<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>The Citizen Lab &#187; Miscellaneous</title>
	<atom:link href="http://citizenlab.org/tag/miscellaneous-news/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>https://citizenlab.org</link>
	<description>University of Toronto</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Thu, 16 May 2013 21:35:14 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en-US</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1</generator>
		<item>
		<title>Activists claim purge of Facebook pages</title>
		<link>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/activists-claim-purge-of-facebook-pages/</link>
		<comments>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/activists-claim-purge-of-facebook-pages/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 29 Apr 2011 18:36:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>anna</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Latest News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freedom of Expression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internet Security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UK]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://citizenlab.org/?p=8922</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p><blockquote>

"Activists are claiming that dozens of politically linked Facebook accounts have been removed or suspended by the company in the last 12 hours.

The list of suspended pages include those for the anti cuts group UK Uncut, and pages that were created by students during last December's university occupations.

It is not yet known how many websites have been affected in total or why they are not working. Facebook is currently looking into the issue."

From<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/apr/29/facebook-activist-pages-purged"target="_blank"> The Guardian</a>

</blockquote></p><p>The post <a href="https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/activists-claim-purge-of-facebook-pages/">Activists claim purge of Facebook pages</a> appeared first on <a href="https://citizenlab.org">The Citizen Lab</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Activists are claiming that dozens of politically linked Facebook accounts have been removed or suspended by the company in the last 12 hours.</p>
<p>The list of suspended pages include those for the anti cuts group UK Uncut, and pages that were created by students during last December&#8217;s university occupations.</p>
<p>It is not yet known how many websites have been affected in total or why they are not working. Facebook is currently looking into the issue.</p>
<p>From<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/apr/29/facebook-activist-pages-purged"target="_blank"> The Guardian</a></p>
<p>Activists are claiming that dozens of politically linked Facebook accounts have been removed or suspended by the company in the last 12 hours.</p>
<p>The list of suspended pages include those for the anti cuts group UK Uncut, and pages that were created by students during last December&#8217;s university occupations.</p>
<p>A list posted on the UCL occupation blog site says the Goldsmiths Fights Back, Slade Occupation, Open Brikbeck, and Tower Hamlet Greens pages as no longer functioning.</p>
<p>It is not yet known how many websites have been affected in total or why they are not working. Facebook is currently looking into the issue.</p>
<p>Guy Aitchison, 26, an administrator for one of the non-functioning pages said, &#8220;I woke up this morning to find that a lot of the groups we&#8217;d been using for anti-cuts activity had disappeared. The timing of it seems suspicious given a general political crackdown because of the royal wedding.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;It seems that dozens of other groups have also been affected, including some of the local UK Uncut groups.&#8221;</p>
<p>Earlier, it was reported that the Metropolitan police had invoked special powers to deter anarchists in central London ahead of the royal wedding.</p>
<p>Police threw a section 60 cordon around the whole of the royal wedding zone on Friday morning to respond to anarchists masking up at a small gathering in Soho Square in central London.</p>
<p>The section 60 order allows police officers to stop and search anyone without discretion. The police also imposed section 60a, which gives them the power to remove masks and balaclavas from anyone within the area.</p>
<p>Scotland Yard said the decision was made after individuals were seen putting on masks in Soho Square where a group of anarchists had gathered.</p>
<p>The Guardian is awaiting a comment from Facebook.</p>
<p>http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/apr/29/facebook-activist-pages-purged</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/activists-claim-purge-of-facebook-pages/">Activists claim purge of Facebook pages</a> appeared first on <a href="https://citizenlab.org">The Citizen Lab</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/activists-claim-purge-of-facebook-pages/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>An end to phone hacking? New software aimed at the celebrity market can &#8216;repel&#8217; attacks</title>
		<link>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/an-end-to-phone-hacking-new-software-aimed-at-the-celebrity-market-can-repel-attacks/</link>
		<comments>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/an-end-to-phone-hacking-new-software-aimed-at-the-celebrity-market-can-repel-attacks/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2011 13:39:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>anna</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Latest News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mobile security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Privacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UK]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://citizenlab.org/?p=8865</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p><blockquote>

"Owners of mobile smartphones are set to be protected from hackers by revolutionary software that has been developed by a British firm specializing in computer security.

The firm - called Lolla (lolla.org.uk) - will also offer a bespoke service to celebrities who fear their phones may have been targeted by hackers. ‘The new software allows us to repel hacks to mobile phones, as well as encrypt voice and text between protected devices,’ explained a spokesman for Lolla.

A premium version of this service is being aimed at the A-list and celebrity market. For a monthly fee - yet to be announced - the firm guarantee that their security team monitors a phone and computer system for 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

From<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1381507/Phone-hacking-New-software-aimed-celebrity-market-repel-attacks.html"target="_blank"> Daily Mail</a>

