Thursday, January 19, 2006

MercuryNews.com | 01/19/2006 | Feds after Google data The Bush administration on Wednesday asked a federal judge to order Google to turn over a broad range of material from its closely guarded databases. The move is part of a government effort to revive an Internet child protection law struck down two years ago by the U.S. Supreme Court. The law was meant to punish online pornography sites that make their content accessible to minors. The government contends it needs the Google data to determine how often pornography shows up in online searches. In court papers filed in U.S. District Court in San Jose, Justice Department lawyers revealed that Google has refused to comply with a subpoena issued last year for the records, which include a request for 1 million random Web addresses and records of all Google searches from any one-week period. The Mountain View-based search and advertising giant opposes releasing the information on a variety of grounds, saying it would violate the privacy rights of its users and reveal company trade secrets, according to court documents. Nicole Wong, an associate general counsel for Google, said the company will fight the government's effort ``vigorously.'' ``Google is not a party to this lawsuit, and the demand for the information is overreaching,'' Wong said. The case worries privacy advocates, given the vast amount of information Google and other search engines know about their users. ``This is exactly the kind of case that privacy advocates have long feared,'' said Ray Everett-Church, a South Bay privacy consultant. ``The idea that these massive databases are being thrown open to anyone with a court document is the worst-case scenario. If they lose this fight, consumers will think twice about letting Google deep into their lives.'' Everett-Church, who has consulted with Internet companies facing subpoenas, said Google could argue that releasing the information causes undue harm to its users' privacy. ``The government can't even claim that it's for national security,'' Everett-Church said. ``They're just using it to get the search engines to do their research for them in a way that compromises the civil liberties of other people.'' 3:16:43 PM  PermaLink   / trackback []

U.S. Government Wants Google Search Records. U.S. Government Wants Google Search Records. JimBridgerBowl writes  "According to the San Jose Mercury News, The Bush administration wants access to Google's huge database of search queries submitted by users to track how often pornography is returned in results. This information would be used for Bush's appeal of the 2004 COPA law, targeted to prevent access to pornography by children. The law was struck down because it would have restricted adults access to legal pornography. Google is promising to fight the release of this information." ---  From the article:  "The Supreme Court invited the government to either come up with a less drastic version of the law or go to trial to prove that the statute does not violate the First Amendment and is the only viable way to combat child porn. As a result, government lawyers said in court papers they are developing a defense of the 1998 law based on the argument that it is far more effective than software filters in protecting children from porn."  [Slashdot: Your Rights Online] 3:09:51 PM  PermaLink   / trackback []

Feds Request Search Data From Google. Feds Request Search Data From Google. The action is part of an effort to revive an Internet child protection law that was struck down two years ago by the U.S. Supreme Court [GT: Privacy] 3:05:47 PM  PermaLink   / trackback []

KTLA The WB | California May Start Tracking HIV Patients by Name Opposition has lifted to legislation that would allow California health authorities to track HIV patients by name, effectively ending a years-long debate over privacy concerns and paving the way for the bill's passage. Onetime critics of the measure had worried that the approach would discourage people from getting tested for the human immunodeficiency virus and expose them to discrimination. But with the federal government poised to cut funding for states that do not have a reliable HIV-tracking system as early as this fall, gay and lesbian lawmakers and advocacy groups said they had no choice but to go along with the change. California currently tracks HIV exclusively by alphanumeric code, along with just five other states and the District of Columbia. "I personally would not have wanted us to do this," said state Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica), co-author of the bill, SB 699, and outgoing chairwoman of the Legislature's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender caucus. "This bill is only coming about this year because of the financial pressure from the federal government," she said. Longtime supporters of the names system, however, say the imminent switch is proof that HIV is no longer viewed as an exception among diseases, subject to different rules because of its stigma and potential for engendering discrimination. 2:56:54 PM  PermaLink   / trackback []

Real ID won't prevent fraud or terrorism SAN DIEGO - State officials and experts do not think they will be able to implement new federal provisions designed to strengthen driver's licenses and personal identification cards. They also believe the new security standards will not prevent fraud, counterfeiting or terrorism. "If you think you're going to eliminate this, don't," said Dan Combs, president of Global Identity Solutions. "That's a fool's hope." Combs, a former director of the Office of Digital Government in Iowa's Information Technology Department, said it might prevent amateurs from fraudulently producing fake IDs, but professionals who have the money, resources and equipment will still be able to create them. 2:53:28 PM  PermaLink   / trackback []

