Small Business Group Bemoans Federal Intrusion on the Internet

/PRNewswire/ -- Despite the fact that Congress has not given the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authority to regulate the Internet, along with a recent court decision informing the government agency that it exceeded its regulatory boundaries in trying to do so, the FCC announced that it will move forward with intrusive and risky rules that hurt innovation, the economy and small business. According to the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council), such federal government intrusion dictating how the Internet operates will suffocate innovation, chill investment, and erode U.S. competitiveness. Moreover, Internet regulation undermines two crucial goals of the Obama Administration - accelerating the pace of economic recovery, and making broadband available for every American who wants access.

Commenting on the FCC's fixation to control the workings of the Internet where no problem exists, SBE Council President & CEO Karen Kerrigan said: "I cannot tell you how disappointed and concerned we are that the federal government has decided to intrude into an area where creativity, capital and freedom have joined to produce unprecedented gains and opportunities for the individual, society, entrepreneurs and our economy. We are particularly troubled because the FCC has not offered any compelling evidence that an 'Open Internet' has been compromised. In fact, the vast record accumulated by the FCC over the years proves this point: There is no problem."

Raymond J. Keating, SBE Council's chief economist, added: "The FCC's drive to micromanage broadband networks is a case of irrational exuberance for government interference. While Internet providers have every incentive to serve their markets well, and clearly no market failure exists, the FCC chairman nevertheless wants government calling the shots on broadband pricing and operations. Investment and innovation will suffer accordingly, as will the entrepreneurs and small businesses that rely on and contribute to the Internet. At a time of great uncertainty regarding the economy and markets, the FCC inexplicably is creating greater uncertainty."

As the SBE Council has argued in its comments to the FCC, certainty is needed in order for broadband providers to invest the billions upon billions needed to fully deploy broadband and maintain its complex operations and growth. Indeed, the FCC has developed a National Broadband Plan recognizing the need for massive private sector investment in order to reach its goal of making broadband available to every American who wants access. Unfortunately, the FCC's obsession with regulation will undermine the essential goals it sets out in the National Broadband Plan, according to SBE Council.

Kerrigan continued: "Chairman Genachowski is moving full-steam ahead with a risky regulatory scheme even though the Congress has never given the Commission such authority to regulate the Internet. As consumers of broadband, and as entrepreneurs engaged in its deployment, maintenance and development; small business owners have the most to lose if intrusive new rules are enacted. That is why small business owners overwhelmingly oppose 'net' regulation, and we will continue to work with our supporters and small business leaders in Congress to ensure the FCC does not impose burdensome rules that disrupt innovation, service offerings, deployment as well as the Internet's staggering progress and the opportunities it offers."

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FCC's Third Way Would Transfer Costs for Digital Expansion to the Un-served and Underserved

/PRNewswire/ -- The CEO and Chairman of the Alliance for Digital Equality (ADE), Julius Hollis, issued the following statement regarding FCC Chairman Genachowski's announcement yesterday that the FCC will seek to reclassify broadband providers as common carrier services under certain provisions of Title II of the Communications Act, in order to restore a legal foundation to their regulatory authority following the recent FCC vs. Comcast lawsuit:

"Yesterday's announcement by Chairman Genachowski is both perplexing and concerning. The FCC, after conferring with various stakeholders, crafted a comprehensive National Broadband Plan which seeks to guide the build out of high speed Internet and stimulate much-needed job growth. The FCC's National Broadband Plan provides a level and competitive landscape across all networks allowing for the spread of broadband to all American consumers. All this while maintaining an open Internet.

However, the Chairman's "third way" approach constricts economic development, particularly in communities of color that have been economically marginalized for decades due to the absence of private sector investment. This "third way" that the Chairman speaks of could further perpetuate economic inequalities by restricting consumers' choice and access to affordable broadband as our society moves towards a digitally-based economy.

"The Alliance for Digital Equality fully supports an open Internet and a regulatory environment that incentivizes the private investment necessary to bring digital technology to our currently un-served and underserved communities, leading to economic equality. ADE calls on the FCC today to focus on the critically important task of getting all Americans connected as delineated in the National Broadband Plan by promoting a more balanced regulatory environment. The ADE encourages Chairman Genachowski to reconsider his plans to implement a third way."

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FCC Moves Toward More Government Regulation of the Internet

/PRNewswire/ -- According to reports, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genacowski will seek to reclassify broadband services under New Deal-era "common carrier" laws created for early landline telephone technology, thereby allowing the government to regulate the Internet via outdated rules. In response, Center for Individual Freedom's Vice President of Legal and Public Affairs Timothy Lee issued the following statement:

"The FCC should not attempt to apply archaic 1930s rules to 21st century technologies. This move by Chairman Genacowski will do nothing but stifle innovation, investment and growth within the broadband sector.

"Reclassifying broadband will merely allow the government to intervene in a thriving Internet market and hamper the constant service improvement and innovations to which consumers have become accustomed. It's the proverbial 'solution in search of a problem.' This bald partisan move also ignores all of the new technologies that are available precisely due to limited government intervention, and will ultimately move us backward to old-fashioned rules that once governed telephone services in the early 20th century.

"With everything else going on, do we really need a government take over the Internet?"

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Citizens for a Digital Future Applauds Georgia General Assembly for Supporting Broadband Investment, Passage of HB 168

(BUSINESS WIRE)--In response to the Georgia General Assembly passage of HB 168, the Telecom Jobs and Investment Act, John Watson, Chairman of Citizens for a Digital Future, made the following statement:

“Citizens for a Digital Future applauds the Georgia General Assembly for passing HB 168, an important step in increasing broadband investment and deployment in Georgia. This legislation encourages broadband growth and competition and represents the best interests of Georgia’s consumers and businesses by offering opportunity for greater investment and enhanced services. HB 168 encourages broadband investment from the private sector, which will stimulate job growth and provide access to new technologies and opportunities for businesses to expand.

