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Tuesday, July 5, 2011

New alliance to fight cybercrime

5 July 2011 Last updated at 12:59 ET

The International Cyber Security Protection Alliance (ICSPA) has been set up to fight cybercrime on a global scale.

Launched in London on Tuesday, the new body unites governments, international businesses and law enforcement agencies, including Europol.

Major security companies such as McAfee and Trend Micro have also signed up.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron has welcomed the alliance.

"Our government has already injected an additional �650m to help improve our national infrastructure and protect against cybercrime, but the very nature of this threat calls for more than a national response; it demands a truly global response and that is what the International Cyber Security Protection Alliance is all about," he said.

The prime minister added that besides forming relationships between businesses, governments and law enforcement officers all over the world, the new not-for-profit organisation, chaired by former Home Secretary David Blunkett, will also be investing in training, as well as building an international exchange of expertise.

"ICSPA's goal is to improve international law enforcement capability and capacity to help protect businesses and their customers against this unprecedented threat," Mr Cameron said.

"Start Quote

Cyber crime is a truly global problem and to tackle it we need strong partnership between countries and across private and public sectors"

End Quote James Brokenshire Crime Prevention Minister

Funding for the alliance is expected to come from the EU and a number of governments.

Key threats

Crime Prevention Minister James Brokenshire said that although the internet has brought great opportunities for individuals and businesses, it has also enabled criminals to operate "across national boundaries".

"Cybercrime is a truly global problem and to tackle it we need strong partnership between countries and across private and public sectors," he said.

In 2010, the government said that cybercrime and terrorism were among the key dangers to UK security.

One of the primary goals of the new body is to provide help to the countries that need most assistance, such as China.

"You've got to go beyond Europe. We need to make sure this doesn't turn into an all-English club," said Rik Ferguson, director for security research at Trend Micro.

"For a country like China, where infrastructure is being abused, there's no reason why they would not become a big part of ICSPA."

UK to follow US on piracy policy

5 July 2011 Last updated at 11:21 ET

The UK could soon be following the US by blocking websites that pirate movies and music.

The warning came from communications minister Ed Vaizey in a speech to a conference in London.

In his speech Mr Vaizey said that a voluntary code of practice being drawn up by US ISPs and content owners could be a "game-changer" in other countries.

Many other nations are looking at site blocking to prevent illegal streaming of films, music and sports events.

The change of tactic comes as experts see pirates choose websites that stream content over traditional file-sharing networks.

Odd attitude

Mr Vaizey struck a bullish note in his keynote speech at the Intellect Consumer Electronics conference.

"If people are streaming live football without permission we should look at ways we can stop them," he said. "People have the right to earn money from content they create."

He remained tight-lipped on what came out of last week's meeting between ISPs and content providers to discuss website blocking, but hinted that the US may be leading the way.

"A voluntary agreement may come out of the US and if that does happen it could be a game-changer," he said.

In a dig at ISPs, he said he found "their attitude odd", especially BT and TalkTalk's failed legal challenge to the Digital Economy Act (DEA).

The DEA is aimed mainly at preventing piracy via peer-to-peer file-sharing but as people move away from that route, it also makes provision to block access to some websites.

It allows content providers to apply for an injunction against ISPs that do not restrict access to illegal streaming sites.

The Motion Picture Association has done just that, taking BT, the UK's largest consumer ISP, to court over linking to members-only index site Newzbin.

The MPA wants BT to block Newzbin with the same system that stops access to sites hosting child sex abuse images.

The members-only website aggregates a large amount of the illegally copied material found on Usenet discussion forums.

The case is due to be heard next week.

Free speech

Another conference speaker Neil Berkett, the chief executive of Virgin Media, said there was no current agreement between UK content providers and ISPs.

"We still have a way to go to create an environment where the two sides see eye-to-eye," he said.

"How do you ensure that content is protected in an age where a whole generation thinks that stealing is just fine?" he asked.

"Beating them over the head with a stick is not a good start. What is needed is models that encourage people to change their behaviour, subscriptions that are cheap enough so that people think 'I'm better off getting a full array of quality music' ", he said.

The US government has pledged to pursue those who link to illegal streaming sites, including extraditing individuals from other countries.

The issue has attracted some high-profile critics, such as Google chairman Eric Schmidt.

