Electrics Vulnerable to Spyware and Hackers
Since New York's Northeast Blackout, utilities have accelerated plans to automate the electric grid, replacing aging monitoring systems with digital switches and other high-tech gear. But those very improvements are making the electricity supply vulnerable to a different kind of peril: computer viruses and hackers who could black out substations, cities or entire states. |
| Researchers working for the U.S., Canadian and British governments have already sniffed out "back doors" in the digital relays and control room technology that increasingly direct electricity flow in North America. With a few focused keystrokes, they say, they could shut the computer gear down - or change settings in ways that might trigger cascading blackouts. more.. |
|
FTC Warning About File Sharing and Spyware
The US Federal Trade Commission issued an alert yesterday, warning consumers about the risks of file-sharing and spyware. The alert came only days after a bill was introduced into Congress requiring that spyware could only be used on a computer if the computer user had granted permission.
|
More spyware remover support can be found in these free spyware uninstaller instructions.
Using file-sharing software like KaZaA involves risks and the music and movie industries will be only too pleased to hear the FTC warnings consumers about the increased risk of exposure to viruses, of unwittingly sharing private files with others, and of becoming "mired in legal issues" if downloading copyright-protected material. The Recording Industry Association of America made clear late last month that it plans to sue thousands of individual users of file-sharing services. According to Nielsen//NetRatings, this had an almost immediate effect on the level of file-sharing activity: KaAaA and Morpheus, two of the most popular file-swapping services, had 15% fewer users during the week ending 6th July, according to the analysts. more.. |
|
spyware remover downloads
