Edupage, April 29 and May 2, 2005
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TOP STORIES FOR FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2005
Hearings Focus on Library Provisions of USA PATRIOT Act
FIU Suffers Computer Hack
U.S. Strengthens Copyright Law
Spitzer Files Suit Against Marketing Firm for Spyware
HEARINGS FOCUS ON LIBRARY PROVISIONS OF USA PATRIOT ACT
Amid both House and Senate hearings on whether to renew certain
portions of the USA PATRIOT Act, supporters and critics of Section 215,
which authorizes law enforcement to obtain records from libraries and
other institutions, have lined up to voice their opinions. Section 215
allows gaining access to various types of records with only the
approval of a secret court. Further, those whose information has been
collected are barred from disclosing that fact, even to attorneys.
Representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which has
been highly critical of the legislation, said they could support its
renewal if several concessions were made, including limiting the
authority to investigate only "agent[s] of a foreign power" and
eliminating the gag order for those under investigation. Groups
including the American Library Association said they supported the
ACLU's recommendations. Rep. Howard Coble (R-N.C.) defended the law as
it stands, saying there has been much "misinformation" about Section
215 and how it has been used. Kenneth L. Wainstein, U.S. attorney for
the District of Columbia, said that the law has not been used to obtain
records from libraries, though he acknowledged that it could be used
that way in the future.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 29 April 2005 (sub. req'd)
http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2005/04/2005042901t.htm
FIU SUFFERS COMPUTER HACK
Officials at Florida International University (FIU) are warning faculty
and students about possible identity theft after it was discovered that
a hacker had user names and passwords for 165 computers on campus.
Although only a few of the computers contained personal information,
and despite the fact that no evidence exists that anyone's information
has been misused, school officials fear that the hacker may have had
enough access to put the university's entire network in question.
University staff have been instructed to inspect 3,000 computers on
campus to determine if they have been compromised. FIU has recommended
that faculty and students remove any personal information from their
computers and that they monitor their credit cards for suspicious
activity that could indicate fraud.
The Register, 29 April 2005
http://www.theregister.com/2005/04/29/fiu_id_fraud_alert/
U.S. STRENGTHENS COPYRIGHT LAW
President Bush this week signed into law the Family Entertainment and
Copyright Act, which allows for stiffer penalties for copyright
violations. Under the law, individuals found guilty of possessing one
or more copyrighted movie, music, or software files that have not been
released to the public face a fine and prison term of up to three
years. The law also criminalizes using a camcorder to record movies in
theaters. Copyright holders supported the measure. Dan Glickman of the
Motion Picture Association of America thanked Congress for what he
called "their strong advocacy for intellectual property rights."
Although some consumer groups opposed the law, some observers described
it as a relatively minor expansion of existing law. Eric Goldman,
professor of copyright law at Marquette University Law School, said he
expects the Justice Department to use its new authority responsibly.
Silicon.com, 28 April 2005
http://networks.silicon.com/webwatch/0,39024667,39129955,00.htm
SPITZER FILES SUIT AGAINST MARKETING FIRM FOR SPYWARE
New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has filed suit against
California-based Intermix Media for installing spyware on millions of
computers. The marketing company, which conceded that previous owners
indeed distributed spyware, is accused of violating state laws
concerning false advertising, deceptive business practices, and
trespassing. The state is seeking injunctions barring the company from
distributing any more spyware; an accounting of revenues the company
realized from the spyware; and fines of $500 for each act of installing
spyware. A statement from the company said that it voluntarily stopped
installing spyware recently and that no personal information was ever
collected with the secretly installed software. The statement hinted at
trying to reach a settlement with New York, a resolution that observers
said is a typical outcome of situations like this one.
New York Times, 29 April 2005 (registration req'd)
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/29/nyregion/29internet.html
TOP STORIES FOR MONDAY, MAY 02, 2005
Proposed Database Worries Security Experts
Spurned Again, Qwest Withdraws Bid for MCI
Time Warner Reports Data Loss
PROPOSED DATABASE WORRIES SECURITY EXPERTS
Amid a rash of corporate and institutional data breaches recently,
security experts are questioning whether a "unit record" database
proposed by the Department of Education could be kept secure. Currently
the department collects aggregate data on college students and
graduation rates. A unit record database would track individual
students through their college careers, presenting what some see as an
extremely tempting target for hackers. The current system would force a
hacker to "compromise several databases," according to Eugene Spafford,
professor of computer sciences and electrical and computer engineering
at Purdue University, whereas with a database like the one proposed,
"it's possible to attack it from any point in the system." Barbara
Simons, former president of the Association for Computing Machinery,
was also concerned about a unit record database, suggesting that it
might not be the safest way to accomplish the department's goals.
Grover Whitehurst, director of the Institute of Education Sciences at
the Education Department, said the agency is investigating security
options for the proposed database and welcomes suggestions. He noted
that the system might not use Social Security numbers as identifiers
and said that if the information in the system were limited in scope,
it would not be very appealing to hackers.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 6 May 2005 (sub. req'd)
http://chronicle.com/prm/weekly/v51/i35/35a03701.htm
SPURNED AGAIN, QWEST WITHDRAWS BID FOR MCI
After the board of MCI once again said it favored a lower bid from
Verizon Communications, Qwest Communications withdrew its bid, accusing
the MCI board of bowing to pressure from Verizon and failing to serve
the interests of shareholders. Qwest's withdrawal brings to an end a
three-month battle to acquire MCI, which has repeatedly expressed a
preference for Verizon, depite consistently lower bids. Members of the
MCI board argued that regardless of the face value of the bids, Verizon
represents a better choice "from the standpoint of risk versus reward."
A statement from MCI noted that some of its largest customers had
indicated a sufficiently stronger preference for Verizon that they
would terminate their business if Qwest's bid were accepted. Some
shareholders of MCI disagreed with the board, however, including Leon
Cooperman of Omega Advisors, which owns about 12 million shares of MCI.
Cooperman said the MCI board should have "treated [Qwest] better and
not allowed themselves to be emasculated by Verizon."
New York Times, 2 May 2005 (registration req'd)
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/02/business/02cnd-phone.html
TIME WARNER REPORTS DATA LOSS
A company that handles data storage for Time Warner lost tape backups
containing personal information for about 600,000 employees. Iron
Mountain Inc., based in Boston, reportedly lost the tapes during
transport. Officials from Time Warner said the tapes did not contain
customer information. In a statement, Larry Cockell, chief security
officer at Time Warner, said that although no evidence exists that the
data have been accessed or misused, "we are providing current and
former employees with resources to monitor their credit reports while
our investigation continues." Time Warner owns America Online, HBO, and
Warner Brothers.
Reuters, 2 May 2005
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?storyID=8363208
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