contributed by acoplayse
Roland Moreno, whose smart cards he invented have slashed the fraud rate in France by 90 percent in 10 years, rejected claims that an algorithm posted on a Web chat site last week could bypass the cards safeguards. He is so confident of his product that he is offering a million francs ($148,100) to anyone who could prove that they could read a bank's confidential code from the card. Moreno went on to claim that "chip cards are an unpenetrable data system." (So unpenetrable that Serge Humpich recently received a 10 month suspended sentence for defeating the system.)

Reuters

contributed by Macki
In the past two months the Motion Picture Association of America has continued to harass and intimidate Internet users all over the world. Letters have been sent, threats have been levied, ISPs have crumbled, people have been fired from their jobs and worse. The fight is not over.

2600
Open DVD

contributed by Carlos
Log file analysis and a search engine, those where the most complicated tools needed to track down Coolio (Dennis Moran). Coolio was charged last week with defacing the Dare.org web site. (And this is what the FBI wants all that extra money for?)

Associated Press - via ABC News

contributed by Evil Wench
The US Department of Justice has officially launched a cybercrime web site defining computer crime and describing how to report it. The site also includes department's latest thinking on privacy vs. policing on the Internet as well as computer search and seizure guidelines.

Associated Press - via Nando Times
Cybercrime.gov

contributed by acoplayse
After pressure from the US-China Business Council Chinese authorities have agreed to "clarify" encryption regulations that where published in October last year. the State Encryption Management Commission (SEMC), which reports to the Ministry of State Security, has said that only hardware or software for which encryption is a core function will be limited by the regulations. products that contain encryption as a secondary function will no longer be restricted. This includes browsers, consumer electronics and other items.

Financial Times

contributed by Weld Pond
The Uniform Computer Information Transaction Act will threaten the existence of free software if passed. Richard Stallman the founder of the Free Software Foundation has spoken out vehemently about this legislation and continues to do so.

ZD Net

contributed by Evil Wench
The industry trade group TRUSTe was formed in an effort at self regulation and to help fend off unwanted legislation. Are they really doing the public a service? An interview with TRUSTe CEO Bob Lewin details how even sites selling personal data can acquire the privacy seal of approval.

Salon