</blockquote></p><p>The post <a href="https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/an-end-to-phone-hacking-new-software-aimed-at-the-celebrity-market-can-repel-attacks/">An end to phone hacking? New software aimed at the celebrity market can &#8216;repel&#8217; attacks</a> appeared first on <a href="https://citizenlab.org">The Citizen Lab</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Owners of mobile smartphones are set to be protected from hackers by revolutionary software that has been developed by a British firm specializing in computer security.</p>
<p>The firm &#8211; called Lolla (lolla.org.uk) &#8211; will also offer a bespoke service to celebrities who fear their phones may have been targeted by hackers. ‘The new software allows us to repel hacks to mobile phones, as well as encrypt voice and text between protected devices,’ explained a spokesman for Lolla.</p>
<p>A premium version of this service is being aimed at the A-list and celebrity market. For a monthly fee &#8211; yet to be announced &#8211; the firm guarantee that their security team monitors a phone and computer system for 24 hours a day, seven days a week.</p>
<p>From<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1381507/Phone-hacking-New-software-aimed-celebrity-market-repel-attacks.html"target="_blank"> Daily Mail</a></p>
<p>Owners of mobile smartphones are set to be protected from hackers by revolutionary software that has been developed by a British firm specializing in computer security.</p>
<p>In the light of phone hacking claims involving the News of the World, the newspaper faces civil actions from a large number of celebrities.</p>
<p>But now two businessmen have set up a firm which can repel attacks using its new software.</p>
<p>The firm &#8211; called Lolla (lolla.org.uk) &#8211; will also offer a bespoke service to celebrities who fear their phones may have been targeted by hackers.</p>
<p>Based in Welling, Kent, Lolla is the brainchild of Carlos Bevilacqua.</p>
<p>Along with Thomas Farrington, the pair licensed and applied for the patent on the computer software earlier this year.</p>
<p>Mobile phone industry bosses revealed earlier this week that some 18 million people in Britain have never changed their mobile handsets since either buying or renting their phones on contract.</p>
<p>‘The new software allows us to repel hacks to mobile phones, as well as encrypt voice and text between protected devices,’ explained a spokesman for Lolla.</p>
<p>‘The systems we have put in place mean that someone trying to hack a phone &#8211; or illegally retrieve messages and data from it &#8211; can very easily be locked out.</p>
<p>‘The new software is so sophisticated that it can identify devices by a unique and evolving fingerprint, and only allow access from authorized machines and equipment.</p>
<p>‘While it can be used to repel hackers, it also has a very serious business use for employers who want to check that phones have not been misused by staff.’</p>
<p>After launching the developer kit in April, the new firm also plans to offer two further services to run alongside ‘Lolla’.</p>
<p>The first is software which offers much needed security to Applications &#8211; or ‘Apps’ &#8211; downloaded to smart phones.</p>
<p>The ‘AppGuard’ will ensure that any added applications are protected from illegal copying and distribution, protecting income for the developers.</p>
<p>The second service being offered by the firm is a system called ‘Mobile Gatekeeper’ which repels hacking of phones, often brought about by people unwittingly downloading malicious apps, or ‘malware’.</p>
<p>A premium version of this service is being aimed at the A-list and celebrity market.</p>
<p>For a monthly fee &#8211; yet to be announced &#8211; the firm guarantee that their security team monitors a phone and computer system for 24 hours a day, seven days a week.</p>
<p>‘The Gatekeeper is able to monitor both phones and computers around the clock and then inform the celebrity that attempts have been made to hack into their machines,’ added a spokesman.</p>
<p>‘At the same time our security team attempts to identify the person or people trying to access our client’s devices, and inform them that we are actively seeking them and will take legal action against them.’</p>
<p>Mobile phone calls and texts are a multi-million pound business with customers currently spending £719 million a year calling premium numbers and sending premium-rate texts from their mobiles.</p>
<p>Last year a further £502 million was spent calling and texting while abroad and £1.36 billion was spent on roaming charges.</p>
<p>Users also doubled their use of data last year by surfing the Internet on their smartphones and sending an average of 300 texts a month.</p>
<p>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1381507/Phone-hacking-New-software-aimed-celebrity-market-repel-attacks.html</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/an-end-to-phone-hacking-new-software-aimed-at-the-celebrity-market-can-repel-attacks/">An end to phone hacking? New software aimed at the celebrity market can &#8216;repel&#8217; attacks</a> appeared first on <a href="https://citizenlab.org">The Citizen Lab</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/an-end-to-phone-hacking-new-software-aimed-at-the-celebrity-market-can-repel-attacks/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Cyber criminals are targeting your smartphone</title>
		<link>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/cyber-criminals-are-targeting-your-smartphone/</link>
		<comments>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/cyber-criminals-are-targeting-your-smartphone/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2011 03:26:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>anna</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Latest News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mobile security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Privacy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://citizenlab.org/?p=8860</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p><blockquote>

"You know the dangers of identity theft and make sure that you shred old bills and receipts before dumping them in the trash, but how do you protect your Smartphone? Since your Blackberry, Android or iPhone device is capable of a whole range of conveniences – browsing the Internet, online purchasing and banking – your Smartphone is actually a pocket-sized holder of all the sensitive information you’ve been trying so hard to keep from prying eyes.

Recent studies have found that modern users aren’t nearly as careful with a phone as they should be, particularly if it’s used for these types of activities. A recent report by CPP found that 54% of second-hand phones contained personal data such as text messages, emails and bank details –a wakeup call for consumers. Loss or theft is a common concern as well, and without sufficient protection, a stranger can easily grab web site logins, passwords and credit card details that can be used to carry out transactions and register for services in your name."

From<a href="http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/technology/tech-news/mobile-phone-news/cyber-criminals-are-targeting-your-smartphone/"target="_blank"> Blast</a>

