Security

Welcome to a special IT Blogwatch EXTRA: as Richi Jennings watches bloggers' reactions to the Russian hackers who claim to be able to crack WPA2 Wi-Fi encryption. Not to mention 41st Reality...

As if taxpayers needed another reason to scorn the IRS. I read yesterday that the inspector general review of several IRS computer systems found "several weaknesses in control over access to applications containing sensitive information." I remember reading last month that the inspector general had found computer weaknesses at the IRS. This time around the IG didn't criticize the IRS security policies that are in place, only that they're not being adhered to.

Forget privacy, information is power, and the government doesn't want you to have it, says private investigator Steve Rambam, who also runs a 25-billion record investigative database on individuals and businesses.

"Two hundred years ago the second amendment was passed because you needed a gun to protect yourself. Now you need information to keep things balanced."

In Thursday's IT Blogwatch, Richi Jennings watches Sarah Palin's alleged email nemesis be indicted, arraigned, released, and fed to the bloggers. Not to mention a new use for an old 2600 joystick...

I received a clickjacking warning from my Firefox 3.0 NoScript plugin today. False positive? Coding error? Actual attack?

There have been some nice movements in the security space over the past couple of weeks that show large security vendors separating from the smaller tactical players.

David Kernell has been indicted by the Justice Department for breaking into VP hopeful Sarah Palin's Yahoo e-mail account, according to an announcement at Justice.gov.

Tennessee student's arrogance should be matched by the length of his prison term. Which means he should rot for five full years.

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. -- I told you October 3 that Delta Airlines planned to filter out "inappropriate" Web sites for in-flight Wi-Fi. Now American Airlines announced plans to follow suit. Why the rush to censor when no abuse has yet been reported?

American acted after complaints from both flight attendents and passengers, although not a single case of a passenger viewing "innappropriate" Web sites has yet been reported.

In today's podcast: BlackBerry Storm to launch on Verizon and Vodafone networks; Eee Box ships with virus; and Wikia Search opens search platform.

Anyone who listens to any media knows that October is recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but did you know that it’s also National Cyber Security Awareness Month? While it may not be critical from your medical health standpoint, it is crucial from your computer’s perspective.

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. -- Wireless technologies like WiMAX and LTE are supposed to bring us the speed of Wi-Fi (or better) with something approaching the range of existing wireless broadband, which could replace the need for Wi-Fi hotspots. Now, Wi-Fi back at the office is under threat, too: from light bulbs!

Need help sorting through the hype of cloud computing? Here's some IDC research on the benefits, barriers -- and what customers really want.

Stephen Spoonamore offers more details on what I was trying to drive home in my recent column: Because individual votes must be anonymous, lack of a paper trail by definition makes any voting system unsafe.

In Friday's IT Blogwatch, Richi Jennings stands open-mouthed at eBay's Chinese security-censorship-surveillance PR faux pas. Not to mention Mister Lucas's weird imaginings of amazing, other-worldly conflicts...