Fahmida Y. Rashid

As governments around the world moved to shut down WikiLeaks, the site struggled to remain online, as its American-based domain name service provider pulled the plug on the site on Dec 2 and Dec. 3. WikiLeaks also was hit by another DoS (Denial of Service) attack late Dec. 2, the third such incident since Nov […]

While there are several potential methods to implementing the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed “Do Not Track” mechanism, the most effective method is to have the browser append “Do Not Track” to its header messages, according to several software developers. The consensus seems to be to require browsers to append a string to the HTTP header. […]

After federal regulators proposed a “Do Not Track” mechanism to give control over what consumer data companies can collect and share, a lot of confusion remains about what the proposal really means. In a 122-page preliminary report issued Dec. 1, the Federal Trade Commission suggested that users need a way to universally opt-out of having […]

The Federal Communications Commission’s new net neutrality framework clarified some points from its 2009 plan, but the latest proposal still is receiving scant support in Congress and from Internet service providers. FCC chairman Julius Genachowski offered a sneak peek at the draft net neutrality proposal on Dec. 1. More details will be available when the […]

Amazon.com is no longer hosting WikiLeaks, the controversial site that posted thousands of classified government documents this week. “WikiLeaks servers at Amazon ousted. Free speech the land of the free-fine our $ are now spent to employ people in Europe,” WikiLeaks tweeted on Dec. 1. According to the latest WHOIS information and data from the […]

Cisco will acquire network management software company LineSider, strengthening its cloud capabilities, the company said on Dec. 1. LineSider’s technology will strengthen Cisco’s cloud computing services by integrating cloud infrastructure with customers’ existing IT systems, Cisco said. IT administrators have the challenge of managing the ever-changing network state as virtual devices are added, moved or […]

While corporate giants such as IBM, Novell,and Red Hat continue to play a significant role in Linux kernel development, wireless companies and their suppliers are rapidly stepping up, according to a report from the Linux Foundation. The Linux Kernel Development report, released Dec. 1, examines how fast it’s growing and the developers contributing to the […]

Red Hat acquired cloud application deployment and management platform firm Makara to boost its platform-as-a-service credentials. Red Hat and Makara executives discussed the acquisition during a morning phone conference Nov. 30. Red Hat has been “delivering scalable and flexible cloud infrastructure” before cloud computing became popular, said Paul Cormier, executive vice president and president of […]

Botnet Boon: How Scammers Cash In by Fahmida Y. Rashid Rob the Bank: Zeus Trojan Clicking on links in spam or opening malware attachments lets the Zeus Trojan compromise vulnerable browsers. The Trojan captures log-in credentials and stealthily siphons off small amounts of money from the bank account. The FBI arrested a gang that stole […]

The developers behind the Zeus and SpyEye Trojans have joined forces to create one major botnet, with sophisticated capabilities to attack user bank accounts, according to security researchers. Malware authors aren’t sitting still as law enforcement officials arrest cyber-gangs stealing millions of dollars from compromised bank accounts. There is a lot of financial incentive to […]