“With passage of this legislation, which follows the legacy of telecommunications reform started in 1995 under the leadership of Governor Perdue, businesses will view Georgia as a place to devote resources, consequently strengthening the Georgia economy and promoting innovation for broadband enhancement and digital technologies. This increased investment will provide greater opportunity for more Georgians to experience the many benefits of broadband such as enhanced education, healthcare and economic growth. We thank the Georgia General Assembly for its continued leadership in implementing policies that place broadband investment and infrastructure at the forefront of economic growth.”

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Phishing Attacks on Taxpayers Rise in the Weeks Leading up to April 15th IRS Tax Filing

/PRNewswire/-- SonicWALL, Inc. (NASDAQ:SNWL) , a leading secure network infrastructure company, last week began seeing the expected rise in phishing threats related to the upcoming April 15 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax filing date. The prominent phishing scam comes when taxpayers are notified from the IRS that their tax refund is now available. Scammers will then ask users to provide their bank card information and identity information to assure that the refund is deposited in the appropriate account.

"As we've seen in the past, the weeks before April 15th are the most likely for taxpayers to see a rise in tax-related phishing emails," said Leon Hilton, Email Security Expert, SonicWALL. "We predict that more than 100 million IRS related phishing emails will be sent to tax payers in the days leading up to and after the April 15 tax filing deadline."

While the IRS does not send e-mail regarding your refund, you may still get legitimate e-mail on the subject. A myriad legitimate online filing services, online consultants who answer tax-related questions and online tax calculators currently exist. For example, if you file your taxes with an online tax preparation service you are likely to get legitimate email from them and the bank which acts as the transfer agent for the transaction for the IRS. Phishers use this opportunity to prey on taxpayers who are filing their tax refund -- asking them for bank card information to deposit the refund and social security number so they can verify a taxpayer's identity. Be wary of these types of inquiries.

To help taxpayers identify tax-related potential phishing schemes, the SonicWALL threat team has outlined several steps to help taxpayers defend against these types of phishing-related security threats:

1. Be aware that the IRS does not send you e-mails which ask for any
financial, personal or identity information. Do not respond to these
e-mails. Official correspondence with the IRS is done through US Mail.
2. If you use an online preparations service, pay close attention to
relevant instructions as e-mail messages you could receive include
details such as bank account numbers and when you can expect your
refund to be deposited. Always go back to the tax preparation website
or call to ensure that the online transaction goes smoothly. Also be
sure to print off any related materials to save for later reference if
needed.
3. If you use a tax filing program you will most likely receive an e-mail
notification when your taxes are filed, letting you know that your tax
forms were accepted or possibly rejected. Do not click on any links in
the e-mail. Go back to the tax preparation program and check for any
notifications.
4. Beware of offers that allow you to get loans on your income tax refund.
While some offers are legitimate many others are not and are spam or
phishing scams.
5. If you have a question about an email confirmation of your online
filing and/or refund information from your software program or online
filing service, contact the phone number of the tax service provider.
6. Improve your phishing IQ. SonicWALL has put together the phishing IQ
test specifically to test your phishing knowledge. Go to:
www.sonicwall.com/phishing/
7. For more information about identity phishing, e-mail scams and bogus
IRS websites, go to
http://www.irs.gov/privacy/article/0,,id=179820,00.html?portlet=1



For more information on the topic of phishing and other related threats, go to: http://anti-spam.sonicwall.com/

SonicWALL is a registered trademark of SonicWALL, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Safe Harbor Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements include but are not limited to statements regarding defensive measures to be used to combat attacks concerning news search sites. These forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the time the statements are made and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. In addition, please see the "Risk Factors" described in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, for a more detailed description of the risks facing our business. All forward-looking statements included in this release are based upon information available to SonicWALL as of the date of the release, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statement.

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Sunbelt Software Announces Top 10 Malware Threats for March

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sunbelt Software, a leading provider of Windows security software, today announced the top 10 most prevalent malware threats for the month of March 2010. The report, compiled from monthly scans performed by Sunbelt Software's award-winning anti-malware solution, VIPRE® Antivirus, and its antispyware tool, CounterSpy®, is a service of SunbeltLabs™.

“Generic and behavior-based detections help VIPRE nail a lot of the polymorphic variants and newly-created malicious code. It might be new and evade detections for existing malicious activity, but when it runs in VIPRE’s MX-V™ virtual environment, the malicious activity is sure to be caught.”

The list of detections for March shows the continued prevalence of Trojan horse programs circulating on the Internet and the growing trend of generic and behavior-based detections in antivirus detections. Generic and behavior-based detections by the antivirus industry have improved thanks to the massive increase in new malcode, which number thousands per day.

The top two detections for the month remained in the same positions as last month. Both Trojan.Win32.Generic!BT (31.07 percent) and Trojan-Spy.Win32.Zbot.gen (4.97 percent) maintained approximately the same pervasiveness in the overall malware tracked. The top 10 made up more than 50 percent of all detections for the month and the top two made up greater than 36 percent of all detections.

Sunbelt’s Top 10 list is similar to February’s detections, however March saw the additions of INF.Autorun (v) and BehavesLike.Win32.Malware (v) appearing in the fifth and sixth spots and Trojan.Win32.Agent and Trojan-Spy.Win32.Zbot.gen (v) dropped off the list.

Other detections with a significant change in March include Exploit.PDF-JS.Gen (v), which saw its percentage of total detections grow by almost 50 percent, and Trojan.Win32.Generic.pak!cobra – which saw a significant drop in its share from 3.37 percent to 1.37 percent of all detections.

“Good antivirus defense requires not only up-to-the-minute detections of malware, but fast detection as well,” said Sunbelt Software research center manager Tom Kelchner. “Generic and behavior-based detections help VIPRE nail a lot of the polymorphic variants and newly-created malicious code. It might be new and evade detections for existing malicious activity, but when it runs in VIPRE’s MX-V™ virtual environment, the malicious activity is sure to be caught.”