Fatal Flaw Weakens RFID Passports. Commentary by Bruce Schneier. [Wired News: Security Blanket] Fatal Flaw Weakens RFID Passports. State Department staffers take steps to make the new documents safer from attack. But a grave error in the design shows they still don't understand the technology. Commentary by Bruce Schneier. [Wired News: Security Blanket] 2:49:42 PM  PermaLink   / trackback []

Updates Mend F-Secure Antivirus Flaws. Updates Mend F-Secure Antivirus Flaws. Finnish antivirus company F-Secure Corp. warned users today to install an update to fix a serious flaw in many of its products that it said attackers could use to seize control over computers running the software. F-Secure said the problem has to do with the way its products examine compressed ZIP or RAR archive files.  [Security Fix] 2:41:52 PM  PermaLink   / trackback []

Police to hold vehicle licence data for two years. Police to hold vehicle licence data for two years. Minister confirms retention time for ANPR database Police are able to hold vehicle licence plate data for up to two years, the Government has confirmed. [The Register - Internet and Law: Digital Rights/Digital Wrongs] 2:40:09 PM  PermaLink   / trackback []

HNS - New FBI Computer Crime Survey Want insight into the cyber attacks that U.S. organizations are facing, what defenses they're using against these assaults, and the implications for industry and government? You'll be interested in reading the new 2005 FBI Computer Crime Survey (PDF), their largest survey on these issues to date. [...] Bruce Verduyn--a special agent in Houston's Cyber Squad, which administered the survey-said that this new survey differs from the annual CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey conducted by the Computer Security Institute and the FBI. "We surveyed about three times as many organizations and focused more on new technologies, where attacks originated, and how organizations responded," he said. 2:38:20 PM  PermaLink   / trackback []

Lawmakers Try to Stop the Sale of Phone Logs. Lawmakers Try to Stop the Sale of Phone Logs. Proposed law would create criminal penalties for the sale of mobile, VoIP, and landline phone records. [PCWorld.com - Latest News Stories] 2:34:13 PM  PermaLink   / trackback []

Anti-Spyware: Knowledge and Software for the Home PC. Anti-Spyware: Knowledge and Software for the Home PC. Nicolle Johnson discusses EULAs, tools to help combat spyware, and important steps home users can take to defend themselves. By Nicolle Johnson. [Infosec Writers Latest Security Papers] 2:31:46 PM  PermaLink   / trackback []

Infosecwriters.com - Five Mistakes of Vulnerability Management by Anton Chuvakin Vulnerability management is viewed by some as an esoteric security management activity. Others see it as a simple process that needs to be done in conjunction with Microsoft Corp.'s monthly patch update. " Yet another group considers it a marketing buzzword made up by the vendors. This article will look at common mistakes that organizations make on the path to achieving vulnerability management perfection, both in process and technology areas. This document is in PDF format. To view it click here. 2:28:03 PM  PermaLink   / trackback []

FT.com / World / UK - Hackers blackmail milliondollar site The FBI is investigating the hijacking of milliondollarhomepage.com - the website that earned $1m (£566,000) for its British creator Alex Tew by hosting micro-advertisements - by hackers who demanded a ransom to restore the site. Mr Tew was sent a demand for $50,000 by e-mail by a hacker, believed to be Russian. When he refused, the website crashed. The e-mail, which was made available exclusively to the Financial Times, read: "Hello u website is under us atack to stop the DDoS send us 50000$." Graham Cluley, a senior technology consultant, said: "DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack is a common way to block internet users accessing a site by flooding the website with traffic. "In August 2005 a US teenager was sentenced to five years juvenile detention for launching DDoS attacks against online sportswear retailers costing the company over $1.5m." 2:24:53 PM  PermaLink   / trackback []

Consumer Groups Push for Network Neutrality Rules. Consumer Groups Push for Network Neutrality Rules. Survey says U.S. broadband users want protection against providers blocking or slowing content access. [PCWorld.com - Latest News Stories] 2:18:33 PM  PermaLink   / trackback []