CyberCrime & Doing Time: PKK Hackers Arrested in Turkey -
‘…the hackers are associated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, and were taken to Diyarbakır for further questioning. This article calls the hacker team the “Cold Attack Team”, and says that it took orders from leaders in Kandil in Iraq and in Europe regarding what websites to hack and what messages to place there. It also mentions that the hackers distributed a PowerPoint attachment via email which would trojan the readers computer.’
Globe and Mail: Ontario adds Internet safety to elementary curriculum -
‘Next fall, there will be specific sections in the curriculum for grades 4 and 7 about Internet safety and the potential risks of online activities. …there will also be “age appropriate” discussions about online dangers in Grades 1 through 8.’
Wired: 10 Years After: A Look Back at the Dotcom Boom and Bust -
a bit off-topic for Box of Meat…or is it?
SophosLabs: All browsers are (not) created equal -
“It is going to be very interesting to follow the browser race now that Microsoft had to offer an alternative web browser with Windows Update and new Windows installations. So, are we going to see other browser equally used and equally targeted by malware writers? Could we expect a flood of newly discovered vulnerabilities when vulnerability researchers change their focus?”
Word to the Wise: Improving the email interface -
“The way to get the functionality inserted as a standard part of the software/web interface, is to get users to ask for it. In order to get users to ask for it, the best way to start is to create a plug-in that they like and use. If they like it in their Outlook interface at work, then they’ll ask for it in their webmail interface at home.”
PCWorld: FBI Embeds Cyber-investigators in Ukraine, Estonia -
‘Troy wouldn’t comment on what cases the agents were working, but he said, “those countries were selected for a reason.”’
CSO: Security B-Sides: Perfect Authentication Remains Elusive -
“Everyone realizes passwords have their shortcomings. But alternatives like two-factor authentication are not as powerful as one would expect. The problem? As always — human behavior.”
Techdirt: FTC Finally Forces FreeCreditReport.com To Be Honest In Its Advertising -
“The misleading ads have been incredibly lucrative for Experian, who apparently has convinced an astounding 20 million people to sign up for FreeCreditReport, and spends $70 million per year in advertising to get more people to sign up.”
MediaPost: No One WANTS To Watch Your Advertising -
‘I am a little tired of hearing the argument “if it’s the right ad in the right place, then people will be engaged.” I am a huge fan of relevancy, but you’re not going to convince me that it’s possible to achieve perfect relevancy and solve the issue of advertising on the Internet.’
The Internet Patrol: Funeral for IE6 Not a Hoax - Being Held in Denver Thursday Night
New York Times: Advertising on Facebook Strikes Some as Off-Key -
‘“When it works, it’s amazingly impactful, but when it doesn’t work, it’s not only creepy but off-putting,” said Tim Hanlon, a principal at the consulting firm Riverview Lane Associates of Chicago. “What a marketer might think is endearing, by knowing a little bit about you, actually crosses the line pretty easily.”’
The Onion: Google Responds To Privacy Concerns With Unsettlingly Specific Apology -
‘“I’d like nothing more than to apologize in person to everyone we’ve let down, but as you can see, many of our users are rarely home at this hour,” said Google cofounder and president Sergey Brin, pointing to several Google Map street-view shots of empty bedroom and living room windows on a projection screen behind him. “And, if last night’s searches are any indication, Boston’s Robert Hornick is probably out shopping right now for the spaghetti and clam sauce he’ll be cooking tonight.”’
Word to the Wise: With great wisdom… -
“There’s now a generation (for lack of a better term) of ESP & deliverability staff who weren’t around before there were ESPs, maybe not even before CAN-SPAM, but have learned many of the same things….”
Word to the Wise: A very young industry -
“What does it mean for the state of the industry that so few people on one side of the equation have long term experience in email marketing and so many people on the other side of the equation have long term experience with email (and marketing)?”
AP: Authorities bust 3 in infection of 13M computers -
“Spanish investigators, working with private computer-security firms, have arrested the three alleged ringleaders of the so-called Mariposa botnet, which appeared in December 2008 and grew into one of the biggest weapons of cybercrime. More arrests are expected soon in other countries.”