Grant Gross reports: A former employee at the U.S. Department of State was sentenced to 12 months of probation Friday for illegally accessing more than 75 confidential passport application files, the U.S. Department of Justice said. William Celey, 28, of Washington, D.C., was also ordered to perform 50 hours of community service by U.S. Magistrate…
Analysis: Real ID program on life support
Jaikumar Vijayan reports: A decision by lawmakers to slash funding for the unpopular Real ID national driver’s license program has put an already struggling program on life support. Earlier this week, the U.S. Senate approved a $43 billion budget for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for fiscal year 2010, which began Oct. 1….
Q&A: Schneier warns of marketers and dancing pigs
Elinor Mills interviews cryptographer and consultant Bruce Schneier, who “pokes fun at National Cyber Security Month, talks about his background in crypto and working for the U.S. Defense Department, and says he fears privacy invasion more from marketers than governments or criminals.” In an e-mail Q&A, he responds: Don’t people care about their privacy? Schneier:…
Crypto spares man who secretly video taped flatmates
Dan Goodin reports: An Australian man who set up an elaborate network of hidden cameras to spy on his flatmates has escaped jail time after police were unable to crack the encryption scheme protecting his computer. When police raided the residence of Rohan James Wyllie, they found found a series of peepholes drilled into the…