Controversial Cyber Security Bill CISPA Passed Again By The US House

Controversial Cyber Security Bill CISPA Passed Again By The US House

Couple of months ago we reported that the White House is planning for an executive cyber security order, from some official sources it has also come to know that the U.S. President Mr. Barack Obama has a special plan to re-introduce the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA). Today that deceleration get executed as the US House of Representatives has passed the controversial Cyber Information Sharing and Protection Act. This is the second time when CISPA have been passed by the White House, first it was rejected by the Senator while saying that the bill did not do enough to protect privacy. But yet again with the initiative of Obama and a substantial majority of politicians in the House backed the bill. Though there is a huge chance of getting rejected. According to some relevant sources it has been came to light that, this time also CISPA could fail again in the Senate after threats from President Obama to veto it over privacy concerns. Sources are saying that the main reason of re-introducing CISPA is the the President Barack Obama expressed concerns that it could pose a privacy risk. The White House wants amendments so more is done to ensure the minimum amount of data is handed over in investigations.  The law is passing through the US legislative system as American federal agencies warn that malicious hackers, motivated by money or acting on behalf of foreign governments, such as China, are one of the biggest threats facing the nation.  "If you want to take a shot across China's bow, this is the answer," said Mike Rogers, the Republican politician who co-wrote CISPA and chairs the House Intelligence Committee. 

On the other hand CISPA has also secured the backing of several technology firms, including the CTIA wireless industry group, as well as the TechNet computer industry lobby group, which has Google, Apple and Yahoo as members. By contrast, some other big names like Mozilla, Reddit has been vocal in its opposition to the bill. In the beginning the social networking giant Facebook supported CISPA but later they took back its support. The American Civil Liberties Union has also opposed CISPA, saying the bill was "fatally flawed". The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Reporters Without Borders and the American Library Association have all voiced similar worries.

-Source (BBC)

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President of Philippines Official Website Hacked By Anonymous

President of Philippines Official Website Hacked By Anonymous in Protest of "Sabah Issue"

After remaining silent for a certain period, the infamous hacker collective group Anonymous strikes again. As you all might know that normally this group targets high profile websites like government organization, federal authorities, defense, ministry and other giant organization. This time also the same strategy get repeated, as the hacker group targeted the official website of the President of Philippines. During this cyber attack the hacker group has breached the security system and managed to get access in side the website, and as expected they defaced the index page. In the news section of the website the hacker group calling them selves "Anonymous Philippines"; affiliated to one of the worlds most dangerous and largest hackers community going by the name "Anonymous";  left message for the President Benigno Aquino III. From the message left by the hacker, we came to know that the hacking was a part of protest against the Aquino administration’s mishandling of  the crisis in "Sabah issue" 

Message of Anonymous Philippines:- 

“Greetings, President Aquino! We have watched how you signed into law a bill that endangers and tramples upon the netizens’ freedom of speech and expression. Now, we are silent witnesses as to how you are mishandling the Sabah issue. We did not engage the Malaysian hackers who invaded our cyberspace since we expected you to appropriately and judiciously act on the same, but you failed us.

“You did nothing while our fellow brothers are being butchered by the Malaysian forces, and while our women and children become subject of human rights abuses. If you can’t act on the issue as the Philippine President, at least do something as a fellow Filipino. We are watching.” 

As soon as this hack get spotted, the Philippine government took immediate step while closing the backdoor and removing the deface page. After an hour of maintenance the website get restored and came back in proper manner. Later in-front of press the Philippine government acknowledged the issue. In the official statement the Communications Secretary of Philippine Sonny Coloma said -“At around 1:30 a.m. today, we detected a breach when an errant sentence critical of the government on the Sabah issue was found to have been inserted in one of the news items within the website.” Coloma did assure the public that the site will be up and running “in a few hours.” 

“We expect to resume public display of the President's website in a few hours after needed protection measures have been put in place,” Coloma said, adding that the site was not compromised in any other way. “No further intrusions were made as the internal security protocols were activated,” he said. 