“It’s a cat-and-mouse game that’s been going on as long as there have been antivirus engines. The hackers try to come up with something that will evade detection and steal something valuable from its victims. Sunbelt creates detection technology that works fast and seamlessly to not bog down our customers’ systems,” Kelchner added.

New entries in the top 10 in March were:

* INF.Autorun (v) – Trojan downloader
* BehavesLike.Win32.Malware (v) – category of suspicious behaving malware

The top 10 results represent the number of times a particular malware infection was detected during VIPRE and CounterSpy scans that report back to ThreatNet, Sunbelt Software’s community of opt-in users. These threats are classified as moderate to severe based on method of installation among other criteria established by SunbeltLabs. The majority of these threats propagate through stealth installations or social engineering.

The top 10 most prevalent malware threats for the month of March are:
1. Trojan.Win32.Generic!BT 31.07%
2. Trojan-Spy.Win32.Zbot.gen 4.97%
3. Exploit.PDF-JS.Gen (v) 3.76%
4. Trojan.Win32.Generic!SB.0 3.36%
5. INF.Autorun (v) 1.70%
6. BehavesLike.Win32.Malware (v) 1.47%
7. Trojan.Win32.Generic.pak!cobra 1.37%
8. Trojan.Win32.Malware 1.37%
9. Trojan.ASF.Wimad (v) 1.23%
10. Virtumonde 1.21%

To see a graphical comparison of the top 10 most prevalent malware infections between February and March, please visit http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/malware-threat-report/February-March-2010-Malware-Threat-Report.jpg.

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National Center for Disaster Fraud to Coordinate Haitian and Chilean Fraud Complaints

Shortly after the earthquake in Haiti last January, the FBI and the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) established a telephone hotline to report suspected fraud associated with relief efforts. That number, (866) 720-5721, was initially staffed for the purpose of reporting suspected scams being perpetrated by criminals in the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake.

Since then with the recent earthquake in Chile our efforts have expanded to identify similar fraud activity coming out of that disaster. Therefore the public is encouraged to call this same number (866) 720-5721 to report suspected fraud from either disaster. The telephone line is staffed by a live operator 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, e-mail information can be directly sent to disaster@leo.gov.

The National Center for Disaster Fraud was originally established by the Department of Justice to investigate, prosecute, and deter fraud in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when billions of dollars in federal disaster relief poured into the Gulf Coast Region. Now, its mission has expanded to include suspected fraud from any natural or manmade disaster. More than 20 federal agencies, including the
FBI, participate in the NCDF, allowing the center to act as a centralized clearinghouse of information related to Haitian or Chilean Relief Fraud.

The FBI continues to remind the public to apply a critical eye and do their due diligence before giving contributions to anyone soliciting donations on behalf of Haitian or Chilean victims. Solicitations can originate from e-mails, websites, door-to-door collections, mailings and telephone calls, and similar methods.

Therefore, before making a donation of any kind, consumers should adhere to certain guidelines, including the following:

* Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) incoming e-mails, including clicking links
contained within those messages because they may contain computer viruses.
* Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as surviving victims or officials
asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites.
* Beware of organizations with copy-cat names similar to but not exactly the same
as those of reputable charities.
* Rather than following a purported link to a website, verify the legitimacy of non-profit
organizations by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming
the group's existence and its non-profit status.
* Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached
files because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
* To ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes, make contributions
directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation
on your behalf.
* Do not be pressured into making contributions, as reputable charities do not use
such tactics.
* Do not give your personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions.
Providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable
to identity theft.
* Avoid cash donations if possible. Pay by debit or credit card, or write a check
directly to the charity. Do not make checks payable to individuals.
* Legitimate charities do not normally solicit donations via money transfer services.
* Most legitimate charities websites end in .org rather than .com.
* There are scams targeting Haitian immigrants and their families offering assistance
in getting family members and friends out of Haiti. These individuals charge a fee
and then claim they will provide the necessary immigration paperwork or an airline
ticket for disaster victims to leave Haiti. For official information pertaining
to immigration from Haiti to the U.S., visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS) website at www.USCIS.gov.

If you believe you have been a victim of fraud from someone or an organization soliciting
relief on behalf of Haitian or Chilean earthquake victims, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud at (866) 720-5721. You can also fax information to fax (225) 334-4707 or e-mail it to disaster@leo.gov.

You can also report suspicious e-mail solicitations or fraudulent websites to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

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Rental and Real Estate Scams

Individuals need to be cautious when posting rental properties and real estate on-line.
The IC3 continues to receive numerous complaints from individuals who have fallen
victim to scams involving rentals of apartments and houses, as well as postings
of real estate on-line.

Rental scams occur when the victim has rental property advertised and is contacted
by an interested party. Once the rental price is agreed-upon, the scammer forwards
a check for the deposit on the rental property to the victim. The check is to cover
housing expenses and is, either written in excess of the amount required, with the
scammer asking for the remainder to be remitted back, or the check is written for
the correct amount, but the scammer backs out of the rental agreement and asks for
a refund. Since the banks do not usually place a hold on the funds, the victim has
immediate access to them and believes the check has cleared. In the end, the check
is found to be counterfeit and the victim is held responsible by the bank for all
losses.

Another type of scam involves real estate that is posted via classified advertisement
websites. The scammer duplicates postings from legitimate real estate websites and
reposts these ads, after altering them. Often, the scammers use the broker's real
name to create a fake email, which gives the fraud more legitimacy. When the victim
sends an email through the classified advertisement website inquiring about the
home, they receive a response from someone claiming to be the owner. The "owner"
claims he and his wife are currently on missionary work in a foreign country. Therefore,
he needs someone to rent their home while they are away. If the victim is interested
in renting the home, they are asked to send money to the owner in the foreign country.

