The German Presidency Mon. welcomed the publication of Europe’s first space policy, a joint effort of the EC and the European Space Agency (ESA). The policy, detailed in an April 26 communique from the EC to the Council and European Parliament (EP), aims to position the EU for global leadership in communications, information society technologies and other arenas. “Europe is committed to establishing a sustainable global civil navigation satellite system under the control of the EU,” the document said: “It is essential that GALILEO [another EC-ESA joint venture] be deployed without further delay and that it strives to provide safe and state-of-the-art solutions.” A 2nd focus is on satellite communications, which accounts for 40% of European space sector revenues. European companies are succeeding in the global market for fixed and mobile satellite services, and many new applications emerging in coming years will be associated with high risk and long-term investment, the EC said. The EU will invest in advancing technologies to create convergence and interoperability of terrestrial and satellite-based networks, the Commission said. For Europe’s space industry to be competitive, regulatory changes are needed, including moves aiming for full interoperability among national and EU space and ground-based systems, standards, and pan-European licensing of services, spectrum and content, it said. Key actions under the communique include developing a plan based on public response to its inquiry on Galileo applications and EC investment in integrated satellite communications networks and services. The EP subcommittee on security and defense meets May 2 on the role of space in European defense and security programs, including a discussion of satellite communications.
Federal e-waste law must at least meet “levels” set by state law, said an aide to Rep. Thompson (D-Cal.), co-chmn. of the Congressional E-Waste Working Group. Lawmakers know Cal. already has systems in place, with other imminent in Wash. and Me., the aide, Anne Warden, said: “We have to keep that mind in whatever proposals we come up with.”
On March 13, 2007, the Senate amended and passed S. 4, the "Improving America's Security by Implementing Unfinished Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007" by a vote of 60-38.
The real beneficiaries of a bill setting webcasting rates below those by the Copyright Royalty Board (WID April 27 p6) are “mega-corporations” like Clear Channel and Microsoft, SoundExchange said Fri. The group, which largely got what it wanted in the March CRB proceeding, called Congress members hypocritical for seeking to overturn the will of a body whose creation they asked for in 2002, the last brouhaha over webcasting rates and cries of imminent bankruptcy.
The U.S. is the most “wired” nation, making it the most vulnerable to cyber threats, Sen. Bennett (R-Utah) said Wed. at the U.S. Capitol during a panel on botnets. The phenomenon is a command & control technology that the Assn. for Computing Technology, which hosted the panel, calls an emerging threat to personal information and e-mail inboxes. Law enforcement officials are just starting to study commercial use of botnets, according to one speaker, but legislation is in place to punish violators when they're caught.
Location-based services (LBSs) on cellphones and other handheld devices showing where users are present many privacy and security issues online social networking sites do -- and they're as unregulated, the Congressional Internet Caucus heard Wed. in Washington. Loopt, Skyhook, OnStar, Helio and others are just the start of a “social mapping” revolution, ConnectSafely.com Co-Dir. Larry Magid said: Conservative figures peg the N. American LBS market at about $750 million.
Location-based services (LBSs) on cellphones and other handheld devices showing where users are present many privacy and security issues online social networking sites do -- and they're as unregulated, the Congressional Internet Caucus heard Wed. in Washington. Loopt, Skyhook, OnStar, Helio and others are just the start of a “social mapping” revolution, ConnectSafely.com Co-Dir. Larry Magid said: Conservative figures peg the N. American LBS market at about $750 million.
The Department of Energy has issued a press release announcing that on April 16, 2007, the U.S. and Mexico signed an agreement to help detect and prevent the smuggling of nuclear and other radioactive material (Megaports Agreement).
Agency security officials fended off alarmist scenarios spun by members of Congress warning of cyberattacks equal to dirty bombs at a Thurs. House Homeland Cybersecurity Subcommittee hearing. Major subjects were breaches at the Commerce and State Departments., the role of DHS’s National Cyber Security Div. (NCSD) in protecting agency systems and training personnel and the risk that classified or otherwise sensitive data may have been compromised. Legislators grilled officials on how they know their systems are now secure and why they haven’t been able to find the attacks’ sources.
A new govt. IT agenda began to emerge as officials laid out policy positions Tues. at the Computer & Communications Industry Assn. Washington Caucus. It includes mainstays like removing trade barriers and increasing math & science education spending, along with new points like energy independence. Speakers heavily emphasized bipartisanship in crafting the policy.