contributed by Evil Wench
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas will be introducing a bill next week that will alter Title 18 of the US Criminal Code to double the current five-year penalty for engaging in "fraud or related activity in connection with computers." The bill will also create the establishment of a National Commission on Cyber security, which would be given six months to present findings on protecting computers from malicious attacks. (Show me one case where increased penalties would have made a difference.)

Computer Currents

contributed by Weld Pond
FBI Director Louis Freeh told a Senate subcommittee Wednesday that online criminals should be considered racketeers and hit with lengthy prison terms if it can be proven the assaults were part of an extensive, organized criminal enterprise. Federal racketeering, or RICO, laws have traditionally been used to prosecute mobsters and drug cartels. (Again, when have increased penalties effected the number of crimes committed? Why don't we spend more time on prevention. Or have we given up on that already?)

USA Today

contributed by Evil Wench
A General Accounting Office audit team reported to the House Commerce committee that they found "serious and pervasive problems" with the information security implementation of the EPA Systems. The GAO audit team was able to penetrate systems that held sensitive and national security-related information. In response to this report the GAO has temporarily shut down all of their web sites for fear of cyber attack.

Fundamental Weaknesses Place EPA Data and Operations at Risk - PDF
Federal Computer Week
ZD Net - via Yahoo

contributed by xx cu se me
In testimony before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Wednesday, FBI Director Louis Freeh revealed a new program the agency calls the Automated Computer Examination System. ACES allows investigators to examine huge areas of magnetic media quickly looking for forensic evidence on computer crimes. This new system was developed in response to the ever increasing size of hard drives today that vastly increases the area that needs to be searched.

The Register UK

contributed by Unprivileged user
Pigdog Journal has published a perfectly legal, harmless, and possible useless program to strip Cascading Style Sheet tags. This new application is being named - DeCSS and has nothing at all to do with DVDs. (This should be a good sized pain in the ass for DVD-CCA's lawyers.)

Pig Dog Journal

contributed by Code Kid
Anat Maor a member of the Meretz party and head of the Knesset's (Israeli Parliament) Committee for Scientific and Technological Research and Development, was outraged that a hacker convention was taking place in Isreal. Claiming that 'Hacking' was illegal she is trying to get the conference canceled. As far as we know the conference is still on schedule.

Wired
HNN Cons Page
Y2K Hack

contributed by DT
Defcon 8 organizers are now accepting controbutions of papers, presentations, and speakers for the July 28th convention. Papers and requests to speak will be received and reviewed from now until June 15th. Additionally Real Video and Audio format versions of most of the Defcon 7 speeches are now available.

HNN Cons Page
Defcon

contributed by evenprime
The dates for Summercon 2K have been announced as June 2 - 4, 2000 and will be held in Atlanta GA. This year's focus will be "The Media".

HNN Cons Page
Summercon