</blockquote>
</p><p>The post <a href="https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/cyber-criminals-are-targeting-your-smartphone/">Cyber criminals are targeting your smartphone</a> appeared first on <a href="https://citizenlab.org">The Citizen Lab</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You know the dangers of identity theft and make sure that you shred old bills and receipts before dumping them in the trash, but how do you protect your Smartphone? Since your Blackberry, Android or iPhone device is capable of a whole range of conveniences – browsing the Internet, online purchasing and banking – your Smartphone is actually a pocket-sized holder of all the sensitive information you’ve been trying so hard to keep from prying eyes.</p>
<p>Recent studies have found that modern users aren’t nearly as careful with a phone as they should be, particularly if it’s used for these types of activities. A recent report by CPP found that 54% of second-hand phones contained personal data such as text messages, emails and bank details –a wakeup call for consumers. Loss or theft is a common concern as well, and without sufficient protection, a stranger can easily grab web site logins, passwords and credit card details that can be used to carry out transactions and register for services in your name.</p>
<p>From<a href="http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/technology/tech-news/mobile-phone-news/cyber-criminals-are-targeting-your-smartphone/"target="_blank"> Blast</a></p>
<p>You know the dangers of identity theft and make sure that you shred old bills and receipts before dumping them in the trash, but how do you protect your Smartphone? Since your Blackberry, Android or iPhone device is capable of a whole range of conveniences – browsing the Internet, online purchasing and banking – your Smartphone is actually a pocket-sized holder of all the sensitive information you’ve been trying so hard to keep from prying eyes.</p>
<p>Recent studies have found that modern users aren’t nearly as careful with a phone as they should be, particularly if it’s used for these types of activities. A recent report by CPP found that 54% of second-hand phones contained personal data such as text messages, emails and bank details –a wakeup call for consumers. Loss or theft is a common concern as well, and without sufficient protection, a stranger can easily grab web site logins, passwords and credit card details that can be used to carry out transactions and register for services in your name.</p>
<p>So, what can be done about it? Well, first of all it’s important to start looking at a phone in a similar way you would a wallet, purse or keys – in other words, make sure you know where it is at all times. If you are selling or recycling a phone, make sure any and all personal data is deleted before it is passed on, and don’t forget to remove the SIM card and any internal memory.</p>
<p>While it’s always a good idea to be aware of exactly what type of data a phone can store and take steps to minimize the chance of loss, thankfully the security industry is also weighing in with software that’s specifically designed to protect Smartphones. Using a modern mobile security suite, you can remotely lock, wipe or locate a phone as soon as you notice it missing, and of course it’s a good idea to report this yourself to the provider just as you would with a lost credit card.</p>
<p>Malware is also a concern, because if your Smartphone is infected by one of the growing range of malicious programs and apps that target mobile devices, sensitive data can be retrieved and sent to a third party without your knowledge. Again, security software can help, and with the wide range of games and applications now available across all phone platforms it’s more important than ever to make sure you have a suite installed that can scan these files and protect you from malicious code.</p>
<p>The range of features and conveniences available on Smartphones are only set to grow further as new technologies are introduced, so there’s never been a better time to increase awareness of mobile threats and consider additional protection to make sure you can enjoy using your device with peace of mind.</p>
<p>http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/technology/tech-news/mobile-phone-news/cyber-criminals-are-targeting-your-smartphone/</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/cyber-criminals-are-targeting-your-smartphone/">Cyber criminals are targeting your smartphone</a> appeared first on <a href="https://citizenlab.org">The Citizen Lab</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/cyber-criminals-are-targeting-your-smartphone/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>FBI probes of some cyber attacks face troubles</title>
		<link>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/fbi-probes-of-some-cyber-attacks-face-troubles/</link>
		<comments>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/fbi-probes-of-some-cyber-attacks-face-troubles/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2011 17:50:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>anna</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Latest News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cyber Security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[US]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://citizenlab.org/?p=8835</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p><blockquote>

"(Reuters) - FBI agents have had trouble investigating cyber attacks involving national security because they lack the needed technical expertise or are often transferred or diverted to other cases, according to a government report released on Wednesday.

Sensitive government computer networks are under regular attack from hackers seeking to steal classified material or to cripple critical operations. About 19 percent of the FBI's cyber agents focus on national security cases. However, some cyber agents complained they did not have the proper experience to investigate such cases, were assigned to other matters or were rotated between offices too often, according to a report by the Justice Department's inspector general."

From<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/27/us-usa-security-cyber-idUSTRE73Q6DO20110427"target="_blank"> Reuters</a>

</blockquote></p><p>The post <a href="https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/fbi-probes-of-some-cyber-attacks-face-troubles/">FBI probes of some cyber attacks face troubles</a> appeared first on <a href="https://citizenlab.org">The Citizen Lab</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>(Reuters) &#8211; FBI agents have had trouble investigating cyber attacks involving national security because they lack the needed technical expertise or are often transferred or diverted to other cases, according to a government report released on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Sensitive government computer networks are under regular attack from hackers seeking to steal classified material or to cripple critical operations. About 19 percent of the FBI&#8217;s cyber agents focus on national security cases. However, some cyber agents complained they did not have the proper experience to investigate such cases, were assigned to other matters or were rotated between offices too often, according to a report by the Justice Department&#8217;s inspector general.</p>
<p>From<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/27/us-usa-security-cyber-idUSTRE73Q6DO20110427"target="_blank"> Reuters</a></p>
<p>(Reuters) &#8211; FBI agents have had trouble investigating cyber attacks involving national security because they lack the needed technical expertise or are often transferred or diverted to other cases, according to a government report released on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Sensitive government computer networks are under regular attack from hackers seeking to steal classified material or to cripple critical operations. About 19 percent of the FBI&#8217;s cyber agents focus on national security cases.</p>
<p>Some cyber agents complained they did not have the proper experience to investigate such cases, were assigned to other matters or were rotated between offices too often, according to a report by the Justice Department&#8217;s inspector general.</p>
<p>&#8220;Because national security intrusion cases are highly technical and require a specific set of skills, new cyber agents are often not equipped to assume responsibility of a national security intrusion investigation,&#8221; the report said.</p>
<p>Further, field agents do not have enough tactical analytical support for those cases, &#8220;hampering their ability to connect the dots in an investigation and to determine those responsible for intrusions,&#8221; it said.</p>
<p>The FBI in 2007 issued a plan for agents to become experts for cyber security investigations with 12 core courses and expected them to complete it along with on-the-job training in five to seven years. The number of agents who have completed the coursework was not made public in the report.</p>
<p>The inspector general&#8217;s office tested 36 cyber agents it interviewed to see if they had the technical skills for national security cases and found that 64 percent did.</p>
<p>Five of the 36 field agents interviewed said that they did not think they were able to effectively investigate national security intrusions and were not qualified to do so, according to the inspector general&#8217;s report.</p>
<p>The FBI told the inspector general that it was looking into the concerns about transfers and that the cyber division has also begun realigning its career path program to ensure &#8220;field offices had qualified agents to investigate national security intrusion matters,&#8221; the report said.</p>
<p>The inspector general also recommended that the FBI create regional hubs with cyber agents who can deal with the national security cases, an idea the agency said it was considering.</p>
<p>http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/27/us-usa-security-cyber-idUSTRE73Q6DO20110427</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/fbi-probes-of-some-cyber-attacks-face-troubles/">FBI probes of some cyber attacks face troubles</a> appeared first on <a href="https://citizenlab.org">The Citizen Lab</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/fbi-probes-of-some-cyber-attacks-face-troubles/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A storm forming in the computing cloud</title>
		<link>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/a-storm-forming-in-the-computing-cloud/</link>
		<comments>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/a-storm-forming-in-the-computing-cloud/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:15:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>anna</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Latest News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internet Security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://citizenlab.org/?p=8734</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p><blockquote>

"Mickey McManus thinks we could be putting ourselves at risk of an economic and information "catastrophe" thanks to our growing reliance on the much-hyped computing cloud.

Just today, popular websites like Foursquare and Reddit crashed when a data centre run by Amazon experienced problems."

