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TOP STORIES FOR WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2002 House Approves Cybersecurity Bill Microsoft Creates National Security Position U.S. Authorities Indict London Man for Hacking Military Computers AND Professors Design Online Science Course, Including Lab Supreme Court to Hear Free-Speech Case Web Filtering Goes to the Supreme Court HOUSE APPROVES CYBERSECURITY BILL After approval last month in the Senate, the Cyber Security Research and Development Act passed the House this week. It now goes to President Bush, who is expected to sign the bill. If passed, the bill would provide nearly $1 billion for research and training for efforts to improve cybersecurity. Colleges and universities would receive significant funding to train students as network security experts and to support the migration of technology and expertise from the academy to industry. Washington Post, 13 November 2002 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47774-2002Nov13.html MICROSOFT CREATES NATIONAL SECURITY POSITION Microsoft announced it has created a new position, federal director of homeland security, that will be filled by Thomas Richey, a retired U.S. Coast Guard officer. Microsoft created the position in an effort to become more involved in issues of national security. According to Microsoft, Richey will work with federal officials and other corporate partners to help build the infrastructure required for efforts to improve homeland security. The government's draft "National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace," released in September, urges corporate support and involvement in helping to safeguard the technical resources of the country, and many companies see the report as an invitation to pursue potentially lucrative contracts with the federal government. CNET, 13 November 2002 http://news.com.com/2100-1001-965649.html U.S. AUTHORITIES INDICT LONDON MAN FOR HACKING MILITARY COMPUTERS Authorities in the United States have accused Gary McKinnon of London of breaking into a variety of government and corporate computers and networks, causing many hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of damage. McKinnon has been indicted in Virginia and New Jersey for cyberattacks on 92 networks operated by the U.S. military and by NASA. McKinnon faces 10 years in prison and fines of $250,000 for each of eight counts in the indictments. In a relatively rare move in such international affairs, the United States is seeking to extradite McKinnon, according to U.S. Attorney Paul McNulty. A British official accused the United States of political maneuvering in its attempts to extradite McKinnon. Wired News, 12 November 2002 http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,56360,00.html AND ***************************************************** PROFESSORS DESIGN ONLINE SCIENCE COURSE, INCLUDING LAB Two professors, Doris R. Kimbrough of the University of Colorado at Denver and Jimmy Reeves of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, have created an online science course that includes lab work that students do in their kitchens. According to the professors, the lab work is safe and can be done with readily available materials and a good-quality scale. Students in the online course are reportedly able to gain an understanding of basic chemistry comparable to that of in-class students. Each of the two institutions offers the course, though at the University of North Carolina the class is entirely online, while the University of Colorado version includes in-person lectures. Development of the course was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Chronicle of Higher Education, 12 November 2002 http://chronicle.com/free/2002/11/2002111201t.htm SUPREME COURT TO HEAR FREE-SPEECH CASE The Supreme Court this week will hear arguments in a case that many observers say could have important consequences for questions about online privacy. At issue are two state laws requiring convicted sex offenders to register specific personal information that is posted in a public database. Privacy advocates note that even though such information has been available in the past, anyone wanting to see that information had to visit a courthouse to obtain court documents. Making that same information available online, they say, changes the nature of public dissemination because it is so much simpler. Experts say this could mark the first time the court has drawn a distinction between information available online and information available through other public means. ZDNet, 13 November 2002 http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105-965641.html WEB FILTERING GOES TO THE SUPREME COURT This week the Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments about whether libraries can be forced to install Internet filters or risk losing federal funds. The Children's Internet Protection Act, signed into law by President Clinton in 2000, has come under intense pressure from library groups and free-speech advocates who say the filter requirement infringes on the First Amendment. A three-judge panel agreed, citing the inability of current filters to block objectionable material without also blocking content protected by the First Amendment. In writing the law, Congress indicated that after review by the three-judge panel, further appeals would go directly to the Supreme Court, and officials from Texas have filed such an appeal supporting the law. Associated Press, 12 November 2002 (registration req'd) http://www.nandotimes.com/technology/story/616704p-4745904c.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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