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TOP STORIES FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 03, 2002 Consumer Group Criticizes FCC Broadband Policies Details Emerge about Microsoft's Approach to Security Survey Says Web Is Vulnerable AND IBM to Sell Infrastructure over the Internet Music Industry Changes Tactics, Goes after Individuals Ziff Davis Cancels Yahoo Internet Life CONSUMER GROUP CRITICIZES FCC BROADBAND POLICIES The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and the Texas Office of Public Utility Counsel released a study that faults the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for slow adoption of broadband access in the United States. Criticizing the FCC for failing to support "pro-competitive policies," the report says the broadband market is controlled by cable and telephone companies, resulting in rising costs and a lack of innovation. Some anaylsts said the report's findings are flawed because they are based on a comparison with the dial-up market, saying that the broadband market is progressing roughly as was predicted. Analysts disagree about whether lower prices or improved content would seed the next boost in consumer broadband access. NewsFactor Network, 2 July 2002 http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/18467.html DETAILS EMERGE ABOUT MICROSOFT'S APPROACH TO SECURITY In January Microsoft publicly committed itself to a renewed emphasis on what it called "trustworthy computing," and details about the initiative, as well as code names, have emerged over the past week. The business unit focused on security is code-named Palladium and will, according to the Microsoft Web site, "give individuals and groups of users greater data security, personal privacy, and system integrity." Palladium will endeavor to move security features from software to hardware. For example, rather than using passwords, computers might encrypt keystrokes or even video display signals. To this end, Microsoft is reportedly working with Intel and Advanced Micro Devices and has urged collaboration between the hardware and software industries. Reuters, 2 July 2002 http://www.forbes.com/technology/newswire/2002/07/02/rtr651333.html SURVEY SAYS WEB IS VULNERABLE According to Netcraft, a Bath, England-based Web server information firm, recent security announcements indicate that the Internet is more vulnerable than ever. Flaws in the two most common Web server applications, Microsoft's Internet Information Server and Apache's Web server software, have recently been disclosed. Both applications suffer from what is called a "chunked encoding vulnerability." This type of flaw could allow a hacker to take complete control of a server. These two applications run more than three-quarters of the Internet's Web servers, according to Netcraft, which said the climate is "ripe" for attacks against such systems. InfoWorld, 2 July 2002 http://www.idg.net/ic_881756_1794_9-10000.html AND ***************************************************** IBM TO SELL INFRASTRUCTURE OVER THE INTERNET A new service from IBM will allow users running Linux to buy infrastructure over the Internet. The Linux Virtual Services program is the newest step in IBM's utility computing effort, in which customers purchase computing power and storage from a remote, host company. IBM spokesperson Jim Larkin said the project is important because it is the first to deliver true infrastructure over the Web. IBM claims that even with falling hardware costs, the utility computing model offers a competitive price and benefits, including lower personnel overhead. Some analysts agree, saying that as technologies mature, utility computing will become increasingly common. NewsFactor Network, 1 July 2002 http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/18449.html MUSIC INDUSTRY CHANGES TACTICS, GOES AFTER INDIVIDUALS Until now, major record labels and the Recording Industry Association of America have opted not to take individual music swappers to court, choosing instead to sue the networks and music services that facilitated the trading of pirated music. Now, however, sources say some record labels have agreed to a strategy of suing individuals who have the largest collections of pirated music online. The music industry shied away from such suits because of the feared backlash from the image of big companies going after individual users. Some said the decision to risk negative reaction is necessary to save the faltering music industry. Wall Street Journal, 3 July 2002 (sub. req'd) http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1025639431553502280,00.html ZIFF DAVIS CANCELS YAHOO INTERNET LIFE Citing decreases in advertising revenues and market share, a memo from Ziff Davis Media released Tuesday said the company will end publication of Yahoo Internet Life. Despite having more than one million paying subscribers, Internet Life has lost more than half of its market share. The last issue will reportedly be for August 2002. Sources said all of Internet Life's 35 employees have been laid off, and Ziff Davis CEO Robert Callahan said the company would focus on "the technology and game markets." ZDNet, 3 July 2002 http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1106-941463.html ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html Or, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by sending e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName To UNSUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SIGNOFF Edupage If you have subscription problems, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For past issues of Edupage or information about translations of Edupage into other languages, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE PUBLICATIONS EDUCAUSE publishes periodicals, including "EDUCAUSE Quarterly" and "EDUCAUSE Review," books, and other materials dealing with the impacts and implications of information technology in higher education. 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