Court rules X-rated
spam is a por*no-no
Inboxes
may no longer be blushing after a recent court ruling in a Federal Trade
Commission crusade.
The FTC has won a court order to silence six Nevada companies that
distribute unsolicited pornographic emails directing users to their
websites. The companies, which include Global Net Solutions, Open Space
Enterprises, Southlake Group and WTFRC, which also is known as Reflected
Networks, run up to 20 sites. A federal judge in Las Vegas granted the FTC
a restraining order against the companies, their executives and an
affiliate for violating laws concerning commercial email. The six
businesses along with five men associated with the scam have had their
assets temporarily frozen. Now the FTC wants a permanent injunction to
stop the email for good. This is the agency’s first attempt to go after
a group that violated a law that requires dirty emails to have the words
“sexually explicit” in the subject line.
How good was '04 online retail? $117B good
Online
retailers had a highly profitable year in 2004. Total consumer spending
reached $117 billion, 26 percent more than in 2003, according to a new
study released by comScore. There was a big surge during the last two
weeks of the year that pushed year-over-year
retail spending by more than 50 percent. The study concludes that the
spike in the last two weeks was thanks to late shopping, a lack of gift
supply in traditional stores for items such as the Apple iPod, and the
growing presence of broadband access in homes. Blockbuster.com
was the retailer that saw the biggest year-over-year gains because of its
online DVD delivery service.
Experts: Expect a major net attack this decade
It’s normal these days for computer users to be on
the lookout for spyware, viruses and other threats to computer security.
But vigilance may not be enough. Sixty-six percent of technology experts
expect a devastating attack on the internet or the nation's power grid in
the next 10 years, according to a new study released by the Pew Internet
and American Life Project. The study surveyed 1,286 experts who responded
between Sept. 20 and Nov. 1. Only 11 percent disagreed with the statement,
"At least one devastating attack will occur in the next 10 years on
the networked information infrastructure or the country’s power
grid." The experts, half of whom were online before the world wide
web existed, also expect broadband access to become more a part of
everyday life. Fifty-nine percent of the experts agreed that Big Brother
would be watching, with government and businesses spying on folks with
devices embedded in appliances, cars, phones and clothes. Half believe
that anonymous, free, music file-sharing on peer-to-peer networks won’t
be risky in a decade, and 57 percent thought virtual classes will become
more commonplace in formal education.
The
latest techno curse is virus via cell phone
Computers
have long been vulnerable to viral attacks. Now hackers are coming after
cell phones. What next, our PDAs? Finnish
antivirus company F-Secure reports that a Brazilian virus writer has
released a new mobile phone virus called Lasco.A that can spread through
Bluetooth wireless technology and by attaching itself to files. If your
phone runs the Symbian operating system with Nokia's Series 60 interface,
you’re the prime target. The virus is activated when users click on the
SIS file and install applications such as games on their phones or beam
data to another person’s phone. Most antivirus companies that offer
protection for cell phones offer protection against Lasco.A or are
planning to soon. Security experts suggest those with Bluetooth-enabled
phones shouldn't leave them on in "discoverable" mode.
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