FYI From SANS NewsBites Vol.11 Num.13
--UK Plans to Consolidate Communication Data Retention (February 13 & 16, 2009) Rather than requiring every service provider in the UK to keep its own user communication information to comply with European data retention rules, the UK government plans to use BT and other "high tier providers" to retain the data. The move comes as a result of the government's decision not to bear the burden of paying for each individual provider's compliant data retention system. UK draft laws require retention of IP address and session data for 12 months. The data retention scheme is expected to cost taxpayers about GBP 46 million (US $65.7 million). http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/16/eu_data_retention_transposition/ http://www.vnunet.com/computing/news/2236479/retaining-communications-cost Another newsbite --Canadian Judge Rules Internet Users Have "No Reasonable Expectation of Privacy" (February 13, 2009) A judge in Canada has ruled that Internet users have "no reasonable expectation of privacy" regarding records kept by their Internet service providers (ISPs). The ruling was made in the course of a child pornography case in which law enforcement officers asked an ISP to provide subscriber information for an IP address that was allegedly used to access the content. Bell Canada provided the information without a warrant. Most Canadian ISPs require warrants before they will provide subscriber names, except in the case of child pornography. Privacy advocates are concerned the ruling could set a precedent that would put individuals' entire surfing history at the disposal of law enforcement authorities without the need for warrants. They maintain the judge operated under the faulty assumption that the information obtained from the ISP is similar to what could be found in a telephone directory. http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=1283120 http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Police+have+access+your+online+history/1286193/story.html [Editor's Note (Northcutt): The ever dwindling right to privacy. Keep in mind that ISPs want to collect information on user's surfing etc., so they can sell that data to marketing firms. Be sure to check out the related FTC story elsewhere in this issue. (Hoelzer): This topic will become more and more interesting legally since in many jurisdictions governments are requiring that certain records be kept; while the intent is good the potential for abuse toward individuals unfriendly to a particular political point of view could result in the end. For example, consider the story out of the UK this week moving to consolidate this type of data into top tier providers for easier access and monitoring by government.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wants You! Join today! http://signup.wispa.org/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wireless List: [email protected] Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
