contributed by ytcracker
Active web page defacer YTCracker has written an article in response to Brian Martin's article Is It Worth IT, published by HNN last week. Mr Martin asked if the recent spate of web page defacements was worth the trouble it causes the perpetrators. YTCracker has recently defaced such high profile pages as Bureau of Land Management National Training Center and the Defense Contracts Audit Agency. YTCracker now explains the motivation and says that, Yes, it is worth it.

Buffer Overflow
HNN Defaced Pages Archive - Some of YTCrackers work is displayed here.

contributed by Code Kid
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) now has legal authority to break into and alter data on private computer systems. The ASIO Amendment Bill 1999 passed the Australian Senate last Thursday. Deputy leader Senator Natasha Stott Despoja called the new legislation a convenient excuse for significant new excursions into personal surveillance. (Oh, but it can't happen here. Wake, up people!)

Australia NewsWire
Australian Broadcasting Corporation

contributed by stdenis
A free open-source program called Peekboo allows for regular symmetric encryption of messages/files, but also for Diffie-Hellman key exchange. It features seven popular symmetric ciphers, and an easy to use dialog. Best of all it's only 46kb (as of the 1.73 release). It's 100% free and the source is online as well.

Peekboo

contributed by No0ne
Robert Cailliau, who helped design the web in 1990, has proposed that all Internet users should be licensed so surfers on the information highway are as accountable as drivers on the road. He said this would make it easy to track down child pornography and racist sites.

Yahoo News

contributed by Dominicw
A fictional movie insinuating FBI coverups during New Year festivities was removed from the net after the law enforcement agency threatened the ISP. The video depicts government-sponsored race riots in Times Square at midnight 2000. The FBI asked the filmaker Mike Zieperto to remove the video clip from his site, he refused. So the FBI and the US Attorney's Office leaned on the ISP, BECamation, who crumbled under the pressure. No law was broken, no arrest or search warrants issued yet the FBI was instrumental in silencing one man's right to free speech. The ACLU is considering a lawsuit. (Damn glad my web site is not on this ISPs servers.)

Wired
Village Voice
BECamation

contributed by janovd
The merger of online advertising giant DoubleClick with the consumer reaserch firm Abacus could lead to an integration of offline and online consumer profiles. By combining Abacus' database of 88 million five-year buying profiles, including credit card numbers, personal addresses, telephone numbers and information about household incomes, with DoubleClick's more than 80 million anonymous profiles the largest database on consumers in the world would be created. Privacy advocates, JunkBusters is asking socially responsible mutual funds to ban DoubleClick's stock.

Forbes
JunkBusters

contributed by MP3Pirate
The first MP3 pirating conviction under the No Electronic Theft (NET) Act was handed down last Tuesday. Gerard Levy, 22, who pleaded guilty for illegally distributing MP3 files was sentanced to two years of probation with periodic urine tests, and a limit on access to the Internet. He could have received up to three years in prison and $250,000 in fines.

Wired

contributed by macwizard
The Halifax has suspended its internet-based ShareXpress internet service after customers were able buy and sell shares in other people's accounts.

BBC

contributed by skalore
TooRcon Computer Security Expo has kicked off pre-registration. TooRcon will take place September 1st-3rd, 2000 in San Diego, California. Featuring lectures from people such as Jericho, Simple Nomad, Attrition, eEye Digital Security, Network Security Wizards and others, it will be an excellent experience.

Toorcon Registration
HNN Cons Page