Round of applause for computing laws

Germany has proposed a new legislation that aims to make hacking a punishable crime. Hacking is defined as the penetration of a computer security system and gaining access to secure data, without necessarily stealing anything.

Anyone that creates, spreads, or purchases hacker`s tools designed for illegal purposes can also be punished. Ten years in jail is what could be waiting for some of the more serious offenders.

China, in a move to try and curb spam, is making possession of an unregistered server a punishable crime.

China is the world`s second largest spam relaying country, contributing 20% of the world`s spam.

This new law says businesses and ISPs must inform the government at least 20 days before an e-mail server is built and have to make provisions for keeping all e-mail for a minimum of 60 days. 

MicroWorld Technologies is warning of an e-mail worm that comes with subject lines relating to either Bush or FIFA, and carrying an attached image.

The e-mail drops a worm called Womble.d onto your PC, which is a mass mailing worm. It works in the usual way, proliferating by gathering e-mail addresses from infected computers and sending self copies to those addresses.

MicroWorld has also identified a Trojan that exploits a Windows vulnerability and even drops a rootkit into your computer to evade detection.

"Backdoor.Rbot.ayg" spreads via AOL Instant Messenger at its first level of proliferation.

China, in a move to try and curb spam, is making possession of an unregistered server a punishable crime.

Ilva Pieterse, ITWeb journalist

Once it is installed in the system registry, it can move to other computers in the network by exploiting the recently found and patched server service vulnerability MS06-040 and earlier flaws like MS03-049 in Microsoft Windows.

Grete Fossbakk got the fright of her life when she accidentally transfered funds meant for her daughter into the account of a compulsive gambler.

The poor woman wanted to transfer 500 000 Norwegian crowns (NOK) through her online banking account, but ended up entering a digit too many.

The recipient, clearly ecstatic, used all but NOK100 000 by the time the error was discovered.

Fossbakk has opened a civil claim against the man for the remainder of the money, but since he lives off social security, the chances of getting it back are apparently slim.

Sources used: MicroWorld Technologies, Computerworld, Linuxworld, CatLess