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TOP STORIES FOR FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2004 International Identity-Theft Ring Brought Down More Lawsuits Filed to Curb Spam Court Adds Step to John Doe Lawsuits Oxford Hands Out Punishment for Hacking INTERNATIONAL IDENTITY-THEFT RING BROUGHT DOWN An international effort dubbed "Operation Firewall" has resulted in the arrests of 28 individuals suspected of trafficking in stolen and forged credit card numbers and other forms of identity theft. Participating in the investigation were the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Justice, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Europol, and local police departments. Those arrested allegedly operated a number of Web sites through which the suspects bought or sold millions of pieces of sensitive information, including driver's licenses, birth certificates, passports, and credit card numbers. The Web sites were reportedly hosted on servers in countries including Belarus, Canada, Sweden, and Ukraine. The investigation was sparked by information provided by MasterCard International last November about more than 100 Web sites and Internet chat rooms where confidential data were being traded. Washington Post, 29 October 2004 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7614-2004Oct28.html MORE LAWSUITS FILED TO CURB SPAM Several leading providers of Internet access and e-mail services this week filed lawsuits intended to limit the number of unsolicited messages their customers receive. Microsoft, EarthLink, and Yahoo all filed cases targeting e-mail, or spam, while America Online (AOL) filed a lawsuit directed at purveyors of unsolicited instant messages, or spim. Microsoft filed its case in federal court, saying that defendant Steven Blaier and his business Herbal Technologies are in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act. Microsoft is currently involved in more than 100 antispam lawsuits. The other companies filed lawsuits in federal and state court. AOL's action is said to be the first that targets senders of unwanted instant messages. A spokesperson from AOL said, "We will put up every roadblock that we can to stop this." Reuters, 28 October 2004 http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?storyID=6650903 COURT ADDS STEP TO JOHN DOE LAWSUITS A federal judge in Pennsylvania has ruled that Internet service providers (ISPs) that receive subpoenas under so-called John Doe lawsuits to disclose the identities of subscribers must first notify those subscribers of the subpoena and provide them with information about how to challenge it. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has relied on such lawsuits to identify individuals it suspects of violating copyrights, and a spokesperson from the group said the RIAA has "always encouraged ISPs to inform their subscribers of pending subpoenas." The ruling only applies to ISPs in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the notices sent to those targeted by lawsuits must explain the limited jurisdiction of the order as well as provide a list of attorneys the defendants can contact. Consumer groups praised the ruling, saying it offers users another level of protection from the RIAA's lawsuits. Separately, the RIAA filed another 750 lawsuits against individuals for illegal file sharing, among them 25 students at 13 colleges and universities. Wired News, 28 October 2004 http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,65516,00.html OXFORD HANDS OUT PUNISHMENT FOR HACKING Oxford University's Court of Summary Jurisdiction has suspended two students who hacked into the university's computer and then wrote about their exploits in the student newspaper. Patrick Foster and Roger Waite admitted they compromised the university's computer system, using a program they easily obtained online, and said they publicized the event to bring attention to the system's lax security. The university court did not find the students' explanation of altruism compelling, suspending Foster until May 2005 and Waite until January 2005. A spokesperson for the university declined to discuss details of the case but noted that "[a]ny student found to have breached university regulations on computer use would face disciplinary action." Foster and Waite said they would appeal the suspension, which they describe as "too harsh." Foster said, "We were simply trying to expose the security failings in Oxford's IT network." BBC, 29 October 2004 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/3966045.stm ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings, visit http://www.educause.edu/Edupage/639 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/Edupage/639 ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE PUBLICATIONS EDUCAUSE publishes periodicals, including "EQ" and "EDUCAUSE Review," books, and other materials dealing with the impacts and implications of information technology in higher education. 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