China Accuses U.S. of Cyberwarfare: Via Threat Level.

In the wake of a recent speech by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemning countries that censor the internet and engage in hacking, China has lobbed a return volley and accused the United States of hypocrisy and initiating cyberwarfare against Iran.

An editorial in the People’s Daily — the main mouthpiece for China’s Communist Party — accused the U.S. of doublespeak and of using “online warfare” to instigate violent unrest in Iran via Twitter and YouTube following that country’s national elections in June.

“We’re afraid that in the eyes of American politicians, only information controlled by America is free information, only news acknowledged by America is free news, only speech approved by America is free speech, and only information flow that suits American interests is free information flow,” said the Sunday editorial, according to the Guardian newspaper.

The editorial was taking aim at a speech by Clinton on Thursday in which she said that access to information, and the internet, is a basic human right, but that countries around the world were erecting virtual walls in place of the physical walls that generally characterize oppressive regimes. [ Read more ... ]

Helping Iran Target Iranians: Via Timothy Karr at Huffington Post.

But the open Internet's power cuts both ways: The tools that connect, organize and empower people can also be used to hunt them down. The companies that profit from sales of this technology need to be held to a higher standard.

Of particular concern is the use -- and easy abuse -- of Deep Packet Inspection. DPI is a content-filtering technology that allows network managers to inspect, track and target content from users of the Internet and mobile phones, as it passes through routers on the information superhighway.

'Lawful Intercepts' in Lawless Regimes

European and North American companies are selling DPI to enable their business customers "to see, manage and monetize individual flows to individual subscribers." But this "Internet-enhancing" technology has been sought out by regimes in Iran, China and Burma for more brutal purposes. [ Read more ... ]

Officials vow security probe at Palo Verde: "State and federal officials plan inquiries into operations at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in the wake of accusations that a former plant employee illegally downloaded software with details of the plant while he was in Iran.

Arizona Congressmen Harry Mitchell and John Shadegg on Saturday termed the allegations 'troubling' and promised a detailed review.

'It is very troubling to learn that a Palo Verde employee may have smuggled secrets about the nuclear plant to a dangerous regime dead-set on developing a nuclear weapon,' said Mitchell, a freshman Democrat. 'This requires an internal review of all security procedures in the plant and requires us to look closely at what can be done to prevent this from happening again.' [ Read more ... ]