While covering the hack of President site, we must give you reminder that, this hack is not the first one, earlier half dozen of major government website of Philippine was targeted by the same hacker group, even in this year the official website of Senator Vicente C. Sotto III get hacked and defaced by Anonymous Philippines for the protest of "Cybercrime Prevention Act" 

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President Obama & Congress Will Issue Long Awaited Executive Cyber Security Order

President Obama & Congress Will Issue Long Awaited Executive Cyber Security Order 

Last week we reported that Pentagon has declared that they are moving toward a major expansion of its cyber security force to counter increasing attacks on the nation’s computer networks, as well as to expand offensive computer operations on foreign adversaries. Just one week after this declaration another crucial movement came from the U.S. government.  A secret legal review on the use of America’s growing arsenal of cyber weapons has concluded that President Obama has the broad power to order a pre-emptive strike if the United States detects credible evidence of a major digital attack looming from abroad. According to sources President Barack Obama will issue a long-awaited cyber security executive order this week. Two former White House officials told the publication that the order is expected to be released after Tuesday night's State of the Union address. 

Given his status as commander-in-chief, Obama seems to be the clear choice, but since cyber warfare is such a new and unknown thing, the government hasn't actually figured out the rules of engagement yet. In the past couple of decades, the power to use America's cyber weapons has been shared between the Pentagon and the various intelligence agencies. With the exception of a series of strikes on the computer systems that run Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities an attack that Obama ordered himself the U.S. hasn't launched any major cyber attacks in recent memory, however. This probably won't be the case in the future. So the government is working on new rules of engagement, as it realizes that the capabilities of cyber weapons are evolving at a startling rate. The rules will be not unlike the set that governs how drone attacks are ordered and who orders them. Cyber warfare certainly stands to affect the average American more, though.  On Capitol Hill this week, Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) and Rep. Mike Rodgers (R-Mich.) are set to reintroduce the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) during a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

According to an exclusive report the bill would allow the government to share classified cyber threats with the private sector so that those companies can then protect their systems from cyber attacks. The bill was killed last year due to privacy concerns. Civil-liberty groups argued that the bill allows companies to exchange too much personal information back and forth without regulation. 

-Source (Bloomberg, NY Times & Atlantic Wire)

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Official Website of Senator Vicente C. Sotto III Hacked By Anonymous Philippines

Official Website of Senator Vicente C. Sotto III Hacked By Anonymous Philippines

Philippines rampage of hacktivist Anonymous continues, as this hacker collective group strikes again and blown the official website of Senator Vicente C. Sotto III. This attack carried under the banner of 'OccupyPhilippines' where the hacker group hacked into server of Senator Tito Sotto and defaced the index page. According to the hacker, the cyber attack was to stand against the controversial "Cybercrime Prevention Act of Philippines" widely known as Republic Act No. 10175. The hacker group believed that, if this bill did not get revised, then the freedom of speech in cyber space will be restricted. During this attack the hacker tried to send his message to the Senator, and that is - 

"It's been a long time, Tito Sen! Deny us our freedom of speech and of expression through R.A. 10175 

and we will deny you your cyberspace. You cannot shut us up, you cannot shut us down. 

And you shall not see us rest until R.A. 10175 is revised.

We are all waiting, we are all ready.

We are Anonymous, we are legion.

We do not forgive and we do not forget.

Expect Us

Protect our Right to Freedom of Expression!..."

The attack took place in yesterday evening, as soon as the intrusion was spotted the site was sent offline for a certain period. And today morning, the whole thing get restored and it came back to its normal format. 

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Apple Hired Kristen Paget, Renowned Hacker & Former Security Expert of Microsoft

Apple Hired Kristen Paget, Renowned Hacker & Former Security Expert of Microsoft 

To become  the very best along with that to maintain and hold your position, you need to deliver your hundred percent even some times more than hundred percent, and this race continues. For that we have to gather the very best guy with as. The above fact took place again, when Apple hired a renowned computer security researcher who helped Microsoft to rid Windows Vista from glaring exploits. I think, you already started guessing, let me tell you that yes you are absolutely right. Kristen Paget formerly known as Chris Paget who was part of an elite team of security experts of Microsoft has now been hired by Apple to lend her expertise to securing the company's operating systems. Apple, slowly, has been trying to make inroads into the security community. This summer, an Apple engineer spoke at the Black Hat security conference for the first time. So it is a bit predictable that why Apple is looking for security experts. Paget's exact charge at Apple is still somewhat of a mystery, with company representatives declining to comment on the specifics of what she'll be working on. After leaving Microsoft and prior to her move to 1 Infinite Loop, Paget was employed by security firm Recursion Ventures. According to sources, this past July, she'd departed stating that she wished to focus on developing security-related hardware.  

