My news stories on Infosecurity Magazine, 31 May 2012

My news stories today:

US difficulties over Megaupload case continue
In April we reported that a US judge voiced doubts over whether Megaupload would ever get to trial in the US; now there are doubts it will even get to the US.
31 May 2012

Military grade chips may not be as secure as we think
Sergei Skorobogatov and Chris Woods have discovered a backdoor into a military grade chip, permitting ‘a new and disturbing possibility of a large-scale Stuxnet-type attack via a network or the Internet on the silicon itself’.
31 May 2012

Today is a key day for ACTA in Europe
Three EU committees are today due to make recommendations on ACTA. So far, two have reported: do not ratify ACTA, they tell the European Parliament.
31 May 2012

The changing face of European politics

Today all three European parliament committees due to vote on their ACTA recommendations came out clearly: do not ratify ACTA.

Courtesy of Rick Falkvinge, we ask: is this the beginning of the end for the old order? Is this the changing face of European politics?

ACTA is NOT dead

The newswires are awash with news: ACTA is dead. Neelie Kroes, the European Commissioner in charge of the Digital Agenda, is quoted as accepting that ACTA is dead in Europe.

We can all breathe a sigh of relief and relax.

No we can’t. That’s exactly what they want us to do – and that’s what we must absolutely not do. The moment we take the pressure off our own MEPs, that moment will the silent and pervasive money-based pro-ACTA lobbying increase. While we’re still celebrating, ACTA will be ratified.

And even if it is rejected, it’s just a battle. The war will continue. If defeated, ACTA will simply return in a different name.

Governments want control of the internet. It suits their purpose to gain that control by ‘supporting’ industry; it disguises their intent. So even if, as they eventually must, rightsholders realise they must adapt to rather than fight against new technology, the provisions of ACTA will return under another guise.

At the moment, Hollywood is merely bribing government to do what government already wants to do. ACTA will never die until governments understand that they are the servants and not the masters of the people. They are there to enact what we want, not what megalomaniac politicians want. It’s called democracy.