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Two computer security firms released information about a new malware dubbed 'Mahdi'. Using social engineering tactics, this superbug infected numerous computers to perform various acts of cyberespionage. While the origin of Mahdi was uncertain at first, new evidence is coming to light tying it to the malware Flame.
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Categories: China,
Iran,
Ethiopia,
Russia,
Asia,
Middle East and North Africa (MENA),
Europe,
Legislation,
Arrests and legal action,
Human rights,
Cybercrime and security,
Threats to the Open Net,
IP blocking
Russia's upper house of parliament passes controversial Internet legislation; Security firms discover new superbug plaguing the Middle East; China increases online censorship to microblogging platforms; Ethiopia sentences twenty bloggers and journalists to jail.
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A Reuters piece details the technologies Facebook utilizes to check for criminal activity. With these technologies, Facebook tracked a man in his thirties contacting a minor and subsequently alerted the authorities. This example highlights the tactics some social media companies are beginning to adopt to protect their users.
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Following a raid in November 2011, the FBI has finally shut down the servers associated with the malware DNSChanger. After giving people a seven month interim period to patch their system, the FBI today cut off anyone without the patch from the web. It was expected to shut off thousands of people and companies around the world, although no major complications have since been reported.
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Categories: India,
Iran,
United States of America,
Israel,
Russia,
Denmark,
United States/Canada,
Middle East and North Africa (MENA),
Europe,
Legislation,
Copyright,
Cybercrime and security,
Threats to the Open Net,
Political filtering,
Conflict and security filtering
Google releases bi-annual transparency report; debate continues over the upcoming international conference on telecommunications and the UN's role regarding the Internet; the US and Israel collaborated to design superbug 'Flame'; Danish ISPs and copyright holders agree upon a new framework for enforcing online copyright infringement.
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The upcoming World Conference of International Telecommunications is creating a lot of debate about the both the secrecy of the summit, and the potential proposals to be presented. Two researchers have released WCITLeaks, an online forum for people to submit documents relating to the conference. The details of the documents have caused debate about the role of the UN in terms of the Internet.
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A Harvard research team has just released a paper discussing China's tactics in Internet censorship. Key findings include censorship aimed toward quelling collective action, and not necessarily all anti-government content. Further, the study hints at the possibility of predicting future political actions based on China's past censorship selections.
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British ISPs are announcing an increase in free public hotspots in preparation for the summer Olympics. These 'public' WiFi hubs also employ filtering tactics to avoid users accessing inappropriate content. Organizations, meanwhile, question the current filtering strategies' efficacy and unintended consequences.
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Cyberweapon superbugs Flame and Stuxnet are reported as being tied to each other and created by nation-state sponsors. As these new technologies become more widespread, the intricate web of state relations and cyberattacks warps.
Russia's upper house of parliament passes controversial Internet legislation; Security firms discover new superbug plaguing the Middle East; China increases online censorship to microblogging platforms; Ethiopia sentences twenty bloggers and journalists to jail.
Following a raid in November 2011, the FBI has finally shut down the servers associated with the malware DNSChanger. After giving people a seven month interim period to patch their system, the FBI today cut off anyone without the patch from the web. It was expected to shut off thousands of people and companies around the world, although no major complications have since been reported.
Google releases bi-annual transparency report; debate continues over the upcoming international conference on telecommunications and the UN's role regarding the Internet; the US and Israel collaborated to design superbug 'Flame'; Danish ISPs and copyright holders agree upon a new framework for enforcing online copyright infringement.