He vowed that the search engine would fight any attempts at web blocking. He warned that putting blocking measures into legislation would set a dangerous precedent for censorious governments around the world who might be tempted to use it as a political tool.

Mr Vaizey said that critics of website blocking displayed a degree of hypocrisy.

"They [the US government] have been tough but if they took down a website linking to fake handbags no-one would bat an eyebrow," he said. "As soon as it is a site sharing music it becomes an issue about freedom of speech."

Apple to decide on Google+ app

5 July 2011 Last updated at 07:49 ET

Google has asked Apple to approve a mobile version of its social networking site + (Plus) for iPhones and iPads.

The news that it had submitted an iOS app was revealed by a Google employee, writing on her personal page.

For + to succeed alongside Facebook and Twitter, it will need to reach as many mobile devices as possible, according to industry watchers.

However, Apple exercises strict control over what can run on its platform and has blocked Google apps in the past.

If the search giant fails to get a "native" app approved, it may find itself restricted to a browser-based web application, as it has been for other Google services on iOS.

"There are two good reasons for getting a native app," said Torsten Stauch, chief technology officer at AppShed.

"The first is the exposure you get from being on the App Store.

"The other is the push alerts. You really need that to make the user start the app and engage with it," he said.

Rejected

Google has not commented of the app submission officially. However, employee Erica Joy posted on her Google+ page: "For my iPhone using friends: the Google+ iPhone app has been submitted to the App store (no not today, sometime prior to today) and is awaiting approval."

In the early days of its App Store, Apple rejected two Google applications - Voice and Latitude.

The company said that, in the case of Voice, it replicated one of the iPhone's core functions - something which broke the App Store's terms of use.

Apple's rules were later relaxed, following an investigation by the US Federal Communications Commission.

Invite only

Google+ is launching into a competitive social networking market, where market leader Facebook has an estimated 700m users worldwide.

The new service is currently in a closed, invitation-only test mode.

Technology journalists who have tried it have praised some of the innovative features, including Circles, which allows users to drop their contacts into categories such as work or friends.

A mobile version is already available for Android smartphones.

Extending that experience to Apple products will be important, but not a deal-breaker, according to social media consultant Rax Lakhani.

"Mobile is essential to Google+. But if Apple does not approve the app straight away, there is still the web app.

"I think a lot of people, even on the iPhone, do not have the apps, even for Facebook and Twitter. The mobile web experience is just as good, if not better than the apps."

Baidu, Microsoft in search tie-up

4 July 2011 Last updated at 20:30 ET

Baidu, the biggest web company in China, will partner with Microsoft to provide English-language search results.

English search queries will be directed from Baidu to Microsoft's Bing search engine, the Chinese company said in a statement late on Monday.

Baidu dominates search in China with more than 75% of the market.

The move is aimed at increasing Microsoft's small web presence in the biggest internet market in the world.

Baidu said that it expected the service to start later this year.

The two firms have already co-operated on mobile platforms and page results.

Some analysts say this partnership is aimed at taking market share from Google, which has already retreated from the Chinese market because of a censorship spat with the government.

Despite that Google is still the second biggest search engine in China.

"The co-operation between Baidu and Microsoft will further strengthen Baidu's dominance in China's search engine market, and will also make Google's business in China more difficult," said Dong Xu, an analyst with Analysys International.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Maths powers Google bid strategy

4 July 2011 Last updated at 09:28 ET

Google's bids for a pool of wireless patents were based on mathematical constants, say sources.

The portfolio of 6,000 patents was auctioned to realise some value from the assets of bankrupt telecoms firm Nortel.

During the sale, Google's bids were based on pi, other constants and the distance between the Earth and the Sun.

Google lost the auction as a consortium including Apple and Microsoft made the winning bid of $4.5bn (�2.8bn).

Deep pockets

"Google was bidding with numbers that were not even numbers," a source involved in the auction told the Reuters news agency.

The sale of the patent portfolio started as a five-way scrap between two separate consortia and individual firms including Google and Intel.

Initial estimates suggested the portfolio would attract around $2bn (�1.24bn) but the four days of intense bidding saw the total rise sharply.

During its bids, Google picked numbers including Brun's constant and Meissel-Mertens constant that were said to have "puzzled" others involved in the auction. When bids from rivals hit $3bn, Google reportedly bid pi, $3.14159bn, to up the ante.

