U.S. proposes a mechanism to prevent tracking of Internet users

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC, for its acronym in English) proposed a plan to provide Internet users a mechanism to protect privacy against tracking programs that collect and sell information and habits on the Web
The FTC, which is responsible for protecting the privacy of consumers in the U.S., published the report as a framework of recommendations to the Government, legislators and businesses.The proposal comes in the midst of debate over Internet privacy in the U.S. that has emerged after several failures in the privacy of web systems and social networks like Facebook.
One of the major concerns of the FTC include the "invisible", which are automatically installed on computers with user input to a website and used to track their actions and shared across companies and the Hackers in Internet..

 Prevent tracking of Internet users

The data collected are used to project tastes, habits and attitudes of users on a global scale and as large as the network itself, valuable information and used by advertising agencies.

The FTC concluded that self-regulation of the companies on this matter "has failed to play in providing adequate and meaningful protection" to consumers.The answer to the government agency is "privacy by definition," a term used to explain how companies should provide systems in their practices on the Internet to protect users of obligation and the Hackers in Internet.

It proposes a tool for 'no trace' ('Do Not Track') that companies should implement to consumers to choose if they can keep their search data or surfing the web.The storage of such information should be allowed only when necessary, and should be eliminated on a regular basis, the report said.

Hackers in Internet

Another recommendation is to provide simple security options off the "incomprehensible and long privacy policies which the consumer usually does not read" web pages and the Hackers in Internet.
Moreover, those who keep data of Internet consumers should provide "reasonable access" to information stored on them, the report said.The report came out a day before the subcommittee of the House of Representatives of Commerce and Consumer Protection discuss the matter at a hearing.

Spies and hackers exploit a virtual world without rules

The best weapon against online thieves, spies and vandals who threaten global enterprises and security would be an international regulation of cyberspace.

Fortunately for them, such cooperation does not yet exist.

Better yet, from the perspective of a hacker, that goal is not a priority for the international community, despite protests by piracy, censorship and cyberspace disputes that star in China and Iran against the U.S. company Google .
The countries are very parochial when it comes to thinking about their safety online to collaborate on the development of a computerized global regulation was heard last week at the security conference of the EastWest Institute.

The policy statements of governments around the world are dominated by the need to increase the national cyber defenses. As a result, cybercriminals are benefiting too.
"Countries are in denial," said the Indian cyber law expert Pavan Duggal told Reuters, noting that national legislation had limited use in protecting users of a tool of communication without borders.
"Maybe a clash of great consequence to wake people from their complacency, something equivalent to 11 September in cyberspace," he said, referring to the coordinated attacks in the United States in 2001.

With a quarter of humanity connected to the Internet, cybercrime is a growing danger for the world economy.
The FBI determined that the losses due to Internet crime in the U.S. totaled $ 264 million in 2008, compared with $ 18 million loss for the same reason in 2001: That's probably only a fraction of the losses caused to businesses and government departments.
The threat extends to many sectors, including the control systems of factories, utilities and oil refining, since many of them are linked to the Internet for convenience and productivity.

A priority for regulators is to find ways to track down criminals across borders and will not go unpunished for their crimes, a difficult task when criminals can use proxy servers to remain anonymous.

"We can not postpone the debate until we are in the midst of a catastrophic cyber attack," said former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff U.S. at the conference.

"We must formulate an international strategy and respond to cyber attacks that parallel the traditional laws governing land, sea and air," he added.

Security experts say the ability to conduct cyber attacks massive disaster is the preserve of some governments, beyond the ability of extremist groups like Al Qaeda fighters.

But you can not assume that international networks of organized crime, who have long practiced the massive online fraud and theft, are not developing an interest in getting this skill.

"Cybercrime is a very sophisticated offense with a sophisticated actors and multinational efforts are needed to ensure that they can enforce the law," said chairman Peter Altabef Dell Services, told Reuters.

James Stikeleather, Dell Chief Technology Services, told Reuters that track criminals across borders could pose legal problems for the drafters of multilateral regulation.

Giving an example, said more firms added technology needed to enable researchers attribute a crime, privacy and anonymity of users is reduced.

"Probably the sticking point of governments will be 'Where is the appropriate level of charges against the anonymity or privacy for what people are doing (online)'" he said.