According to a report by Wired - Paget’s work at Microsoft had been similarly secretive. She’d been forbidden from speaking about it for five years after her work there ended.

But in 2011, the NDA expired, and she spilled the beans on her Vista hacking at the Black Hat Las Vegas conference. In short: Microsoft’s security team had expected Vista to be pretty clean when Paget got her hands on it, but they were wrong.

“We prevented a lot of bugs from shipping on Vista,” Paget said, according to a recording of her talk. “I’m proud of the number of bugs we found and helped get fixed.” Paget and company’s bug-hunt was so successful, in fact, that it forced Microsoft to push back Vista’s ship date. When the work was done, the hackers received special T-shirts, signed by Microsoft Vice President of Windows Development Brian Valentine. They read: “I delayed Windows Vista.” 

Until this past summer, Paget had been chief hacker at Recursion Ventures, a company that specializes in hardware security. When she left in July, she said she was looking for a break from bug-finding, hoping to find a job that involved building “security-focused hardware.”

“I’ve done too much breaking of things, it’s time to create for a change,” she said on Twitter. She was hired in September as a core operating system security researcher at Apple, according to her Linkedin Profile. 

Paget made headlines in 2010 when she built her own cellphone-intercepting base station at the Defcon hacker conference. Back then, Paget was known as Chris. She switched genders last year.

While talking about hiring geniuses by giant firms, we would like to remind you that very recently Apple has hired search guru Bill Stasior to oversee Apple's Siri voice-activated personal assistant. Along with this, few months ago social networking giant Twitter had appointed famous whitehat hacker Charlie Miller, to boost up its security.  Also in late 2011 Nicholas Allegra, the world-famous hacker known as "Comex", creator of JailbreakMe.com comes was also hired by Apple.

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Chrome 23 Closes 15 Security Vulnerabilities, Promises Longer Battery Life & Added Do Not Track (DNT)

Chrome 23 Closes 15 Security Vulnerabilities, Promises Longer Battery Life & Added Do Not Track (DNT)

The searching giant Google finally included the Do Not Track (DNT) option into its first stable version of the company's browser which is Google Chrome 23. In February internet giant Google has agreed with the White House's Consumer Privacy Bill and here comes the result. Google has implemented the Do Not Track (DNT) header in its Chrome web browser.  Few months ago Microsoft made Do Not Track (DNT) facility available by default in Internet Explorer 10. Also the Redmond based software giant drew some criticism recently for its decision to enable Do Not Track by default in IE 10. First it was Mozilla who proposed the Do Not Track mechanism, in Firefox in June 2011 when it released Firefox 5. The DNT option is disabled by default in Chrome and in order to turn it on, users need to go to the customization menu in the top right corner of the browser window. Then click on the Settings option in the left side and scroll down to open the Advanced Settings menu. Under the Privacy menu, check the box next to the "Send a 'Do Not Track' request with your browsing traffic" option. Once that option is enabled, the user will see a message explaining what the DNT system will do for them.

Not only DNT, with the release of Chrome 23, Google closes several security holes and promises to improve battery life for some users. For systems with dedicated graphics chips that support Chrome's GPU-accelerated video decoding, version 23 of the WebKit-based browser is said to significantly reduce power consumption. According to Google, batteries lasted on average 25% longer in its tests when GPU-accelerated video decoding was enabled compared to only using a system's CPU when streaming online videos. Version 23 of Chrome also addresses a total of 15 security vulnerabilities in the browser, 6 of which are rated as "high severity". These include high-risk use-after-free problems in video layout and in SVG filter handling, a integer bounds check issue in GPU command buffers and a memory corruption flaw in texture handling; a Mac-only problem related to wild writes in buggy graphics drivers has also been fixed. Eight medium-severity flaws including an integer overflow that could lead to an out-of-bounds read in WebP handling, and a low-risk have also been corrected. As part of its Chromium Security Vulnerability Rewards program, Google paid security researchers $9,000 for discovering and reporting these flaws. The update to Chrome also includes a new version of the Adobe Flash Player plugin which eliminates a number of critical vulnerabilities, all of which were discovered by the Google Security Team. Further information about the new features can be found in the release announcement, while a full list of security fixes is provided in a post on the Chrome Releases blog. Chrome 23.0.1271.64 is available to download for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux users. 