If you have been a victim of Internet crime, please file a complaint at
http://www.IC3.gov/.

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Apple Picks New Technology as Featured iPhone App

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Grammy Award winning producer Dallas Austin and Fried Green Apps announce that Mix Me In has earned a spot in the coveted “New and Noteworthy” section of Apple’s App Store.

“This technology will change how records are produced and how fans listen to music.”

“It’s more than an iPhone App, it’s a completely new way for artists to release music,” says Austin, producer of artists like Gwen Stefani, Michael Jackson, and Pink. “This technology will change how records are produced and how fans listen to music.” Austin worked with the development team behind Mix Me In’s patent-pending technology and is encouraging artists to release original material in the Mix Me In format.

"Fried Green Apps has invested an incredible amount of time and energy creating a music technology that revolutionizes how fans experience their favorite music,” says Fried Green Apps CEO Bill Pike. “We are thrilled that Apple was impressed enough with Mix Me In’s technology to highlight us as a Featured App.”

Mix Me In takes popular songs and breaks them down into different streams, isolating the lead singer; guitar; drums; backup singers; keyboards; and anything else that goes into the song. It then allows users to mix the streams together any way they want. There are also alternate acoustic versions of each stream. So you can change a synthesizer to a classical piano or an electric guitar to an acoustic guitar. Rather than having one version of a song, Mix Me In provides listeners with hundreds of variations. And, with a simple tap on their iPhone, users can even mix their own voice or instruments onto the streams, making the possibilities limitless. Users can also upload their mixes to the Mix Me In website for the whole world to hear.

James Shaffer, lead guitarist for KoRn says, “This is much more than an iPhone App. We see it as an exciting new way to deliver music to our fans.”

“The app is only the tip of the iceberg,” says Pike. “We are in discussions with major artists to release new original music powered by Mix Me In's technology. This will give fans greater control over how they interact with their favorite artists just like Mix Me In gives them greater control over how they interact with their favorite songs.”

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NASA Making Government More Accessible With Cutting-Edge Use of New Media

/PRNewswire/ -- NASA is supporting the White House's Open Government Directive with a number of Internet-based programs designed to make the agency more accessible and create a dialog with the American people about their space program.

NASA is one of six departments and agencies working to spur innovation by making it easier for high-tech companies to identify collaborative, entrepreneurial opportunities. Government agencies are home to treasure troves of data and information, too much of which is underutilized by the private sector because it is either not easily found or exists in cumbersome formats. NASA and the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration in the Department of Health and Human Services, the Agricultural Research Service in the Department of Agriculture, the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the Department of Commerce and the Department of Energy are working together to increase access to information on publicly-funded technologies that are available for license, opportunities for federal funding and partnerships, and potential private-sector partners.

NASA's Innovative Partnerships Programs Office is working to establish an RSS feed to publicize technologies available for public licensing. By making information from multiple agencies available in RSS and XML feeds on Data.gov, the government empowers innovators to find the information they need and receive real-time updates, which can fuel entrepreneurial momentum, create new jobs, and strengthen economic growth. NASA's RSS feed will make these opportunities more visible to the commercial and research communities. NASA plans on having the feed operational by Dec. 31.

NASA also has undertaken an extensive effort to use the Internet and social media tools to engage the public on agency activities. NASA's home page on the Internet, www.nasa.gov, offers information on all of the agency's missions, research and discoveries.

In January 2009, nasa.gov capitalized on the agency's growing social media efforts by rolling out a new "Connect and Collaborate with NASA" page, at www.nasa.gov/connect. This provides the public with quick connections to the agency's pages on Twitter, Facebook, UStream, YouTube, Flickr and MySpace, as well as NASA podcasts and vodcasts on iTunes. The page also provides links to agency chats, Tweetup events, RSS feeds and the agency's official blog.

The agency's social media presence was further expanded in November with the addition of NASA's Twitter feed to the homepage. The website offers links to NASA-related desktop "widgets" and opportunities for the public to collaborate directly with the agency through art contests, engineering challenges and imagery and data analysis.

Another new communication tool is Spacebook, a NASA internal expert networking utility. Spacebook has been used to improve collaboration across NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The Spacebook site allows new and established NASA staff to get to know the agency's diverse community of scientists, engineers, project managers and support personnel.

"Space doesn't explore itself. Science doesn't discover itself. People do that, and to do that they have to talk," said Emma Antunes, the project manager who also manages Goddard's Web site. "They have to trade questions and ideas. They have to connect. And, the more diverse the group, the more likely connections and conversations will lead to new ideas and innovation. Spacebook will enhance NASA's capacity to do just that."

For more information about NASA's use of the Internet and social media to interact with America, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/connect

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Trusted Computer Solutions Announces December 15 Webinar “What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You”

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Trusted Computer Solutions, Inc. (TCS), a leading developer of cross domain and cyber security solutions, today announced it will host a complimentary webcast titled “What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You” taking place on December 15, 2009 at 11 a.m. EST. This educational webcast will look at CounterStorm™, a solution that reinforces existing network security methods by stopping zero day and targeted attacks, and how anomaly detection techniques can be used in conjunction with traditional detection solutions to locate malicious behavior quickly and without known signatures.

At the Black Hat USA conference in July, Trusted Computer Solutions announced the general availability of CounterStorm. The solution employs an integrated suite of sophisticated detection engines that are uniquely correlated to provide unparalleled accuracy and speed in identifying and automatically stopping the new generation of increasingly destructive attacks.