Datuk Mohamed Noor Amin, chairman of the International Partnership against cyber threats, affiliated to the UN, said the failure to regulate could perpetuate the "failed states" cyber.

He cited the poor countries where customers can purchase unregistered SIM cards with wireless Internet capability, enabling them to commit online crimes such as identity theft people in rich countries without fear of being tracked.

He noted that it is in the interest of rich countries help the poorest developing the ability to track this type of crime because its citizens are the target.

"Governments tend to see only their own interests. But really work is its own interest," he said.

"People think the internet is an integral part of each country. They do not focus on cyber security and is playing with fire," he added.

New virus breaches 75,000 computers around the world

A new type of computer virus breached some 75,000 computers in 2,500 organizations worldwide, including user accounts from popular social networks, according to internet security firm NetWitness.

The latest virus - known as "botnet Kneber - collects data from access to online financial systems, social networking sites and email systems from infected computers and transferring information to hackers, NetWitness said in a statement. A botnet is an army of infected computers that hackers can control from one central machine.

The company said that the attack was first discovered in January during a routine operation NetWitness software.

Additional investigations firm based in Herndon, USA, revealed that many commercial and governmental systems were affected, including 68,000 corporate connection credentials and access to electronic mail systems, e-banking sites, Yahoo, Hotmail and social networks like Facebook . "The conventional protection against malware and intrusion detection systems are signature-based, by definition, inadequate to meet or Kneber most advanced threats," he said in a statement the company's CEO, Amit Yoran.

U.S. companies and agencies affected by computer virus

Security experts have discovered a network of 74,000 computers infected with a virus that stole internal information from companies and government agencies.

The unusual fact about what happened is that infiltrated the computer network was uncovered. The incident demonstrates the dangers of keeping important data computers connected to an open Internet.

More than 2,400 organizations, including financial institutions and energy companies, as well as federal agencies have been infiltrated by the virus, according to security firm that discovered NetWitness Corp..
NetWitness not name the companies or agencies whose computers were exposed. The Wall Street Journal newspaper said the companies affected include Merck & Co., Cardinal Health Inc., Paramount Pictures and Juniper Networks Inc.

Merck said in a statement Thursday that a computer company had been infiltrated by the virus but did not steal crucial information. The other three companies did not return calls from The Associated Press.

The victims appear to have been the target of cyber attack, unlike other computer attacks with Google Inc. that forced the popular Internet browser to threaten to withdraw their offices in China. That's an important distinction because it shows how the secrets on the Internet may fall into wrong hands even when the criminals do not specifically seek them.
"These problems are out there and are ubiquitous," said Amit Yoran, president of NetWitness and former manager of cybersecurity at the Department of Homeland Security.

Parts of the virus detected by the firm are likely active. He said the network appears to come from computers in Eastern Europe and China but it is not clear whether the attackers are found there.

The virus in this case acted as a "botnet" is concerned that computer networks end up being run by remote control and act like robots. Computers are infected when their owners go to Internet portals or risky material open an email attachment.

Google and Government Partner to fight cyberattacks

Google is finalizing a deal that will allow the National Security Agency United States to help investigate the attack of corporate espionage that could have come from China, said Thursday the Washington Post.

The aim of the research is to better respond to Google, the largest Internet search firm in the world, and its users from future attacks, the Post said, citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the agreement.
The sources said that Google's alliance with the NSA electronic surveillance organization more powerful in the world, would aim to allow both parties to share key information without violating Google's policies or laws that protect the privacy of internet communications .

Under the agreement, the NSA will not see the user searches or e-mail accounts, sources said. Google does not share ownership data with the NSA, said.

Google took on January 12 the unusual step of announcing that he was the victim of sophisticated cyber attacks in mid-December and is reviewing its business operation in China.

The company based in Silicon Valley said the cyberattacks directed against activists Gmail accounts of human rights defenders Chinese and a research fund of at least 20 other large companies had been targeted.China responded several days later with a defense of state control over the Internet. A senior official said internet pornography, fraud, and rumors were a threat and the means of the internet should help "guide public opinion" in China.

The U.S. director of national intelligence, Dennis Blair said Tuesday that the cyberattacks against Google were a warning.The partnership between the giant Internet search and the NSA touches sensitive issues about how to balance individual privacy and national security online.

