IRS networks riddled with rogue servers

The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is putting taxpayers at risk by operating thousands of Web servers that contain security vulnerabilities, or have not received proper authorisation, reports The Register.

According to the treasury inspector for the Tax Administration - a Treasury Department watchdog - the IRS operates 2 093 Web servers with at least one vulnerability. It said 540 of those servers contained one or more vulnerabilities rated high-risk. The report identified 1 811 internal servers that had not been approved to connect to the network. Some 1 150 of those were being used for non-business purposes.

Under IRS rules, all internal Web sites and servers must be registered with the agency's Modernisation and Information Technology Services organisation.

Sony is recalling 440 000 Vaio laptop computers worldwide because of wiring faults that could cause overheating, says The BBC.

The recall concerns 19 Vaio models in the TZ series manufactured between May 2007 and July 2008 - but does not include models sold in the UK.

Sony said wires have been put in the wrong position near the hinge, while a flaw in the circuit board that controls the screen may also cause overheating.

Comcast is appealing a ruling by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which found the broadband provider had illegally blocked some customers' Web traffic, reports CNet.

The appeal, filed Thursday in the US District Court of Appeals in Washington, challenges the FCC's ruling on 1 August that Comcast's throttling of BitTorrent traffic last year was unlawful - the first time any US broadband provider has ever been found to violate Net neutrality rules.

The FCC issued a cease-and-desist order and required the company to disclose to subscribers in the future how it plans to manage traffic.

Phone giants AT&T, Verizon Communications and Qwest are today expected to win approval to report less information to the FCC on such matters as consumer complaints and infrastructure investments, says The Washington Post.

A decision by the FCC to curtail the information may, however, open the gates for a broader review of data collected by the commission and could be expanded to include cable, satellite and wireless phone providers that are not currently required to submit similar reports.

The reports detail the number of consumer complaints, waiting times for repairs, and money put into technological upgrades by the largest phone service providers.