Symantec’s twice -yearly Internet Security Threat Report is out. [http://tinyurl.com/3z4lsm ]Details of the recent TK Maxx scam at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6511927.stmPlenty of food for thought.

In danger of becoming a “buy my software” sort of gig, but if you have the money in your conference budget, an experience worth having.

Brief article on hackers attacking government websites in Estonia consequent on moving of Soviet war memorial. Even briefer reference to cyberwar and to a group called “Titan rain” based in China…allegedly. Sounds like the Hong Kong Bolndes in a double bluff to me, but what would I know? Titan rain? Surely there would be better … ESTONIA PREPARES FOR REPEAT OF CYBERATTACKS ON ANNIVERSARY

Link takes you to links to past reports as well. Known as IC3 the Centre fields complaints about internet crimes for the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Centre [http://www.nw3c.org/ ]. Report packed full of stats.

Title: Determining how journeys-to-crime vary: Measuring inter- and intra-offender crime trip distributions Abstract: Journey to crime studies have attempted to illuminate aspects of offender decision making that have implications for theory and practice. This article argues that our current understanding of journey to crime is incomplete as the aggregate distribution of crime trips (commonly known … A PAPER I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR, BUT SADLY IT’S IN QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA

Bit of a scary title: you will research what we do! [and find it good!] Sounds like the dear old British Home Office [see previous post]. But this one, I wish I had the money to visit. Lot of good research and researchers down under.

Washington Post piece on Venezuela’s realisation that US scoring propaganda points on the cocaine issue that undermine Chavez’s revolutionary credentials. Lots of accusation and counter-accusation. But if the US wont let Venezuela buy planes, bit difficult for them to intercept traffickers except on the ground. Bit slow really. The real audience is the rest of … VENEZUELA STEPS UP EFFORTS TO THWART COCAINE TRAFFIC

This is not “Scotland Yard”, home of the Metropolitan Police. This is the City of London police, another of those quaint British mediaeval anomalies. The important seachange is near he bottom of the article: Mark Pieth, the chairman of the OECD working group on bribery, said: ‘The findings from this research are remarkable. Those surveyed … RISE IN CITY POLICE IN BID TO STOP FRAUD

Today’s concession to non-English readers. Piece from Le Monde about French authorities intentions, which may include intervention by the Gendarmerie’s specialist unit. Ive missed this item in the UK press, but there have been others on the increasing threat of piracy in the area. Bring back Julius Caesar! CNN has the story here: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/04/04/cruiseship.pirates.ap/index.html

Interesting piece, suggesting that al Qaeda is preparing a strategy against counter-radicalisation initiatives around the world. Bin Laden is seen amongst radicals as a great jihadist, but not a great scholar. Here we have a scholar who has also made a daring escape from Bagram air base/prison in Afghanistan. A more coherent argument with mainstream … RISING LEADER FOR NEXT PHASE OF AL QAEDA’S WAR