhou. Weibo became a conduit for inconvenient truths and cynical speculations about the accident. The Communist Party sees a huge threat. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903285704576556571876400118.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** InternetNZ happy with a low public profile In the second part of Computerworld's Q and A interview with Internet NZ CEO Vikram Kumar he discusses the organisation's public image. - What kind of profile do you think InternetNZ has with New Zealanders in general; those not knowledgeable about the internet? Do you want a better profile there? http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/internetnz-happy-with-a-low-public-profile nz: Copyright law puts brakes on Internet traffic The volume of internet traffic coming into New Zealand has dropped sharply since new anti-piracy rules came into force, says an industry insider. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10749878 nz: Anti-piracy law drives sharp drop in Internet traffic The volume of internet traffic coming into New Zealand has dropped sharply since new anti-piracy rules came into force, says an industry insider. http://www.odt.co.nz/news/technology/176572/anti-piracy-law-drives-sharp-drop-internet-traffic New Zealand traffic down as "three strikes" copyright law takes effect Two New Zealand ISPs have reported falling traffic after that nation's controversial new "three strikes" copyright enforcement legislation went into effect at the start of the month. Kiwi Internet users may have been spooked by the threat of fines as high as NZ$15,000. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/09/nz-traffic-down-as-three-strikes-copyright-law-takes-effect.ars nz: Where you stand as the law tightens its web If Bit Torrent, Gnutella and Vuze sound like fictional planets, then you had better get on the Google machine quick-smart. http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2011/09/06/5755148.htm au: EBay accuses retailers of anti-competitive behaviour The online retailer eBay has claimed in its latest submission to the Productivity Commission's inquiry into the retail industry that well known bricks and mortar stores have placed pressure on distributors and sellers to stop selling some items online that are also in their shops. http://www.theage.com.au/business/retailers-try-to-stop-online-sales-ebay-20110905-1ju5k.html http://www.smh.com.au/business/ebay-accuses-retailers-of-anticompetitive-behaviour-20110905-1juas.html Korean trustbusters raid Google offices The Korean Fair Trade Commission, that country's antitrust agency, raided Google's offices in Seoul today, CNET has learned. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-20102191-93/korean-trustbusters-raid-google-offices-scoop/ Regulators raid Google's South Korea office: source Antitrust officials in South Korea raided Google Inc's Seoul offices on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the matter, expanding worldwide regulatory pressure on the Internet giant. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/09/07/oukin-uk-google-raid-idUKTRE7861VR20110907 http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Regulators-raid-Googles-South-rb-2901155045.html China to foster internet infrastructure The Chinese government said it is planning to boost the development of internet sector in four areas in its drive to transform economic growth and optimise industrial infrastructure. http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/2011/sep/05/china-foster-internet-four-aspects/ Google?s Internet License for China Renewed Amid Battle for Market Share Google Inc., which moved its Chinese search-engine service offshore last year to avoid the country?s online censorship rules, said China?s government renewed the company?s Internet license. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-07/google-says-its-china-internet-license-was-renewed.html us: Senators Push for Changes in Cybercrime Law [IDG] In May, President Barack Obama called for changes to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), with his focus mostly on increasing the criminal penalties for computer crimes. On Wednesday, however, Democratic Senators Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Al Franken of Minnesota asked Obama administration officials to look at tightening up the law's definition of illegal access to computers. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/239629/senators_push_for_changes_in_cybercrime_law.html ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* Yahoo could be sold after Carol Bartz is shown the door Yahoo may be up for sale after firing Carol Bartz, its chief executive for just 18 months. Once one of the internet's most valuable properties ? and the target of a spurned $44.6bn (?27.8bn) takeover bid from Microsoft in January 2008 ? the company said in a statement it is carrying out a "comprehensive strategic review" to "position the company for future growth". But an insider speaking to the Wall Street Journal said the company is "open to selling itself to the right bidder". http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/sep/07/yahoo-carol-bartz ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** UK's largest ever spectrum auction delayed The government's largest ever spectrum auction has been delayed, with the multibillion pound sell-off now expected in the second quarter of next year at the earliest. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/sep/05/uk-spectrum-auction-delayed French court rejects call to stop wireless auction France's highest administrative court rejected a bid by telecom operator Iliad to block the government's auction of fourth-generation mobile licences. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/09/07/oukin-uk-frtel-auction-idUKTRE7862O720110907 France T?l?com Girds for Mobile-Service Price War France T?l?com SA unveiled a low-cost mobile brand aimed at young adults, the latest sign that Europe's second-largest telecom market is bracing for a price war as a new mobile operator prepares to enter the fray. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903285704576556581642215972.html Operator Seeks to Block British Telecom Collaboration The mobile phone provider Three U.K. on Wednesday asked the European Commission to block a joint venture of Britain?s three largest operators to sell a common mobile payment and advertising platform for retailers, arguing that the companies? influence in the market would result in high fees for consumers. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/08/business/global/three-uk-seeks-to-block-british-telecom-collaboration.html au: Optus: ACMA should stop telco ?race to the bottom? Optus is calling for tighter regulation by the Australian Media and Communications Authority (ACMA) on cut-throat practices in the competitive telecommunications industry. http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/400118/optus_acma_should_stop_telco_race_bottom_/ Kenyan president orders unregistered mobiles blocked Kenya's president ordered the government on Wednesday to block millions of unregistered mobile phone numbers in east Africa's biggest economy to safeguard the public against criminals. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/09/07/oukin-uk-kenya-telecoms-idUKTRE78656E20110907 au: Google is an NBN conspirator: Turnbull Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has labelled companies such as Google and Yahoo, as well as network vendors, as "conspirators against the taxpayer" for praising the $35.9 billion National Broadband Network (NBN) project. http://www.zdnet.com.au/google-is-an-nbn-conspirator-turnbull-339321876.htm +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2011 ------ David Goldstein email: david§goldsteinreport.com web: http://goldsteinreport.com/ http://davidgoldstein.tel/ 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 FlanneryReceived on Wed Sep 07 2011 - 22:05:35 UTC
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