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Microsoft

Teacher Avoids Getting Sent to Siberia For Piracy 252

Posted by CowboyNeal from the off-the-hook dept.
Piracy Support Line writes "Russian principal Alexander Ponosov will not be visiting Siberia any time soon, at least not for the allegedly illegal Microsoft software that were preloaded on the computers they bought and Microsoft supported the reseller's story. Although Bill Gates rejected Mikhail Gorbachev's personal appeal for mercy on behalf of the teacher, the judge was kinder. Judge Elvira Mosheva decided to dismiss the case because 'Microsoft's financial damage is too insignificant for a criminal investigation.'"
Education

Submission + - Teacher + porn malware + students = 40 yr sentence

Submitted by nettework
nettework writes: A jury in Norwich, CT has has convicted substitute teacher Julie Amero on four counts of risk of injury to a minor because she was viewing porn on the classroom computer during class. The 40-year-old and married Amero, who "did not even know how to turn off a monitor", was in charge of the class when the classroom computer (which was not behind a firewall because the school had failed to pay the bill) began spewing out pornographic images in windows she couldn't close. Because of a legal technicality, the jurors weren't allowed to see the full testimony of computer forensics experts Herb Horner, who (surprisingly!) discovered that the computer was infested with malware and spyware and that these pop-up images were the result. From a juror in the case:

The bottom line was that it didn't make a difference who or how the porn sites showed up on the computer...If you and your wife were watching an xxx rated movie the you put into the dvd player, you powered it up and you hit play, then went into the other room for a snack and your child or grandchild entered the room would you expect your wife to stop the dvd or just let it play because she didn't start it. No you would be upset as all get out.
She faces up to 40 years in prison, and her sentencing is March 2.
Privacy

Submission + - U.S. group wants Canada blacklisted over piracy

Submitted by Kaneda2112
Kaneda2112 writes: Again with the

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM .20070214.wblacklist14/BNStory/National/home

Canadian piracy thing! How can these groups continue to spread misinformation and FUD? It is so irritating for those of us up here! Micheal Geist has debunked this baloney (http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/1656/159/ ) "While the reports have succeeded in attracting considerable attention, a closer examination of the industry's own data reveals that the claims are based primarily on fiction rather than fact." Aarrgh!
The Almighty Buck

Submission + - Amazon asserts right to adjust prices after sale

Submitted by An anonymous reader
An anonymous reader writes: On December 23, Amazon advertised a "buy one get one free" sale on DVD boxsets, but did not test the promotion before going live. When anyone placed two boxsets in their cart, the website gave a double discount — so the "grand total" shown (before order submission) was $0.00 or something very small. Despite terms stating that Amazon checks order prices before shipping, Amazon shipped the vast majority of orders. Five days later (December 28), after orders had been received and presumably opened, Amazon emailed customers advising them to return the boxsets unopened or customers' credit cards would be charged an additional amount. (You can read more threads about this here and here.) Starting yesterday, Amazon has been (re)charging credit cards, often without authorization. On Amazon's side, they didn't advertise any double discount, and the free or nearly-free boxsets must have cost them a mint. But with Amazon continually giving unadvertised discounts that seem to be errors, is "return the merchandise or be charged" the new way that price glitches will be handled?
Businesses

Submission + - The 1 million pound laptop

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: The UK Financial Services Authority (FSA) has imposed a fine of nearly £1m on the Nationwide — the largest building society in the country — because of poor controls over data on a laptop that was stolen from an employee's home. The laptop contained data on 11 million customers, but the Nationwide didn't take any action for 3 weeks. There is no evidence that the confidential data was actually used to disadvantage customers.

According to the FSA, the Nationwide: failed adequately to assess the risks in relation to the security of customer information; had procedures in relation to information security which failed adequately and effectively to manage the risks it faced; failed to implement adequate training and monitoring to ensure that its information security procedures were disseminated and understood by staff; and failed to implement adequate controls to mitigate information security risks, to ensure that employees followed its procedures, and to ensure that it provided an appropriate level of information security.

How many other businesses meet the standards of information security excellence demanded by the FSA?
Operating Systems

Submission + - Google hosts talks for Haiku project.

