Provided by CommunityDNS, the information in this post consists of news items in the security-based Internet community.

Rod Beckstrom Named ICANN CEO

During ICANN’s conference in Sydney, Rod Beckstrom was announced as ICANN’s new CEO.

Having recently served as the Director of the US National Cybersecurity Center, Rod brings experience in technical issues, cyber security issues as well as experience with the DC political establishment.

Comment: As the malicious community are taking on more of a presence within the Internet, might the hiring of Beckstrom usher in a new focus on the Internet’s criminal community? The press release shows an impressive list of those who feel Rod would be an excellent choice for CEO of ICANN. Notable among them is the Chairman of the US House of Homeland Security Committee. Hopefully this will help during future Congressional subcommittee hearings. Noticeably absent, however, are comments from people out side of the US.

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FTC settles with scareware scammers on reduced terms

Found guilty for distributing scareware products that provided no utility, using underhanded methods, James Reno and ByteHosting Internet Services was fined $1.9 million last year. Citing poverty the US’ Federal Trace Commission settled for $116,000 with conditions. Being that similar scareware packages can sell for around $50 and that their scam hooked close to 1,000,000 people, their revenue could have reached $50 million.

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Cybercrime spreads on Facebook

While MySpace served as a popular hangout, hackers go where the people go. Now Facebook is where the people have gone. So, too, have the hackers. With a membership that has grown from 120 million to 200 million users in six months, hackers are taking advantage of the inherent trust associated with social networks, hackers are breaking into accounts and sending spam to the “friends” of a respective Facebook user. Such spam contains links that, when clicked, infect the recipient’s computer.

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48% of Americans Would Drop Mobile Data Service Completely

As the US publicly declares the Internet to be a critical infrastructure, and the broadband it rides upon, 90% of 1,110 US households surveyed are not willing part with their wired broadband service. Close to 50%, however, would easily drop mobile data service if cost cutting is necessary.

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UK looks to Young Geeks to Secure Cyberspace

While some decry the move as analogous to handing the chicken coop over to the wolves, the UK is looking to shore up its cybersecurity plan by hiring “cybersecurity geeks”. Just as US government contractors are seeking to hire the “best of” from the cyber hacker community, those willing to wear white instead of black hats, the UK is interested in hiring those who have the knowledge, experience and desire to “hack-for-good”.

British citizens spend an average of $82.6 billion per year online, while roughly $86 billion is lost due to malicious attacks on computer systems.

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Pirate parties parade through Prague, Paris

With the recent ruling of Pirate Bay, a Swedish-based ISP that favors sharing information for all, regardless of copyright infringement, is the most visible of cases in the battle of suppressing copyright infringements regarding the distribution of copyrighted music and videos. Such movement has spawned the visible “3-strikes” initiatives that have been working through various governments. The latest of which dealt with a law’s passage and subsequent legal takedown in France. Such initiatives have spilled over to the political arena. Recently Swedish voters elected a member from the newly formed “Pirate Party” to hold a seat within the EU Parliament. Within Germany’s government, a Social Democrat recently switched to the Pirate Party. In a growing, grass roots effort, new Pirate Parties are being formed in France and the Czech Republic. To date the new Czech and French Pirate Parties are more interested in helping to influence political debate through education instead of promoting candidates.

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