5/12 defcon: secret service, globalhell, expendables

cyberwarfare rules included in defense bill*
white house to unveil cyber security proposal*
US secret service takes to twitter*
after approving nbc buyout, fcc commish becomes comcast lobbyist;
fcc chairman applauds colleague departing to become fcc lobbyist*
obama meets with giffords, husband (and his identical astro-twin) in florida*
giffords aims to return for shuttle launch*
veteran of 90’s cyber gang 'globalhell' charged in swatting conspiracy*
find out if you're a target in biggest US bittorrent lawsuit ever*
comcast says they're not blocking pirate bay -
problem appears to be impacting several isp's*
broadband leads to drug abuse, say US boffins*
under look and key: pc iris scanner security device set to go on the market in months*

updates: google's blogger finally limps back into action after over 20+hrs of downtime (the media monarchy kingdom has recovered, but others are apparently not so lucky...)*
playstation network hack launched from amazon ec2*
dropbox lied to users about data security, complaint to ftc alleges*
netflix: metered broadband a pure cash grab -
company not pulling punches in per byte debate*
mo mercy for gary mckinnon: as obama prepares for uk visit, holder insists US will not bend on extradition*
vigilant guard '11: responders train for cyber attack on madison power grid*
video: california students jam out with musical robots*

3/24 defcon: mobile, micro, mystery, messenger

at&t to purchase t-mobile for US$39b;
as strangling of the free internet begins continues*
microsoft, feds pull plug on spam network*
fbook traffic mysteriously passed through chinese isp*
goldman programmer gets 8yrs for code theft*
tracking your wi-fi trail at the airport*
first tweet & other communication firsts*
nasa 'messenger' enters orbit around mercury*
chavez says capitalism may have ended life on mars*
video: 'red' rocker sammy hagar abducted by aliens*

timeline of chinese censorship, cyber attacks

An article at "The Telgraph" provides a 21st Century timeline of censorship and cyber attacks by China. Cisco, a US networking company, sells 200 routers to China in 2003, which enables the government to censor internet traffic. In March 2009, Chinese government blocks You Tube after video showing police beating Tibetan Monks is posted. In June 2009, China requires all computers be equipped with Green Dam monitoring software, which creates a storm and plan dropped in August. The US begins testing tech to assist computer users in China and Iran to bypass firewalls. US explores "feed over email"(FOE) system to deliver news that evades web screening technology.

In December 2009, Chinese government offers 10,000 yuan reward for turning in websites that feature pornography.

In January 2010, China announces plan for compulsory registration of users' real names, before, anyone can make comments in chat rooms and other forums. Google threatens, also, in January, to pull out after attacks on its servers targeting gmail accounts of human rights activists.

In March 2010, Google redirects Chinese users to its uncensored Hong Kong site and shuts down its search engine in China.

In April 2010, China directs 15 percent of world internet traffic through is state-owned ISPs.

In November 2010,  US Congress warns hijacking of 15 percent of internet traffic, in April, may have been malicious.

10/7 defcon: spooks, satnav & sightings

pentagon says 'the global cyberwar is just beginning'*
military spooks step up war on leakers*
obama pressures isp's to censor websites*
microsoft wants govt licensing net access*
aol says infowars 'whipping the internet into a frenzy of anxiety'*
iran say it has captured 'western spies' involved in nuclear cyberattack*
researchers using rat-robot hybrid to design better brain machine interfaces*
uk man dies after satnav sends him into a reservoir*
ufo forces airport closure in china*
best image yet of comet closing in on earth*

defcon 7/29: leaky lawsuits

100 million facebook pages 'leaked' on torrent site*
hackers shut down eu carbon-trading website*
7 people have been entrusted with the keys to the internet*
video: isp's spying on australians, govt document heavily censored*
'minority report' technology used by uk police to predict crimes*
tokyo trials digital billboards that scan passers-by*
US wants increased police access to email: report*
video: 2nd student sues school district over webcam spying*

fcc loses net neutrality battle against comcast

court: fcc had no right to sanction comcast for p2p blocking
from washington post: Comcast on Tuesday won its federal lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission in a ruling that undermines the agency's ability to regulate Internet service providers just as it unrolls a sweeping broadband agenda.

The decision also sparks pressing questions on how the agency will respond, with public interest groups advocating that the FCC attempt to move those services into a regulatory regime clearly under the agency's control.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, in a 3-0 decision, ruled that the FCC lacked the authority to require Comcast, the nation's biggest broadband services provider, to treat all Internet traffic equally on its network.

That decision -- based on a 2008 ruling under former FCC chairman Kevin Martin -- addresses Comcast's argument that the agency "failed to justify exercising jurisdiction" when it ruled Comcast violated broadband principles by blocking or slowing a peer-sharing Web site, Bit Torrent.

But it also unleashed a broader debate over the agency's ability to regulate broadband service providers such as AT&T, Comcast and Verizon Communications.

The judges focused on whether the FCC has legal authority over broadband services, which are categorized separately from phone, cable television and wireless services. The agency currently has only "ancillary authority" over broadband services, a decision made by past agency leaders in an attempt to keep the fast-moving Internet services market at an arm's distance from the agency.

update: undaunted by comcast court victory,
fcc moves ahead with broadband plans

portland pimps to be 'ultra-high speed' google giunea pig

from ars technica: The City of Portland, Oregon says it's ready to be one of Google's test run fiber-to-the-home projects, and how: "No city in the USA is as ready as Portland to launch a citywide or scaled test bed for ultra high speed open platform broadband," its response to Google's Request for Proposals proudly declares. "Portland has the history, broad community support, willing businesses, committed local government, and cost-effective, year-round construction metrics."

As we've reported, Google says it's planning to roll out and test "ultra-high speed broadband networks" in various trial areas around the United States. And they sound pretty darned ultra: one gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections "at a competitive price" to cities and regions of 50,000 to ten times that many people.

Portland says if you build it, we will download. But beyond that, why should Google choose that rainy northwestern city where people prefer to rust rather than tan?
Here are some answers the RFP gives.

First, hardcore telecommuters, Portlanders like to work at home, or "over Wi-Fi in coffee shops, or in co-working spaces," the RFP notes. In fact, "nine Portlanders telecommute for every one who commutes by light rail." Plus it's a small business city—within Multnomah County, three out of four businesses have ten employees or less.

Next, Portlanders are huge long-term planners of the green variety. This was the first city to embrace a plan for global warming, the document adds. Its emissions levels have dropped 14 percent while national emissions continue to go up. The town already serves as a test site for sensor nets, telemedicine, and advanced geolocation services.

And Portland "was the first government in the nation to endorse 'open access' requirement to then-emerging broadband Internet platforms," doing so back in December of 1998. Google's project, it should be noted, will be open access—letting users choose from a variety of ISPs.

Finally, Mr. Linux himself, Linus Torvalds, lives in Portland, as does wiki inventor Ward Cunningham.

This all sounds pretty competitive to us (we, of course, aren't making the decision). Applicants had until March 26 to make their move; as cities now reveal their applications, everyone else can see what they are up against. Google may take until the end of this year to make its decision.