Lessons from Anonymous on cyberwar

Haroon Meer

“Cyberwar” is a heavily loaded term, which conjures up Hollywood inspired images of hackers causing oil refineries to explode.

Some security celebrities came out very strongly against the thought of it, claiming that cyberwar was less science, and more science fiction.

Last year on May 21, the United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) reported reaching initial operational capability, and news stories abound of US soldiers undergoing basic cyber training, which all point to the idea that traditional super powers are starting to explore this arena.

Recent activities with one government contractor and Anonymous, however, show clearly that cyber operations have been going on for a long while, and that the private sector has been only too ready to fill the cyber mercenary role for piles of cash.

Anonymous vs. HBGary

Uzbekistan: The Enemies of the Internet are Known

Written by Ekaterina

Symbol of the World Day Against Cyber Censorship, Reporters Without Borders

Yesterday, 12 March was the World Day Against Cyber-Censorship. Launched by Reporters Without Borders in 2008, the initiative is intended to promote the idea of Internet without restrictions and accessible to everyone.

Global: Thoughts on the World Day Against Cyber-Censorship

Written by Paula Góes

Map of cyber-censorship from Reporters Without Borders ‘Internet Enemies’ report, published March 2011.

State Department spokesman calls treatment of Bradley Manning ?ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid.?

from Wiki Leaks by Josh Rogin

2011-03-11: International Bradley Manning Support Day

March 20th, 2011 is International Bradley Manning Support Day. It will see coordinated rallies all over the world in support of Manning, the alleged whistleblower incarcerated under cruel and inhumane conditions in a marine brig in Quantico, Virginia.

The underwear flap over Bradley Manning

2011-03-10 Bradley Manning placed on “suicide risk” as punishment for January 18 Quantico protest, letter says

from WL Central by carwin biloquist

U.S. Government Wins Access to Twitter Accounts of WikiLeaks Supporters

A federal judge today granted the U.S. government access to the Twitter accounts of three of WikiLeaks?s strongest supporters.

2011-03-11 Denial of ‘Twitter 3’ Request to Throw Out Twitter Order Renews Government War on Internet Freedom, Whistleblowing

from WL Central by kgosztola

Wikileaks: Manning’s dad protests conditions of son’s incarceration, new legal filing complains conditions unjust

Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour.

The attorney for Pvt. Bradley Manning, the 23-year-old Army intelligence analyst who is accused of downloading thousands of classified State Department documents and making them available them to WikiLeaks, today posts this update on the condition of Manning’s incarceration in maximum security at the U.S. Marine brig in Quantico, VA:

The Problems with Requesting Access to Online Communities

In the past few weeks a few potential employers and schools were reported to have asked for access to the Facebook profile of an applicant or student. These reports are starting to feel like a trend. I think these requests are problematic not just for the Facebook user, but also the employer or administrator asking for access. In short, anyone asking for access to Facebook profiles and/or login credentials is asking users to betray the trust of their network and subjecting all parties involved to the potential deactivation of their Facebook account.

Hacktivism: Startup Mentality for the Non-Profit Sector

Breaking News: LinkedIn Revolutionizes Social News with LinkedIn Today

from social media vb by NealSchaffer

America fields “Son of ACTA” — a new, sinister, secret copyright treaty

Knowledge Ecology International has published a leaked draft of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, the latest secret, US-led treaty, this one targeting countries on the Pacific rim. The IP chapter of the agreement contains all the material that the US was forced to drop from ACTA, the last secret copyright treaty the States tried to sneak into the world. As with ACTA, the game plan for TPP will be to get a bunch of rich, powerful countries to sign on, and then use this as a benchmark for all treaties between those nations and the rest of the world.

How Tablets Are Actually Great Productivity Tools

FrenchLeaks launches: a new whistle-blowing site from Mediapart

French news site Mediapart has launched a website dedicated to the publication of information of public interest which would otherwise remain hidden, it announced yesterday. The new site is based on the principle of access to information and the free circulation of information, which is an elementary right for every citizen, they said.

Poor countries have more piracy because media costs too much — report

Media Piracy in Emerging Economies, an academic report on pricing and copyright infringement in poor countries, comes to the conclusion that high media prices (as measured against the average wage in poor countries) are responsible for piracy — that is, when you control for social attitudes towards copying, enforcement differences, and so on, the largest predictor of whether a country will have rampant copyright infringement is whether the media in that country is priced high relative to peoples’ earning power.