Serious Internet Explorer flaw not fixed
The flaw lets criminals commandeer victims’ machines merely by tricking them into visiting websites tainted with malicious programming code. As many as 10,000 sites have been compromised since last week to exploit the browser flaw, according to antivirus software maker Trend Micro.
Microsoft said it is investigating the flaw and is considering fixing it through an emergency software patch outside of its normal monthly updates, but declined further comment. The company is telling users to employ a series of complicated workarounds to minimize the threat.
Download Firefox
Nigel Stewart Internet, Tech firefox, internet explorer, microsoft, security
Analysis of the Government’s technical testing framework for the upcoming censorship pilot
…there are currently about 1300 sites on the ACMA blacklist, which are added to the list through a complaints based system. …Analysis of the Government’s technical testing framework for the upcoming censorship pilot the list may grow to up to 10,000 URLs, initially through the addition of other international blacklists.
I’m quite looking forward to the blacklist being leaked to the general public. They don’t really expect to keep it secret, do they?
Nigel Stewart Australia, Commentary, Internet Australia, censorship, internet filtering
Chris Berg of the Institute of Public Affairs:
It’s a bit embarrassing that we’re discussing censoring the internet at all. What does it say about Australian politics that the reaction of both major parties to such a liberating technology is to demagogue about its dangers? Our politicians rave about evils online more than any other liberal democracy. As a consequence, the Federal Government’s proposal is far more extensive than any other internet censorship scheme outside the totalitarian world.
There is a certain element of Australian political culture that sees censorship and banning as the panacea to almost every social and policy question. But wowserism dressed up in concerned rhetoric about the sanctity of childhood is still wowserism.
Nigel Stewart Australia, Commentary, Internet Australia, censorship, filtering, politics
A “facebook friend” of mine has an interesting blog entry about shallow networks:
Shallow networks where we know tidbits and some trivia about 100s of people, but don’t share anything meaningful with them. We sit in front of our monitor, checking our emails, blogs we follow, status of friends for the next piece of trivia to come. Maybe we will even write a comment this time, that is if they have been truly witty or controversial, more likely we will just skim it as we skip to the next piece of trivia.
My two cents is that the day-to-day trivia is what keeps the world turning. Enthusiasm about a new movie, venting about the boss, worry about the news headlines. It’s a way of nurturing a connection in between face-to-face meetings.
For my part, it is the main way that I can maintain contact with Yusuf – and I’m glad I came across his blog entry via the “shallow network”.
Nigel Stewart Blogging, Commentary, Internet, Tech Blogging, facebook, shallow network
