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Internet spying 'largest threat in 2008'

Internet-based espionage is likely to pose the largest information security danger in 2008, the security software company McAfee has reported.

In a new report titled Virtual Criminology, the company said that the internet is increasingly being used by governments for spying and launching cyber attacks on rivals. The report also said that the new year would see an increase in attacks against e-banking functions.

Earlier this year, Estonia was targeted by a widespread cyber attack which shut down many essential functions for weeks. An unnamed Nato source told McAfee: "Traditional protective measures were not enough to protect against the attacks on Estonia's critical national infrastructure. "Botnets, unsurprisingly, were used but the complexity and coordination seen was new."

The attacks were organized and used "careful timing", the source said. And instead of being successfully shut down, the attacks stopped at a given juncture, the source added. For information on digital products and services visit Broadband National.

Verizon boosts broadband speed

Communication company Verizon has announced that it is now offering symmetrical FiOS internet services that provide broadband at speeds that "blow cable away".

The service will be available in all 16 states that currently offer FiOS and will offer users connection speeds of up to 15 megabits per second. Susan Retta, vice president, broadband solutions for Verizon, said: "Millions of households no longer have to settle for cable upload speeds that can't deliver the most interactive online experiences.

"With FiOS you can choose ultra-fast uploading that makes sending information as quick and easy as receiving it." Now the company offers the fastest broadband to the most consumers in America, Ms Retta went on to say. FiOS uses fiber optics to deliver the internet and so far is the only such service in the US. According to the company, fios is an ancient Irish word for knowledge.

US Airways expands AT&T wireless deal

Airline giant US Airways has signed a contract with AT&T for the communications company to provide wireless services to customers, corporate email and cargo tracking.

The deal is worth $6 million and is an expansion of a long-running contract between the companies which has seen AT&T provide US Airways with internet protocol data services. US Airways will now use hand-held barcode scanners which can connect wirelessly with AT&T's network and will allow the airline to provide tracking for its customers in real time. AT&T already provides similar services to many regional airlines around the US.

Joe Beery, US Airways' senior vice president and chief information officer, said: "In a move to optimize and improve our tracking of cargo shipments, we sought a reliable and consistent solution. "AT&T brings the benefit of wireless advantages to the solution and enhances our agility and high-quality standards to our customer service philosophy."

Internet game teaches children safety

The UN Internet governance forum that is going on in Rio de Janeiro saw a new game unveiled to teach children how to stay away from sex predators on the internet.

Dubbed Wild Web Woods, the game uses the vehicle of traditional fairytales to instruct children on avoiding dangers. The game, the creation of the Council of Europe, is to be released on the internet in English and then in 12 other European languages. According to the council, which is made up of 47 nations, the game is "key" in its efforts to foil sexual predators.

Cheryl Preston, a law professor at Brigham Young University in Utah, was quoted by the AFP as saying: "In many developing countries, the drive to train a new generation in technology skills as a foray into global commerce has produced an epidemic of pornography addiction that parents have no idea how to address."

The UN forum is also addressing the role of the US in regulating the Internet. For more information on digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com

Internet-based TV series debuts

The popular social networking site MySpace has debuted its internet TV series, Quarterlife, which follows the activities of a group of 20-somethings.

Quarterlife is the brainchild of the creators of My So-Called Life, Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick. The creative duo has come up with 36 episodes of the series, each lasting eight minutes each, to be shown on MySpaceTV. In his review of the show, LA Times writer Robert Lloyd said: "In terms of production, acting and subtlety of intention, it's miles beyond any drama yet mounted on the internet." But despite this, he added that "there is something slightly off about their take on Generation Text-Me; it feels rooted in magazine clippings rather than actual experience."

Meanwhile, the Hollywood writer's strike continues apace. Various TV stars, including Eva Longoria and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, have backed the Writer's Guild in their demands for a greater proportion of internet and DVD profits.
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For information on digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com

Writers strike over internet profits

Hollywood writers have begun a strike over what they see as unfairness concerning their share of internet and DVD profits.

Last-minute talks failed to establish an agreement between writers and studios and both the New York and Los Angeles chapters of the Writers Guild of America decided to strike. Studio bosses maintain that the writers' demands are disproportionate and would affect the development of new media. Patric Verrone, president of the western chapter of the guild, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying: "The studios made it clear that they would rather shut down this town than reach a fair and reasonable deal."

