Saturday, July 26, 2008

Cyber Law Update July 2008 - Issue no. 3

San Francisco cyber attack a wake up call for Canadian IT managers
US: A disgruntled network administrator who locked up the multi-million dollar computer system for the city of San Francisco is now behind bars. But Canadian tech experts warn a cyber terrorist could do the same thing this side of the border if we don't take precautions.


A cyber attack that virtually hijacked the controls of more than 60 per cent of San Francisco's municipal network should serve as a wake up call for IT managers in Canadian government jurisdictions, say technology experts.


He was arrested for allegedly changing passwords to San Francisco's computer system and effectively "locking up" the city's multi-million dollar fibre WAN (wide area network) system that handles sensitive data, critical IT operations, and much of the municipality's network traffic. Reported in ITBusiness.ca

Once Henry Ford remarks “Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.” Why to wait for failure. Act now proactively for better tomorrow as suggested by Chanakya, Indian Politician, strategist and writer, 350-275 BC, “As soon as the fear (say fear of failure) approaches near, attack and destroy it.”

Lithuanian tax office website hit by cyber attack
US: Lithuania said it suffered another foreign cyber attack over the weekend when the state tax office's website was swamped with requests, but no damage was sustained. Reported in Guardian

Even website of Indian Income Tax needs to plug few vulnerablities as mentioned in my comments on “Are your online tax returns safe?” by Ashwin Mohan of CNBC-TV 18.

SMBs in denial about cyber crime: McAfee
McAfee discovered that a third (32 percent) of North America's small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have been attacked more than four times by cybercriminals in the last three years. The impact was that a quarter of those attacked (26 percent) took an entire week to recover. Canadian businesses were most affected with a third (36 percent) taking a week to recover.


"SMBs are truly exposed to the same cyber threats as their enterprise counterparts," said Darrell Rodenbaugh, senior vice-president of the mid-market segment at McAfee. "In fact there are some experts that would say they are greater targets because it is popularly known [SMBs] don't have the same protection in place that their enterprise counterparts do."


He added the reality is IT managers in SMBs face a paradox. They understand that are at risk but they are faced with limited resources and a lack of time. Reported in eChannelLine

Cyber thieves can easily take advantage
US:
More than 75% of bank websites were flawed and could expose customers to cyber thieves eyeing their money or their identity, according to a survey by the University of Michigan. Reported in EconomicTimes. Similar article on FRAUD ALERT: Cyber-bank robbers hit online accounts published in CourierPostOnline

Cyber crime looms large over Middle East netizens

Dubai: Internet users in the Middle East are under increasing threat from cyber crimes, prompting large spending on web security, WAM reported Thursday quoting experts.


Web threats peaked in March to 50 million incidents of hacking from approximately 15 million in December 2007, a study by Internet security firm Trend Micro said.


Source: Indo-Asian News Service Reported in Computing

Man gets 41 years in prison for cyber fraud
Pak:
A court has sentenced a man to 41-year prison term for credit card fraud, the first time a person convicted for cyber crimes has been punished so severely in Pakistan. Reported in Time of India

Cyber relationships aren't 'harmless fun'
US: Cyber relationship are "harmless fun" but harmless and commonly leads to serious relationship problems.

It is actually dealing with a problem of an emotional cyber-affair. In these cases the spouse has found someone on the Internet with whom he or she has formed an emotional connection. Such a connection outside the marriage is always wrong and detrimental to that primary relationship. These "cyber-affairs" have become a source of marital problems and often lead to divorce. Reported in MyWestTexas

Teen Claims She Was Bullied In School & Online
US: A South Florida teenager has filed a lawsuit against her private, all-girls school in Miami after she became the victim of an alleged vicious bullying campaign that spread from the classroom to online social networks. Reported in CBS4


Parents must act now to control cyber culture among children

Kenya:The pendulum of opinion on the impact of computers and the Internet on children will always swing. Is the technology good or bad for our kids?

Should the State control access or should it be left to parental guidance and “filter” software? Reported in NationalMedia

Strict action to be taken against fake mobile SMS and petrol smuggling
Pak: FIA Cyber crime cell will take strict action against the elements involved in spreading the fake information through Mobile SMS regarding the down fall trend in Stalk Exchange. Such activity would be consider as cyber crime. Reported in OnlineNews.com

Cyber Defamation
Korea: Justice Minister Kim Kyung-han's plan to introduce a ``Cyber Defamation Law'' has sparked controversy over how to guarantee freedom of expression on the Internet. The plan is part of a series of government measures to crack down on distributors of fraudulent and slanderous information in cyberspace. Reported in KoreaTimes

Cyber cafes asked to maintain record of customers
India: In a bid to track cyber crimes, the District Magistrate ordered cyber cafes and mobile phone shops to maintain records of their customers. Reported in SaharaSamay