-Source (Google Chrome Blog, The-H & threatpost)

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Search Guru Bill Stasior CEO of Amazon’s A9 Unit, Hired By Apple To Oversee Siri

Search Guru Bill Stasior CEO of Amazon’s A9 Unit, Hired By Apple To Oversee Siri

To be the very best, you need to deliver your hundred percent even some times more than hundred percent, and this race continues. As a result Apple has hired 'search guru' Bill Stasior, CEO of Amazon.com’s A9 search and advertising search unit, to oversee Apple's Siri voice-activated personal assistant. Stasior, who joined Amazon in 2003 as director of search and navigation, founded A9.com in May 2004 and then became CEO of the wholly owned subsidiary in February 2006, according to his LinkedIn profile. Stasior, who holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, describes A9.com as a “company with a mission to create groundbreaking technologies in search, advertising, and mobile that power customer centric, Internet businesses.” Apple confirmed his hire but didn't provide any comment. Stasior has an impressive pedigree (you can read his resume and see a really geeky binary image he posted of himself here). The MIT PhD has taught there, too, and has done stints at Oracle, Netcentives and AltaVista. 

 Siri, Apple's famous voice-activated personal assistant program, was acquired in April 2010 to launch a big stake in voice-activated search. Since Apple kicked Google Maps to the curb in iOS 6, the only remaining tie with Google is search. Will Apple eventually do its own search network? Who knows. Stasior’s background in search will certainly be of value if the time ever comes. While Siri has had a high profile in the iPhone range, Apple has lost some of the talent who created it. Adam Cheyer, who co-founded the voice recognition software, recently left the company. CEO Dag Kittlaus departed in October 2011. 

Here we want to remind you that last month Twitter hired famous whitehat hacker Charlie Miller, to boost up its security. Here its Apple who hired Stasior presumably, strengthening Apple’s search and search advertising technology in the wake of its increasing competition with Google. While talking about the news of hiring geniuses then the name of Nicholas Allegra, the world-famous hacker known as "Comex", creater of JailbreakMe.com comes. He was also hired by Apple in 2011. 

-Source (AllThingsD) 

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SOPA Returns! Not From Congress But As a Ransomware Virus

SOPA Returns! Not From Congress But As a Ransomware Virus

Last month in a report we said, that "SOPA & PIPA are dead, they're not coming back". Former Senate Christopher Dodd, now chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, said the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act aren’t going to be floated again in Congress. Now it seems that he was not fully right as The Stop Online Piracy ACT also known as SOPA the most controversial act which terrified almost every people, who is associated with Internet still chasing us, though the bill was defeated after massive protest; still  SOPA is not leaving us. I know its a tragic news, but do't be panic, this time its not the comeback of SOPA act from Congress but as a nasty cryptovirus that locks up people’s computers and accuses them of distributing copyright infringing files. Infected users can get their data back after a payment of $200 – at least, that’s what the virus makers promise. Several researcher have figure out and warning that new ransomware that claims to be an alert from the "Stop Online Piracy Automatic Protection System." It goes on to tell you that your computer is on a "S.O.P.A. IP Black List" because it was used to download copyright infringing materials, child pornography or illegal software. The malware encrypts all of your data files and holds them hostage, offering to decrypt them if you pay a fee to the criminals. According to report by Torrent Freak- the SOPA virus holds all files on the host computer ransom.

“Your computer is locked!” the splash screen above warns, adding:

If you see a warning.txt or warning screen, it means your IP address was included in S.O.P.A. Black List. One or more of the following items were made from your PC:

1. Downloading or distributing audio or video files protected by Copyright Law.

2. Downloading or distributing illegal content (child porn, phishing software, etc.)

3. Downloading or distributing Software protected by Copyright Law.

As a result of these infringements based on Stop Online Piracy Act (H.R. 3261) your PC and files are now blocked.

The SOPA virus is so-called ransomware, meaning that it holds computers hostage and only promises to free data after victims hand over cash. In the U.S. and Canada people are instructed to pay with a MoneyPak prepaid voucher, and in other parts of the world they can use Western Union. Those who don’t pay within three days are in trouble, the virus maker warns. “WARNING!!!: If you don’t pay the fine within 72 HOURS at the amount of 200 USD, all your computer data will be erased.”

People who are affected should of course ignore all the above. Searching online for “Stop Online Piracy Automatic Protection System Removal”” is a better option, there are plenty of ways to defeat the resurrected SOPA and get your data back.