This is the first time in two decades that Hollywood writers have taken strike action. Film and television production are both threatened by the strike. In 1988 writers went on strike for 22 weeks, which ended up costing the film and television industry approximately $500 million.

Internet tax ban extended

Congress has unanimously voted to extend the ban on internet taxes by another seven years, it has been reported.

The senate passed the moratorium last week, which means that now all that remains is for president George W Bush to sign it. On Thursday of this week the current ban runs out. The new one would last until the year 2014. Many had been pushing to make the ban on internet taxation permanent. Among them was the Arizona senator John McCain, who said that a ban must be made permanent before state governments put in place their own internet taxes. And Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon, the head of the Senate Republican High Tech Task Force, commented: "People use the internet to access information and purchase goods and services.

"It is not appropriate to tax someone for walking into a library or a shopping mall. On that rationale, we should not be taxing the internet."

For more information on digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com

Global Crossing Expands VoIP Local Service to 16 Mexico Markets, Nearly 400 More U.S. Cities

Service Now Offered in 21 Countries Worldwide

Global Crossing a leading global IP solutions provider, today announced it
has once again broadened the scope and reach of its Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services for customers around the world by extending its Global Crossing VoIP Local Service(TM) to 16 major metropolitan cities in Mexico and nearly 400 additional cities in the United States. The addition of Mexico brings to 21 the total number of countries worldwide where the service is offered. In the U.S., the company expanded availability of VoIP Local Service to nearly 400 additional cities, including Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, and Tucson, bringing that total to more than 1,400 nationwide.

Initially, Global Crossing will be serving 16 metropolitan markets in Mexico with VoIP Local Service, including Mexico City, Guadalajara, Puebla, Leon and Monterrey. Global Crossing VoIP Local Service also is available in Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. A complementary offer, Global Crossing VoIP Outbound(TM), is available from 29 countries around the world and provides the consistency customers
require from global services.

For information on VoIP and other digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com

Cyber criminals 'take advantage of Halloween'

As Halloween draws nearer, cyber criminals have launched a campaign of spam emails related to the celebration, according to the software security company Sophos.

The most prevalent piece of spam is one that promises a gift card worth $250 in exchange for the personal details of the recipient. Among the information requested is email addresses, postal addresses, phone numbers and dates of birth.

Senior technology consultant for Sophos, Graham Cluley, said: "It's not immediately obvious whether this spam is being sent to commit identity theft or whether it's market research gone mad. "If you visit the site and give it your personal information the chances are that you will be bombarded with unwanted junk email until hell freezes over."

It is not likely that those behind the spam emails will really send out the promised gift card, Mr Cluley added. Meanwhile, the infamous storm worm is still as prevalent as ever, almost a year since it was first noticed, reports the Toronto Star.

Chinese internet censorship revealed

The extent of China's censorship of the internet has been revealed by Reporters Without Borders.

In a damning report, the organization has exposed how thousands of Chinese cyber-police spend hours monitoring the online activities of Chinese citizens. Journalists in the country are especially targeted and often receive text messages from censors telling them to abstain from writing about a certain subject. And sometimes they are told to only use certain sources, the report stated.

The Reporters Without Borders description reads: "The bureau members announce the subjects to be covered in the coming week, the articles to be written under their supervision, and the articles to be eliminated." In particular, the government censored a story last year about the working conditions in an iPod factory owned by the Taiwanese company Foxconn. Allegations that women working in the factory are forced to pull 15-hour days were covered up.

Wal-Mart to sell satellite broadband

Retail giant Wal-Mart has announced that it is to start selling satellite broadband to consumers.

Customers will be able to subscribe to , the largest provider of satellite broadband in the US. Subscriptions to HughesNet will be available in 2,800 Wal-Mart stores across America. The HughesNet service is available in many of the more rural, remote locations in the US where traditional broadband is not yet available.

Mike Cook, senior vice president, North America Division at Hughes, said: "Wal-Mart is perhaps the only retail store in the country that reaches as many people as HughesNet.
"This relationship is a powerful way to make broadband a reality for the millions of Americans and small business owners who cannot get high-speed internet access from cable or DSL providers."

HughesNet currently has over 350,000 subscribers and has shipped systems to consumers in more than 100 countries. Wal-Mart is currently the largest private employer in the world.

