Few customers of internet service providers in Chicago Illinois would ever think that their chosen company would stand behind them if a larger entity were watching. But this may be exactly what happens if a ruling is deemed unconstitutional. The ruling in question involves the laws surrounding the NSL, or National Security Letter. These letters are used by the FBI to order the turning over of customer information from ISPs and other service providers. Currently, any customer being watched as the result of an NSL issuance will never know about it.
Around for at least the last 30 years, NSLs have proven to be priceless where terrorism cases are concerned. But because NSLs don’t require judicial approval to obtain, the potential for abuse is a very real possibility. In fact, a report of NSL abuses was ordered in 2007, which revealed several thousand misuses of this particular power.
Is social media having so much of an impact that it needs to be controlled in some way via internet service providers in Houston Texas? Yes, according to federal regulators. What spawned this kind of a statement? Apparently, the recent hacking into of the Twitter feed of the Associated Press. The subsequent panic in the markets may have also helped.
Although nothing was officially put into place, it was suggested that stronger rules for cyber security needed to be imposed for those companies engaged in trading and investing. Breaking of these rules may possibly result in those financial firms being sanctioned and held accountable for not having the ability to protect themselves from security breaches. The statements were made by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and their members.
Following the cutting of fiber optic cables in San Jose, one of the major internet service providers has decided to offer a sizeable reward for any information leading to the capture of those responsible. The cable-cutting occurred in two locations earlier this week, and rendered residents of a nearby city unable to call 911. AT&T is offering a $250,000 reward for what they are calling well-planned and coordinated attacks.
In addition to the cutting of fiber optic cable, shorts were also fired at the electric transformers utilized by PG&E, which damaged at least five transformers and spilled cooling chemicals. Investigators are saying that the two acts of vandalism are related. Interestingly, a similar incident occurred four years ago, although it is unclear whether any suspects were identified.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
If you recently bought a top-notch wireless router, you may not be pleased by the latest findings by a report written by Independent Security Evaluators of Baltimore. It was found that 13 of the most popular wireless internet service routers can easily be exploited by hackers who have either WLAN or LAN access.
The report found that all 13 routers which were evaluated can be taken over from the local network. What’s worse is that four of the thirteen routers don’t require an active management session in order to be taken over by hackers. These are critical security vulnerabilities, according to experts, and while users may think attacks on routers are rare, they are growing in number and as such, should be something that users keep an eye on.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
It appears that the best internet provider in my area has now set its sights on major providers in Austin, Texas. The company announced that its Google Fiber product would be launched in that city by the middle of next year, challenging two other major ISPs, namely AT&T and Time Warner Cable. Google has said that it will offer pricing similar to that currently being offered in Kansas City, site of its initial rollout.
Austin Google Fiber subscribers can get free internet service for an installation fee if they don’t wish to subscribe to the total $120 per month package. The standalone internet service offers download speeds of 5 Mbps, much slower than the company’s 1Gbps, $120 per month offering. Austin’s current population of 820,000 and median income of $51,596 make it a good candidate for Google Fiber service, something that many experts say is the next chapter for worldwide internet speeds.
It’s probably true that we are more bombarded by advertisements than ever these days. And ads from internet providers by zip code are no different. But when we understand that each ISP is competing with another for our business, it becomes easier to see why there are so many deals for internet service being offered. This can make it tempting to go for the cheapest price when we’re looking for another provider.
Unfortunately, a low price doesn’t guarantee great service. If a provider is going to be of total value, it must have all the aspects of a quality company: adequate speed and reliability for the price, along with knowledgeable and available tech support when it’s needed most. And a company like this can only be found by conducting research on several companies and comparing them to one another.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
The ’smart meters’ which have replaced electric utility meters in Santa Clara, California offer much more than simply the ability to send utility usage reports via wireless; they also contain an additional channel which offers free internet access. This isn’t a new concept in the city, which already has several small areas of free yet limited Wi-Fi located in public areas.
However, some are already viewing this new internet outlet as something that should be used with caution, as free Wi-Fi carries with it many security risks, regardless of where the connection originates. The city of Santa Clara flipped the switch on the free Wi-Fi this week, and says it is the first city in the United States to use its smart meters for free Wi-Fi in a city-wide basis.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Investors who were defrauded by a 71-year-old defendant may soon see justice following his arrest in Florida earlier this week. The man, a former Oregon governor candidate told investors that he had access to IPO shares in Facebook and additional companies accessed by users of internet service providers in Portland Oregon and other providers. The man would use the money procured from investors to pay previous investors in a manner resembling that of a Ponzi scheme.