From<a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/leading-thinkers/a-storm-forming-in-the-computing-cloud/article1991261/"target="_blank"> The Globe and Mail</a>

</blockquote></p><p>The post <a href="https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/a-storm-forming-in-the-computing-cloud/">A storm forming in the computing cloud</a> appeared first on <a href="https://citizenlab.org">The Citizen Lab</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Mickey McManus thinks we could be putting ourselves at risk of an economic and information &#8220;catastrophe&#8221; thanks to our growing reliance on the much-hyped computing cloud.</p>
<p>Just today, popular websites like Foursquare and Reddit crashed when a data centre run by Amazon experienced problems. </p>
<p>From<a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/leading-thinkers/a-storm-forming-in-the-computing-cloud/article1991261/"target="_blank"> The Globe and Mail</a></p>
<p>Mickey McManus thinks we could be putting ourselves at risk of an economic and information &#8220;catastrophe&#8221; thanks to our growing reliance on the much-hyped computing cloud. </p>
<p>In a March column for Bloomberg Businessweek, Mr. McManus wrote that it may be better to think of computing clouds as a collection of &#8220;giant, sometimes flammable, gas-filled Hindenburg-like airships with fluffy pictures painted on their sides by clever marketing folks.&#8221; </p>
<p>Just today, popular websites like Foursquare and Reddit crashed when a data centre run by Amazon experienced problems. </p>
<p>Mr. McManus argues that our economy&#8217;s once robust, business-critical data systems are increasingly being outsourced to a few companies, which in turn rely on a few separate but incompatible computing clouds. Before, if something went wrong, it was isolated to one company or sector. Now, Mr. McManus says, with more essential systems clustered in fewer areas, the question is when, not if, there will be a catastrophic failure. </p>
<p>http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/leading-thinkers/a-storm-forming-in-the-computing-cloud/article1991261/</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/a-storm-forming-in-the-computing-cloud/">A storm forming in the computing cloud</a> appeared first on <a href="https://citizenlab.org">The Citizen Lab</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/a-storm-forming-in-the-computing-cloud/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>An App For Stalkers: &#8216;Creepy&#8217; Geo-Locates Based On Social Networking Activity</title>
		<link>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/an-app-for-stalkers-creepy-geo-locates-based-on-social-networking-activity/</link>
		<comments>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/an-app-for-stalkers-creepy-geo-locates-based-on-social-networking-activity/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Apr 2011 03:02:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>anna</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Latest News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Privacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twitter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://citizenlab.org/?p=8452</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p><blockquote>

"Yiannis Kakavas, a 26-year-old Greek graduate student at Germany's Technischen Universität Darmstadt, has spent his tenure in academia studying such privacy issues, and is currently completing his thesis on critical infrastructure protection. Vehement about the importance of information security, Kakavas created a fascinating app tailor-made for stalkers: "Creepy" is a cautionary prophecy against the gradual diminishment of privacy in today's digital age.

Described by Kakavas as a "geolocation information aggregator", Creepy analyzes a user's tweets, Facebook posts, and Flickr stream, generating a map of where that person is, as well as the specific locations they frequent. Though the notion of creating such an app may sound creepy in and of itself, Kakavas points out in an interview with tech site Thinq_, that if Creepy works, it's the fault of the user."

From<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/04/creepy-app-for-stalkers-social-networking_n_844791.html" target="_blank"> The Huffpost Technology</a>

</blockquote></p><p>The post <a href="https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/an-app-for-stalkers-creepy-geo-locates-based-on-social-networking-activity/">An App For Stalkers: &#8216;Creepy&#8217; Geo-Locates Based On Social Networking Activity</a> appeared first on <a href="https://citizenlab.org">The Citizen Lab</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Yiannis Kakavas, a 26-year-old Greek graduate student at Germany&#8217;s Technischen Universität Darmstadt, has spent his tenure in academia studying such privacy issues, and is currently completing his thesis on critical infrastructure protection. Vehement about the importance of information security, Kakavas created a fascinating app tailor-made for stalkers: &#8220;Creepy&#8221; is a cautionary prophecy against the gradual diminishment of privacy in today&#8217;s digital age.</p>
<p>Described by Kakavas as a &#8220;geolocation information aggregator&#8221;, Creepy analyzes a user&#8217;s tweets, Facebook posts, and Flickr stream, generating a map of where that person is, as well as the specific locations they frequent. Though the notion of creating such an app may sound creepy in and of itself, Kakavas points out in an interview with tech site Thinq_, that if Creepy works, it&#8217;s the fault of the user.</p>
<p>From<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/04/creepy-app-for-stalkers-social-networking_n_844791.html" target="_blank"> The Huffpost Technology</a></p>
<p>With the globally rampant use of such social networking platforms as Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare, the issue of privacy has become a prevalent concern for many. And for good reason&#8211;there&#8217;s the violation of Facebook employing user names in ads, the Etsy slip-up, and of course, the everyman act of recklessly sharing too much information via common social media outlets: a night of drinking results in morning after embarrassment, or worst case scenario, sloppy Facebook posts and tweets result in lost jobs and damaged relationships.</p>
<p>Yiannis Kakavas, a 26-year-old Greek graduate student at Germany&#8217;s Technischen Universität Darmstadt, has spent his tenure in academia studying such privacy issues, and is currently completing his thesis on critical infrastructure protection. Vehement about the importance of information security, Kakavas created a fascinating app tailor-made for stalkers: &#8220;Creepy&#8221; is a cautionary prophecy against the gradual diminishment of privacy in today&#8217;s digital age.</p>
<p>Described by Kakavas as a &#8220;geolocation information aggregator&#8221;, Creepy analyzes a user&#8217;s tweets, Facebook posts, and Flickr stream, generating a map of where that person is, as well as the specific locations they frequent. Though the notion of creating such an app may sound creepy in and of itself, Kakavas points out in an interview with tech site Thinq_, that if Creepy works, it&#8217;s the fault of the user:</p>
<p>&#8220;There is the category of people who might not know exactly what geo-tagging is, and clicked &#8216;allow&#8217; in the &#8216;Twitter app wants to use your current location&#8217; prompt without really paying attention. Those users need to be educated, warned about the potential risks and to become aware.</p>
<p>The purpose in creating Creepy was twofold. First, to try and raise awareness about privacy in social networking platforms. I wanted to stress how &#8216;easy&#8217; it is to aggregate all the seemingly small and innocent pieces of data people are sharing into a &#8216;larger picture&#8217; that potentially gives away information that users wouldn&#8217;t think of sharing. For example, where do they live, where do they work, where and at what times they are hanging out, when they are not at home et cetera.</p>
<p>Secondly, I wanted to create a tool for social engineers to help with information gathering. I believe Creepy can be of real use to security analysts performing penetration testing for the initial process of gathering information about the &#8216;targets&#8217;&#8211;information that can be used later for a number of purposes.&#8221;</p>
<p>Kakavas has released Creepy under an open source license; a free download is available at the <a href="http://ilektrojohn.github.com/creepy/" target="_blank"> project website</a>.</p>
<p>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/04/creepy-app-for-stalkers-social-networking_n_844791.html</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/an-app-for-stalkers-creepy-geo-locates-based-on-social-networking-activity/">An App For Stalkers: &#8216;Creepy&#8217; Geo-Locates Based On Social Networking Activity</a> appeared first on <a href="https://citizenlab.org">The Citizen Lab</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/an-app-for-stalkers-creepy-geo-locates-based-on-social-networking-activity/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8220;Anonymous&#8221; attacks Sony to protest PS3 hacker lawsuit</title>
		<link>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/anonymous-attacks-sony-to-protest-ps3-hacker-lawsuit/</link>
		<comments>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/anonymous-attacks-sony-to-protest-ps3-hacker-lawsuit/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Apr 2011 20:31:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>anna</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Latest News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anonymous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Distributed Denial of Service Attacks (DDoS)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hacktivism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://citizenlab.org/?p=8478</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p><blockquote>

