In February, the opponents of REAL ID were given a bit of hope when Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said that she wanted to repeal the REAL ID Act, the federal government’s failed plan to impose a national identification card through state driver’s licenses. But what has taken place since is no return to sanity,…
Bloggers lose their cloak of anonymity
Bloggers sometimes hide behind their anonymity to make comments which they would be reluctant to make in the offline world. Anonymity is often thought to protect bloggers from being accountable for their comments. However, this thin veneer of protection can be removed either by application to court or, sometimes, by some simple cyber-sleuthing. This week,…
Microsoft working to eliminate Internet anonymity
Microsoft researchers have unveiled an anti-hacking concept that can help track hackers or malicious content to origin servers. The Host Tracker program’s goal is to “de-anonymize the Internet” through the ability to host servers with 99 percent accuracy. Host Tracker is designed to unmask would-be hackers who take advantage of anonymizing techniques by cross-referencing Internet…
Defunct airport fast pass company can’t sell customer data
A federal judge in New York has issued an order banning the operator of a now-defunct registered air traveler program from selling any of the highly personal data it collected on tens of thousands of people who signed up for the program. The order enjoins Verified Identity Pass Inc. (VIP) of New York from selling,…