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Pirate Bay founder faces jail over Swedish hack attack

June 21, 2013 Staff Writer

Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, co-founder of the Pirate Bay, has been sentenced to two years in a Swedish prison for hacking into a bank’s computers. A Swedish court found Warg guilty of the hack attacks and associated charges of fraud. The attacks were carried out against the Nordea banking group and services firm Logica. Personal data about thousands of Swedes was stolen in the attacks and was subsequently published online. Warg’s accomplice in the attacks, Mathias Gustafsson, was given a suspended sentence and told to seek psychiatric counselling. Adapted from bbc.co.uk

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DotConnectAfrica Registry Services Participates in ICANN DNSSEC training at AFRALTI Nairobi

June 20, 2013June 20, 2013 Staff Writer

DotConnectAfrica Registry Services (Kenya) Ltd. (‘DCA Registry Services’) participated in a rigorous two-day training programme on DNSSEC. PRLog (Press Release) – Jun. 19, 2013 – DotConnectAfrica Registry Services (Kenya) Ltd. (‘DCA Registry Services’) participated in a rigorous two-day training programme on DNSSEC that was conducted at the AFRALTI Nairobi on 11 -12 June, 2013. KeNIC, the manager of the .ke ccTLD extension and organizer of the training programme, had also sent invitations to ISOC Kenya Chapter members who also participated.The DNSSEC training will enable DCA Registry Service staff gain essential…

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Global Name Branding Challenges & the New Digital Age

June 18, 2013 Staff Writer

ADOTAS — Naming rules originated from common sense, transformed into common laws, and later created the trademark philosophy to govern “naming” as a prime and civil component of businesses across the globe. This centuries-old thinking is almost like what electricity is to the Internet. Basically without the core component they are just useless. The current ICANN gTLD expansion now requires a worldwide awakening, particularly in the diverse domain-name industry that without well-balanced trademark rules, is basically headed toward disaster. ICANN is faced with major policy decisions whether to accept a…

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Man behind NSA leaks says he did it to safeguard privacy, liberty

June 11, 2013June 11, 2013 Staff Writer

He’s a high school dropout who worked his way into the most secretive computers in U.S. intelligence as a defense contractor — only to blow those secrets wide open by spilling details of classified surveillance programs. Now, Edward Snowden might never live in the United States as a free man again. In an interview with the British newspaper The Guardian, Snowden revealed himself as the source of documents outlining a massive effort by the U.S. National Security Agency to track cell phone calls and monitor the e-mail and Internet traffic…

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U.S. Confirms That It Gathers Online Data Overseas

June 7, 2013 Staff Writer

WASHINGTON — The federal government has been secretly collecting information on foreigners overseas for nearly six years from the nation’s largest Internet companies like Google, Facebook and, most recently, Apple, in search of national security threats, the director of national intelligence confirmed Thursday night. The confirmation of the classified program came just hours after government officials acknowledged a separate seven-year effort to sweep up records of telephone calls inside the United States. Together, the unfolding revelations opened a window into the growth of government surveillance that began under the Bush…

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Internet Society Funds 11 Community-Based Projects that Enhance Internet Environments in Underserved Regions

June 7, 2013October 6, 2015 Staff Writer

nternet Society Funds 11 Community-Based Projects that Enhance Internet Environments in Underserved Regions The Internet Society today announced funding for 11 community-based Internet projects that will enhance the Internet ecosystem in underserved communities around the world. The Community Grants are awarded twice each year to Internet Society Chapters and Members. Recipients receive up to US$10,000 to implement their projects. The 11 projects funded in this round of grants will: •Enable teachers and students in the Sultanate of Oman to produce and share video presentations that meet Omani curriculum standards and…

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Apple loses US trade panel ruling in Samsung dispute

June 5, 2013 Staff Writer

Apple has lost a ruling by a US trade panel in a patent dispute with its rival Samsung. The International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled that Apple infringed on a Samsung patent, which could mean some older models of the iPad and iPhone are banned from sale in the US. The patent relates to 3G wireless technology and the ability to transmit multiple services correctly and at the same time. Apple said it plans to appeal. The ruling could also be reversed by a US presidential order within 60 days. The…

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Government IT Can’t Pass The Buck On Open Data

June 4, 2013 Staff Writer

Without automated open data, some delay is inevitable, because every record request is treated as a unique event, requiring assessment, redaction of non-public data, double-checking, etc. Automation and providing for self-service not only connect the spirit of the law to the letter of it, but they also save staff time and, over the long haul, keep costs down. Yes, open data can get political when city staffers release data sets without a plan. My advice: Focus on pragmatics: Where’s the biggest bang for your efforts? Where will you save a…

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