information

Twitter has released new figures showing government requests for information about its users. It's a report similar to the one produced by Google, though with some notable differences. For the past three years, Google has produced these kinds of ... statistics every six months. The idea is to show changes in government demands for specific user information. Twitter openly acknowledges it has copied Google's idea. It says releasing the figures will force governments to be more accountable about the information they demand. (Source: twitter.com ) Twitter's newly-published data covers all government ... (view more)

According to a new report, Microsoft and Yahoo have been handing over the names, zip codes, and other personal information of their clients to both major U.S. political parties. Worse yet, those targeted have no idea that they are the victims of a ... political ploy. Seeing targeted advertisements is nothing new to those who frequent the Internet. In the milliseconds that it takes for a page to load, advertisers can identify a user visiting a site and display ads based on what they know about a user. For example, someone checking the Euro Cup scores on the ESPN website might see an advertisement ... (view more)

It appears that Microsoft and its users may be experiencing a security problem potentially as dangerous and devastating as the 2010 debacle that hit Playstation owners. Back then, innocent purchasers of PlayStations were hit by one of the most ... stunning security invasions in recent memory. Millions saw their supposedly-secure account information leaked, including credit card data. The problem ran so deep that Sony felt compelled to offer substantial compensation packages. The current problem may prove just as significant, unless Microsoft changes how it stores sensitive customer information. ... (view more)

Microsoft has struck a blow against cybercriminals, thanks to a major takedown of servers being used to steal login information and passwords from computers around the world. Experts say the move could place a huge restraint on what is considered ... one of the world's most advanced cybercrime schemes. On Monday, Microsoft revealed that its special cybercrime investigation division had executed both legal and technical maneuvers to reduce the number of computers capable of spreading Zeus. This is important because Zeus is malicious software designed to infect innocent users' computers and steal ... (view more)

A recent Facebook scam has apparently duped professionals closely linked with NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). A spokesperson for the company later confirmed that no confidential information was leaked. Facebook Friendship Unlocks Personal ... Info Recently, an unknown number of Facebook members accepted a friend request from a person they apparently believed was US Navy chief Admiral James Stavridis, who is also the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. (Source: guardian.co.uk ) Among those fooled into agreeing to the online friendship were several senior military officers and government ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Bill S. writes: " Dear Dennis, [Why does it cost] $4,500 a month to maintain your website? That seems very high. I realize I run a much smaller site than yours [150 users / published once a month], but I paid $192 to register my ... [website via registrar] and have my site hosted by GoDaddy for four years. That works out to four dollars per month. I also subscribe to Windows Secrets Newsletter and frankly get much more information from that newsletter and associated site than from yours. It's contributions only by the year and I send them $25. " My response: Respectfully, I ... (view more)

France's National Commission for Computing and Civil Liberties (CNIL) claims Google's new privacy policy violates European Union law. CNIL is an agency charged with protecting citizens' private information, and reporting to the European Commission. ... Last January, Google announced its new privacy plan, scheduled to take effect this Thursday, March 1, 2012. The plan claims to allow for more convenient tracking of its privacy initiatives across Gmail, Google Docs, and about 60 other online services, while clarifying those policies for its users. Critics Say Advertising, Monetization Drives ... (view more)

If you've developed an application capable of spying on users of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) would probably like to have a chat with you. But don't worry -- it would appear they're more ... likely to use your app than putting you in prison for it. In a recent post on the site FedBizOpps.gov, the FBI's Strategic Information and Operations Center (SIOC) openly admits it's looking for an app that will allow the investigative organization to go behind the scenes in social media sites and news networks. According to the post, the much-wanted ... (view more)

The Swedish government has formally recognized a church based on the belief that people have the right to copy digital data. The Church of Kopimism claims that information is holy, with an inherent value, and the act of copying information, known as ... "kopyacting" is a religious activity that increases the value of information by passing it to more people. The group even claims keystrokes CTRL + C and CTRL + V as religious symbols, the common key combination used for copying and pasting data using a computer keyboard. Cynical observers, however, suggest the Church of Kopimism exists not to ... (view more)

International hacking group Anonymous has struck again, this time infiltrating a US-based security think tank. Experts believe the group made off with email, home addresses, and credit card information. The think tank in question is Stratfor (which ... stands for "Strategic Forcasting") based in Austin, Texas. It's an economic, military and political consulting group that dispenses high-level advice, reports and analyses for which a who's who list of subscribers in the security industry and elsewhere are more than willing to pay. Confidential Client List Includes Army, MSNBC Experts ... (view more)