The man had obtained a significant amount of money from several schemes he was involved in. The attorney who file the criminal charges estimates over $8 million was obtained by the man illegally. In addition to funding previous investors, the man also financed his own personal expenses. He has been charged with two counts of securities fraud, and two counts of wire fraud.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Tuesday of this week was the day that China extended a request to the United States to discuss the state of cyber security via internet service providers in Washington DC and other companies. This is seen as ironic by many who have observed the recent and lengthy back-and-forth regarding accusations of cyber attacks between the two economic leaders.
The Obama administration appealed to China directly earlier this week to stop its trade secret theft and instead, engage in a discussion regarding the establishment of normal internet behavior, a move which the National Security Advisor believes can only be initiated by China and the United States, as they are the two leading global economies. China responded amicably, stating its willingness to talk on the basis of mutual respect and trust.
These days, it seems like there are a hundred different makes, styles and brands of phone available on the market. If it’s been awhile since you’ve shopped for a new one, then the range of choice will likely seem overwhelming. How can you possibly know which one is the most reliable? The good news is that now, you can. FixYa, the tech assistance web site has released an analysis of over 700,000 report requests which it says gives a good representation of reliability.
In addition, the analysis reveals what users did and didn’t like about their phones. Motorola was the brand deemed to be the least reliable, with many users complaining of touch screen problems and preinstalled apps. Apple garnered the top spot, with most iPhone models having no problem reports. But battery life was communicated as an issue by 35% of those who complained.
Parents should know that they have the power to control what their kids see via internet service providers in Los Angeles California as well as at the movies. That’s the message that Hollywood is trying to send with a new multimedia campaign. The campaign is designed to educate parents about not only film and game rating systems, but also the parental controls that are available to them.
Many sectors in the entertainment world have endured criticism, especially following the school murders in Newtown, Connecticut. This campaign aims to start a conversation about violence in the media by including informational web sites and advertising in theaters. As well, television commercials have been produced and some have been made available via YouTube. They are already well-known in some parts of the world, involving parents who talk to violent movie characters about blocking them from being viewed.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Growing up, many of us saw commercials which encouraged us to stay in school, and stay away from drugs and bullying. And now, a new video has been produced which is encouraging schools to teach computer coding in schools, and urges kids to learn more about it. The video, released online earlier this week and availabe via internet service providers in San Jose California and other providers, stars individuals who are well-known in the tech world, including Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates.
But it also features stars from other realm’s such as the Miami Heat’s Chris Bosh. In the under- six minute video, tech icons talk about how their interest in coding began, and other stars talk about the lack of programming education in schools today. Coding can have many potential benefits to students, including helping them develop critical problem-solving skills and logical thinking.
Monday, February 25, 2013
WI-Fi may be about to get faster. At least, that will be the case if the FCC gets its way. It recently announced that it will be pushing for higher speeds and more access to public Wi-Fi via internet service providers in San Francisco California. Among the positives of this expansion, should it occur, would be more access points for consumers and the creation of more Wi-Fi providers.
The push comes in light of Wi-Fi congestion being noticed in urban areas where a lot of businesses use the service. Even those living in apartment buildings and using wireless are noticing many symptoms of congestion. The increased speed and capacity will come from an increased amount of unlicensed spectrum. However, the spectrum segment that will be used for this increase may pose a problem, as some of it is already occupied by government organizations.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Following statements earlier this week that the Chinese army has been responsible for hacking attacks on businesses in the United States and elsewhere, the country published an editorial in its China Daily newspaper that questioned the reasoning of the United States in making such accusations. The editorial went further to say that it was merely a scapegoat to divert attention away from the economic issues currently affecting the United States.
In addition, the editorial stated that China itself had experienced several cyber attacks from the United States on its People’s Liberation Army. Forensic evidence had allegedly been discovered by the United States and the findings released earlier this week which point to hacking group APT1, part of the Chinese military unit 61398, as being the origin of significant cyber attacks. In addition to the suspicion of diversion from economic woes, others in China opined that the release of hacking information and a new cyber security strategy by the United States this week was merely an advertisement for its cyber security services.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
A report by the New York Times says that a study will be released today which confirms the origin of most cyber attacks on the United States via internet service providers in Columbus Ohio. American intelligence has confirmed that much of the digital evidence gathered on these cyber attacks on government agencies, corporations and organizations points to origins from a Chinese army unit. In addition, the report will reveal tracking of individual members of what is known as the most sophisticated Chinese hacking group in existence.
