contributed by Space Rogue
Today, October 21st, has been designated as Global Jam Echelon Day. The goal is to effectively clog up the worldwide eavesdropping network with emails filled with keywords. While it is unsure whether this will actually work it can't hurt to try.

Jam Echelon

contributed by evilwench
Privacy International, a civil liberties group, has awarded the UK Government its "Lifetime Menace Award". The award was given for numerous privacy violations by the UK government.

CMP TechWeb

contributed by evilwench
The Pentagon will soon require top-secret security clearances for all system administrators. The Pentagon also will roll out a system of authentication for all the agency's computer users, according to the Department of Defense's chief information officer. (I feel sorry for all the Sys Admins that have to go through the mess of getting a Top Secret clearance. Just remember, the private sector awaits.)

GovExec.com

contributed by Weld Pond
Citing dangers to Singapore's growing e-commerce development Chief Justice Yong Pung How has called for jail time for all cyber crime offenders regardless of age or offense. The Chief Justice has reversed a District Courts ruling of 2 1/2 years probation for an offender sentenced last June and instead sent the 17-year-old to jail for four months.

The Straits Times

contributed by Weld Pond
A student at a high school in East Greenwich RI, created a false account on SchoolNotes.com under the name of one of his teachers. SchoolNotes.com is used by educators to post homework and other assignments. The 15-year-old student was charged on Oct. 6 with the use of false computer information, which is a misdemeanor. The owners of SchoolNotes.com said that they will look at increased security options.

Associated Press

contributed by Q Bahl
Yesterday, AXENT announced that their Raptor Firewall was "inaccessible to almost every hack attempted on it" during the contest that PC Week held at www.hackpcweek.com. (Almost? So which attacks succeded?) Axent went on to say that the test "proves yet again that security is no longer a technology issue". (Many people have serious doubts about the security of any firewall that runs on NT, but if AXENT says it's "no longer a technology issue", well... they must be right.)

Yahoo News

contributed by Q Bahl
Here is a decent rant about the recent developments in the wild world of encryption. They talk about the new laws passed in the UK, our own struggles here in the US, and hint about secret government intrusion detection systems. It is somewhat watered-down as far as tech content goes, but drives home the point that there's no such thing as privacy on the Internet.

ZD Net

contributed by evilwench
U.S. Customs Service's Cyber Smuggling Center is on the prowl for online child pornography, virtual money laundering, illegal drug sales, and music and software pirates. No longer are customs agents stuck in dingy air and sea ports now they are surfing the web looking for illegal imports.

PC World