Target website lawsuit made class action

A lawsuit being filed against Target for not ensuring that its website is usable by the blind has been made into a class-action by a federal judge in San Francisco.

This means that all the blind people in America who have tried to use the Target website can automatically become plaintiffs in the case. The lawsuit is alleging that by not using the technology available to help make websites more user-friendly for the blind, Target is violating the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Dr Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind, told the Associated Press: "This is a tremendous step forward for blind people throughout the country who for too long have been denied equal access to the internet economy. "All e-commerce businesses should take note of this decision and immediately take steps to open their doors to the blind." Target has outlets in every state in America excepting Vermont, Hawaii Alaska.

eBay Rethinks Skype Purchase

The Internet auction giant eBay has acknowledged that it paid too much for the Internet phone service Skype, which it acquired in 2005 for $2.6 billion.

Now Skype is to take a charge of $1.43 billion, as projected earnings have not matched up to reality. Though the popular calling service is expanding its membership, it is not doing nearly as good a job of actually making money.

Niklas Zennstrom, the co-founder and chief executive of Skype, has now resigned, though he will remain as a non-executive chairman of the board. He told InternetNews.com: "My plan was to leave the company when I thought it was ready for the change and when the earn-out had been paid.

"The company now has a solid plan and I'm pleased with the earn-out settlement." Mr Zennstrom and the co-founder of Skype, Janus Friis, are also the duo behind the new internet TV service Joost.

Qwest Boosts Security

Qwest, has released a program to help its customers protect themselves from viruses and malware on the internet.

Dubbed the Customer Internet Protection Program (CIPP), it also aids customers whose computers have already been infected with damaging malware. When a virus or malware is detected by CIPP, it notifies the user and tells them how to combat the infection as well as giving advice on how to avoid falling victim to new hazards.

Melodi Gates, Qwest director of risk management and chief information security officer, said: "Internet security is a top priority for internet users and for Qwest. "Most people don't even know when their computers become infected, so Qwest's goal is not only to help customers get rid of the infections, but also to make sure customers are armed with information to maintain strong levels of internet security going forward."

All PC owners should make sure that their machine runs a supported operating system, Qwest advised. For information on other digital products and services visit www.dsldance.com

FCC commissioners: US in dire need of "national broadband strategy"

By Nate Anderson

Two FCC commissioners showed up to a Senate hearing yesterday and argued that the US is in dire need of a "national broadband strategy" that would bring universal access and more competition to the increasingly-important broadband market.
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Despite the assurances of a Progress & Freedom Foundation senior fellow that US broadband was a robustly competitive market and companies should actually face fewer government regulations, neither Commissioner Copps nor Commissioner Adelstein (both Democrats, and the only two commissioners who spoke at the hearing) agreed that things were so simple. The reason: regulation of the broadband market is currently at a low ebb compared with earlier rules that required line-sharing, yet the US continues to fall behind its international competitors.

Click here for the complete story.

Verizon celebrates FiOS anniversary

Earlier this week the communications giant Verizon recognized the second anniversary of its revolutionary FiOS TV product.

Since being introduced in September 2005 FiOS has proved a smash-hit with Verizon customers, the company claims. FiOS was first introduced in Texas and so far over a quarter of Verizon customers in the state have signed ohttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifn to the service. Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst for Parks Associates, said: "Verizon is leveraging its infrastructure and technology advantages - its fiber-optic network, the in-home network and the FiOS TV platform - to maximum effect.

"At this point, FiOS TV is 18 months to two years ahead of where the rest of the industry needs to be." Last year Verizon introduced the Home Media DVR service for FiOS, as well as the interactive media guide. Using DVR, customers can watch different previously-recorded shows on as many as three TVs in different rooms. The name Verizon is a combination of the words veritas and horizon. For more information on digital products and services visit www.dsldance.com

AT&T Announces $750 Million Investment to Bring Florida Consumers New Video Services, Choice and Competition

As a direct result of a new state law that encourages statewide video competition, AT&T Inc. has announced plans to invest approximately $750 million during the next several years in fiber network upgrades, further broadband deployment and Internet-based technologies to bring new services, including cutting-edge television, to Florida consumers.