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Former Senate & MPAA Chief Said -SOPA & PIPA "are dead, they're not coming back"

Former Senate & MPAA Chief Said -SOPA & PIPA "are dead, they're not coming back"

It seems that the mass protest against controversial act SOPA & PIPA finally succeed. Former Senate Christopher Dodd, now chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, said the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act aren’t going to be floated again in Congress. In an interview after an appearance at San Francisco’s Commonwealth Club Tuesday night, Dodd told  “My own view, that legislation is gone. It’s over. It’s not coming back,”  Still, he said the massive protest against the measures, which included online petitions and massive e-mail campaigns, “was over the top.” SOPA, the more draconian of the two failed bills, would have required ISPs to prevent Americans from visiting blacklisted sites by altering the system known as DNS that turns site names like Google.com into IP addresses such as 174.35.23.56. Instead, for the blacklisted sites, ISPs would have had to lie to their customers and tell their browsers that the site doesn’t exist. 

SOPA and its sister bill PIPA were both definitively killed off earlier this year after an overwhelming campaign of online action by citizens and tech companies. Dodd sounded chastened, with a tone that was a far cry from the rhetoric the MPAA was putting out in January. "When SOPA-PIPA blew up, it was a transformative event," said Dodd. "There were eight million e-mails [to elected representatives] in two days." That caused senators to run away from the legislation. "People were dropping their names as co-sponsors within minutes, not hours," he said.

"These bills are dead, they're not coming back," said Dodd. "And they shouldn't." He said the MPAA isn't focused on getting similar legislation passed in the future, at the moment. "I think we're better served by sitting down [with the tech sector and SOPA opponents] and seeing what we agree on."

Dodd also continued to laud the "six strikes" plan that US Internet providers have agreed to enforce on behalf of the entertainment industry, insisting that it's an "educational" program aimed at illegal downloads. "If people are aware they're downloading illegal content, they'll go to a legal service," he said. "It's an experiment to see if we can get cooperation. It's not a law—you don't go to jail."

The MPAA won't have any kind of back-door to subscriber records at Verizon or other ISPs, Dodd said.

-Source (WIRED & ars technica)

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Cyber Security Summit Hosted By Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Cyber Security Summit Hosted By Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 

As part of the national Stop.Think.Connect campaign against cyber threats to computers in the private and public sector, the city of Mesa and the Department of Homeland Security are hosting a cyber security summit at the Mesa Arts Center on Wednesday, Sept. 26. The mayor of Mesa said on Wednesday that interest in the summit is growing, and that there also will be numerous representatives of government from throughout the state and a member of the Secret Service attending the event.  Kelvin Coleman, U.S. Department of Homeland Security director of state, local, tribal and territorial cyber engagement, will be the keynote speaker. Mesa Mayor Scott Smith and District 3 councilman and Mesa Public Safety Committee chair Dennis Kavanaugh also will offer comments and help to facilitate questions during the event. “We use computers every day,” Smith said. “We don’t know how important computers are until they’re breached.”

-:Agenda & Other Details:- 

Date: September 26, 2012

Venue:- Mesa Contemporary Arts - Brown Sculpture Courtyard

1 E. Main Street
Mesa, AZ  85201 

7:30 a.m. Registration & Continental Breakfast sponsored by Siemens

8:30 a.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks

• Mayor Scott Smith
• Councilmember Dennis Kavanaugh

9:00 a.m. Keynote Address

• Mr. Kelvin Coleman, Director, State, Local, Tribal and Territorial Cybersecurity Engagement Program DHS National Cyber Security Division

9:30 a.m. Convenience vs. Security Expert Panel

Current Threats in an increasingly Networked World Panelist Bios

John Meza (Moderator), Assistant Chief, Mesa Police Department

James Choplin, Special Agent, Electronic Crimes Task Force, U.S. Secret Service

Dr. Dee H. Andrews, Ph.D. Senior Research Psychologist, Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences

Kristy Westphal, Director of Security Operation, T-Systems North America

Lonnie Benavides, Red Team Lead, The Boeing Company

Ilene Klein, City of Phoenix Office of Information Security and Privacy

Bill Kalaf, Executive Director - Intelligence-Led Policing, Mesa Police Department

 

During this session, the panel will outline and discuss many of the current threats affecting businesses, local government, users, such as social engineering, security of mobile devices and many of the trending applications on smart phones and PCs.