"The hacker hordes of Anonymous have transferred their fickle attention to Sony. They are currently attacking the company's online Playstation store in retribution for Sony's lawsuit against PS3 hacker George Hotz (aka "GeoHot"). A denial of service attack has temporarily taken down playstation.com.

While most Anonymous attacks remain online-only hacks or protests, Operation Sony will feature a real world component. On April 16, Anonymous wants people to gather at their local Sony stores to complain in person."

From<a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/04/anonymous-attacks-sony-to-protest-ps3-hacker-lawsuit.ars"target="_blank"> Ars Technica</a>

</blockquote></p><p>The post <a href="https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/anonymous-attacks-sony-to-protest-ps3-hacker-lawsuit/">&#8220;Anonymous&#8221; attacks Sony to protest PS3 hacker lawsuit</a> appeared first on <a href="https://citizenlab.org">The Citizen Lab</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The hacker hordes of Anonymous have transferred their fickle attention to Sony. They are currently attacking the company&#8217;s online Playstation store in retribution for Sony&#8217;s <a href="http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2011/02/george-hotz-secures-enough-donations-to-fight-sony-rap-battle-begins.ars"target="_blank"> lawsuit against PS3 hacker George Hotz</a> (aka &#8220;GeoHot&#8221;). A denial of service attack has temporarily taken down playstation.com.</p>
<p>While most Anonymous attacks remain online-only hacks or protests, Operation Sony will feature a real world component. On April 16, Anonymous wants people to gather at their local Sony stores to complain in person.</p>
<p>From<a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/04/anonymous-attacks-sony-to-protest-ps3-hacker-lawsuit.ars"target="_blank"> Ars Technica</a></p>
<p>The hacker hordes of Anonymous have transferred their fickle attention to Sony. They are currently attacking the company&#8217;s online Playstation store in retribution for Sony&#8217;s <a href="http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2011/02/george-hotz-secures-enough-donations-to-fight-sony-rap-battle-begins.ars"target="_blank"> lawsuit against PS3 hacker George Hotz</a> (aka &#8220;GeoHot&#8221;). A denial of service attack has temporarily taken down playstation.com.</p>
<p>In a <a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/04/anonymous-attacks-sony-to-protest-ps3-hacker-lawsuit.ars"target="_blank"> manifesto</a> announcing the new operation, Anonymous railed against Sony for going after coders who seek to modify hardware that they own. The lawsuits are an &#8220;unforgivable offense against free speech and internet freedom, primary sources of free lulz (and you know how we feel about lulz).&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Your corrupt business practices are indicative of a corporate philosophy that would deny consumers the right to use products they have paid for and rightfully own, in the manner of their choosing,&#8221; continues the pronouncement. &#8220;Perhaps you should alert your customers to the fact that they are apparently only renting your products? In light of this assault on both rights and free expression, Anonymous, the notoriously handsome rulers of the internet, would like to inform you that you have only been &#8216;renting&#8217; your web domains. Having trodden upon Anonymous&#8217; rights, you must now be trodden on.&#8221;</p>
<p>Anonymous is rallying participants to voluntarily contribute to the denial of service attack on Sony. That attack is continuing, and it appears to be far more successful than recent hits on <a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/03/chaos-as-anonymous-attacks-toilet-paper-your-mom-itself.ars"target="_blank"> Angel Soft toilet paper</a>. In Anonymous chat rooms, participants bash Sony but worry about how their actions will be perceived. &#8220;Guys, you need to talk to the gamers and explain to them that this does not affect their gameplay,&#8221; wrote one.</p>
<p>Some even hope to take credit for a small drop in Sony&#8217;s stock price: &#8220;We&#8217;re already causing sony stock to drop!!!&#8221;</p>
<p>While most Anonymous attacks remain online-only hacks or protests, Operation Sony will feature a real world component. On April 16, Anonymous wants people to gather at their local Sony stores to complain in person—no doubt leading participants to rummage through their closets in order to dig out the old Guy Fawkes mask.</p>
<p>http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/04/anonymous-attacks-sony-to-protest-ps3-hacker-lawsuit.ars</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/anonymous-attacks-sony-to-protest-ps3-hacker-lawsuit/">&#8220;Anonymous&#8221; attacks Sony to protest PS3 hacker lawsuit</a> appeared first on <a href="https://citizenlab.org">The Citizen Lab</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/anonymous-attacks-sony-to-protest-ps3-hacker-lawsuit/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Spammers Using Facebook Events to Trick Users</title>
		<link>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/spammers-using-facebook-events-to-trick-users/</link>
		<comments>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/spammers-using-facebook-events-to-trick-users/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Apr 2011 19:37:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>anna</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Latest News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Privacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spam]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://citizenlab.org/?p=8465</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p><blockquote>

"Spammers are using Facebook Events to trick users into completing online surveys, taking part in online contests and perform other tasks which allow spammers to generate commissions.