The webcast will include discussion around the following topics:

* Current network defenses against known malware
* Advanced threats
* Mitigating advanced threats with anomaly detection
* The CounterStorm approach


WHO:
Brian Lindauer, Senior Software Engineer – CounterStorm, Trusted Computer Solutions

WHAT:
What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You

WHEN:
Tuesday, December 15; 11 a.m. – Noon EST

WHERE:
Webcast; Registration for the event can be accessed at TCS Webinar Registration

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Study Finds U.S. Small Businesses Lack Cybersecurity Awareness and Policies

/PRNewswire/ -- Small business owners' cybersecurity policies and actions are not adequate enough to ensure the safety of their employees, intellectual property and customer data, according to the 2009 National Small Business Cybersecurity Study. The study, co-sponsored by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and Symantec [Nasdaq: SYMC], as part of this year's National Cyber Security Awareness Month, surveyed nearly 1,500 small business owners across the United States about their cybersecurity awareness policies and practices.

The survey confirmed that small businesses today are handling valuable information - 65 percent store customer data, 43 percent store financial records, 33 percent store credit card information, and 20 percent have intellectual property and other sensitive corporate content online. 65 percent of the business survey claimed that the Internet was critical to their businesses success yet they are doing very little to ensure that their employees and systems are not victims of a data breach.

The survey shows discrepancies between needs and actions regarding security policies and employee education on security best practices. Only 28 percent of U.S. small businesses have formal Internet security policies and just 35 percent provide ANY training to employees about Internet safety and security. At the same time, 86 percent of these firms do not have anyone solely focused on information technology (IT) security. For those small businesses that do provide cybersecurity training, 63 percent provide less than 5 hours per year.

The lack of focus on cybersecurity awareness and education on the part of U.S. small businesses can lead to the loss of vital customer and company data. The study found that while more than 9 in 10 small businesses said they believe they are safe from malware and viruses based on the security practices they have in place, only 53 percent of firms check their computers on a weekly basis to ensure that anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewalls and operating systems are up-to-date and 11 percent never check them.

"The 20 million small businesses in the U.S. are a critical part of the nation's economy. While small business owners may understandably be focused on growing their business and the bottom line, it is imperative to understand that a cybersecurity incident can be disruptive and expensive," said NCSA Executive Director Michael Kaiser. "To the millions of very savvy entrepreneurs across our nation, our message is simple - being smart about the online safety of your employees, business and customers is a critical part of doing business. Cybersecurity is not a nice thing to have for American businesses, it is critical to their survival."

Meanwhile, small businesses seem out of sync with some Internet security risks. 75 percent of small businesses said that they use the Internet to communicate with customers yet only 6 percent fear the loss of customer data and only 42 percent believe that their customers are concerned about the IT security of their business. What's more, 56 percent of small businesses believe cybersecurity is the cost of doing business while 21 percent believe it is just "a nice thing to have."

Laptops, PDAs and wireless networks are great conveniences to businesses, yet they carry with them an added responsibility to ensure the data is secure. Today, more than 66 percent of employees take computers or PDAs containing sensitive information off-site. Wireless networks are gateways for hackers and cyber criminals and must be secured by complex passwords. Unsecured wireless networks are akin to leaving the front door of a filing cabinet wide open on the sidewalk. 62 percent of the companies surveyed have a wireless network but 25 percent of them do not password protect their wireless networks. This is a significant security risk as hackers can steal information being passed through these open networks.

"Security threats are becoming more complex and employees of small businesses are increasingly the target of attacks that expose their organizations to data loss," said Sheri Atwood, vice president, global solutions and programs, Symantec. "Security awareness and education, combined with a comprehensive security solution, can empower small businesses and their employees to protect themselves and their information."

For more information on how you can keep you and your business safe online visit www.staysafeonline.org. For additional results from the Zogby study, visit: http://staysafeonline.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=67

The demographic makeup of the small business polled focused on number of employees and revenue. 56 percent of those polled were companies with one-to-nine employees, 10 percent had 10-25 employees, five percent had 26-50 employees and five percent had more than 51 employees. In terms of revenue, 56 percent had annual revenue of $249,000 or less, 11 percent have revenue of $250,000-$499,000, eight percent have revenue of $500,000 to $1 million. 11 percent have revenue between $1 million and $5 million and five percent have revenues exceeding $5 million. The Zogby International poll has a margin of error of +/- 2.6 percentage points.

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NASA, Shuttle Crew Host DC Tweetup

Astronauts discuss the retirement of the space shuttle program and NASA's plans for a new spacecraft

Twitter users fascinated with space gathered at NASA Headquarters in Washington on Thursday to ask the crew of space shuttle Endeavour STS-127 candid questions about the future of NASA and space exploration.

This was the second Tweetup organized by NASA, the first one was held in July after the crew of Atlantis STS-125 successfully completed the final repair mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. On that mission, astronaut Mike Massimino, or Astro_Mike, became the first person to send a tweet from space. The message, sent to his 247,000 followers, said: "From orbit: Launch was awesome!! I am feeling great, working hard, & enjoying the magnificent views, the adventure of a lifetime has begun!"

During Thursday's Tweetup -- the term users of the social networking service Twitter use to describe an in-person meeting -- participants asked the STS-127 crew questions that ranged from their religious views to if they would volunteer for a one-way mission to Mars.

"I think that's a case-by-case question," Mission Specialist Christopher Cassidy said of a no-return trip to the Red Planet. "It's an interesting concept to think about it, and all of us are astronauts because we enjoy training for and operating in space. But there is certainly a human aspect to it, and we all have families, and to take a one-way trip to Mars with our families would be one thing, but take a one-way trip to Mars without our families is entirely different."

Video and more details: http://www.insidescience.org/current_affairs/nasa_shuttle_crew_host_dc_tweetup
Courtesy: Inside Science News Service

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Twitter: The New Mathematics

/PRNewswire/ -- The following comments were delivered today by Dr. Benjamin Ola. Akande, dean of Webster University's School of Business & Technology, to introduce Twitter creator, co-founder and chairman Jack Dorsey as the University's "Success to Significance 2009 Person of the Year." The event was presented by Webster's School of Communications and School of Business & Technology.

