That was fast! I suspect this guy screwed up big time. How else would they catch him?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/21/AR2007082101205.html
Ukrainian May Have Ties to TJX Theft
By MARK JEWELL The Associated Press Tuesday, August 21, 2007; 3:17 PM
BOSTON -- A Ukrainian man recently arrested in Turkey is suspected of selling some of the credit and debit card numbers stolen in a data hack of at least 45 million cards of TJX Cos. retail customers, a U.S. investigator said Tuesday.
... Authorities hope the arrest of Maksym Yastremskiy, suspected of being a major international trafficker in stolen data, will eventually lead to information uncovering the TJX intruders' identities.
"He was involved in the distribution of information," Greg Crabb, an agent with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's global investigations unit, [Strange group to be investigating a hack? Bob] told The Associated Press. "We do have information that suggests other individuals were the masterminds of the hack."
[Boston Globe article: http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/articles/2007/08/21/suspect_named_in_tjx_credit_card_probe/
... Last week TJX said it expects to spend $256 million -- 10 times more than it had previously disclosed -- to cover costs related to the breach, such as improving security and dealing with the growing number of lawsuits filed by banks and other issuers of credit and debit cards. Some analysts predict the breach will cost more than $1 billion eventually, including the cost of canceling and reissuing millions of compromised cards.
Some companies are more vulnerable than others? Who took over their business and how many executives are now with the new company? Are there any assets left for the Class Action lawyers to pursue?
http://www.pogowasright.org/article.php?story=20070821190835585
What can we learn from the Verus, Inc. fiasco? (commentary)
Tuesday, August 21 2007 @ 07:08 PM CDT Contributed by: PrivacyNews News Section: Breaches
When a Verus, Inc. employee made the very human but colossal blunder of not restoring a firewall after transferring data between servers, an untold number of patients had their patient account information exposed on the web. Reports on the incident began to appear in the media at the beginning of June, and two months later, long after the company quietly went out of business, we are still learning of other hospitals that were affected.
... From my perspective, this fiasco reinforces the need for a national mandatory disclosure law with a central federal agency compiling disclosure notices. Right now, we do not know how many hospitals were affected, how many patients had their details exposed, and what the cost of the incident was, all told, and because there is no mandatory disclosure law, we may never know the full extent of this incident and its costs and consequences. Then, too, suppose Verus, Inc. had not done the right thing and had not notified its customers before closing up shop. We might have a series of seemingly random reports of breaches when a centralized reporting system might enable us to determine that there was a common vendor involved.
Source - Chronicles of Dissent (blog)
Interesting. Will the chain of evidence hold in court?
http://www.pogowasright.org/article.php?story=200708211106282
UK: Police recover stolen database
Tuesday, August 21 2007 @ 11:06 AM CDT Contributed by: PrivacyNews News Section: Breaches
Police have recovered a computer server that was stolen from a company that specialises in gathering mobile phone evidence to help track suspected terrorists. Computer equipment, including the server, was snatched by thieves from the premises of Forensic Telecommunications Services (FTS) in Kent on 12 August.
... The [encrypted] server, which contained data relating to forensic telephone evidence linked to police investigations, was undamaged and an examination revealed the information had not been accessed. [Somehow I doubt that... Bob]
Source - SC Magazine
How to lose that warm fuzzy feeling...
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/58951.html
Wells Fargo Recoups Following Massive Online, ATM Glitch
By Keith Regan CRM Buyer Part of the ECT News Network 08/21/07 1:09 PM PT
A computer problem at Wells Fargo kept customers from accessing their accounts online and at ATMs during parts of the weekend. The glitch also impacted the bank's back-end services, including credit card transactions and processing of home equity, student and mortgage loans. The company has about 23 million customers and operates more than 6,000 bank branches.
... The problems were first discovered Sunday afternoon, and the San Francisco-based bank said all services had been restored as of early Tuesday, though some information, such as account balances, was expected to take longer to be fully brought up to date.
The bank emphasized the speed of the recovery Manage remotely with one interface -- the HP ProLiant DL360 G5 server. of its online banking services, saying that by using backup facilities, Internet banking was restored in about an hour and forty minutes after problems were spotted Sunday.
... Wells Fargo was among the top three most reliable Internet banking sites -- along with Citibank and National City -- in a report by Web measurement firm Keynote last year. The bank also ranked high in the online customer support Get Automated Customer Contact Solutions Powered by West Interactive category.
...and this is inevitable.
