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July 26, 2007

Security and Privacy Links for 26 July, 2007

Sweeping up some links for Thursday, July 26:

» Symantec has reported a mixed quarter.

Analysts also had a beef with the company’s move to expand from its consumer-based security product comfort zone into the enterprise arena with data center products and services. In fact, third quarter '07 results saw an 8 percent decline in year over year revenues of the (DCMG), and there was no growth in the quarter ending in March.

Tough break. Nobody said life after OneCare was going to be easy.

» "Judge Allows State Anti-Spying Lawsuits Against Telecoms to Continue":

State lawsuits against telecoms that allegedly helped the federal government spy, without warrants, on Americans can proceed, a federal judge ruled Tuesday, dismissing the federal government's arguments that the states were overstepping their authority.

» Security conferences versus practical knowledge:

" ... there is a definite gap in the market. Missing today on the network security conference front is that of practical knowledge. It is not everybody who can attend today's cutting edge security conferences and actually walk away having learned something. Was it me being asked by an employee to attend a conference today, I would have a few questions to ask. What is it that you are going to get out of it, and just how will it benefit our network? If the answers aren't there, you're not going. Practical knowledge is where it is at."

» Salon's Machinist on the MySpace sex offender purge:

Currently, the site's policies bar children under 14 from using the site. Under Cooper's proposal, any adult who signs up with the site would be subject to a public records' database search -- you could submit your credit card number, say -- for identity verification. If a minor wanted to use MySpace, she'd have to submit a parent's I.D. info, and then MySpace would contact the adult by phone or mail to get approval.

The idea would seem to be tough to implement, and possibly crippling to MySpace and -- because it applies to the alarmingly vague category of "social networking sites" -- many others besides. (Is the local business review site Yelp a social networking site? How about Digg, or Technorati, or YouTube?)

How is it we tolerate seat belt laws, helmet laws, cellphone-while-driving laws and assorted other "for your own good" legislation, but can't bring ourselves to place the responsibility for online security on parents? When you've got a toddler, a missing fork and an electrical outlet, do you put a plastic guard in the outlet or do you sue the electric company for failing to install toddler detection technology in every house?

But our legislators have no patience for parental responsibility. They didn't develop this impatience in the Internet era ... they've always looked for ways to shift responsibility to anyone besides parents. That's what happened during the music hearings, it's what happened with video game labeling, and it's what's happening now with social networking sites.

Here's why:

» MySpace is on the defensive with legislators:

"Republican Congressman Lamar Smith of Texas immediately pounced on the issue and criticized Democrats for failing to focus on it while instead censuring White House aides.

"'While Democrats continue to play political games, critical issues facing the American people are being neglected,' he said in a prepared statement. 'In the past six months, 39 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty, over 7,500 murders were committed and 5,600 children were sexually solicited online. In a recent report, MySpace estimated there were nearly 30,000 sex offenders on its site. These numbers are troubling and it is our duty to address these problems for the American people.'"

Which would seem to indicate the cynics are trying to link up with the chicken littles to score some quick political capital. They're certainly not going to slow things down by asking how the audience for their little kabuki performance can take some responsibility for itself.

Posted by mhall at 12:49 PM | Add Comment