The BBC reports that the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee has issued a paper prompting the government to take tougher action against cybercrime. It is refreshing to see a policy-making body taking the problem seriously, as lack of enforcement has been a problem in the past. One Read more
The idea that the Internet is filled with sexual predators has received a boost as MySpace has admitted to having found and removed 29,000 registered sex offenders on its site. The admission comes amongst attempts by North Carolina’s Attorney General to change the law so that social networking sites require Read more
I think we could all agree that cybercrime is a growing threat. Online fraud, phishing, viruses, hacking, DDoS, and spam, consumer are increasingly at risk from online security vulnerabilities that could translate in financial loss. What is the UK’s response to the threat? “Call your bank”. The Guardian carries a Read more
(via Suw Charman) A man in London has been arrested for being the UK’s representative of AllofMP3, the Russian infamous for selling subscription services at a fraction of “legal” downloads sites, but that does not pay royalties to artists. According to the IFPI, the arrest is part of a growing Read more
This is a thorough yet slightly panicky report from the New York Times about online paedophile chat rooms and fora. We are told about the strange world of the paedophile support groups online, where participants exchange stories, fantasies, technology tips and discuss job offers. Some experts are called to give Read more
Phishers appear to be growing more imaginative, perhaps as a sign of growing consumer sophistication about their tactics. I have just received a phishing email that seems to play on phishing scam fears by asking users not to give information away, but then directing them to a website where they Read more
The sad case of the ‘Star Wars kid‘ in Canada has been settled out of court. A teenager in Quebec made a video where he emulated the double lightsabre famously wielded by Darth Maul. The video was released on the internet by three other students, labeled as the “Star Wars Read more
Can people “steal” wifi? A man in Illinois has been fined $250 USD and given a one year suspended sentence for sitting in his car at 2 AM and accessing an open Wifi network belonging to a charity. This poses several interesting legal questions . Many legal systems now have Read more
Two hackers from the international group THr34t-Krew (do you l33t?) have been sentenced by a Newcaste court for conspiracy to cause unauthorised modification of computers with intent, or in plain language, for writing a worm that did not even create a lot of problems, but had the potential for great Read more
A new security threat has been uncovered. The keys on a keyboard can be digitally recorded and used to determine what’s been written. Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley (where else?) have been using a computer program that can pick up more than 90 percent of key sounds Read more