Google went to the NSA as a result of the attacks, but achieving agreement took weeks because of the sensitive nature of the exchange of information between both parties.
The focus of the cooperative society will not be in determining who was behind the attacks, the Post said citing sources. That would be almost impossible.

Instead, the goal is to build a better defense of the networks of Google, or what experts call "information security", according to the Post quoted its sources.

A cyber criminal stole thousands of passwords from Hotmail

Thousands of users' passwords popular MSN Hotmail service have been stolen and posted on the Internet, said Monday the online news site Neowin.net.
According to information collected after Neowin that other means in the network issued an Internet user data anonymous email accounts on 1 October at the pastebin.com blog, a forum used by software programmers.
The entry into the forum, which has now been erased, detailing the passwords of 10,000 mail accounts with Hotmail dominios@hotmail.com, @ live.com y@msn.com.
Accounts correspond to users with names that start with the letters "a" and "b" and most were located in Europe, adds Neowin.net.
Microsoft, which owns Hotmail, has not confirmed the existence of this list, but has acknowledged to reporters that it is verifying the information.
"We are currently investigating the situation and we will take appropriate steps as soon as possible," a Microsoft spokesman said the British news channel BBC News.
With nearly 300 million users, Windows Live Hotmail is one of the leading providers of free email service and was acquired by Microsoft in 1997, a year after its creation by some 400 million dollars.

Women and elderly victims of thieves favorite network

The criminal gangs that try to deceive the Chinese to provide them with bank details and other personal information are having their biggest hit with the elderly and women, police said Monday
A raid on Internet crime brought to light bands operating in six counties of the mainland that divert money and electronic communications through Taiwan and Southeast Asian countries to avoid detection.

Most deceive their victims through text messages who claim to be a bank or the police and induce them to call fake numbers to give their bank details. In the West, such practices called "phishing" and are often carried out by junk email.

"The main characteristic of these people is that they are very clever talkers, and also use sophisticated technology," Huang said Zuyua, deputy director of criminal investigation unit of the Ministry of Public Security of China.

Other tricks are very used to using words that entice the victim to a conversation in which information stop uncovered, proposals too good to be true threats if not sent the money, and even false kidnappings, in which the victim who believes he hears his son is fighting or yelling, Huang said.

About 70 percent of the victims are elderly, and another 70 percent are women.

The scams, which initially went to the wealthy inhabitants of the coastal area of the country are moving to the center and inland China. In Beijing you can see many posters reminding people to beware of financial crimes on the Internet.

These gangs operate as businesses, departments in charge of technology and others who perform money transfers.

The lax banking procedures in the country, and the large number of internet services such as insurance, to help ease with which gangs operate, police said.

More than 1,400 people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in these crimes, said Huang

Celebrity hacker pleads guilty to identity impersonate

A cyberpirate accused of organizing one of the largest cases of stolen identity information on the history of the United States agreed Friday to plead guilty and spend 25 years in federal prison for his crimes.
Albert Gonzalez of Miami, was charged in federal court in New York and Boston to conspiracy, fraud through electronic communications and aggravated identity theft. Official documents submitted in federal court in Boston indicate that Gonzalez, 28, agreed to plead guilty to 19 counts and join the two cases in federal court in Massachusetts.
Remain outstanding charges against Gonzalez in New Jersey, but they are not part of the agreement reached with prosecutors.
The Miami man is accused of obtaining the magnetic encoding of credit and debit cards of more than 170 million accounts. Agents said that Gonzalez was the leader of a group that attacked large companies such as T. J. Maxx, Barnes and Noble, Sports Authority and OfficeMax, among others.
The Gonzalez's Miami lawyer, Rene Palomino son could not be reached Friday by The Associated Press for comment, he told the AP on Thursday that his client was "extremely sorry for what happened."
The agreement reached on Friday on charges in New York and Massachusetts said that Gonzalez will be imprisoned from 15 to 25 years. If it had been tried and convicted on all charges contained in the agreement and sentenced to the maximum penalty would have received a sentence of several hundred years.
Gonzalez also lose the right to their computers, condominium, car and cash, agents seized $ 1.1 million buried in the backyard of his parents. His bride must return a ring from Tiffany Gonzalez gave him, while his father and friends have to return them gave Rolex watches.
It will also have restrictions on the use of computers and internet for five years after his release und