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In what’s believed to be the largest-ever security breach of its kind, hackers keyed into a computer system and accessed more than 5.6 million credit card numbers. Investigators have not revealed which company was attacked or when the attack occurred, although the credit card companies began notifying customers of the breach two weeks ago. At least 3.4 million Visa and 2.2 million MasterCard numbers were compromised, with MasterCard warning that up to 8 million of its customers could be in trouble. American Express would not say how many of its numbers had been accessed. The FBI is investigating the incident, although so far none of the numbers have been used fraudulently. The incident is sure to raise the ever-present question of how safe even encrypted sites are when their computer servers can be compromised. Although most internet users no longer worry about security when placing online orders, the system is still not perfect. TruSecure security services company says that 10 million credit card accounts have been electronic fraud victims in the past five years.
Microsoft latest ISP to join anti-spam suit parade
More and more, internet service providers are standing up for customers when it comes to one of the web’s biggest annoyances: spam. Microsoft has filed a John Doe suit, which does not name defendants but allows for plaintiff-issued subpoenas. The company hopes to discover those spammers it suspects of stealing email addresses from its Hotmail servers. Such spammers employ the so-called dictionary tactic, wherein a program is set to run through all entries in a dictionary to find random email addresses, finding which ones are active. Microsoft also urged lawmakers to make email address harvesting illegal. America Online has been involved with several spam cases. Earthlink won a $24 million judgment in one last summer.
Americans zap French with anti-war e-support
“Give peace a chance” has become a rallying cry for a whole new generation, this one more prone to saying it electronically rather than chanting while holding hands. After French foreign minister Dominique de Villepin’s peace-mongering speech to the United Nations Security Council, France’s U.N. Mission got deluged by supportive emails, many of them from Americans. The French report receiving 17,000 messages Friday, Saturday and Sunday, after de Villepin said that force against Iraq had not been justified yet. “Please stand strong and do not allow the United Nations to be used as a puppet for my so-called government,” read a typical response. Many of the messages thanked France for standing up to the Bush administration’s call for war, and urged the country to remain firm in its stance.
Walmart.com takes pro-Linux stance
Linux boosters are celebrating the most promising development yet for the rival to Microsoft’s Windows operating system. The world’s largest retailer has begun offering packaged Linux software on its web site. Wal-Mart began the program this week in response to what it termed rising consumer interest in the product. Walmart.com sells two versions of the software by competitors Lycoris and Lindows, both of which are similar to Windows. The site previously offered computers that came with Linux for $200 and up. Although Microsoft long has held the monopoly on PC operating systems, Linux fans says they like the cheaper price. The Lycoris software sells for $30 while Windows XP home edition goes for about $100 to $120 on Walmart.com. Still, Linux critics say it is much harder to use than Windows, and thus will not gain more widespread acceptance. The new boxed software sold by Walmart.com likely will appeal to more experienced computer users, who can load the system onto their old computers.
Overture picks up AltaVista on the cheap
Overture will purchase web portal AltaVista in a $140 million deal with parent company CMGI, the companies said Tuesday. The deal consists of $80 million in common stock and $60 million in cash, meaning CMGI gets nowhere near the return it had hoped for when it bought Alta Vista. Four years ago, CMGI acquired the pioneering search company from Compaq Computer Corp. for $2.3 billion, buying an 83 percent share in AltaVista. Overture helps advertisers bid for web search results spots for partners including Yahoo and Microsoft’s MSN. The company will assume a few AltaVista liabilities as well. The purchase should go through in April.
February 20, 2003© 2003 Media Life
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