"Either they were supremely confident or they were bored," Reuters' source said.

It is not clear what inspired Google to draw on obscure mathematics for its bids. However, Google co-founder Sergey Brin is widely acknowledged to be a maths prodigy and the bids may reveal his influence.

As the bids got bigger some firms dropped out and others became partners to pool their resources. From going it alone, Apple joined a consortium that included Microsoft, Research In Motion and Sony.

"It did become clear to us very quickly that this was something that a bunch of big companies with humongous balance sheets had decided was strategic for them," said John Amster, Chief Executive of RPX that led one consortium. The RPX-led group dropped out as the price climbed.

Fee fight

Ultimately the portfolio was being fought over by two groups: Google and Intel on one side and the Microsoft/Apple-led consortium on the other.

Google's failure to secure control of the patents could cost it dear in the future, warned intellectual property analyst Florian Mueller.

"I would have thought they would seize this once in a lifetime opportunity to become a new wireless patent player," Mr Mueller told the BBC. "It's not going to have, any time soon, a comparable opportunity to acquire such a diversity of relevant patents in a single purchase."

Currently Google had about 700 patents in its mobile portfolio, he said, many of which relate to using handsets to serve its core competences such as search.

By contrast, he said, the Nortel patents relate to future technologies that will make mobile networks faster and handsets more powerful.

Controlling that, he pointed out, would be very useful as a bargaining chip with rivals. Owning the patents could also ease the burden on firms making Android devices as they would have fewer licence fees to pay.

Use of Android technology from Google is free provided handset makers pipe traffic back to the search giant so it can make money with adverts.

However, the numbers of companies asking for cash to use the non-Google developed technologies found in Android phones was rising, he said.

For instance, Microsoft has announced licensing deals with many Android phone makers including General Dynamics and HTC.

With the control of the patents passing to a consortium that includes firms that are Google's bitter rivals in the mobile phone world, licence fees could increase.

"It's reducing the claim that Android is free to an absurdity," said Mr Mueller.

Google has not issued a formal statement on the auction outcome but has reportedly called it "disappointing".

Fox News hack declares Obama dead

4 July 2011 Last updated at 05:32 ET

Hackers have taken over a Twitter account belonging to US broadcaster Fox News and declared President Obama dead.

The @foxnewspolitics feed stated: "BREAKING NEWS: @BarackObama assassinated, 2 gunshot wounds have proved too much."

More than two hours after the malicious postings appeared, they had still not been removed.

A group or individual, calling themselves The Script Kiddies appeared to claim responsibility.

Fox News Politics began posting bizarre messages around 07.00 BST on July 4.

The first read: "Just regained full access to our Twitter and email. Happy 4th."

The next posting stated: "@BarackObama has just passed. The President is dead."

Script Kiddie

Fox News Politics is one of the Twitter accounts associated with the industry-leading cable news network.

Its Twitter account carries the "verified" tick icon, indicating that the feed belongs to the organisation it claims to be.

In among the messages about President Obama, a couple of tweets appeared from a user called The Script Kiddies. However, that account was quickly suspended.

The phrase "Script Kiddie" is internet slang for an inexperienced person who uses off-the-shelf hacking technology, developed by other people.

It is unclear why Fox News has been attacked in this instance. However, the broadcaster's conservative stance has made it unpopular with many Americans.

Fox News is the most watched cable news network in the United States, with its prime time shows attracting almost two million viewers, well ahead of rivals CNN and MSNBC.

An attack on another Fox Entertainment Group website, Fox.com was the first confirmed hit by hacker group Lulz Security in May 2011.

The now-disbanded organisation stole the personal details of 73,000 applicants for the US version of X Factor.

Rare earth find helps Japan tech

4 July 2011 Last updated at 00:58 ET

Japanese researchers say they have discovered vast deposits of rare earth minerals, used in many hi-tech appliances, in the seabed.

The geologists estimate that there are about a 100bn tons of the rare elements in the mud of the Pacific Ocean floor.

At present, China produces 97% of the world's rare earth metals.

Analysts say the Pacific discovery could challenge China's dominance, if recovering the minerals from the seabed proves commercially viable.

