November 2013

Phone Makers’ Android Tweaks Cause Security Problems

The open nature of Google’s Android operating system means manufacturers can add their own software layer to the phone -- helping them stand out from the pack with a different look and features. Yet new research shows such tailoring may also be responsible for a host of security weaknesses that could make phones more vulnerable to hackers. According to a study conducted by computer science researchers at North Carolina State University, changes manufacturers made to the stock Android software were responsible for more than 60 percent of the security flaws uncovered in phones from different handset companies.

Elite Grads in Business Flock to Tech

Elite business-school graduates are increasingly heading to work in technology over finance as the lingering aftereffects of the financial crisis -- along with Wall Street's long hours and scaled-back pay -- sends newly minted MBAs elsewhere. Seduced by the culture and mission at places such as Google and LinkedIn, business-school graduates are even accepting somewhat lower pay for what they perceive as more meaningful work -- once unthinkable among a group known for chasing profits.

ITI rolls out big-name hires, procurement push

The Information Technology Industry Council, a Washington-based trade group, announced it had poached a set of high-profile hires from rival TechAmerica and will commence a new, aggressive push into federal procurement while for the first time taking its policy message to India.

The expansion could enhance both the lobbying footprint and financial firepower of ITI, which represents companies like Google, Microsoft and Apple -- but the shuffle spells a serious defeat for TechAmerica, which tried and failed to merge with ITI and another tech group last year. TechAmerica in recent months has lost key corporate members and shed critical staff, and the departure of its top lobbying talent might alarm the businesses that still pay it big bucks in annual dues. Dean Garfield, president and CEO of ITI, said the decisions amounted to a “step forward” domestically and internationally for the group that “reflects the priorities” of the tech industry.

Opening Day at the FCC: Perspectives, Challenges, and Opportunities

[Commentary] These are important days in determining the future of our networks and their effect on our commerce and our culture. As a history buff, I love John Gardner’s observation, “History doesn’t look like history when you’re living it.”

There is no doubt that today we are living history in the midst of the fourth great network revolution. Gutenberg’s printing press enabled the original information revolution; the railroad was the first high-speed network; and the instantaneous electronic transmissions of the telegraph opened the door to everything from broadcasting to the telephone. Each of these network revolutions redefined mankind’s path forward. What makes our revolution different from its predecessors, however, is the speed with which it has developed and the velocity with which it continues to evolve.

We’ll have more to say about the role of the FCC in the changing communications landscape in the coming weeks and months, I’m sure. Suffice it to say, that as networks change, those charged with the responsibility of overseeing those networks must also evolve. Congress instructed us to act in the “public interest, convenience and necessity.” I look forward to working with the Congress and to carrying out those instructions. This agency is a pro-competition agency. We stand for the things that are important regardless of the network technology being used: 1) To promote economic growth, 2) To maintain the historic compact between networks and users, and 3) To make networks work for everyone. Our challenge is to be as nimble as the innovators and network builders who are creating these great opportunities.

FCC Acts To Stop Use Of False Emergency Alert Sounds

The Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau took action against Turner Broadcasting System and reached agreement with Kentucky television station WNKY(DT) for apparent misuse of the actual Emergency Alert System (EAS) tones or close simulations of those sounds. The Bureau also issued an Enforcement Advisory to address growing concern about the misuse of these sounds to capture audience attention during advertisements and at other times when there is no emergency or test. The Advisory reemphasizes the wide-ranging and long-standing bar on such abuses and the potential for sanctions in the case of violations. The FCC has prohibited the transmission of actual or simulated EAS Attention Signals or tones under any circumstances other than a real alert or an authorized test of the EAS system for two decades, but there has been a recent spike in consumer complaints about misuse of the sounds.

Attorney General Holder questions NSA phone data collection

Attorney General Eric Holder claimed that members of the Obama Administration had concerns about the extent of the National Security Agency's surveillance operations before Edward Snowden leaked details to the press.

In an interview on CNN, AG Holder singled out the NSA's controversial program to collect records on all US phone calls. "There were questions that I think — as I said, there were conversations that we were having... within the administration and especially when it comes to the question of meta data, the collection of meta data," AG Holder said.

Sec John F. Kerry visits Poland; discusses NSA spying, military and economic collaboration

The United States welcomes conversations with allies to alleviate their concerns about National Security Agency spying, Secretary of State John F. Kerry said in Warsaw, Poland.

“We’re all in this together . . . and we have to strike the right balance between protecting our citizens and, obviously, protecting the privacy of our citizens,” Sec Kerry said. “We will work very closely with our friends in order to make sure the road ahead is understood and is mutually agreed upon,” Kerry said of European complaints about the NSA eavesdropping programs disclosed in recent news reports.

Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law
Senate Judiciary Committee
November 13, 2013
10 AM
http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=5fa8a4fcfd512d43...

Read more about The Surveillance Transparency Act of 2013

Report: Refocusing Needed to Bridge the Digital Divide

Internet access has spread to the degree that, in order to bridge the digital divide, a shift in priorities will be according to a report from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). “The focus,” according to “Redefining the digital divide”, should now be on “the willingness and ability of citizens to use [broadband] for productive purposes.” Current strategies to bridge the digital divide “don’t necessarily address the underlying gaps such as affordability, usage and relevance of content,” the report authors point out, “with country approaches varying significantly in terms of leadership, funding and technologies.”

Commissioned by Huawei, key takeaways from the report include:

Affordability remains a key obstacle to ICT adoption.
The urban/rural divide is a key concern, particularly the need for greater speeds outside major urban areas.
Policymakers and telecommunications executives are sharply divided on the key obstacles to solving the divide.
Funding is the biggest area of disagreement between the industry and policymakers
Competition is crucial but regulation is equally important.

Apple releases government request report

Apple has disclosed the number of requests it receives from world governments for information about its users, reporting that the US law enforcement agencies have asked for information on between 2,000 and 3,000 accounts from January to June.

The company also said that it will be filing a friend-of-the-court brief with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in support of cases that are advocating for the right to disclose more information about government requests. “We feel strongly that the government should lift the gag order and permit companies to disclose complete and accurate numbers regarding FISA requests and National Security Letters,” the company said in its report. US law enforcement agencies, far and away, made the most requests for Apple users’ account information, followed by Britain, Spain and Germany.

Benton

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