25% increase in attempts to infect computers

According to Kaspersky Lab report over 327 million computers were infected worldwide during first quarter of 2010 and It increased 26% compare to previous quarter. The geographical distribution of malicious attack also changed. In the last quarter of 2009 the top three targets were China (31.07%), Russia (9.82%) and India (6.19%). While the number of attacks against Chinese users fell dramatically to 18.05%, whilst those against Russian users rose to 13.18% .Key to these types of attacks is that the exploits are used to take advantage of different vulnerabilities in browsers and plug-ins, as well as PDF viewers. I think that Cybercrime is being fuelled by the spread of the Internet itself combined with ineffective legislation and growing unemployment.

Reference:

http://www.itnewsafrica.com/?p=7819

Fury over Facebook Murder

I read a news about above title in the sun news paper that is related to facebook and cyberspace issues . The issue became public when a facebook user killed an 18 years old girl who met her attacker on the facebook . The Australian authorities are concerned about growing number of crimes link to Facebook.

Australian police this month warned teenagers to be vigilant about their privacy settings after a man allegedly used a fake Facebook profile to lure 18-year-old Nona Belomesoff to an isolated bushland area and murder her. Police believe Belomesoff's alleged killer preyed on her by using the interests openly listed on her Facebook page to strike up a rapport. The Australian Police warned teenagers to be careful about their privacy settings on the facebook.

Definitely,it was not the last case ,so Facebook users have to be careful about their information and also be aware of who add as friends on the facebook.

Reference:

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2010/05/27/2003473922

YouTube and copyright Issues

We use YouTube for watching not only short clips but also sometimes whole part of a movie.As you can find so many number of movie there ,I think by myself ,What about copy right ,"Are all the movies uploaded legally in YouTube in terms of Copy right?" and "who is responsible for this issue?" ,so for finding a proper answer to these questions .

I searched on the internet and found that; YouTube does not view videos before they are posted online, and it is left to copyright holders to issue a takedown notice under the terms of the Digital Millennium Copy Right Act which is a United States copyright law that implements two 1996 treaties of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). It criminalizes production and dissemination of technology, devices, or services intended to circumvent measures (commonly known as digital rights management or DRM) that control access to copyrighted works.

I did it further effort and tried to uploaded a clip on YouTube to test how it could be in terms of copy right issue. That was interesting to me when I saw this message ;

"Do not upload TV shows, music videos or commercials without permission," it says, "unless they consist entirely of content that you created yourself."

So ,it means sharing file in YouTube is and good opportunity ,at the same time it can breach copy right law in many cases .

Google Earth and Privacy Issues

Google earth is a virtual global map and geographical information program that enable users to get useful information about their destination whom they want to go or willing to know about it .For example it is very useful program for travelers who want to know more detailed about the location of hotels ,attractive places ,shopping mall and other places of their destination .

Other than that google earth is a useful program for different group of people who need some geographical information. Like the other programs ,Google earth introduce new version of its program with new application included street view in April 2008,that rise privacy issues over Google earth street view . Google has been sued by many government for street view images ,for instance Switzerland sued Google for Street View images that displaying car license plates and people's faces.Google has also faced backlash over Street View in the United Kingdom, Canada, Greece, and Japan.

References:

http://www.pcworld.com/

Hacking

I cant remember exactly when and where I hear something about computer hacking which was very unfamiliar to me at that time .Definitely computer hacking or hacking is one the Buzz word in the area of computer and network security which comes with the word hackers.For many ,hacker are talent people who can do everything on the web and should be respected ,on the other hand for some, hacker are criminal and must be treated by the law. In fact hacking ,which is a criminal act ,mostly implemented by talent people who have knowledge and intention for doing that. From cyberlaw point of view hacking is modification of something by someone who is not authorized and eligible to do that,so it is considered as a crime .

Cyberbullying and Online Harrasment

In this post I want to introduce Cyberbllying or Cyber Harassment which are frequently used interchangeably. Online harassment or “cyberbullying” has been defined as “an overt, intentional act of aggression towards another person online” (Ybarra and Mitchell 2004a: 1308) or a “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices” (Hinduja and Patchin 2009: 5).

Online bullies use a number of technologies, such as instant-messenger (IM), text and multimedia messaging on a cell phone, email, social network sites, and other websites.In fact Cyberbulying is a new way to bother other people by using new technologies ,and based on numbers of researches young people are among people who experienced cyberbulying.

Reference:

Enhancing Child Safety and Online Technology (2008),available at:http://cyber.law.harvard.edu

Cyberlaw in Iran

Part I: Definitions

Article 1 - The meaning of law in the following terms are used:

A - Computer system

Any device or set of devices connected hardware is software that through implementation of automated data processing applications to act.

B - Communication Systems

any electronic transfer of information between a source (transmitter, the light source) and a receiver or detector light path through one or more communication protocols by which receptor is understood and interpreted.

C - Computer data

Each symbol of the events, information or concepts in a way favorable for processing in a computer system that includes a program is appropriate and makes the performance of computer systems to implement these steps. Given a financial value.

D - Data content

Each symbol of topics, concepts or instructions, such as text, sound or picture, either during or stored for the communication between computer systems or processing by a person or computer system used by the computer system and to create .

E - Data traffic

Any given by the computer in the communication chain is produced to the communication from source to destination routing and communication, including source, destination, route, time, date, size, duration and type of core services, etc. will be.
And - info (information) Data, text, images, sounds, code, computer programs, software and database or computer is created.

F - Subscribe information

any information available on service provider there and to its member services and communication services, including technical requirements and courses using the service, shared identity, IP address or postal or geographic telephone numbers and other personal details, he is.

G- Service provider

Every natural or juridical person that the user of its services can communicate with computer system provides the computer or data or the service provider rather than communication or its users to process or store.

Part II: Crimes and Punishments

Chapter One

crimes against privacy and data communications and computer systems

Part one - unauthorized access

Article 2

Anyone who intentionally and without authorization, in violation of safeguards data or computer system or communications, access to finds a fine of one million rials to six million Rials or imprisonment of ninety-one days to one year sentence be.

Part two - listening and receiving unauthorized

Article 3

Whoever intentionally and without authorization data in moving non-public in a relationship private, or from one or more computer system or telecommunications or electromagnetic waves, hear or receive a sentence of ninety-one day to one year or pay fine one million to six million Rials Rials will be sentenced.

Part three: crimes against national security

Article 4

Whoever intentionally and without authorization to transfer data in series or in computer or telecommunications system or data carrier that value for internal security or foreign country, the following acts committed crimes will be sentenced under :

A -data subject access to material or study them from one to three years imprisonment and fine of up to ten million rials hundred million rials

B-Putting these data available to persons unqualified access to imprisonment from two to ten years

C- revealing and putting these data available to the government, organization, company, or group of foreign powers or their agents to imprisonment from five to fifteen years

Note :

1-series data, data that expose them to national security or harm to national interests.

2-Regulations on series data and how they classify will provide in three months from the date of adoption of this law by the Justice Department and in cooperation with the ministries of the country, information, communications and information technology and defense forces supported.

Reference:

http://www.iranictnews.ir/

Cyberlaw case in Hyderabad

Software expert tried to take revenge against a women, who turned down his marriage proposal, falls into cyber crime cell net. Engineer had put obscene profiles of the victim on various networking sites like Facebook and Orkut and also sent letter through post containing morphed pictures of the girl, with written message in Telgu, which formed thebasic evidence and led to his arrest by Hyderabad Police.

Definitely this is Cybercrime case and must be treated according to cyber law . This is a good exapmple of Cycercrime against person.