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Hackers log in to federal MPs' emails

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THE parliamentary computers of at least 10 federal ministers including the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Defence Minister are suspected of being hacked into in a major breach of national security.

T.J.Maxx hacker says feds gave him the OK

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Albert Gonzalez, the hacker who pleaded guilty to leading one of the largest cases of credit card theft in the U.S., is asking a judge to toss out the pleas, arguing that they were part of his assignments as a paid government informant.

Feds finally extend security baseline to Red Hat Linux

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At long last, a version of the U.S. Government Configuration Baseline (USGCB) for Red Hat Linux Desktop is in the house. The first set of USGCB security requirements were created some five years ago by the Office of Management and Budget, specifically for Windows Vista, with the assurance that other OSes would follow.

Rules keep hackers from helping government, ex DHS head says

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Friendly hackers and other computer whizzes who could help bolster government's cyber defenses often are unable to collaborate with the Homeland Security Department because of outdated policies that Congress and the White House must reform, former DHS Secretary Tom Ridge said on Tuesday.

A Chat With The Cybersecurity Czar

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Howard Schmidt talks global cooperation in cyberattack prevention, and how the feds should share threat intelligence with private industry. President Obama's cybersecurity coordinator last week hinted that an official effort to foster international cooperation in preventing cybercrime and cyberespionage while protecting privacy and freedom on the Internet could soon be in the works.

US bill would prohibit Internet 'kill switch'

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Three U.S. senators criticized for past legislation that would allow the president to potentially quarantine or shut down parts of the Internet during a major cyberattack have introduced a new bill that would put limits on that authority.

Unprecedented domain seizure shutters 84,000 sites

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The federal government's unprecedented practice of confiscating internet domain names in secret court proceedings took a new and ominous turn last week when it resulted in the closure of as many as 84,000 website addresses.

Senators explore new website seizure options

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U.S senators will introduce legislation this year targeting websites that traffic in digital piracy or counterfeited goods, said the primary sponsor of a controversial bill proposed in 2010 that would give government agencies more authority to shut down those sites.

Internet 'kill switch' legislation re-surfaces

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It seems that the so-called Internet "kill switch" legislation has resurfaced, according to the proposal's chief sponsor. The legislation came into play the same day Egyptians faced an internet blackout designed to counter massive demonstrations in that country.

Hacked Military and Government Sites Just Scratch the Surface

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The Web has been abuzz with the revelation that hacked government and military Web sites, as well as databases of personal information are available for less than $500. As concerning as that may be, what should keep IT admins awake at night is the broader realization that these are only the hacked sites that were discovered on the hacker underground. There are more, and your site could be one of them.

Sony hammers researchers with DMCA

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On the Deeplinks blog at eff.org Corynne McSherry and Marcia Hofmann report on the case of Sony vs Hotz. The implications of the case are broad reaching and frightening. Sony is suing researchers for the crime of exposing security holes. The researchers found security holes that allow users to run Linux on the Playstation 3 - something Sony allowed until recently.

Spain grovels to penguins over 'Linux' anti-terror plot

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The Spanish Ministry of the Interior has expressed its regret that an international crackdown on IT masterminds inside the violent Basque separatist group ETA was dubbed "Operation Linux". Apparently, penguin-loving outfits are complaining that the antiterrorist operation sullies their good name.