The British journal Nature Geoscience reported that a team of scientists led by Yasuhiro Kato, an associate professor of earth science at the University of Tokyo, found the minerals in sea mud at 78 locations.

"The deposits have a heavy concentration of rare earths. Just one square kilometre (0.4 square mile) of deposits will be able to provide one-fifth of the current global annual consumption," said Yasuhiro Kato, an associate professor of earth science at the University of Tokyo.

The minerals were found at depths of 3,500 to 6,000 metres (11,500-20,000 ft) below the ocean surface.

Environmental fears

One-third of the sites yielded rich contents of rare earths and the metal yttrium, Mr Kato said.

The deposits are in international waters east and west of Hawaii, and east of Tahiti in French Polynesia.

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Why rare earths are so important to the world's economy

Mr Kato estimated that rare earths contained in the deposits amounted to 80 to 100 billion tonnes.

The US Geological Survey has estimated that global reserves are just 110 million tonnes, found mainly in China, Russia and other former Soviet countries, and the United States.

China's apparent monopoly of rare earth production enabled it to restrain supply last year during a territorial dispute with Japan.

Japan has since sought new sources of the rare earth minerals.

The Malaysian government is considering whether to allow the construction of an Australian-financed project to mine rare earths, in the face of local opposition focused on the fear of radioactive waste.

The number of firms seeking licences to dig through the Pacific Ocean floor is growing rapidly.

The listed mining company Nautilus has the first licence to mine the floor of the Bismarck and Solomon oceans around Papua New Guinea.

It will be recovering what is called seafloor massive sulphide, for its copper and gold content.

The prospect of deep sea mining for precious metals - and the damage that could do to marine ecosystems - is worrying environmentalists.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Belarus 'blocks networking sites'

3 July 2011 Last updated at 09:16 ET

Belarus has blocked access to social networking sites in an attempt to prevent protests being held on a national holiday, rights activists say.

The opposition also says dozens of activists have been detained.

Speaking in Minsk, President Alexander Lukashenko denounced what he said were efforts to overthrow his government.

Activists had been using social media sites to organise protests for Independence Day, the anniversary of the end of Nazi occupation in 1944.

Protests are rare in Belarus, where the authoritarian rule of Mr Lukashenko has led to sanctions by Western governments.

Demonstrators had been urged to attend the celebrations and start clapping as soon as Mr Lukashenko began his Independence Day speech.

'Titanic effort'

The opposition have held a series of internet-organised marches known as "Revolution by Social Networks", in which protesters do not carry signs but instead walk through the streets clapping in unison.

The group's main page on a Russian social media site was blocked, with activists saying it was a deliberate attempt to stifle their efforts.

"The authorities are making a titanic effort to break the wave of civil protests," wrote opposition website Charter 97.

"Start Quote

These are clearly illegal actions undertaken to prevent the protest actions called for on the internet"

End Quote Stanislav Shushkevich Opposition member

Speaking ahead of a military parade, President Lukashenko - dressed in military uniform - said rallies co-ordinated on the internet were part of a plan to overthrow his government.

"(Somebody) is trying to copy a 'coloured revolution' scenario here," he said, referring to protest movements in ex-Soviet republics such as Georgia and Ukraine in 2003-2004.

"They want to put us on our knees. This is not going to happen."

At least one person who began clapping was quickly led away by plain-clothes policemen, according to Reuters news agency.

Valentin Stefanovich from rights group Vesna said the government had detained dozens of activists, while others had been called in by the KGB and warned not to protest.

Those arrested included Stanislav Shushkevich, the first post-Soviet leader of Belarus and a strong opposition supporter, but he was later released.

"These are clearly illegal actions undertaken to prevent the protest actions called for on the internet," Mr Shushkevich told AFP news agency.

Last month, about 1,000 people gathered in Minsk to take part in a "silent protest" over the economic crisis organised via social networking sites.

In December 2010, authorities cracked down on demonstrations held after general elections to protest against alleged vote-rigging.

International monitors said the contest, in which Mr Lukashenko officially won 80% of the vote, was deeply flawed.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Google faces 'wire tapping' case

1 July 2011 Last updated at 07:06 ET

Google could be sued for scooping up data from open wi-fi networks after a US court ruling.

A judge in San Francisco decided that the company's actions may have violated federal laws on wire tapping.

