Wednesday, 16 February 2011

Stuxnet: five companies used as spring-boards

W32.Stuxnet Dossier

(PDF)

PJ Harvey - La Maroquinerie Paris 2/14/11

1. Let England Shake
2. The Words That Maketh Murder
3. All & Everyone
4. The Glorious Land
5. The Last Living Rose
6. Bitter Branches

(GB2011) UK Law Enforcement Also Looking To Be Able To Seize Domains

Ah, the power of censorship. It appears that some other countries may be jealous of Homeland Security getting to seize all those domain names, or the proposed COICA law that would allow even more domain seizures in the US. drew points out that, over in the UK, law enforcement is also asking for official power to force Nominet to shut down domains that it claims were "used by criminals." That seems pretty broad. Lots of domains are "used by criminals" in one way or another, does that mean they should automatically have the right to shut those domains down? And with both the US and the UK looking for such rights, won't more and more countries now start to follow? It certainly makes you wonder about the impact of the overall internet, when various countries can just seek to shut down various domains without any trial determination.
@'techdirt'

Is the Arab revolt spreading to Libya?

On June 29, 1996, the Libyan regime of Moammar al-Qaddafi put down a prison revolt with deadly force, killing as many as 1,200 detainees in cold blood with grenades and machine guns. Their bodies have never been found, and the Libyan government has never fully admitted the massacre at Abu Salim Prison, despite the best efforts of witnesses and human rights organizations to document it in grim detail.
Fifteen years later, relatives of the victims are still demanding justice. On Feb. 15, 2 days ahead of a planned nationwide day of protests, the Libyan regime arrested Fatih Tarbel, an advocate for the Abu Salim families -- sparking outraged demonstrations in the coastal city of Benghazi. The BBC says the crowd was about 2,000 people, and activists on Twitter claim that at least 2 people have died.
It's not easy to report in Libya, and details of the protests remain sketchy and hard to confirm. It hasn't helped that some news organizations, such as the Associated Press, have confused what are doubtless orchestrated pro-Qaddafi protests with the genuine outpouring of anger against one of the world's most odious regimes (at one point, Qaddafi himself even said he might demonstrate against the prime minister).
While it's not clear how far the unrest might spread, the mere fact that people are lifting up their heads in a brutal police state like Libya is an incredible testament to human courage. And the swift fall of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in next-door Tunisia is a reminder that even the toughest regimes can prove surprisingly brittle once that mantle of fear is lifted.
Blake Hounshell @'FP'

blakehounshell Blake Hounshell

This phrase "the people demand the fall of the regime" (as-shaab yurid asqot an-nazam) is really catching on.

Clinton Demands Net Freedom Abroad as Domestic Restrictions Loom

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urged governments abroad Tuesday to embrace internet freedom even as the United States moves to tighten online restrictions at home. “History has shown us that repression often sows the seeds for revolution down the road,” Clinton said in reference to Egypt and Tunisia. ”Those who clamp down on internet freedom may be able to hold back the full impact of their people’s yearnings for a while, but not forever.”
It was the secretary’s second address on net freedoms and comes as social media sites like YouTube, FaceBook and Twitter helped fuel uprisings from Algeria to Syria.
“I urge countries everywhere to join the United States in our bet that an open internet will lead to stronger, more prosperous countries,” she said at George Washington University.
But will the United States join Clinton?
Clinton’s speech came a day after the House voted to extend to December 8 three controversial domestic spy provisions of the Patriot Act. And Customs officials seized 18 more internet domains without giving the pirate website owners a chance to challenge the forfeiture.
What’s more, the Obama administration on Thursday is expected to testify before a House subcommittee about the need to expand the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, which already requires telcos and internet access providers to have wiretapping capabilities. The FBI wants Congress to demand that same requirement for encrypted e-mail services like Blackberry, and also wants that for social networks and peer-to-peer messaging networks like Skype.

The secretary, meanwhile, was quick to point out that the United States government’s vocal and legal campaign against WikiLeaks is premised on a “theft” of government material.
“The fact that WikiLeaks used the internet is not the reason we criticized its actions,” Clinton said.
Hours after the speech, the Justice Department was in federal court trying to get Twitter to cough up records related to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and others.
David Kravets @'Wired'

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Cyber war threat exaggerated claims security expert

David Bowie - Plastic Soul Review (Documentary)

This DVD examines Bowies Plastic Soul Era. An era just as creative, magnificent and popular as any other during his life so far, yet one rarely considered as a stand alone and separate entity within his complete body of work. Here, the albums David Live, Young Americans and Station To Station and the performances that accompanied them, are reexamined and newly appraised more than 30 years after they first appeared. This DVD features obscure footage, rare interviews and seldom seen photographs. It also includes review, comment, criticism and insight from journalists and aquaintances, as well as live and studio performances of Bowie classics from the Plastic Soul era.

♪♫ Asian Dub Foundation - A History of Now

Debbie Schlussel on Lara Logan

The Smiths - Under Review (Documentary)

This 90-minute documentary film covers the full story and music of The Smiths. It features rare musical performances, videos, TV appearances, interviews with the band, and expert comment and review from an esteemed panel of experts. It is the first of its kind to document the history of one of the most important band of the 1980s: The ultimate icons of the "indie" genre. It includes contributions from; producers Stephen Street, John Porter and Kenny Jones; Smiths fifth member Craig Gannon; Author of Saint Morrissey Mark Simpson; Journalists Paul Morley, Nigel Williamson, Jake Kennedy and John Robb; Factory Records supreme Tony Wilson; ‘Roadie’ Grant Showbiz; DJ and early champion David Jensen and a host of other names.

Featuring Rare Versions of these Classics: Hand In Glove, This Charming Man, What Difference Does It Make, How Soon Is Now, Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now, The Queen Is Dead, Bigmouth Strikes Again, Panic, and Girlfriend In A Coma

Review @ bullz-eye.com