News Briefs

Experts Concerned Over Looming Security Risks of Ultrasonic Cross-Device Tracking

In the upcoming Black Hat London presentation, security researcher from University College London, Vasilios Mavroudis and colleagues are going to describe and demonstrate the practical security and privacy risks that arise with the adoption systems enabled with ultrasonic cross-device tracking (uXDT). more

Facebook Introduces Open/R as a More Efficient Modular Routing Platform

Facebook has announced a new routing system aimed at solving fast-recovery challenges for its Terragraph network that brings high-speed internet connectivity to dense urban areas. more

Cybercriminals Continuing to Exploit Human Nature, Increasing Reliance on Ransomware, Study Finds

Cybercriminals are continuing to exploit human nature and relying on familiar attack patterns such as phishing, and increase their reliance on ransomware, where data is encrypted and a ransom is demanded, according to Verizon 2016 Data Breach Investigations Report released today. more

Audio Recording from the “Power, Privacy, and the Internet” Conference

On October 30 – 31, 2013, The New York Review of Books held a conference called "Power, Privacy, and the Internet," taking a look at the role of the Internet both as a vehicle of political and cultural dissent and, in the hands of the state, as a weapon of repression and control. The recordings from the event have recently been released where listeners can stream or download the audio. more

Senate Bill to Reverse FCC Decision to Repeal Net Neutrality Received Its 30th Co-Sponsor

A Senate bill that would reverse the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) decision to repeal Net Neutrality received its 30th co-sponsor today, ensuring it will receive a vote on the Senate floor. more

European Data Breaches Have Resulted in Loss of 645 Million Records Since 2004

A first-time study of publically-reported data breaches in the 28 European Union member countries, plus Norway and Switzerland, conducted by the Central European University's Center for Media, Data and Society (CMDS) has found that between 2004 and 2014 the continent's organizations suffered 229 incidents covering 227 million personal records.  more

Google Offers Free DDoS Protection for News Sites

Google has announced its first initiative out of Jigsaw which is the expansion of its experimental service, Project Shield. Google is offering Project Shield as a free service leveraging Google technology to protect news and free expression sites from DDoS attacks on the web. more

Automated Web Application Attacks Can Peak at 25,000 an Hour

Web applications, on average, experience twenty seven attacks per hour, or roughly one attack every two minutes, according to the newly released Imperva Web Application Attack Report. Report also notes that when websites came under automated attack they received up to 25,000 attacks in one hour, or 7 attacks every second. more

Net Neutrality Advocates Planning Two Days of Protest in Washington DC

A coalition of activists and consumer groups are planning to gather in Washington, DC to meet directly with the members of Congress, which is said to be the "most effective way to influence their positions and counter the power of telecom lobbyists and campaign contributions." more

Lawful Access Bills Proposed for ISPs in Canada

Michael Geist writes: "The bills contain a three-pronged approach focused on information disclosure, mandated surveillance technologies, and new police powers. The first prong mandates the disclosure of Internet provider customer information without court oversight. Under current privacy laws, providers may voluntarily disclose customer information but are not required to do so. The new system would require the disclosure of customer name, address, phone number, email address, Internet protocol address, and a series of device identification numbers." more

Internet Shutdowns On The Rise Worldwide, Says Report

From the Middle East to South Asia to Africa, shutdowns are becoming a norm of authoritarianism -- an accepted means of silencing criticism, stifling dissent, and controlling the population. Governments are increasingly using digital tools to surveil, censor, and manipulate information, as well as amplify their own propaganda. more

ICANN Initiates First Cycle of Its Grant Program

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has unveiled the first cycle of its Grant Program, earmarking up to $10 million for projects aimed at enhancing Internet resilience and global interoperability.  more

Internet Association Meets With the FCC In Efforts to Preserve Net-Neutrality Rules

Jon Brodkin reporting in Ars Technica: "Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai and his staff met yesterday with the Internet Association, a trade group whose members include Amazon, Dropbox, eBay, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Netflix, PayPal, Reddit, Spotify, Twitter, and about 30 other Web companies. The meeting occurred about a week after Pai reportedly met with broadband industry lobby groups to discuss his plans for eliminating net neutrality rules." more

Iran Gives Messaging Apps a Year to Move Data Inside Country

Iran has given foreign messaging apps a year to move data they hold about Iranian users onto servers inside the country, prompting privacy and security concerns on social media. more

Carlton: ICANN TLD Expansion to “Increase Output, Lower Price and Increase Innovation”

According to the latest update from ICANN related to the introduction of new generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs), Dr. Dennis Carlton has reiterated that the planned introduction of new gTLDs will not burden trademark owners with additional defensive registrations. Carlton writes: "I conclude that ICANN's proposed framework for introducing new gTLDs is likely to facilitate entry and create new competition to the major gTLDs such as .com, .net, and .org. Like other actions that remove artificial restrictions on entry, the likely effect of ICANN's proposal is to increase output, lower price and increase innovation. This conclusion is based on the fundamental principles that competition promotes consumer welfare and restrictions on entry impede competition." more