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Hackers Give Web Companies a Test of Free Speech

A hacking free-for-all has exploded on the Web, and Facebook and Twitter are stuck in the middle.

On Wednesday, anonymous hackers took aim at companies perceived to have harmed WikiLeaks after its release of a flood of confidential diplomatic documents. MasterCard, Visa and PayPal, which had cut off people’s ability to donate money to WikiLeaks, were hit by attacks that tried to block access to the companies’ Web sites and services.

To organize their efforts, the hackers have turned to sites like Facebook and Twitter. That has drawn these Web giants into the fray and created a precarious situation for them.

Both Facebook and Twitter — but particularly Twitter — have received praise in recent years as outlets for free speech. Governments trying to control the flow of information have found it difficult to block people from voicing their concerns or setting up meetings through the sites.

At the same time, both Facebook and Twitter have corporate aspirations that hinge on their ability to serve as ad platforms for other companies. This leaves them with tough public relations and business decisions around how they should handle situations as politically charged as the WikiLeaks developments. More...

12-09-2010 07:06

Military ready for war in cyberspace

(Reuters) - The military's new Cyber Command, responsible for shielding 15,000 military computer networks from intruders, has become fully operational, the Defense Department said on Wednesday.

More than 100 foreign intelligence organizations are trying to break into U.S. networks, Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn wrote in the September/October issue of the journal Foreign Affairs. Some already have the capacity to disrupt U.S. information infrastructure, he said.

Gates ordered the new unit's creation in June 2009 to address the growing threat of cyber-attack. More...

11-04-2010 18:00

AT&T, Verizon, Comcast May Fend Off Web Neutrality Rules

AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and cable companies led by Comcast Corp. may find it easier to block Internet-service regulations with Republicans in charge of the U.S. House, analysts said.

Republicans have warned that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski’s proposed net neutrality rules could stifle investment. The regulations would forbid providers of high-speed Internet service, or broadband, from interfering with subscribers’ Web traffic.

“Most everything -- particularly net neutrality -- gets harder” for Genachowski with Republicans dominating the House that convenes next year, Jeffrey Silva, a Washington-based analyst with Medley Global Advisors LLC, said in an e-mail. More...

11-03-2010 19:13

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