Phishers looking to cash in on Wells Fargo crash
In the wake of Wells Fargo's computer problems, security experts are bracing for a new wave of phishing attacks related to the crash
By Robert McMillan, IDG News Service August 21, 2007
Would you expect a modicum of integrity in an e-voting vendor? Silly you!
Update: State says e-voting machines weren't certified
Election Systems & Software sold almost 1,000 uncertified voting machines to five California counties in 2006, says Secretary of State Debra Bowen
By Grant Gross, IDG News Service August 21, 2007
Election Systems & Software (ES&S) sold nearly 1,000 electronic-voting machines that were not certified to five California counties in 2006, Secretary of State Debra Bowen said Tuesday.
"Given that each machine costs about $5,000, it appears ES&S has taken $5 million out of the pockets of several California counties," Bowen said in a statement.
ES&S sold 972 of its AutoMark Phase 2 Model A200, even though the company never submitted that version of the AutoMark machine to Bowen's office for certification in California, she said. ES&S delivered hundreds of the Model A200 to the California counties before it was certified by federal election officials in August 2006, she said.
Bowen will seek the maximum penalty, $9.7 million plus the original $5 million cost of the machines, if ES&S is found to have broken the law, she said in the statement. Under California law, Bowen can seek damages up to $10,000 per violation, counting each voting machine as a separate violation.
No doubt RIAA will sue them all!
http://techdirt.com/articles/20070821/175447.shtml
Piecemeal DRM-Free Efforts Aren't Going To Unseat Apple's Online Music Dominance
from the keep-trying dept
Universal Music announced a couple weeks back that it would begin selling DRM-free music -- but not through the iTunes Music Store, in a bid to undermine Apple's dominance in online music sales. As we pointed out, this wasn't likely to happen, since few people shop for music according to what label it's on, particularly when it's a huge one like Universal. The label now says that its unprotected tracks will be available from a few different sources: a new service called Gbox, and through Wal-Mart's online music store. Both will undercut Apple's price for DRM-free tracks by selling them for 99 and 94 cents respectively, but that's hardly likely to make a difference, particularly in attracting iPod users, nor will it help their businesses since the margins on digital music are already pretty thin. The problem remains that most people don't pay attention to what label their favorite performers are on. Saying "we sell DRM-free songs from Universal/EMI artists" isn't going to have much of an impact in getting people to switch from iTunes, but it does seem to illustrate that labels and other retailers are looking to compete with iTunes on this front, which should be good news for consumers. Still, the iTunes Music Store's dominance will remain until another retailer can somehow convince all the major labels and a wide array of indies to let it sell DRM-free music. As long as Apple's rivals can only use a piecemeal approach to get music they sell onto iPods, it's going to be a long, fruitless, uphill battle. Competing with iTunes on price is only part of the equation. Rivals have to also match its selection; then they have to worry about matching its ease of use as well.
Getcha scorecards here!
http://digg.com/tech_news/Who_owns_the_Internet_Google_Yahoo_AOL
Who owns the Internet? Google, Yahoo, AOL...
Picture and analysis of companies that Google, Yahoo, AOL, IAC, Microsoft and News Corp have acquired. It's interesting to see how many of the most popular sites are owned by these six companies.
http://www.micropersuasion.com/2007/08/web-20-maybe--1.html
...and they should get interest on that for the last three years...
http://www.aclu.org/freespeech/protest/31331prs20070816.html?s_src=RSS
ACLU Calls Government Settlement in Anti-Bush T-Shirt Case a Victory for Free Speech
(8/16/2007) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: media@aclu.org
CHARLESTON, WV - The American Civil Liberties Union today announced a successful resolution of the case of Jeffery and Nicole Rank, the young Texas couple arrested on the West Virginia capitol grounds on July 4, 2004 for peacefully expressing their opposition to President Bush. According to the settlement agreement, the United States government will pay the Ranks $80,000.
The Ranks, who wanted to attend the President's Fourth of July address without being mistaken for supporters of his policies, wore homemade t-shirts bearing the international "no" symbol (a circle with a diagonal line across it) superimposed over the word "Bush." One t-shirt said "Love America, Hate Bush" on the back and the other said "Regime Change Starts At Home." Event staff and law enforcement ordered them either to leave the event or remove or cover their shirts. The couple responded by insisting they had a First Amendment right to remain and express their views. The two were arrested for trespassing, handcuffed, and hauled away in a police van. The charges against them were later dismissed and the City of Charleston, not a defendant in the case, apologized for the incident.