My favorite equation in mathematics is the original equation, one from which all other equations evolve. In my opinion, it is the holy grail of mathematics. The irrefutable law of mathematics. It is the convention in conventional wisdom. 1+1 equals 2. May I dare suggest to you that this universal truth may become something of our recent past? The reason: Twitter.

Twitter has successfully created a new equation which states that, 1+1 equals countless possibilities.

1+1 is equal to 3, to 300, 3 million. It is equal to the power of the written word -- 140 characters, succinct, precise and concise. Twitter is equal to the possibility to make a difference, to be a contributor to society for the greater good of mankind. Twitter is becoming the definitive equation of our time not just for its simplicity but also for its exponential potential of increase.

One of the ways in which we verify the overwhelming impact of a product and an idea is when it becomes a verb, a part of our lexicon.

Much like Google, Twitter has become a universal descriptor for sharing ideas in a concise format that speaks to universality, democracy, immediacy and transparency.

Twittering is a conversation between two people yet the definition of two is singular, infinite and boundless. Twittering has become a language unto itself. Words and symbols strung together in a deliberate order to create spontaneous, and sustained, bursts of ideas.

Twitter has in effect dismantled the constraints and boundaries of time and space between us. It is an enabler of ideas that has empowered the young and the young at heart to share and stay connected.

Twitter has fundamentally transformed the way we talk and listen to one another; the manner in which we inform each other and has extended and strengthened the power of the written word.

If I were to state the impact on society in 140 characters or less, I'd tweet "Twitter is to our generation what Guttenberg's printing press and Bell's telephone was to theirs."

In just three short years, Twitter's 40 million users have made it a public forum for the discussion of politics, business, culture, news, celebrity, gossip and idle chatter.

People are tweeting to raise money, to recruit talent, to make government more responsible, to find and distribute news, to discover knowledge, to build personal or business networks, or to just kill a little time with friends and family.

In the new book by Shel Israel, entitled Twitterville, the author makes a convincing case that Twitter's worth is not only the ability to broadcast short messages, but also the ongoing and transformative conversation that these tweets can ignite.

You know, every generation produces individuals who come along and make life better for those around them. They are notable individuals who rise from small and big places. They come from humble beginnings, unrecognizable even while in our midst. They are innovators, doers, ordinary people who enable others to achieve what has never been done before. The new math is Twitter.

With its home campus in St. Louis, Webster University (www.webster.edu) is a worldwide institution committed to delivering high-quality learning experiences that transform students for global citizenship and individual excellence. Founded in 1915, Webster offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs through five schools and colleges, and a global network of more than 100 campuses. Its 20,000-plus student population represents almost 150 nationalities. The University's core values include excellence in teaching, joining theory and practice, small class sizes, and educating students to be lifelong independent learners, fully prepared to participate in an increasingly international society.


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AT&T Strengthens 3G Wireless Broadband Coverage In and Around Atlanta

/PRNewswire/ -- AT&T* today announced a substantial enhancement to its local 3G wireless broadband network with the launch of additional wireless spectrum in the 850 MHz band. This new spectrum adds significant capacity to the network to support ever-growing demand for 3G mobile broadband service, and provides improved in-building 3G wireless coverage for customers across the metropolitan Atlanta and surrounding areas including parts of Fulton, DeKalb, North Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett, and Fayette Counties.

The network enhancement is part of AT&T's continual efforts to enhance and expand the scope, capacity and speed of its 3G wireless network - the fastest 3G network in Atlanta, according to recent data compiled by leading independent wireless research firms. It is also part of AT&T's ongoing investment to build the broadband networks that will create jobs and fuel economic growth, and enable its customers to quickly access the content, applications and services that matter most to them.

"Our mission is to connect people with their world, everywhere they live and work, and to do it better than anyone else," said Sylvia Russell, president-AT&T Georgia. "This substantial network upgrade is part of our commitment to deliver the nation's fastest 3G connectivity along with the highest possible levels of service quality and reliability."

"A thriving economy is driven by the ability of businesses to connect, and the investments AT&T continues to make in Georgia help us attract and retain jobs and build strong communities," said Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue. "By enhancing existing networks and bringing innovative communications technologies to Georgia, AT&T is helping position our state to be a leader as the economy recovers."

The 850 MHz spectrum has been added to the existing 1900 MHz spectrum across more than 540 cell sites in and around Atlanta to deliver a substantial increase in overall network capacity in these areas. Overall, the effort enhances 3G wireless broadband coverage across more than 3,800 square miles. The 850 MHz spectrum is part of the highest-quality spectrum band available. While specific benefits of the new spectrum will vary by location, AT&T 3G customers should receive improved quality and coverage. AT&T will continue work to fully optimize the new spectrum over the next several weeks.

"We know many of our customers depend on wireless as their primary communications connection to work, family and friends, and our mission is to ensure that every time a customer hits the 'send' key, whatever the application, it just gets done," said Keith Holmes, vice president and general manager, AT&T Mobility & Consumer Markets for Georgia. "We're enhancing our network every day to help customers do more with and get more from their wireless connections."

In markets where the 850MHz spectrum has been deployed, AT&T technicians who continuously monitor network performance for service quality and coverage have seen significant increases in total 3G data traffic.

"Atlanta consistently ranks as one of the most technology-savvy cities, and investments in technology and broadband continue to position our region for success," said Sam A. Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. "We are truly becoming a national hotbed for technology innovation and investment."

The AT&T 3G network opens the door to a new era of advanced mobile services, devices and feature-rich audio and video content, such as AT&T Video Share(SM), a first-of-its-kind technology that allows users to share live video during a wireless call.

AT&T's wireless network is based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) family of technologies, which includes GSM and UMTS, the most open and widely used wireless network platforms in the world. As a result, only AT&T can offer 3G data roaming in more than 70 countries, as well as voice calling in more than 200 countries, in addition to AT&T's continuously expanding U.S. 3G footprint.