   

10:30 a.m. Networking Break

   

10:45 a.m. Closing Remarks

• Mayor Scott Smith

11:15 a.m. Adjournment

   

11:30 a.m. Post CyberSecurity Summit Break Out Session:  Methods for training supervisors to detect behavioral indicators of insider threat

Dr. Dee H. Andrews 

Senior Research Psychologist , U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences 

During this session, participants will get an overview of methods in training supervisors to spot and mitigate the cyber insider threat.  Statistics reveal that approximately 40% of the cyber incidents are caused by insiders.  

If you want to register for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cyber Security Summit then click Here. For additional information about Stop.Think.Connect. click Here

-Source (mesaaz.gov)

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Google Added Do Not Track (DNT) Facility in Chrome (User Privacy Implemented)

Google Added Do Not Track (DNT) Facility in Chrome Web-Browser (User Privacy Implemented)

Few months ago Microsoft made Do Not Track (DNT) facility available by default in Internet Explorer 10. So here comes the turn for Chrome. In February internet giant Google has agreed with the White House's Consumer Privacy Bill and here comes the result. Google has implemented the Do Not Track (DNT) header in its Chrome web browser, while promising to respect DNT headers set by visitors to its web site. 

First it was Mozilla who proposed the Do Not Track mechanism, later it has been garnered support from all major browser makers and a majority of the technology industry. 

Users who want to take advantage of the new DNT capabilities in Chrome will have to install the latest "bleeding edge" developer build in the form of the Chrome Canary branch. However, this version is not recommended for use in production environments. Users who are running a stable version of the browser will have to wait some months for the feature to arrive in the mainstream version.

"Do Not Track" is a tool that allows browser users to restrict advertisers from collecting information about their online Web activities. It has the backing of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Browsers with "Do Not Track" turned on don't block cookies but send a message to advertisers that the user does not want to be tracked. Companies voluntarily decide whether to comply with "Do Not Track," much as they currently decide whether to comply with the "Do Not Call" registry. Microsoft's announcement that it would turn on "Do Not Track" by default in IE10 angered advertisers. "The Digital Advertising Alliance, a coalition that counts Microsoft as a member, said that the decision ran counter to the industry's agreement with the White House announced earlier this year to honor 'do not track' as long as it is not a default setting," many international standards bodies.

-Source (The-H)

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Two Alleged Indian Hacker From 'Indishell' Arrested For Hacking into E-commerce Website

Two Alleged Indian Hacker From 'Indishell' Arrested For Hacking into E-commerce Website

Two alleged Indian hackers were arrested on Saturday by the Gautam Budh Nagar cyber crime cell. After an extensive investigation, it has been found that the hackers who were doing BTech in computer science, were charged with hacking into an e-commerce website that specializes in mobile recharge. After hacking into the server, the accused obtained administrative rights of the website. when users asked for recharge of their cellphones, DTH cards, net cards, etc, the hackers would just key in the cell number and the amount to be topped up. However, no bill would be generated as the hackers had bypassed the payment page. 

This way the recharge company would be debited every time without a bill, leading to losses worth several lakh. Police have estimated that the hackers have cheated a Delhi-based company of more than Rs 50 lakh. The accused, Sumit Gupta (24) and Ankit Singh (22), from Moradabad in UP were members of the hacker group, "Indishell" also known as "Indian Cyber Army". They were arrested from Noida and booked under Sections 420 of the IPC and 66C of the IT Act, 2008.

"We received a complaint from the head of recharge of Memory Electronics Pvt Ltd about the website being hacked," said Triveni Singh, DSP (cyber crime cell) GB Nagar. The other accused who are yet to be arrested are also BTech graduates from across India. "Shrinivas, facebook name 'neo', is from Kohlapur in Maharashtra; Ajay Dhaka, alias dark look, is from Jaipur; Raman Kumar Rana, facebook name 'google warrior', is a resident of Pathankot; and Manmohan, alias 'mack', is from Muradabad," Triveni said.

-Source (TOI)

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Cyber Security Bill Has Been Rejected By The US Senate

Cyber Security Bill Has Been Rejected By The US Senate

A cybersecurity bill that had been one of the Obama administration’s top national security priorities was blocked by a Republican filibuster in the Senate on Thursday. Still the topic of cyber security remains controversial in the US Congress. The Senate voted 52 to 46 to cut off debate, falling short of the 60 needed to force a final vote on the measure, which had bipartisan support but ran into a fight over what amendments to the legislation could be proposed.

Soon after the vote, the White House released a statement calling the outcome “a profound disappointment.” White House regretted that the act failed to gain approval, saying that it could have protected the US from "potentially catastrophic cyber attacks". According to the White House, the proposed legislation fell victim to "the politics of obstructionism, driven by special interest groups seeking to avoid accountability". US civil rights campaigners Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), on the other hand, are celebrating a "victory over cyber spying". 

However, many further amendments were proposed by senators over the week. Ultimately, many voted in line with their concerns. For instance, in a statement after the vote, Democrat Ron Wyden said that in his opinion the Cybersecurity Act in its current form does not sufficiently safeguard Internet users’ privacy and civil liberties. According to Wyden, the act would not create enough incentive to actually promote the exchange of information. Republican senators mainly explained their rejection by pointing out that, despite the amendments, companies would be made to comply with too many bureaucratic reporting requirements.

The bill called for the government to provide businesses with classified information about cyberthreats and gave companies the option of sharing information about cyberthreats with the government. White House officials said the president opposed that bill because it called for too much information sharing between the government and businesses, which could have led to violations of Americans civil liberties.

-Source (The-H & NYTimes)

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Anonymous Targets Australian Govt Sites Over Internet Privacy Laws

Anonymous Targets Australian Govt Sites Over Changes in Internet Privacy Laws

The Australian Government has became the latest victim of international hacker collective group Anonymous. At least 10 of the country's government websites were sent offline in a series of attacks over proposed changes to Internet privacy laws. The first attacks were conducted in conjunction with Prime Minister Julia Gillard's online Q&A session this weekend, Anonymous. So far, the only targeted sites are run by the Queensland State Government. 

Site List:- 

sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au

regions.qld.gov.au

sd.qld.gov.au

dtrdi.qld.gov.au

science.qld.gov.au

createitmakeitliveit.qld.gov.au

smartawards.qld.gov.au

tourism.industry.qld.gov.au

workliveplay.qld.gov.au

lib.qld.gov.au

If an Australian online security bill gets passed into law, it could require ISPs to store user activity for a period of two years, allowing Web users' every online move to be watched by the government.

In response, the Australian arm of Anonymous threatened to continue its attacks on ".gov.au" sites until the bill is halted.

Anonymous said  the sites were specifically chosen because the group had “proof” that small to medium businesses, education departments, student and personal accounts had been tracked by the State Government. “The Australian Government is attempting to strip away its citizens’ internet rights by forcing them to surrender passwords and internet usage data,” Anonymous Australia said via email. “Unless the Government starts acting in the best interest of its people, it will continue to bring the noise.” The hackers said the attacks were in response to changes being discussed by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS). 

Not only Internet privacy but also Anonymous confirmed that its actions were also in response to recent denials of Australian-born WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's extradition. 

A Department of Defence spokesperson said the department was aware of the reports of Australian attacks but did not publicly comment or discuss details of cyber incidents. "Defence, through the Cyber Security Operations Centre, works with affected government agencies, as required, to help mitigate threats to information security," the spokesperson said. A spokesperson for Federal Attorney-General Nicola Roxon said it was critical Australia's national security capability could keep up with technology and global security. "We must always stay a step ahead of terrorists, cyber criminals and organised criminals who threaten our national security," the spokesperson said.

This is not the first time, earlier the world have seen several protest generated from all over the world against Internet censorship. In case of SOPA, PIPA & ACTA hackers from different part generated massive cyber attack. Even Wikipedia go dark for 24 hrs. 

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Wikipedia Will Go Dark (Blackout) in Russia to Protest Censorship (Act for Information)

Wikipedia Will Go Dark (Blackout) in Russia to Protest Censorship (Act for Information)

All of us must know that near about six months ago Wikipedia goes offline or in other word Wikipedia gone dark (black out) globally for 24 hours, while showing a massive Web protest in the U.S. over the proposed anti-piracy laws SOPA and PIPA. Yet again it's stepping up again in a major Internet revolt against online censorship in Russia. According to sources the Russian government is currently exploring amendments to the “Act for information”. The proposed changes to the law could lead to sweeping censorship of the Internet, including the complete closure of Wikipedia in Russia. 