Google had tried to have the class action lawsuit thrown out, claiming that anyone could have intercepted the wireless signals.

It had previously admitted collecting the data by mistake while gathering images for its Street View service.

Since the blunder was revealed, Google has stopped its Street View cars logging wi-fi networks.

Private data

The problem was discovered in 2010 when German data protection officials asked the company what information its Street View photography cars were collecting.

As well as taking panoramic images, it emerged that they also logged wi-fi networks to help with the search firm's location services.

That involved sampling packets of data from wireless hotspots. On open, unencrypted networks the system grabbed logins, passwords and other personal details. About 600MB of data was collected in 30 countries.

At the time, Google apologised for its action, blaming a coding error, and pledged to delete the data.

The revelation led to investigations in several countries. France fined Google 100,000 euros (�87,000) over the breach.

In the US, a class action lawsuit was brought on behalf of plaintiffs from nine states. The case is being heard in California where Google's headquarters is located.

The company tried to have the case dismissed on the grounds that the data gathering was inadvertent. It also said that anyone could have intercepted the transmissions.

"Start Quote

the law doesn't clearly cover that issue right now and that the law is really a mess."

End Quote Jim Dempsey Center for Democracy and Technology

US District Court Judge James Ware disagreed and said that just because a wi-fi network was open did not mean it was meant to be public.

"Merely pleading that a network is unencrypted does not render that network readily accessible to the general public," Judge Ware wrote in his decision.

The fact that Google used some specialist equipment meant it was was liable for prosecution under federal wire tap laws.

Judge Ware threw out several other elements of the complaint against Google, relating to state laws on wire tapping and unfair competition.

In a statement, the company dismissed the claims and said it would consider the latest ruling before deciding whether to launch an appeal.

US laws on wire tapping were in need of updating, said Jim Dempsey, a privacy expert at the Center for Democracy & Technology.

The laws were last updated in the late 1980s to address such things as CB radio and baby monitors, he said.

"I don't think anyone doubts that it should be illegal to intercept someone's communications," said Mr Dempsey.

"But I think it's equally clear that the law doesn't clearly cover that issue right now and that the law is really a mess."

Nortel sells patents for $4.5bn

1 July 2011 Last updated at 03:29 ET

Bankrupt telecoms firm Nortel has sold its remaining patent portfolio for $4.5bn (�2.8bn) to a consortium of six firms including Apple and Microsoft.

The other consortium members are Sony, Research In Motion, Ericsson, and EMC.

The auction of Nortel's assets had been hotly contested, with Google and Intel losing out.

The sale included more than 6,000 patents and patent applications including areas such as data networking and semiconductors.

"The size and dollar value for this transaction is unprecedented, as was the significant interest in the portfolio among major companies around the world," said George Riedel, chief strategy officer at Nortel.

Google had opened the bidding in April at $900m.

Patent wars

Canada's Nortel filed for bankruptcy protection in January 2009 and has been selling assets since then, raising about $3.2bn in the process.

Earlier on Thursday, Nortel had obtained a court order to extend its bankruptcy protection to 14 December "to provide stability to the Nortel companies to continue with their divestiture and other restructuring efforts".

The patents mark the last major assets to be sold by the company.

Patents are becoming highly prized pieces of intellectual property.

The final sale price was much higher than earlier estimates of $1bn to $2bn and illustrates how fierce the patent wars have become as companies become embroiled in lawsuits.

"The Nortel patent portfolio reflects the heritage of more than 100 years of its R&D activities and includes some essential patents in telecommunications and other industries," said Kasim Alfalahi, chief intellectual property officer at Ericsson, part of the winning group.

"We believe the consortium is in the best position to utilise the patents in a manner that will be favourable to the industry [in the] long term."

World News | Latest News

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

New alliance to fight cybercrime

"Start Quote

UK to follow US on piracy policy

Apple to decide on Google+ app

Baidu, Microsoft in search tie-up

Monday, July 4, 2011

Maths powers Google bid strategy

Fox News hack declares Obama dead

Rare earth find helps Japan tech

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Belarus 'blocks networking sites'

"Start Quote

Friday, July 1, 2011

Google faces 'wire tapping' case

"Start Quote

Nortel sells patents for $4.5bn

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