AT&T also enables unsurpassed choice and openness in the range of devices, services and applications compatible with its 3G network. AT&T offers a wide variety of devices from more than a dozen manufacturers, including handsets that are compatible with six different operating systems and five different e-mail applications. Our Media Mall 2.0 offers more than 90,000 content options, and customers can download virtually any application over the Internet. Additionally, AT&T supports a community of more than 13,000 application developers via its devCentral portal.

AT&T's 3G network is now available in more than 350 U.S. major metropolitan areas. AT&T plans to deploy 850 MHz spectrum in the majority of these markets over the course of 2009.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

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Lachlan Markay - Seeking the impossible? Rupert Murdoch's quest for online revenues

After posting disappointing fourth quarter numbers, media giant News Corporation announced Wednesday that it would begin charging for online content for all of its news services. Many have bleak hopes for the company’s future should it institute a membership-fee regime, but it has an opportunity to be a trail-blazer in the world of online news.

Among News Corp. subsidiaries are movie production and distribution giant 20th Century Fox, as well as Fox’s cable television stations, the Wall Street Journal and New York Post newspapers, and social networking pioneer MySpace.

Murdoch insisted that his company would have to begin charging for online access in order to maintain a high standard of reporting. "Quality journalism is not cheap, and an industry that gives away its content is simply cannibalizing its ability to produce good reporting," he said.

Click to read: Lachlan Markay - Seeking the impossible? Rupert Murdoch's quest for online revenues

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U.S. Forces Afghanistan Logs 20,000 Facebook Fans

U.S. Forces Afghanistan's Facebook page logged its 20,000th fan today, passing the milestone a little more than two months after going public, making it the fastest-growing official military Facebook page, military officials here said.

The fan page at http://www.facebook.com/usforcesafghanistan is one of the main tools used by the U.S. military in Afghanistan to disseminate news and imagery from its operations, and counter and pre-empt extremist propaganda, officials said.

In June, for example, command officials posted video on the page to quickly counter terrorist claims that U.S. troops had attacked civilians in the city of Asadabad. The video, captured by Combined Joint Task Force 82, exonerated U.S. troops and shifted blame for the attack to insurgents, who threw a grenade into a crowd gathered near a disabled American truck.

The command used the site in May to display a series of videos taken from the biggest drug interdiction operation of the war. More recently, officials shared videos of U.S. air strikes, illustrating the care forces take to ensure civilian safety when using close-air support.

As subscribers to the page, fans receive regular updates from the U.S. headquarters here. Roughly 2,000 people, including fans, visit the page daily. Fans also have full access to post their own comments, links, photos and videos.

To date, the page has fans from at least 18 countries, and is followed by major U.S. and Western media organizations and celebrities. The page's fan base has expanded rapidly, adding more than 250 followers per day, on average, since the launch. Nearly 250 news releases, 19 videos and hundreds of photos have been added to the site.

(American Forces Press Service; From a U.S. Forces Afghanistan news release.)
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HIring someone to do your website? Beware!

Recently I was asked, and agreed, to help a company update and improve their websites. They were unhappy with the designer they'd hired. He wasn't responsive to their requests for updates on the website, they didn't like the design on one of them and they weren't getting the traffic they wanted. All good reasons to move.

It should have been a simple thing. Contact the designer, let them know, make the appropriate changes and voila, new designer. If all had gone well, I would have had time to go in and update the sites then re-design them over time.

Unfortunately, the designer didn't want to let go of the websites. Both have e-commerce storefronts through a 3rd party, which made it critical to get the back-end more so than the design.

When the designer refused to let go of the sites, saying he'd designed them and owned the design, including the back-end e-commerce portion of the site, it turned into a BIG deal.

I'll call the company I'm working with LTD just to try and make this easier to understand. The designer shall be BTTB, as in bad to the bone. His host, CITM (caught in the middle).

LTD had paid thousands to and through BTTB to get the sites set up. Luckily LTD paid with credit card and luckily the BTTB wasn't initially able to build the main site himself and had the e-commerce company build it. As it turned out LTD paid them directly for what the designer said was / billed as software but turned out to be the initial design. Proof of ownership existed!

BTTB held LTD hostage. BTTB got his feelings hurt, sent a nasty letter saying he wasn't going to do any updates, the cost of hosting was going up and if LTD wanted the design they'd have to pay close to $4,000 and they'd charge $400 an hour to work with someone to get the e-commerce site transitioned.

I contacted the CITM trying to get around the designer to get the e-commerce info and design. No dice, they had an agreement with BTTB, had to have his authorization to release the design, even though we had proof we owned it. Understandable - it was the designer's name on everything. They'd have released it if we'd sued and had legal documents, but we didn't really want to go that route.

Bottom line, we spent countless hours on the phone, working this way and that way to try and resolve the issue in a way that 1) didn't cost a ridiculous amount, 2) was seamless to the LTD customers and 3) kept all of LTD's customer info intact.

We finally get one of the sites simply because BTTB wasn't quite as smart as he'd tried to portray himself when he sold his services to LTD. Because BTTB didn't know how to do an e-commerce site and had the e-commerce company design the first site as I mentioned above, they had a back-up copy. BTTB had started out right by putting LTD's company name on the bottom line at the e-commerce company (although all the contact info was his...), so they were willing and legally able to help.

We had to design the 2nd site from scratch as BTTB cobbled together a simple working site himself.

Another good thing: LTD had purchased the domain names prior to hiring the designer. BTTB had gone in and put his name and contact info on everything, but luckily hadn't changed passwords. We were able to fix that and change the passwords before moving the sites over without his knowledge.

We moved to a new host who turned out to be excellent. They coordinated with the e-commerce people and us to help get everything set up and running behind the scenes. I wish I could tell you the real names in here because I would highly recommend the e-commerce group and the host. They were stellar, outstanding, went way above and beyond to help. More than anything I wish I could tell you the name of BTTB, but he's rather nasty and I'd just as soon not tangle with him any further!