These upgrades are a direct result of House Bill 529 being passed by the Florida Legislature and signed into law in May by Gov. Charlie Crist. "We look forward to bringing Florida consumers not only choice and competition but also advanced video, voice and Internet service technology," said Marshall Criser, president, AT&T Florida. "We especially commend Governor Crist, Representathttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifive Trey Traviesa, state Senator Mike Bennett and all of the members of the Florida Legislature for their
vision."

The Consumer Choice Act of 2007, HB 529, brings a new world of communications and entertainment for consumers. HB 529 will also encourage investment in next-generation broadband network infrastructure and will help bring new technology and jobs to Florida. According to the Internet Innovation Alliance, increased competition in the video market would result in increased investment across the industry and spur new entrants, contractors, equipment- makers, manufacturers and service-providers to
create nearly 7,000 jobs in Florida.

The Consumer Choice Act was vigorously supported by consumer groups, business groups and tens of thousands of citizens throughout the state.

AT&T's infrastructure and investment will include a new world of communications and entertainment through AT&T U-verse(SM) service. AT&T is the only major U.S. provider to offer a 100 percent Internet Protocol (IP)-based television service, and that makes AT&T U-verse TV one of the most robust and feature-rich services available today. The planned network investment in Florida by AT&T companies does not change AT&T's capital expenditure guidance for 2007 and 2008. AT&T is in the process of updating its U-verse deployment plans for the Southeast region and expects to provide an update later this year.

Alaska Airlines to launch in-flight internet

Wireless Internet access through a satellite link is to be tested by American Airlines, it has been reported.

The carrier is to provide wireless hotspots inside a plane's cabin through a satellite receiver on top of the plane, so passengers can connect to the internet. Alaska Airlines has been working with the California-based company Row 44 for the last two years to develop the technology. Steve Jarvis, Alaska Airlines' vice president of sales, marketing and customer experience, said: "Bringing broadband internet access to the skies is one of the most important things we can do to enhance the experience of both business and leisure customers.

"We're moving ahead with testing and ultimately plan to bring wireless broadband to our whole fleet." Alaska Airlines was the first North American carrier to offer tickets over the internet in 1995. The airline is based in Seattle and has a fleet of 114 aircraft.

GodTube.com Sets Record as #1 Fastest Growing Website in U.S. in 1st month of Launch

Leading Digital Media Intelligence Provider comScore Ranks GodTube.com as
#1 Fastest Growing Website on comScore Media Metrix Top 1000 Web Properties

comScore, the leading digital media intelligence provider, today ranked the new website GodTube.com the #1 fastest growing U.S. web property for the month of August in its ranking of the Top 1000 Web Properties. GodTube.com showed 973% month-on-month growth in August -- the first month in which the site was officially launched --
according to comScore. Close on the heels of its August 8th launch, GodTube.com attracted 1.7 million unique U.S. visitors in August, placing GodTube.com on its Top 1000 Web Properties list for the first time.

"The fact that GodTube.com, a faith-based website, has been named the #1 fastest growing website, surpassing all mainstream secular websites, marks a major milestone," said Chris Wyatt, CEO and Founder. "GodTube.com's success is proof positive that Jesus 2.0 is the wave of the future. Our entire culture is becoming internet focused. Today, people use the internet to search for practically everything they need in life -- Why not their faith?"

GodTube.com deployed an advanced Content Delivery Network from Limelight Networks Inc. to help provide the best possible viewing and downloading experience for its ever-growing community of users across the globe.

"Consumer demand for all types of media content via the internet is expanding exponentially," David Hatfield, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales, Services and Marketing at Limelight Networks. "By leveraging our CDN and Web-based management and reporting metrics, GodTube is able to keep track of progress, monitor usage and activity, all the while focusing on giving its user base what it wants without worrying about the delivery infrastructure."

An instant success, GodTube.com has rapidly become the fastest-growing website in the mainstream market. GodTube.com has experienced explosive growth and is currently attracting more than 3 million unique visitors per month. GodTube.com has pioneered the formation of a virtual church community online and has successfully connected with millions of people seeking a new way to experience their faith. Broadcasting over 800,000 hours of video, GodTube.com has becomes a true online community where users can upload, share, watch and comment. With more than 20,000 videos offering a diverse array of content ranging from humorous youth-oriented videos to powerful testimonials, GodTube.com is attracting people of all ages and backgrounds.