I've got this business process for investing (Buy low, sell high) that does work. I've been testing computer models for identifying “Low” and “High” -- can I patent those?
http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/22/0512235&from=rss
DARPA Files Patent On Predictive Simulation
Posted by Zonk on Wednesday August 22, @03:37AM from the looking-to-the-past-for-the-future dept. Patents Privacy Science Technology
An anonymous reader writes "New Scientist has a post on a patent filed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), seeking to control a new potent predictive simulation. The patent outlines the process, which may someday allow researchers to accurately predict the behavior of observed subjects. They're not there yet, but not for lack of trying. It already works in some military war game scenarios, says the patent. 'Parunak says his model can successfully detect players' emotions, and then predict future actions accordingly. He believes the technique could one day be applied to predict the behavior of adversaries in military combat situations, competitive business tactics, and even multiplayer computer games. The patent application gives an interesting insight into DARPA's goals. The agency has pumped a lot of money into AI in recent years without reaping major rewards. One day computers may find a way to accurately second-guess humans, but I suspect we may have to wait a little longer yet.'"
I wonder which department would get this entry?
http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/news.phtml/9543/10567/Government-COI-monitoring-blogs-UK.phtml
The government is to start "monitoring" blogs
Blogosphere gets Whitehall's attention
by Amy-Mae Elliott
21 August 2007 14:05 GMT - Conspiracy-theorists, privacy campaigners and anti-establishment loons have got a new, legitimate, grumble about online privacy.
It's been revealed that the government's Central Office of Information (COI) is going to be monitoring blogs.
The COI is apparently creating a "blog monitoring utility" that will track new blog entires and forward them to relevant departments with the government.
The utility is said to be used for "hot" issues regarding government policy and is hoped that it will give the government an early warning service on issues important to the public.
The tool is being developed by the COI's Media Monitoring Unit and will use software created by internet intelligence company 23 Ltd.
The tool will automatically monitor the internet for blogs attracting a large amount of debate and flags those with enough posts. The flagged items will be looked at by analysts who will turn them into briefings.
Reports suggest that around 100 blogs will be monitored initially.
Look up? What a concept!
In Google Earth, a Service for Scanning the Heavens
By MIGUEL HELFT August 22, 2007
After turning millions of Internet users into virtual explorers of the world with Google Earth, the Internet search giant is now hoping to turn many of them into virtual stargazers.
Google is unveiling within Google Earth today a new service called Sky that will allow users to view the skies as seen from Earth. Like Google Earth, Sky will let users fly around and zoom in, exposing increasingly detailed imagery of some 100 million stars and 200 million galaxies.
Global Warming! Global Warming! (More anti-Gore propaganda?)
http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_233143509.html
Arctic August: NYC Sets Record For Coldest Day
High Of 59 Degrees Ties Chilliest August High Set In 1911
(CBS) NEW YORK Don't forget to bundle up if you're headed out in New York City today. After all, it is August 21.
The city along with the rest of the tri-state region is feeling the chilly effect of a cold front sweeping through the region, accompanied by cool rain showers.
Tuesday's high temperature in Central Park was just 59 degrees. The normal high for today is 82 degrees. The normal low is 67.
Ideas for the Baby Shower?
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BUSINESS_OF_LIFE?SITE=VALYD&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Tots Getting Internet Identity at Birth
By ANICK JESDANUN Aug 21, 8:32 PM EDT
NEW YORK (AP) -- Besides leaving the hospital with a birth certificate and a clean bill of health, baby Mila Belle Howells got something she won't likely use herself for several years: her very own Internet domain name.
Do you suppose we are headed for a “Home College” era? Instead of sending the kids off to college, you can lock them in the basement until they graduate!
http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2007/08/21/directory-of-distance-education-programs/
Directory of Distance Education Programs
Filed under: Reference-Education
If you’re looking for distance learning opportunities, be sure to check out http://www.distance-education.org/, a directory of distance education opportunities.
You can browse through categories or you can use pulldown menus from the front page to specify a category (and concentration), the type of certification you want (certificate, online degree, etc.) and whether you want to sort the results by most or least expensive (or don’t sort them at all.)
I'm old?
http://www.beloit.edu/~pubaff/mindset/2011.php
Mindset List 2011
BELOIT COLLEGE'S MINDSET LIST® FOR THE CLASS OF 2011
Most of the students entering College this fall, members of the Class of 2011, were born in 1989. For them, Alvin Ailey, Andrei Sakharov, Huey Newton, Emperor Hirohito, Ted Bundy, Abbie Hoffman, and Don the Beachcomber have always been dead.
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