NewsBits for November 16, 2004 ************************************************************ Low-key end to Internet libel case In a low-key end to a groundbreaking case that extended the reach of Australia's libel laws to the world, a U.S. financial news service has settled a defamation lawsuit launched against it by an Australian mining magnate. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6494780/ - - - - - - - - - - Microsoft cracks down on Xbox modifications In the days before Microsoft released the hotly anticipated Halo 2 video game for the Xbox game console, some gamers noticed a sudden spike in the number of people being kicked off the company's online game service. That was no coincidence. With Halo 2 expected to entice a new batch of users to the Xbox Live online gaming community, Microsoft says it increased its crackdown on those suspected of making unauthorized modifications to their Xboxes. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/games/2004-11-16-xbox-hacks_x.htm - - - - - - - - - - Report: Crooks behind more Net attacks The criminal groups increasingly rely on massive numbers of compromised home PCs to launch their attacks, said Mark Griffiths, vice president for Mountain View, Calif.-based VeriSign. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5455225.html - - - - - - - - - - Security incidents and cybercrime on the up Security events recorded between July and September this year are up 150 per cent on those recorded by security company VeriSign in the same period last year. VeriSign's Internet Security Intelligence Briefing, published today, concludes that increased financial rewards and the greater sophistication of the computer underworld and making the internet a more dangerous environment. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/16/verisign_security_survey/ - - - - - - - - - - Police prowl for online predators It's a weekday afternoon in Kemah, and R.W. Williamson logs onto Yahoo! chat. According to the online profile, R.W. is a 13-year-old girl, and on this day, that profile is visible to everyone in the "Texas" chat room where R.W. has joined in. Within 60 seconds, R.W.'s computer screen is a gallery of pop-up windows called "IMs" - instant messages. The messages are from men, some wanting to be R.W.'s "friend," some offering online links to their home webcams and some offering links to explicit pornography on the Internet. http://www.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=41c324a75e1f8300 - - - - - - - - - - Gates: Passwords passe Speaking at the Microsoft IT Forum in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Microsoft chair predicted that people will soon rely on alternative means of authenticating their identity. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5454719.html - - - - - - - - - - DHS privacy office grapples with RFID, biometrics Congress has given the Homeland Security Department's Privacy Office a fivefold budget increase for fiscal 2005, to $35 million, DHS chief privacy office Nuala O'Connor Kelly said today at the Inside ID Conference and Expo in Washington. http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/27903-1.html - - - - - - - - - - Does anybody like Norton AntiVirus? Whenever I have written about Symantecs flagship consumer antivirus application, the response from readers is always the same. Hordes of Symantec's customers write in complaining that Norton AntiVirus (NAV) sucks up their system resources, doesn't clean their computer thoroughly and when they finally decide to ditch the program altogether, they first need to download a special un-installation tool from Symantec's Web site. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/0,2000061744,39166688,00.htm *********************************************************** Search the NewsBits.net Archive at: http://www.newsbits.net/search.html *********************************************************** The source material may be copyrighted and all rights are retained by the original author/publisher. The information is provided to you for non-profit research and educational purposes. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however copies may not be sold, and NewsBits (www.newsbits.net) should be cited as the source of the information. Copyright 2000-2004, NewsBits.net, Campbell, CA.