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: Google has recently been playing host to presentations by Haiku Inc. (the not-for-profit corporation working on an open-source, MIT-licensed operating system based on BeOS), and yesterday was thier final talk, held at the Googleplex in Mountain View. Among guests were former Be Inc. CEO Jean Louis Gassée and other former Be engineers. Could this show Google's interest in Haiku as their much talked about GoogleOS ?
Worms

Submission + - Teacher to be jailed for spyware porn incident

Submitted by
BabyGotMac-com
BabyGotMac-com writes: "A substitute teacher who was given orders to not shut down a computer has been charged and tried and is about to be sentenced to up to 40 years. The system was exposed to malware, and popped up porn banners and sites, exposing a classroom of children to them. Computer experts have vouched for the likelihood of spyware being the cause, but the woman was prosecuted and is scheduled to be sentenced March 2nd. This highlights the lack of technology training in the education arena, both on the administrative side and that of the teacher, who was evidently not even able to turn off the monitor or understand how to deal with the popups. http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/02/13/teacher.porn.ap/ index.html"
Businesses

Submission + - UK bank fined $1.8 million for stolen laptop

Submitted by
cliffski
cliffski writes: "UK building society 'nationwide' has been fined £980,000 (approx 1.8 million dollars) by the Financial Services authority as a penalty for allowing the theft of a laptop containing customer records, according to the BBC website. The director of enforcement at the FSA said "Nationwide's customers were entitled to rely upon it to take reasonable steps to make sure their personal information was secure". Despite the theft of the laptop, which became public news in November, the building societies chief executive said "I wish to emphasise that there has been no loss of money from our customers' accounts as a result of this incident". Is this a rare example of a financial watchdog showing real teeth? or is the fine trivial for a company that size?"
Encryption

Submission + - Ebay lose the plot

Submitted by Devon Dan
Devon Dan writes: Ebay have announced that they are to start charging users $5 to use their service. In a BBC article it is claimed that trials in the US will soon require users to log in using a key code generated by a security token in an attempt to defeat phising attacks. This move seems to not only be hugely inconvenient (in that you will need to have the thing with you when ever you want to log in or buy a new one if you lose it) but to have almost no security value other than to prove you have a token.
Quickies

Submission + - TGV breaks speed record

Submitted by zeux
zeux writes: While testing the new Paris — Strasbourg line, the TGV broke a 17 years old speed record (babelfish translation), travelling at 553 km/h (343 mph). The last record, of 515 km/h (320 mph), was set on May, 18th 1990. According to the French National Railroad Company (SNCF) the testing campaign will continue and speeds up to 570 km/h (354 mph) could be atteigned by June of this year.
Security

Submission + - College claims BitTorrent is a security breach

Submitted by nevesis
nevesis writes: The University of Iowa's Daily Iowan reports on an increase of "web pirating profilerating." But the obnoxious headline isn't the worst of it. The article then claims, "When you register with a bit torrent, it can publicize personal data, allowing hackers and viruses to collect information such as medical and financial records." Is this just poor reporting or intentional FUD spread by the RIAA?
Music

Submission + - Yahoo Music, chiefs urge labels to 'ditch DRM'

Submitted by
waired
waired writes: "It seem that a trend has begun in the musics industry after Steve Jobs essay. Now a senior Yahoo chief has spoken out in favor of Apple CEO Steve Jobs' call for major labels to abandon digital rights technology (DRM). It points out that consumers are getting confused and that the Microsoft DRM "doesn't work half the time". http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?RSS&newsI D=17184"
Announcements

Submission + - Merck HIV vaccine trial begins in South Africa

Submitted by Neme$y$
Neme$y$ writes: The BBC reports that "An international team of researchers, led by experts from the US, will oversee the trial of the vaccine, created by the drug company Merck.". According to CBC News : The study is a "test of concept" trial that will help researchers determine if the vaccine prevents HIV infections, results in lower HIV levels in those who become infected after vaccination or both. "South Africa is an excellent location for this trial due to the high levels of infection coupled with the good clinical infrastructure, including internationally recognized immunology laboratories, a well-established national vaccine initiative and experience in running clinical trials," said James Kublin, M.D., M.P.H., one of study's lead investigators, along with Glenda Gray, MBBCH, FCPaeds (SA), of the Perinatal HIV Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand, based at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto. A more detailed explanation here.

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