According to multiple security firms, spammers using Facebook Events to promote their links have been highly successful in their efforts to dupe unsuspecting users thus far. According to a report from <a href="http://blog.trendmicro.com/facebook-users-get-invited-to-a-spam-event/"target="_blank"> TrendMicro</a>,"tens of thousands" of users had mistakenly registered for one spammer's event. Meanwhile, <a href="http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2011/04/04/millions-facebook-users-invited-scam-events-spammers-exploit-social-network/"target="_blank"> Sophos</a> found an example where over 10 million Facebook users had been targeted, and over 165,000 had accepted."

From<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/2011/04/04/04readwriteweb-spammers-using-facebook-events-to-trick-use-29162.html?ref=internet"target="_blank"> The New York Times</a>

</blockquote></p><p>The post <a href="https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/spammers-using-facebook-events-to-trick-users/">Spammers Using Facebook Events to Trick Users</a> appeared first on <a href="https://citizenlab.org">The Citizen Lab</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Spammers are using Facebook Events to trick users into completing online surveys, taking part in online contests and perform other tasks which allow spammers to generate commissions.</p>
<p>According to multiple security firms, spammers using Facebook Events to promote their links have been highly successful in their efforts to dupe unsuspecting users thus far. According to a report from <a href="http://blog.trendmicro.com/facebook-users-get-invited-to-a-spam-event/" target="_blank"> TrendMicro</a>,&#8221;tens of thousands&#8221; of users had mistakenly registered for one spammer&#8217;s event. Meanwhile, <a href="http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2011/04/04/millions-facebook-users-invited-scam-events-spammers-exploit-social-network/" target="_blank"> Sophos</a> found an example where over 10 million Facebook users had been targeted, and over 165,000 had accepted.</p>
<p>From<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/2011/04/04/04readwriteweb-spammers-using-facebook-events-to-trick-use-29162.html?ref=internet" target="_blank"> The New York Times</a></p>
<p>Spammers are using Facebook Events to trick users into completing online surveys, taking part in online contests and perform other tasks which allow spammers to generate commissions. In some cases, users are also tricked into giving up their mobile phone number, which is then automatically signed up for expensive premium services.</p>
<p>According to multiple security firms, spammers using Facebook Events to promote their links have been highly successful in their efforts to dupe unsuspecting users thus far. According to a report from <a href="http://blog.trendmicro.com/facebook-users-get-invited-to-a-spam-event/" target="_blank"> TrendMicro</a>,&#8221;tens of thousands&#8221; of users had mistakenly registered for one spammer&#8217;s event. Meanwhile, <a href="http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2011/04/04/millions-facebook-users-invited-scam-events-spammers-exploit-social-network/" target="_blank"> Sophos</a> found an example where over 10 million Facebook users had been targeted, and over 165,000 had accepted.</p>
<p><strong>Event Spam: Bogus Events with Link-Bait Titles</strong></p>
<p>TrendMicro&#8217;s fraud analyst Paul Pajares <a href="http://blog.trendmicro.com/facebook-users-get-invited-to-a-spam-event/" target="_blank"> says</a> that spammers have turned to Facebook Events instead of posting their links to users&#8217; walls where they can &#8220;easily get lost in the News Feed.&#8221;  These bogus events often have tantalizing, link-bait titles like &#8220;How to Find Out Who&#8217;s Viewing Your Profile&#8221; or &#8220;Who Blocked You From His Friend List?&#8221;</p>
<p>For the record, Facebook doesn&#8217;t allow you to track profile views or blocks, either through its own user interface and feature set or via third-party Facebook applications. Facebook even explains in its own online Help <a href="https://www.facebook.com/help/?faq=14350&amp;ref_query=blocked+you" target="_blank"> documentation</a> that &#8220;blocking someone is completely confidential,&#8221; and that no one will ever be notified that they&#8217;ve been blocked. It also does not permit third-party applications to track this information, either.</p>
<p>In addition, any application that claims it can show you who&#8217;s been viewing your profile should be reported, Facebook says in a separate FAQ available <a href="https://www.facebook.com/help/?faq=14357&amp;ref_query=viewed+" target="_blank"> here</a>.</p>
<p>However, despite the ongoing issue of Event spam, Facebook has not updated its Help documentation to refer to both applications and events. The pages only mentions apps.</p>
<p>That said, any links promoting such activities should be avoided at all costs, no matter the source.<br />
<strong><br />
Facebook-Scale Spam is Very Successful</strong></p>
<p>In the case of one event (&#8220;Who Blocked You&#8230;&#8221;), security researchers found that 10.3 million Facebook users were targeted and over 165,000 of that group had been duped into accepting the event invite.</p>
<p>Not all of these fake Facebook Events appeal to users&#8217; egos, however. Some just use the tried-and-tested social engineering technique which promotes something (a video, photo, etc.) you have to &#8220;see to believe.&#8221; For example, one event reads &#8220;You will NEVER send a TEXT after seeing this VIDEO!&#8221; and the event&#8217;s wall says &#8220;This is a horrific video!&#8221; followed by a link where the video can (supposedly) be viewed. At the time that <a href="http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2011/04/04/millions-facebook-users-invited-scam-events-spammers-exploit-social-network/?utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nakedsecurity+%28Naked+Security+-+Sophos%29" target="_blank"> Sophos</a> uncovered this scam, over 13,000 users had &#8220;registered&#8221; to attend.</p>
<p><strong>How the Scams Work</strong></p>
<p>Once on an Event&#8217;s page, users visiting the &#8220;More Info&#8221; section  are provided with instructions on how to find out the answer to the question the event promotes (e.g. who blocked you, who&#8217;s viewing your profile, etc.) The final step, of course, is clicking the spammer&#8217;s link.</p>
<p>This link is obfuscated using a URL-shortener like bit.ly, which takes a longer link and compresses it into a shorter one that redirects to the site in question. Bit.ly and other services like it grew in popularity thanks to Twitter, which limits the number of characters in its status update field to 140 characters. For Twitter users sharing news and other links with each other, these services are invaluable. However, for spammers, the shorteners can hide what would otherwise be questionable domain names and URLs from potential scam victims.</p>
<p>As a best practice, you should avoid any event invitations of a similar nature, even if you see a friend promoting them on their own Facebook Wall. The tricky, bogus events being used by these cyber criminals also automatically reshare the Event&#8217;s link to victims&#8217; own Facebook pages. If you see something like this, you may want to inform your friend that they were a victim of a spammer.</p>
<p>Update: An earlier version of this article implied that the problem of Event spam was a new vector for Facebook spammers. However, this is not the case. As you can see <a href="http://theharmonyguy.com/2010/07/26/spam-via-facebook-events-highlights-ongoing-challenges/" target="_blank'">here</a>, spammers have been using events for months now. The examples cited by the security researchers, however, are new. Screenshots show spam events with dates in March, April and May 2011. Due to these particular events&#8217; success in duping users, the researchers felt it necessary to again highlight the problem.</p>
<p>http://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/2011/04/04/04readwriteweb-spammers-using-facebook-events-to-trick-use-29162.html?ref=internet</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/spammers-using-facebook-events-to-trick-users/">Spammers Using Facebook Events to Trick Users</a> appeared first on <a href="https://citizenlab.org">The Citizen Lab</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>https://citizenlab.org/2011/04/spammers-using-facebook-events-to-trick-users/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Google Introduces New Social Tool and Settles Privacy Charge</title>
		<link>https://citizenlab.org/2011/03/8391/</link>
		<comments>https://citizenlab.org/2011/03/8391/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Mar 2011 23:13:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>anna</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Latest News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Google]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Privacy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://citizenlab.org/?p=8391</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p><blockquote>

