Archive for the ‘Internet’ Category

Internet news saved forever? – Video

11-05-2012 16:04 Newspapers have been around for centuries, but now with news being available online, how would we be able to archive current events? Past Pages, a program created by Ben Welsh, has found a solution to archiving digital data and he joins us with more about his website. Like us and/or follow us:

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Internet news saved forever? - Video

Internet safe spot planned at ".secure" domain

Internet security specialists have applied for a ".secure" domain that they plan to turn into an online safe zone where bad guys aren't allowed.

San Francisco-based Artemis was awaiting word Friday from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) on whether it was approved to host websites with ".secure" addresses.

"We are creating a safe neighborhood where you know people follow the rules and you can rely on them to do things securely," Artemis chief technical officer Alex Stamos told AFP.

"There is not going to be typo squatting or malware... We are going to make it really air tight so even if you were in Syria the Syrian government couldn't hijack you."

Commonly available, but typically unused, technology tools for thwarting online hackers, viruses, snoops, spies and scammers will be mandatory at websites with .secure addresses.

"The idea is to make it effortlessly secure for individuals," Stamos said.

"In the end, the actual technical security tactics are things (websites) should be doing anyway. We are just making it a requirement."

Plans for .secure were part of an Internet domain name "revolution" that remained on hold due to a flaw that let some aspiring applicants peek at unauthorized information at the ICANN registration website.

ICANN intends to resume taking applications on May 22 from those interested in running new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) online, with the window staying open for about five days.

ICANN said that it has so far received 2,091 applications from 1,268 organizations, some of which are vying for the same word as the end to a domain name.

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Internet safe spot planned at ".secure" domain

Startup proposes a safer Internet locale via a '.secure' domain

Security researcher envisions a top-level domain designed with security in mind for safer Web browsing.

Researchers behind Artemis are working on creating a safer place on the Internet.

A security startup called Artemis Internet has proposed a new ".secure" top-level domain that would require Web sites using the domain to maintain stringent security practices.

The goal is to offer a place on the Web where sites have higher security standards and Web surfers can have more faith that their data and communications will stay out of the hands of malicious hackers and criminals.

Stamos also is working on new Internet domain standards, dubbed the Domain Policy Framework, designed to bring advanced security features to browsers and Web communications and which can be used by any top-level domain.

The .Secure registry will require registrants to submit identity documentation and will take steps to verify identities. Registrants will have to agree to a code of conduct and meet strict security standards, including using beefed up authentication and encryption with Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) and Transport Layer Security for all HTTP sessions and between e-mail servers. The .Secure registry will also scan sites to see if they are hosting malware or phishing attacks.

"There will be sites that get hacked in .secure and we'll have to deal with that," Stamos said. "But when that happens it won't be because of something simple.... If you have a SQL injection vulnerability on your front page we'll give you a reasonable timeframe to remove it or your site will disappear."

"Man-in-the-middle attacks will be very difficult even if a stolen certificate is used. A limited number of Certificate Authorities will be allowed to create .Secure certificates," he said. Meanwhile, "there will be no typo squatting, nobody pretending to be who they aren't."

"As bad as Certificate Authorities are, DNS-based security mechanisms like DANE and DNSSEC are worse," he wrote in an e-mail. "They are the ultimate expression of a lack of agility. If we sign up to trust the organizations who manage that infrastructure, we're signing up to trust them forever; without any opportunity to change our minds in the future, and without any incentives for them to continue warranting our trust."

To put the power into the hands of Web surfers themselves, Marlinspike has developed a Firefox plug-in called Convergence that is designed to allow people to browse safely.

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Startup proposes a safer Internet locale via a '.secure' domain

California regulator delays taking stand on Internet phone measure

SACRAMENTO Legislation that opponents fear will strip the state Public Utilities Commission of its power to regulate Internet phone services in California put the commission on the spot, and it punted.

For the second consecutive meeting, the commission Thursday postponed taking a stance on the proposal that would prohibit the PUC and other state agencies from regulating phone service using Internet connections.

The commission, meeting in Fresno, had been expected to oppose a Senate bill written by state Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) on behalf of AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc., cable television companies and a number of high-tech business groups.

Proponents have argued that the bill would simply lock into law the PUC's current generally hands-off attitude toward Voice over Internet Protocol phone service and leave regulation to the Federal Communications Commission.

Silicon Valley investors, entrepreneurs and engineers said they needed legislative "certainty" that they would not be hit with new regulations so they could come up with new products and services in an extremely competitive telephone market.

Opponents contended that the Padilla proposal was unneeded and could hamstring future commissions that might want to take action to ensure Internet phone service quality and availability as the technology spreads.

"I think the whole structure of the bill is problematic," PUC Commissioner Michael Florio said. "It's extremely ambiguous in a number of places."

On Thursday, three of the five commission members spoke out against the bill, but none challenged a request from Commissioner Timothy Alan Simon to hold off voting until the May 24 meeting so that issues raised by Padilla in a letter could be addressed.

The senator questioned a preliminary commission staff financial analysis concluding that the bill, SB 1161, could cost state and local governments as much as $1 billion if it became law.

"We are concerned about the credibility of these cost estimates," said the letter signed by Padilla and other senators.

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California regulator delays taking stand on Internet phone measure

Internet Explorer Rumored to be Heading to Xbox 360

The latest Xbox 360 rumor is that Internet Explorer will be an app, allowing users to surf the Web using Kinect.

Now that the Xbox 360 subsidized bundle is out of the bag and disappointing gamers nationwide, here's something new we may hear about during E3 2012: Internet Explorer coming to Microsoft's current console.

From the start, Microsoft has wanted to provide an entertainment hub for the living room, a place where family members can sit down, boot up the device, and listen to music, watch movies, and play games. The first Xbox really didn't fit that vision, and both Xbox Live and broadband was still in its infancy. It wasn't until the second-generation console arrived before the Xbox label became synonymous with the "entertainment hub" term.

Over the years, the Xbox 360 has become more than just a gaming console capable of playing movies. It's a media and social hub, and as of late, a makeshift cable box for streaming live TV. The gadget's multimedia aspect will broaden even more over 2012 as Microsoft works to bring even more TV content to the device. But there's one ingredient missing that even the Nintendo Wii can provide: Internet browsing.

Frankly it never made sense why the Xbox 360 -- which is PC-like in so many ways -- never allowed users to surf the Internet. But that's supposedly changing thanks to the latest rumor. Internet Explorer will supposedly be added to the list of apps already available for the console, and feature support for Kinect so that customers can use voice and gesture-based controls to navigate the Web. The browser will also be integrated into the console's social functions and Microsoft's Bing search engine that's already in place in the new Metro-like dashboard.

Still, don't have Kinect? Sources claim that Internet Explorer will still be usable, just "less than ideal" because its fine-tuned for Kinect. Of course, users could always plug in a USB keyboard for typing, but cursor management would be handled by the controller. Ok, maybe that setup is less than ideal after all.

Because this is a rumor, take it with a grain of salt until Microsoft makes the news official. Chances of Internet Explorer hitting the Xbox 360 console are high given that the browser is losing market share to Firefox and Chrome. There may also be other gaming-based reasons why Microsoft would add Internet Explorer, reasons we may soon discover next month at E3 2012.

Still, adding a Web browser opens up a whole new can of worms for Microsoft. Next thing you know, Mozilla and Google will be crying about their browsers not appearing on the console. Nintendo and Sony can get away with using integrated browsers on their devices because they're not actively competing in the browser market. That said, Internet Explorer on the Xbox 360 may simply be a rumor after all.

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Internet Explorer Rumored to be Heading to Xbox 360