January 3, 2003

PC Spies at the Gates NEWSFACTOR SPECIAL REPORT - Use of software that monitors Internet activity without a user's knowledge -- termed "spyware" -- is on the rise. Monitoring groups, such as SpywareInfo, Counterexploitation and Spy Check, condemn the practice, naming Adware, Alexa, Aureate, Cydoor, DSSAgent, EverAd, OnFlow, Gator and Webhancer among the guilty parties. The most pervasive use of spyware appears to be in P2P file-sharing apps, such as Kazaa. But many users seem blissfully unaware of spyware's reach. Can PC spies be stopped? 4:03:41 PM

Wes terfield Can Still Face Death, Judge Says Washington Post, DC - A judge said Friday that he agrees with a jury's death penalty recommendation for David Westerfield for the kidnap-murder of 7-year-old Danielle van Dam, although he did not immediately sentence him. This was the case where the defense suggested that Danielle's parents' spouse-swapping and marijuana use had put Danielle and her two brothers in danger by opening their home to other potential suspects. 4:03:37 PM

Fooled again: Virus hoaxes persist. Cnet News.com - Computer users continue to be duped by false virus alerts persuading them to delete harmless--but sometimes vital--files, and then forward the hoaxes to their friends. 10:12:07 AM

Spying on Snookums With GPS Wired News - Why hire a private investigator when you can monitor your husband's travels with an inexpensive satellite tracking system? Some suspicious spouses are doing just that. By Randy Dotinga. "its tracking systems are so inexpensive and easily hidden that they may even tempt a suspicious spouse who pinches pennies. It costs just $600 to $700 to outfit a car or truck with a master control device, which is about the size of a compact disc case and an inch thick. It's connected by a wire to a matchbook-size GPS sensor. " 8:24:52 AM

DirecTV secrets allegedly pilfered. CNet News.com - A college student is arrested for allegedly stealing documents about satellite TV access cards and having them posted on the Web. Igor Serebryany, 19, a student at the University of Chicago, is accused of stealing confidential documents describing the smart card and encryption technology used in DirecTV's newest system. When questioned by agents, the FBI said, Serebryany confessed to stealing documents from an outside document-copying service used by DirecTV's lawyers. If convicted on charges of theft of trade secrets, Serebryany faces up to 10 years in prison. 7:17:35 AM