Computer security firm Heise criticizes Mac OS X Leopard for shipping without its firewall enabled by default like Windows Vista and advises users to turn it on. To do so, in System Preferences’ Security area either block all incoming connections or set explicit exceptions for services that can communicate through the firewall, like file or screen sharing, as shown. (More on that in an upcoming post.)

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An internet social networking site, in the style of Facebook and MySpace, has been launched aimed at people over 50.

The Saga Zone site was developed by the Saga Group, based in Folkestone, Kent, which specialises in products and services for the over-50s.

Some 13,000 people signed up to the site, which includes forums on subjects from gardening tips to relationship advice, in a trial four months ago.

Saga said the oldest person so far on the site was aged 87.

Communications watchdog Ofcom said in August its data showed over-50s accounted for 30% of time spent online in the UK.

"That generation will never stop eyeball-to-eyeball contact because that’s what they like to do"
Prof Cary Cooper

Psychology professor Cary Cooper, from the University of Lancaster, said internet communication had its place.

“People retire in different parts of the country and they don’t live near their extended family,” he said.

“Saga Zone is good because it will engage older people with another technology.

“But that generation will never stop eyeball-to-eyeball contact because that is what they are used to and that’s what they like to do.

“And I hope for all of us we don’t abandon face-to-face communication.

“Even in offices you see people e-mailing one another three desks down - crazy stuff.”

Saga chief executive Andrew Goodsell said: “The internet is a place where the over-50s are thriving.

“Saga Zone is a place where they can mingle and chat about issues important to them, be they amusing or serious.”

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An influential group of peers has accused the government of putting its “head in the sand” after it rejected their ideas for dealing with e-crime.

The Lords Science and Technology Committee report found the internet was “the playground of criminals”.

But the government did not agree with its suggestion that lawlessness “was rife” on the internet.

Committee member the Earl of Erroll said the government’s response was “a huge disappointment”.

In its report, the Lords committee criticised the government’s “Wild West” approach of leaving internet security to individuals as “inefficient and unrealistic”.

Disagreement

It called for the police and criminal justice system to have more resources to catch and prosecute internet criminals.

The peers recommended a central law enforcement agency for reporting e-crime, incentives for banks and other companies trading online to improve data security and the setting up of a “kite-mark” to identify internet service providers that guaranteed a secure service.

"The government does not agree with the implication that the public has lost confidence in using the internet"
Government response

And they also argued that steps should be taken to establish legal liability for damage resulting from security flaws found in hardware or software.

But the government made no commitment to accept any of the recommendations.

In a statement, it said: “The government does not agree with the implication that the public has lost confidence in using the internet.

“The continuing increase of trading on the internet, with year-on-year growth of 80% in some areas, does not support such a view …

“As such, we would refute the suggestion that … lawlessness is rife.”

Business burdens?

The response went on: “The government does take seriously all crime committed by use of the internet and agrees with the committee that confidence in the internet is vital.

“However, we also feel there is an unwarranted suggestion that [the government’s] only response to the problem is to regard it as a personal responsibility of the user to take necessary precautions…

"Unfortunately, the government dismissed every recommendation out of hand"
Earl of Erroll

“Legislation will be kept under review, but the government does not consider imposing additional burdens on business is the best way forward.”

The Earl of Erroll said: “Unfortunately, the government dismissed every recommendation out of hand and their approach seems to solely consist of putting their head in the sand.”

During its inquiry, the committee heard “compelling evidence of substantial amounts of e-crime”.

“We recommended that the government set up a group to develop a scheme for recording all forms of e-crime,” the earl said.

“The reply just says that the government ‘do not see that there is a need for this’. If you have no idea of the scale of the problem, how can you design solutions?”

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