OECD Broadband Workshop 2002

The OECD is running a Broadband Workshop here in Seoul, Korea from 4-5 June 2002. Increasing broadband deployment is typically on the top of all developed country's telecom policy agendas. While much of the world's broadband deployment seems to be stalled or in the doldrums, Korea's deployment continues its phenomenal growth. I guess most government policy makers and regulators around the world are trying to understand how they can reproduce the magic that the Korean Ministry of Information and Communication has found in building a knowledge-based Information Society.

6:16:46 PM    Google It!    

The Fake Persuaders

The UK Guardian is a paper that I don't know why I don't read more often as it consistently produces excellent journalism. This piece, The Fake Persuaders, by George Monbiot explores how corporations are now taking advantage of the anonymity of the Internet to sway public opinion. I guess it was only a matter of time. Those of us who use mailing lists know how easy it is for people to create bogus identities who often overwhelm a list with unbelievable nonsense.

5:46:16 PM    Google It!    

More News on Shutdown of RealNames

In case you haven't heard, Realnames is shutting down and this has quite an impact on resolution services for non-Latin character set Internet name resolution services, particularly in Asia-Pacific countries where keywords have found some popularity. The ITU and WIPO, in cooperation with MINC held a symposium in Geneva in December 2001 on the topic of internationalized domain names. Two keyword providers, Realnames and Netpia, also made presentations at the symposium. The (ex-)CEO of Realnames, Keith Teare, has been running a personal weblog on the shutdown of RealNames that includes his views as well as correspondence he's been having on the subject.

10:57:56 AM    Google It!    

ITU Workshop on Critical Network Infrastructure Over

Our workshop in Seoul, Korea has finished today and it was a nice success. Lots of thought provoking ideas on how to globally improve information systems security and network infrastructure protection. Korea has been an excellent place to hold the workshop as they have made tremendous progress here on the technical, policy, legislative and enforcement fronts. There was a much consensus that there was a need for better international standards and implementation, information sharing, halting cyber-attacks in progress, coordinating legal systems, and providing assistance to developing countries. The workshop site is being updated with the papers and presentations made during the last two and a half days. The Chairman's report should also be available there shortly.

9:40:11 AM    Google It!    

Security in the News

Senate panel OKs security standards. A bill approved by the Senate Commerce Committee would require federal departments and agencies to adhere to security standards, a proposal opposed by tech industry groups. [CNET News.com]

9:01:03 AM    Google It!    

So much for Hi-Tech Copy Protection

Reuters: "Technology buffs have cracked music publishing giant Sony Music's elaborate disc copy-protection technology with a decidedly low-tech method: scribbling around the rim of a disk with a felt-tip marker."  [Scripting News]

8:57:09 AM    Google It!    

Echelon

Dr. Steven Bryen  of Aurora Defense presented at our workshop that closed today a paper entitled A Collective Security Approach To Protecting The Global Critical Infrastructure. The paper makes a brief mention of Echelon and it was interesting to run across this article published on Cyrptome that recently appeared in the Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet. It reports to be an interview with one of the architects of Echelon II.

8:06:39 AM    Google It!    

Open Source and the Security of Nations

Proponents of the open source software movement have found a new hero in Dr. Edgar David Villanueva Nuñez, Congressman in Peru. In his letter to the General Manager of Microsoft, Peru, concerning a pending bill on "Free Software in Public Administration", he makes some convincing and eloquent arguments, particularly, in my opinion, vis-à-vis the security of nations:

"To guarantee national security or the security of the State, it is indispensable to be able to rely on systems without elements which allow control from a distance or the undesired transmission of information to third parties. Systems with source code freely accessible to the public are required to allow their inspection by the State itself, by the citizens, and by a large number of independent experts throughout the world. Our proposal brings further security, since the knowledge of the source code will eliminate the growing number of programs with *spy code*."

There's an interesting follow-up article at Linux Today.

4:35:26 AM    Google It!