During the debacle, over and over I was told that this kind of hostage situation was not an uncommon occurrence. I did not talk to one tech support person, one potential host while searching for a new one, one e-commerce person who had not already dealt with something similar. I found that disconcerting.

Here's what I'd suggest to ensure you have ownership of your site:

1. Have a contract. LTD didn't have one. They trusted the guy as he sounded good, was a friend of a friend or something... Contracts don't help much unless you decide to sue, but you need to be sure everything is spelled out clearly when entering into a partnership with a designer. Include charges for updates, frequency of updates, time frame for making updates among other things. Read any contract provided by the designer carefully and completely.

2. Make sure YOU register your domain name unless you know and trust the company doing your site.

3. Do your homework. Make sure the designer you're hiring is a legitimate company with a good track record. Get references. Check out their other websites. (When I took a look at BTTB's own website, it hadn't been updated for over five years. The websites BTTB listed as references were mostly out of business or one page horrors.)

4. Stay involved, especially if you have a storefront. The data on the storefront is private and critical. Customer data and relationships are involved. Your livelihood is at risk. Make sure you check to ensure that your company name is on any contract, any ownership information before you pay a bill.

5. Use a credit card so you have proof of what you paid for each step of the way.

6. Make sure you have passwords to your e-commerce site and that one of your staff learns the ins and outs. Usually that's a given as you'll have to have the ability to batch and grab data, but some companies hire the designer / others to do it for them. If you don't have staff and are dependent on a third party, number 3 in this list is critical.

7. If the designer doesn't respond, doesn't make the changes you request in a timely manner, move quick. Everyone has an occasional problem so I'm not suggesting that you jump ship the first time your change isn't made in a specific time frame! Be reasonable but don't let it get to be a chronic problem.

I'm sure there are other safeguards and suggestions out there in cyber-land. Let me know if you've had problems or if you have suggestions for the novice who's looking to set up a website (with or without 3rd party e-commerce).

I'm loving the e-commerce company and LTD is extremely pleased with the design I did for both sites. We have everything updated and running smoothly now and the sites are being updated regularly.

I really got a kick out of one day swooping in, moving the hosting, redirecting the IP address, removing all the old designer's contact info from everything... It's been a time-consuming pill to get this all done, but knowing that I was working to thwart an unscrupulous designer motivated me mightily. Creeps like that give all of us a bad name and hurt the industry.

Ah, and one more thing... turned out the designer didn't have any SEO (search engine optimization) knowledge. He used graphics instead of text, no alt tags. He didn't have any META key words or descriptions on any of the pages. I could bore you to tears with the problems I found on the sites, SEO related and design related. Since taking over the sites I've already managed to do things that more than quadrupled traffic to both sites. Basic stuff that your novice designer should know. Not sure whether the guy was lazy or ignorant. Either way, LTD lost money and potential customers.

Be sure you're getting someone who has SEO knowledge. It's critical these days.

Here's a suggestion for you on your designer: If you can find one who'll work for a percentage of storefront sales instead of a flat fee, you'll have someone who does everything in their power to make your site profitable. The more they earn for you, the more they earn for themselves. If you do that, please make sure you have an airtight contract that spells out terms. Most importantly, be sure you trust whoever you choose and that they have a good reputation.

Young Adults Rely on the Internet for Economic News

/PRNewswire / -- Young adults rely heavily on the Internet for economic news, according to a nationwide study released today by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism.

More than half of the 400 interviewees aged 18 to 25 said they relied a lot on the Internet for business news, followed by television and the advice of family and friends. They also rated the Internet and television as more accurate than newspapers, radio and magazines.

The study was commissioned by the Reynolds Center with interviews conducted by the Behavior Research Center Inc.

Almost half of the young adults surveyed said they had made decisions in the last year based on economic news. Those included buying less, saving more and putting off going to college.

"Our study found that young adults clearly care about their long-term financial future and follow the economic news in its many forms," said Andrew Leckey, president of the Reynolds Center.

More than half said that the current economy has changed how they foresee their future lifestyle and career, "an extremely pessimistic finding," according to James E. Haynes, who directed the research.

Other findings included:

-- CNN was cited as the most trustworthy specific news source by 20
percent, while 9 percent chose Fox News.
-- One in five had discussed the economy on social networking sites. More
than half used Facebook, followed by MySpace at 40 percent. Seven
percent said they frequently used the micro-blogging site, Twitter.
-- Almost one-fourth used online financial tools, with bank Web sites
being the most commonly used.

A February study by the Reynolds Center of where all adults accessed business news found that more used television than newspapers, the Internet and radio combined.

The survey has a margin of error of +/- 5 percent.

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CNET: Vandals blamed for phone and Internet outage

Note: One of our vendors notified us that AT&T is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the vandals. Please verify with AT&T before putting on your sleuth hat, catching the vandals and asking for your reward...

Update 2:58 p.m. PDT: This story has been updated with information about what caused the massive phone and Internet outage in Silicon Valley on Thursday. Comments from Sprint Nextel have also been added.

Vandals are to blame for the massive phone and Internet outage in Silicon Valley on Thursday, an AT&T representative has confirmed.

A story published by the San Francisco Chronicle and carried on SFGate.com first reported that police confirmed the phone and Internet outage that has left thousands of customers in the San Jose, Calif., area without phone or broadband Internet service was caused by vandals who had cut fiber-optic cables.

Police told the newspaper that four AT&T fiber-optic cables were severed shortly before 1:30 a.m. PDT along Monterey Highway north of Blossom Hill Road in South San Jose. A cable in San Carlos, Calif., owned by Sprint Nextel was also cut about two hours later, Crystal Davis, a Sprint spokeswoman confirmed.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10216151-94.html

More coverage of the story:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/10/MNP816VTE6.DTLhttp://news.google.com/news?pz=1&ned=us&cf=all&ncl=1328166061
http://cbs5.com/crime/phone.internet.outage.2.981720.html
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