ICANN to be More Independent

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers and the US Commerce Department have ended an 11-year partnership in which the U.S. government possessed direct control of ICANN.

The split will allow for a private sector-led model for the Internet, with review teams from around the globe.

The two organizations have signed an Affirmation of Committments that gives ICANN significantly more autonomy. The prior relationship was heavily criticized by…

Facebook Increasingly Targeted in Phishing Scams

Facebook is advising users of the increasing number of phishing scams that are perpetrated on the social-networking site.

Members login information is being stolen in scams and the scammers are using the information to solicit money from friends.

The phishing messages often claim to be sent from Facebook representatives that require the user to login to a fake page designed to look official. Another common technique is…

Head of Space Command Points to Cyber Connection

In a recent Air Force Symposium, Gen. C. Robert Kehler, who commands the Air Force’s Space Command, discussed the overlapping nature of cyber and space.

According to Gen. Kehler, people do not fully grasp the connection, but he is certain the overlap is extensive.

During his speech, Kehler pointed to the acquisition process and that it is not currently keeping pace with ongoing needs. Particularly in regards to cyberspace,…

Microsoft Embeds Alerts about Scams in Search Engine

Microsoft has added alerts to its search engine Bing in an effort to educate users about scams on the Internet.

Microsoft is working with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Trade Commission, and Western Union to effectively launch the series of public-service announcements on common scams.

The ads come up in searches commonly exploited by scammers. The searches provide useful and common-sense tips, such as verifying the identity…

10 Cybersecurity Game Changers to Watch in 2010

The field of cybersecurity is becoming increasingly relevant to discussions on national security.

President Barack Obama placed cybersecurity in the forefront of his national…

Journalists in China Targeted by Cyber Attack

According to an investigation by a team of Canadian researchers, foreign journalists operating in China are being subjected to malware attacks.

The malware surrenders control of the infected to computer to a remote user.

Journalists receive emails alleging to be from the economic editor who is planning a trip to China. Attached is a PDF file that contains a relatively accurate list of local contacts. When the PDF is…

Trojan Steals Thousands of Dollars from Schools in Illinois

A Trojan virus appears to be responsible for the theft of more than $300,000 from a school district in Illinois, according to investigative authorities.

The case involving the Chrystal Lake School District is currently under investigation by the FBI.

The attack used a Clampi virus, which when downloaded to the victim’s computer, steals login and account information for bank accounts. The information is then sent to the…

Cartoon to Help Educate on Cybersecurity in UAE

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority in the United Arab Emirates is using a cartoon in a national advertising campaign designed to increase awareness about cybersecurity.

The new cartoon character, known as Salim, the Emirati cybersecurity adviser, will provide citizens with helpful information on methods to protect themselves and the UAE from cyber threats.

The UAE’s Computer Emergency Response Team is entering the second phase of its public awareness…

News Site in Malaysia Subjected to DOS Attack

The Malaysia Today news website has been hit by a series of denial of service attacks that crippled the site over the past week.

While it is unclear as to the origins of the attack, many people, including the tech team at Malaysia Today, believe the Malaysian government is behind the attacks.

The attacks began two weeks ago after the website ran an article on a scandal involving the…

Data Breach Potentially Compromises SSNs

According to Computerworld, the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill notified more than 160,000 women Friday their Social Security numbers may have been compromised by a recent breach by hackers.

The system breach was discovered in July, and it appears that some data theft may have occurred as far back as 2007.

The hacked system contained information on a federally funded research study…