The Chinese hacking group, which goes by the name “Comment Crew” among others, seems to be located in and near to the People’s Liberation Army in Shanghai. Researchers say that either attacks are coming from within the PLA’s headquarters, or are somehow bypassing the eyes and ears of some of the world’s most-monitored internet networks.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Your internet service may be lacking in many areas. But if you listen to a think tank out of Washington, D.C., it’s pretty darn great, whether you get online with Internet Service Providers in Chicago Illinois or another provider. This may seem like quite a contrast to the many published reports which reveal that Americans are paying more per megabit for their internet than many other places in the world.
The new report says that there is nothing unacceptable about American broadband policy. And if that wasn’t enough, the report went further to accuse those who disagree with their findings of having a populist economic ideology. However, all is not sunshine and roses in the report. The think tank who developed it, namely Information Technology and Innovation Foundation researchers, say that there is room for improvement with American broadband.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Does anyone remember when an email notification was a good thing? That was back in the day, before it became such an integral part of our work and personal lives. These days, we can have thousands of emails staring back at us at the beginning of a day, depending on how many accounts we have. And it can seem impossible to stem the flow, even when we’ve checked each one. And we can’t very well turn off our connections to Internet Service Providers in Houston Texas.
With news of the post office planning to stop Saturday deliveries, we know it’s only a matter of time before our dependence on email grows. But thankfully, there are a number of apps available which can help us prioritize and sort our email so that we feel less overwhelmed about which ones to answer. And there’s always self-governance, which means keeping replies brief and to the point, while saving longer messages for physical interactions.
Monday, September 5, 2011
If you’re in an area with intermittent or no internet access, you might be happy to know that you can get online by using your cell phone as a wireless router. All you need is a phone that has internet connectivity with an appropriate data plan, a laptop and a USB cable, and you can create your own WiFi hotspot. But there are some things to be aware of before you try this out. The data limits for your particular cell phone package can be exceeded very quickly when you use your phone as a router, so check into charges for extra data usage. Similarly, your phone’s battery life will drain quickly, so it’s a good idea to plug in your phone while you’re using it as a router.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
You may go online on a regular basis to watch movies or episodes of favourite TV shows that you may have missed. But are your online actions hurting anyone? According to a recent study by the Institute for Policy Innovation, it was revealed that copyright infringement costs the U.S. economy almost sixty billion dollars, over 350,000 jobs and about 2 billion dollars in tax revenue. The internet has become a vast sea of resources for anyone wanting to view online content. But not all of these sources offer their selections legally. While sites like YouTube and Megavideo have removed a host of copyrighted television and movie content from their lists, there are still thousands more that can be found online and have yet to be removed.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Internet service providers have teamed up with the motion picture and movie industry in an attempt to cut down on illegal downloads of copyrighted materials. The ISPs have agreed to issue warnings to consumers who have engaged in illegal downloads. Repeated violations can result in the reduction of the speed of your broadband connection or forcing you to a web page which lists copyright laws. Most people are probably not even aware that what they are doing is illegal. Also, many homes have wireless networks set up and individuals in close proximity to their residence may be able to piggy-back off their Internet connection. The companies have assured consumers that there will be a review process for any customers who feel they have been unfairly targeted.
Today millions of families have wireless networks in their homes. These networks are set up using wireless routers that are connected to DSL or cable modems. The routers then send an Internet signal throughout the home. Many people are not aware, however, that when other people come near your home they may be able to access your Internet connection. Some criminals reportedly drive around neighborhoods searching for these connections that they then hack into. Their goal is to gain access to your bank accounts or obtain personal information about you. It has been reported that there are millions of dollars in financial losses attributed to this kind of illegal tapping into the wireless networks of unsuspecting families in just this way. The good news is that there are steps that you can take to protect yourself from these attacks.
As you happily surf away on your handy, always-on wireless home network, did you know that there are bad guys out there that want in on your connection? They have all sorts of tools at their disposal to hack into you connection, watch your habits, and target your login information so that they, too, can access your bank account right after you do. Internet service providers in your area often allow you to purchase a wireless router to easily set up a home network situation. Sometimes they even throw a router in for free with certain plans. But it’s your job to protect yourself, so make sure you look into encryption, software firewall and anti-virus protection, and don’t forget to look into hotspot safety as well. It’s easy to access the internet safely and securely with a little bit of know-how.