In addition to the proposed amendments to the "Act for Information," the government is also mulling over another bill that harkens back to the country's Soviet past with harsh censorship crackdowns. Under the draft bill, all Web sites that contain pornography or drug references, or that promote suicide or other "extremist ideas," will purportedly face blacklisting. These new laws come in the wake of an online uprising that happened before the inauguration of Russian President Vladimir Putin in May. During these protests, thousands of people took to writing on blogs and social networks demanding a new ballot after claims of rigged votes and electoral corruption during Putin's election.

Wikipedia posted a statement in Russian and asking for everyone’s help by sharing this link and spreading the word about what’s going on. The amendments are being read today and if they’re accepted then a date will be chosen that could in essence, wipe Wikipedia off of the Internet in Russia.

Message of Wikipedia to the World:- 

"Lobbyists and activists supporting the amendments, argue that they are directed exclusively against the content such as child pornography "and things like that," but to follow the provisions and wording to be discussed, will result in the creation of a Russian analogue of the "Great Chinese Firewall." The practice of law, which exists in Russia, says a high probability of worst-case scenario, in which access to Wikipedia was soon to be closed across the country."

-Source (Insider & Cnet)

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Mozilla Stand Against CISPA, Saying The Bill Will Infringes on Our Privacy

Mozilla Stand Against CISPA, Saying The Bill Will Infringes on Our Privacy

 

When almost 99% of leading IT Industry, software giant like Microsoft, Facebook, AT&T, Intel, Verizon has been either silent or quietly supportive of the controversial bill HR 3523 Act dubbed the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA). But here we get one exception late Tuesday, Mozilla’s Privacy and Public Policy lead sent me the following statement:-
"While we wholeheartedly support a more secure Internet, CISPA has a broad and alarming reach that goes far beyond Internet security. The bill infringes on our privacy, includes vague definitions of cybersecurity, and grants immunities to companies and government that are too broad around information misuse. We hope the Senate takes the time to fully and openly consider these issues with stakeholder input before moving forward with this legislation."

CISPA’s official supporters include Facebook, Microsoft, IBM, Intel, Oracle and Symantec among others–carriers including AT&T and Verizon have signed on, too. Despite reports that Microsoft had backed off its support for the bill citing privacy, a Microsoft spokesperson Monday told reporters that the company’s supportive position on CISPA remains “unchanged.”

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Homeland Security Approved Cyber security Bill "PRECISE" (H.R. 3674)

Homeland Security Approved Cyber security Bill "PRECISE" (H.R. 3674)

The House Homeland Security Committee approved H.R. 3674, the Promoting and Enhancing Cybersecurity and Information Sharing Effectiveness Act of 2011 (the PRECISE Act) by voice vote, after a lengthy mark-up session that saw the bill’s scope scaled back. This Cybersecurity bill was approved on April 18 aimed at securing federal information systems and helping private sector critical infrastructure owners/operators, but key committee members complained that its watered-down provisions weren’t adequate. The bill, originally introduced by Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA) in February had aimed to create a national information sharing organization to oversee the cyber protection of critical infrastructure, but will now only authorize the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The committee’s ranking member, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), bitterly objected to the changes, saying they essentially gutted the bill. In a statement following the bill’s mark-up, he said it “bears little resemblance to the measure that the Cybersecurity Subcommittee approved in February.” He said key provisions that promoted information sharing between and among the private sector and government and privacy protections were removed behind closed doors by the committee’s leadership.

-Source (Govt. Security News)

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Facebook is Supporting Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA)

Facebook is Supporting Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA)

Facebook's vice-president of US public policy, Joel Kaplan said that Facebook is supporting HR 3523 Act dubbed the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA). Not onlt fb but also AT&T, Intel, Verizon, and Microsoft are among some 800 firms who have reacted positively to the bill.In the official note Facebook said- "More than 845 million people trust Facebook with their information, and maintaining that trust is at the core of everything we do. Keeping the site secure to protect our users and their information requires a combination of technological innovations; around-the-clock coverage from our dedicated staff; and relationships within the broader security community."

Cispa "would make it easier for Facebook and other companies to receive critical-threat data from the US government", stated Mr Kaplan. "Importantly, HR 3523 would impose no new obligations on us to share data with anyone - and ensures that if we do share data about specific cyber threats, we are able to continue to safeguard our users' private information, just as we do today."

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