news briefs
Spate of Chinese hack attacks feared
Authorities are warning network administrators that U.S. Web sites and e-mail servers might come under increased attack from Chinese hackers this week. The National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC), the part of the FBI responsible for protecting the nation's computer networks against hackers and cyberterrorists, cited recent tension between the U.S. and China when it issued an advisory notice last week. Chinese hackers have publicly discussed stepping up their activity today through May 7, the NIPC said. This period coincides with two Chinese public holidays, May Day on May 1 and Youth Day on May 4. May 7 marks the anniversary of the bombing of China's embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
Sun unveils peer-to-peer project
Sun last week formally took the wraps off its Web-based, open source software platform called JXTA, which the company says will provide a framework for building peer-to-peer applications. Sun's peer-to-peer development began last year as the Juxtapose research project, or JXTA, led by Sun Chief Scientist Bill Joy. InfraSearch, a start-up recently acquired by Sun, is contributing peer-to-peer search technology. Sun says it plans to push for peer-to-peer standards and might commercialize its own peer-to-peer software and services later this summer.
FBI arrests Russian bank hacks
Federal agents in Seattle last week arrested two Russians, Alexey Ivanov and Vasiliy Gorshkov, for hacking their way into banks in Texas and California, as well as the Internet payments company PayPal, from computers located in Chelyabinsk, Russia. The two are also suspected of stealing 15,700 credit card numbers from Western Union last September. FBI crime specialists set up a sting to lure the Russians to the U.S. by setting up a fake company called "Invita," which asked Ivanov if he would like to consult for them.
The agents challenged Ivanov to hack into Invita's online computers, and when he succeeded, they asked him to come to the U.S. for an interview. The FBI hacked its way into Gorshkov's computer by means of an intercepted "sniffed" password.
Conner leaves Nortel for Entrust
William Conner, president of Nortel Network's eBusiness Solutions group, last week left that position to become president and CEO of security software vendor Entrust Technologies. Conner's Nortel duties will be assumed by Joseph Davis, the company's president of commercial markets for eBusiness Solutions. Nortel recently announced a 12 cent-per-share loss for its first quarter of fiscal 2001, and 5,000 more job cuts. Nortel will axe 20,000 positions by mid-year. Conner has served on the board of directors of Entrust Technologies since 1997.
NTT DoCoMo to delay 3G service
NTT DoCoMo, Japan's largest cellular telecommunications carrier and one the biggest supporters of 3G wireless services, is delaying the commercial launch of its 3G service by five months until October this year. Instead the company will focus on limited trials. DoCoMo had originally promised a rollout in late May. The service is pegged as the world's first commercial 3G service.
Pilot Network crashes and burns
Pilot Network Services, the Alameda, Calif., provider of managed security services, announced through a press release last week that it has laid off all itts employees and suspended business operations.
The company was unable to provide details on the sudden decision. The company, founded by CEO Marketta Silvera, provided services to customers including Rand, Twentieth Century Fox, PeopleSoft and Newsweek. The Nasdaq stock exchange notified Pilot in March that it would be delisted based on Pilot's failure to maintain at least $4 million in net tangible assets.
Commerce One, Microsoft team up
Commerce One and Microsoft last week announced a partnership to lure more suppliers into business-to-business marketplaces. Under the deal, Microsoft will loan $25 million to Commerce One to develop software that would support Microsoft's software inside Commerce One's marketplaces. Commerce One MarketSite Gateway for Biz Talk would let businesses connect their own business processes with their trading partners' through a Commerce One-built marketplace.
The Commerce One MarketSite Connectivity Kit for BizTalk Server and Visual Studio would help integrate applications and business services with Commerce One-built marketplaces.
Network World
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