Skyway Recommended March 3rd to March 15th

This week: Netflix Move Raises Net Neutrality Questions; MtGox Revelations; Security Expert Silences Self; XP Concerns; U.S. Cloud Storage Warning

 

The NOW Newspaper | Netflix buys preferential access: Net neutrality questions are coming to a head

Something very, very bad recently happened in the U.S. regarding the battle for net neutrality, something that could shape the face of the Internet as we know it. If you haven’t heard, Netflix recently entered into a financial agreement with America’s largest Internet provider, Comcast, to ensure that Netflix streams would be given preferential streaming speeds. The agreement means that for a fee, Comcast would continue to provide Netflix access at a steady rate to people already paying to use their Internet. The deal was reached after Comcast began throttling Netflix traffic, reducing the ability of its users to enjoy their streams in all of their high-quality glory. Boiled down, Comcast held Netflix traffic ransom and won. Read More…

The Guardian | MtGox knowingly traded non-existent bitcoins for two weeks, filing shows

MtGox continued trading for at least two weeks despite knowing that it did not hold enough bitcoins to return every customer their money, according to a deposition from the CEO of the embattled bitcoin exchange. Read More…

The Province | Security expert cancels Vancouver talk to avoid tipping off terrorists after ‘strong advice’ from French officials

One problem in the business of spreading high-tech news about cyber-warfare is that bad guys get the information, too. And that gets the attention of the spooks. With that in mind, one of the speakers who was scheduled to address the CanSecWest security conference this week at Vancouver’s Sheraton Wall Centre withdrew because his presentation would be useful to terrorists. Read More…

Information Week | Windows XP Security Issues: Fact Vs. Fiction

Are you prepared for the end of Microsoft support for Windows XP next month? In less than a month, Microsoft will stop supporting Windows XP, still the second most widely used PC operating system in the world. The company announced the OS’s April 8 termination date years ago, but with as many as 500 million XP systems still active last month, not everyone is going to make a move in time. Read More…

Michael Geist | If U.S. Cloud Computing Isn’t Good Enough for the Canadian Government, Why Should It Be for You?

In August 2011, the federal government announced plans to consolidate more than 100 different email systems used by over 300,000 employees into a single, outsourced email system. While the email transition is currently underway – Bell won the nearly $400 million contract last year – the decision quietly sparked a trade fight with the United States that placed the spotlight on the risks associated with hosting computer data outside the country. Read More…