"Google is trying social networking again, even as it pays a price for earlier privacy blunders. 

Google introduced its latest social tool on Wednesday, the same day it settled with the Federal Trade Commission over charges of deceptive privacy practices last year for Buzz, the social networking tool in Gmail.

Under the settlement, Google agreed to start a privacy program, permit audits for 20 years and face $16,000 fines for any future privacy misrepresentations. This is the first time the F.T.C. has charged a company with such violations and ordered it to start a privacy program, the commission said."

From<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/31/technology/31ftc.html?pagewanted=1&#038;ref=technology"target="_blank"> The New York Times</a>

</blockquote></p><p>The post <a href="https://citizenlab.org/2011/03/8391/">Google Introduces New Social Tool and Settles Privacy Charge</a> appeared first on <a href="https://citizenlab.org">The Citizen Lab</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Google is trying social networking again, even as it pays a price for earlier privacy blunders. </p>
<p>Google introduced its latest social tool on Wednesday, the same day it settled with the Federal Trade Commission over charges of deceptive privacy practices last year for Buzz, the social networking tool in Gmail.</p>
<p>Under the settlement, Google agreed to start a privacy program, permit audits for 20 years and face $16,000 fines for any future privacy misrepresentations. This is the first time the F.T.C. has charged a company with such violations and ordered it to start a privacy program, the commission said.</p>
<p>From<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/31/technology/31ftc.html?pagewanted=1&#038;ref=technology"target="_blank"> The New York Times</a></p>
<p>Google is trying social networking again, even as it pays a price for earlier privacy blunders. </p>
<p>Google introduced its latest social tool on Wednesday, the same day it settled with the Federal Trade Commission over charges of deceptive privacy practices last year for Buzz, the social networking tool in Gmail.</p>
<p>Under the settlement, Google agreed to start a privacy program, permit audits for 20 years and face $16,000 fines for any future privacy misrepresentations. This is the first time the F.T.C. has charged a company with such violations and ordered it to start a privacy program, the commission said.</p>
<p>The new social networking tool, called +1, lets people annotate Google search results and ads so they can recommend Web pages to friends and acquaintances. It is the biggest feature yet in Google’s long-awaited social networking toolkit.</p>
<p>The introduction of +1 and the F.T.C. charges highlight two of Google’s biggest challenges: heightened competition from Facebook, and near-constant criticism from privacy advocates and policy makers over its practices.</p>
<p>As it tries to make its services more social, the company has come under intense scrutiny from people concerned about its broad access to personal information. But at the same time, it is in the unusual position of racing to catch up with a rival, as Facebook captures more of the time, information and ad views of Internet users.</p>
<p>Of particular concern to Google is the fact that many people now turn to Facebook with search queries, like seeking the best place to go on vacation, because they trust the advice of friends more than that of an anonymous search engine.</p>
<p>With +1, which began rolling out to users Wednesday, Google wants to personalize search results.</p>
<p>In an interview about the new tool, Matt Cutts, a principal search engineer at Google, took great pains to emphasize that the company had learned from the privacy outcry after it introduced Buzz, which let Gmail users share status updates, photos and videos.</p>
<p>The debut of Buzz in February 2010 unleashed a barrage of criticism from users and privacy advocates because it automatically included users’ e-mail contacts in their social network.</p>
<p>Mr. Cutts repeatedly stressed that anything people shared with +1 was public.</p>
<p>“If you wouldn’t feel comfortable telling your friends and broadcasting this to the world, then of course you don’t have to click the +1 button,” he said.</p>
<p>Still, some privacy advocates were wary.</p>
<p>“It’s ironic it’s coming out on the same day” as the F.T.C. settlement, said John M. Simpson, an advocate at Consumer Watchdog, a critic of Google. “It seems to me there are some of the same kinds of issues that happened with Buzz. The key is how transparent and open it is about what’s going to be shared and how you share it.”</p>
<p>The name +1 came from Internet slang that people use to indicate that they approve of what someone has said.</p>
<p>People logged into their Google accounts will be able to click a +1 button next to search results to publicly recommend the pages. People perusing results will see how many Google users recommended a page and see names and photographs of people they know. Google is considering whether to use the recommendations to influence the order of search results.</p>
<p>Google will find people that users know through Gmail and chat contacts, as well as people users follow on Google Reader or Buzz. Later it will include contacts from other social sites like Twitter and Flickr. But it will not include contacts from Facebook, because that information is not publicly shared on the Web, Mr. Cutts said. Google has been in a tussle with Facebook over sharing information between the two services.</p>
<p>People will also be able to recommend ads. And if someone recommends a search result that links to a hotel’s Web site and the hotel later advertises on Google, that person’s recommendation will appear with the ad.</p>
<p>“That’s going to be very powerful,” said Bryan Wiener, chief executive of 360i, a digital advertising agency. “A friend’s recommendation is going to have greater influence on consumer behavior than a marketer’s message.” He said it could also lower the cost of ads because Google charges less for ads that are clicked on more.</p>
<p>Google’s +1 is remarkably similar to Facebook’s Like button, which lets people recommend Web sites and ads to their friends.</p>
<p>Later, Web publishers will be able to include a +1 button on their pages, just as many include a Facebook Like button today. </p>
<p>But Mr. Cutts said it differed from the Facebook feature because “it’s useful right there when you’re searching but doesn’t crowd or muck up your activity stream where people might not want to see it.”</p>
<p>Pages saved with +1 will also be visible on Google’s profile pages, which it has been transforming to look much more like those on social networks. There, people can remove their page recommendations and decide whether to make their list public or private.</p>
<p>In the F.T.C. charges against Google, the commission said the company violated its own privacy policy when it used the information from users’ Gmail accounts for Buzz without obtaining their permission. The settlement prohibits Google from making any similar privacy misrepresentations, and requires Google to ask for users’ consent before changing the way any Google products share personal information.</p>
<p>“This is a legal order and goes further than voluntary commitment,” said Jessica Rich, the deputy director of the F.T.C.’s Bureau of Consumer Protection at a news conference.</p>
<p>Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, which filed a complaint about Buzz with the F.T.C., called the settlement “the most important privacy decision they’ve issued.” He said, “Google has basically conceded that the F.T.C. will be looking over their shoulder for many years to come.”</p>
<p>But some analysts questioned whether the settlement reached far enough.</p>
<p>“There’s a concern on the part of both marketers and tech companies that the F.T.C. is going to impose these new impossible standards, but this particular decision is much more geared toward ensuring that previously established policies are adhered to rather than preventing something new,” said Melissa Parrish, an analyst at Forrester Research.</p>
<p>Google has apologized for the Buzz debacle before — and did again on Wednesday — but said the rules mandated by the F.T.C. would not change the way it operated.</p>
<p>“We don’t see this as being a significant change in how we run our business because this is the standard we hold ourselves to already,” said Jill Hazelbaker, a Google spokeswoman.</p>
<p>The F.T.C. said it expected the settlement to have broad consequences for the Web industry.</p>
<p>“We think that many of the provisions in this order are good practices that we would expect to see widely followed throughout the industry,” Ms. Rich said. “The difference is Google would be subject to civil penalties if they violated it.” </p>
<p>http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/31/technology/31ftc.html?pagewanted=1&#038;ref=technology</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://citizenlab.org/2011/03/8391/">Google Introduces New Social Tool and Settles Privacy Charge</a> appeared first on <a href="https://citizenlab.org">The Citizen Lab</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>https://citizenlab.org/2011/03/8391/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>TripAdvisor email list hacked, passwords secure</title>
		<link>https://citizenlab.org/2011/03/tripadvisor-email-list-hacked-passwords-secure/</link>
		<comments>https://citizenlab.org/2011/03/tripadvisor-email-list-hacked-passwords-secure/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:51:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>anna</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Latest News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hackers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internet Security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://citizenlab.org/?p=8340</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p><blockquote>

