Leahy says a provision causing tech problems needs more study. Plenty of other problems still remain. Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, who introduced the Senate version of SOPA, now says “more study” is needed about a provision letting the government get court orders compelling ISPs to block sites’ domain names or Web addresses. SOPA (“Stop Online Piracy Act”), which is backed by Hollywood studios and other copyright holders, has been under attack since it was introduced last year. Tech companies, human rights groups and Internet engineers all object to it. While the first two groups have sound legal objections, the engineers trumped that by pointing out that the bill has substantial and dangerous technical problems. They said that trying to enforce it could very well “break” the internet. The part of the bill that would do this is what Sen. Leahy is now trying to run away from. A vote to bring the bill to the Senate floor is scheduled for later this month. Although Leahy claims to have gotten technical advice from “major ISPs” before drafting the bill, there are so many flaws in it that I suspect he got the advice from the marketing departments. Hearings before the House about SOPA raised very real doubts about whether the sponsoring Congressmen had enough technical knowledge to send an e-mail. Here’s a round up of other IT security news from the week: · Stratfor back online after crippling hack attack: The company, which provides intelligence on global business, security and economic issues, was hacked on Christmas eve and the perpetrators later posted names and credit card numbers for 75,000 clients. · U.S. expels Venezuelan diplomat over cyber attack charges: Livia Antonieta Acosta Noguera, Venezuela’s consul in Miami, was implicated in an alleged Iranian plot to launch cyber attacks against nuclear power plants. · India spy agency may have infiltrated U.S. government networks: Infosec Island says it received proof from hackers who had taken Symantec source code from Indian intelligence agencies. · New Zeus malware siphons bank accounts of US victims: “Gameover,” a variant of the Zeus malware, can steal usernames and passwords. It’s being spread through spam e-mails purporting to come from the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA), the Federal Reserve Bank and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Related content opinion Why Bitcoins are Just as Viable as Any Other Currency The true value of any currency is a reflection of how much people believe it's worth, according to CIO blogger Constantine von Hoffman. But it's wise to remember just how fast beliefs can change. By Constantine von Hoffman Apr 15, 2013 4 mins Government Technology Industry opinion No Surprise: Docs Show Obama Administration Lying About Drones President Obama has repeatedly said drones would only be used against members of al Qaida and allied groups. However, leaked intelligence documents show the administration has been using them to settle political and tribal feuds for at least four yea By Constantine von Hoffman Apr 10, 2013 3 mins Regulation Government opinion How Big Data Can Quickly Become Big Garbage The bigger the data the bigger the chance of mistakes or inaccuracies. In that vein, a large database used by retailers to screen people accused of stealing from employers is identifying innocent people and could result in major lawsuits, according t By Constantine von Hoffman Apr 04, 2013 2 mins Big Data opinion Why Crazy Trumps Logic on the Internet The earth is flat. Vaccines cause autism. 9/11 was a government conspiracy. These are just a few of the many ideas that continue to find adherents online despite overwhelming proof that they're not based on fact. CIO.com blogger Constantine von By Constantine von Hoffman Apr 02, 2013 3 mins Government Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe