Monday, September 8, 2014

Can You See Through the Cloud?

Not interested.

"How to protect your data in the cloud" by Mae Anderson | Associated Press   September 03, 2014

NEW YORK — The circulation of nude photographs stolen from celebrities’ online accounts has raised questions about the security of storing information over the Internet.

Apple Inc. acknowledged Tuesday that computer hackers broke into the accounts of several celebrities, a security breakdown Apple blamed on the intruders’ ability to figure out passwords and bypass other safeguards.

Apple says it found no evidence of a widespread problem in its iCloud or Find my iPhone services. Instead, accounts were targeted by hackers who had enough information to know the user names, passwords, and answers to personal security questions, the company said.

The break-in has exposed weaknesses in online security at a time when more people are storing photos and other sensitive information on computers housed in massive data centers, a practice known as cloud computing....

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"Jennifer Lawrence, others aren’t just hacking victims |    September 05, 2014

When hackers broke into online storage accounts and posted nude photos online of over half a dozen women celebrities — including Jennifer Lawrence — they didn’t just commit a gross invasion of privacy; they also broke federal anti-hacking laws. The perpetrators, if caught, should be prosecuted. But the case is also an occasion to revisit laws that are broad enough to cover a plethora of computer-related infractions but don’t specifically address the violation of privacy that Lawrence and other celebrities suffered. Just as some states treat peeping Toms differently from other trespassers, voyeuristic hacking targeting individuals may warrant a different punishment than other computer crimes.

Currently, many hackers who steal an individual’s personal files are subject to the same federal laws — most notably, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act — that prohibit attacks on government agencies and other institutions. The breadth of these laws gives vast discretion, and little guidance, to federal prosecutors and judges. Christopher Chaney, who distributed nude photos of Scarlett Johansson and others, was sentenced to 10 years in jail. That was four more years than prosecutors sought, but less than the 60 years he might have faced. (Internet activist Aaron Swartz was accused of a vastly different offense — stealing academic papers from the JSTOR database — but was charged under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act as well.)

The punishment for stealing nude selfies should reflect the sense of violation that victims feel. It should also be fair and consistent. Congress needs to refine the computer fraud act and better tailor the possible punishments to the circumstances of specific crimes.

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Related: Photos Tattooed on My Mind

Jennifer Lawrence scandal should spark new discussion on Internet privacy

Why are they putting them out there to begin with?

Apple to tighten online security after recent hack

What do you do when it is government itself that is the biggest hacker on the planet? 

At least some $oftware $ecurity firms will be making some money.