"TripAdvisor said Thursday that hackers had stolen a portion of the online travel site's email list and warned members of the possibility of receiving junk mail messages.

"This past weekend we discovered that an unauthorized third party had stolen part of TripAdvisor's member email list," co-founder and chief executive Steve Kaufer said in a message to members."

From<a href="http://www.bangkokpost.com/tech/computer/228472/tripadvisor-email-list-hacked-passwords-secure"target="_blank"> Bangkok Post</a></p><p>The post <a href="https://citizenlab.org/2011/03/tripadvisor-email-list-hacked-passwords-secure/">TripAdvisor email list hacked, passwords secure</a> appeared first on <a href="https://citizenlab.org">The Citizen Lab</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>TripAdvisor said Thursday that hackers had stolen a portion of the online travel site&#8217;s email list and warned members of the possibility of receiving junk mail messages.</p>
<p>&#8220;This past weekend we discovered that an unauthorized third party had stolen part of TripAdvisor&#8217;s member email list,&#8221; co-founder and chief executive Steve Kaufer said in a message to members.</p>
<p>From<a href="http://www.bangkokpost.com/tech/computer/228472/tripadvisor-email-list-hacked-passwords-secure"target="_blank"> Bangkok Post</a></p>
<p>TripAdvisor said Thursday that hackers had stolen a portion of the online travel site&#8217;s email list and warned members of the possibility of receiving junk mail messages.</p>
<p>&#8220;This past weekend we discovered that an unauthorized third party had stolen part of TripAdvisor&#8217;s member email list,&#8221; co-founder and chief executive Steve Kaufer said in a message to members.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;ve confirmed the source of the vulnerability and shut it down,&#8221; Kaufer said.</p>
<p>&#8220;Only a portion of all member email addresses were taken, and all member passwords remain secure,&#8221; he said, adding that members may receive unsolicited emails, or spam, following the break-in.</p>
<p>&#8220;Unfortunately, this sort of data theft is becoming more common across many industries, and we take it extremely seriously,&#8221; Kaufer said. The company has taken it up with law enforcement, he said.</p>
<p>In a statement on the TripAdvisor website, TripAdvisor said it was taking additional security precautions to prevent another incident in the future.</p>
<p>TripAdvisor, an Expedia brand, provides reviews and advice on hotels, flights, vacation packages and other services.</p>
<p>http://www.bangkokpost.com/tech/computer/228472/tripadvisor-email-list-hacked-passwords-secure</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://citizenlab.org/2011/03/tripadvisor-email-list-hacked-passwords-secure/">TripAdvisor email list hacked, passwords secure</a> appeared first on <a href="https://citizenlab.org">The Citizen Lab</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>https://citizenlab.org/2011/03/tripadvisor-email-list-hacked-passwords-secure/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
