2009 August InfoTech & Telecom News: Cybersecurity Czar Will Have Broad Authority

The August 2009 issue of InfoTech & Telecom News opens with a discussion of President Barack Obama’s proposal for a new cabinet-level “cybersecurity czar,” who would have authority not just with respect to the security of government computers, but private networks as well.

Also in this issue:

* The Mayo Clinic is deploying Microsoft’s HealthVault technology to offer the Mayo Clinic Health Manager to the public.

* Microsoft’s new Web search engine, Bing, is designed to understand intuitively what people are seeking on the Internet and challenge online king Google, indicating the Web search market might be more competitive than many think.

* Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley wants to demonstrate jamming cell phone signals in prison can help fight crime, but he’ll need a waiver from the FCC first.

* The Obama administration is signaling the U.S. Department of Justice will begin to crack down on firms it suspects of engaging in anticompetitive behavior, which has many in the technology industry worried about potential abuses.

* U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner wants to make it more difficult for Americans to get their cigarettes online, and his bill could open the door to further restrictions on freedom of online commerce.

* Craigslist has agreed to remove its erotic services ads after South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster threatened legal action against the company for facilitating prostitution, a case rife with sticky free speech and liability issues.