Government Database Identified Possible Terrorists
A multi-state law enforcement database provided the government with a list of 120,000 people who are likely terrorists, according to the ACLU. The list was created after September 11th and has allegedly led to scores of arrests. Lawmakers have denied that they used the terrorist-targeting capabilities of the software, but the ACLU claims to have documentation stating that the targeting features were one of the primary reasons that lawmakers bought the software in the first place. Because of the controversy surrounding the program, only five states still use it. The ACLU is arguing to cut funding altogether for the program.

Microchip to Save Alpacas from Illegal Exportation
Alpacas (similar to llamas) are being smuggled from Peru to neighboring countries, and then exported to the U.S. and Europe. To prevent this, Peruvian officials plan to implant microchips in the animals' neck muscles so their identities can be determined by hand-held scanners. Alpacas have fine wool and can also be eaten. The Peruvians hope to tag 900 alpacas within the next five years.

Identity Theft Usually an Inside Job
As much as 70 percent of all identity theft is caused by internal employees who misuse data, according to a new study. While companies traditionally protect themselves from outside invaders, the real threat is low-paid employees who are looking to make money from stolen data. A bill is working its way through Congress that would allow for stronger penalties for people who steal inside information. The report also states that half of the perpetrators of this type of crime were women.

Report Shows Canadian Companies Differ from American Companies on Privacy
An in-depth study of 36 U.S. and Canadian companies shows that American companies consider privacy issues a necessity to avoid lawsuits, while Canadian companies see it as an opportunity to gain their customers' trust. Canadian companies have more employees dedicated to protecting customer privacy, and are more concerned with protecting data from misuse within a company, rather than from misuse by outside hackers. While American companies tend to emphasize privacy to comply with legislation, Canadian companies feel simply that maintaining customer privacy is "the right thing to do."

Democrats Propose Privacy Bill
Two members of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security are proposing that the president appoint a chief privacy officer to ensure that any data-mining efforts by the government take citizens' privacy concerns into account. The bill is called the Strengthening Homeland Innovation by Ensuring Liberty, Democracy and Privacy (SHIELD) Act, and it mandates that each federal and independent agency in the executive branch appoint a senior official to assume primary responsibility for privacy policy.

New Idea for Preventing Virus Damage
Two universities and two corporations have worked together to come up with a new method of slowing the proliferation of viruses. The process, called "throttling," will prevent a computer from making too many new connections in a short period of time. They say that limiting computers to one new Web server connection per second would prevent the speedy spread of a virus but would not prohibit the normal operating of a computer.

FTC Rule Requires Labels on Explicit Spam
Last Wednesday the FTC ruling that all sexually explicit email must contain the words, "SEXUALLY EXPLICIT" went into effect. The rule also prohibits sexual pictures to be a visible part of the email; instead a user must take some action to access the sexual content. The rule, part of January's Can-Spam Act, allows for fines of up to $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for organizations.

Use This Shortcut to Enter Web Site Addresses
If you're using Internet Explorer, you don't have to type in the "www" and ".com" each time you go to a web site. Just type the site name in the navigation bar, for example, surfsecret. Then use Ctrl+Enter and you will see that the "www" and ".com" have been added. Try this quick and easy shortcut to save yourself some typing.

Always Win at Minesweeper
Impress your friends by using this trick to beat the Minesweeper game that comes with Windows (Start, All Programs, Games, Minesweeper). Open Minesweeper and type: xyzzy and then type Shift+Enter. On your desktop, you will see a tiny white spot in the uppermost left pixel. Now move your cursor around the game. You should notice that the pixel turns black when you're hovering over a mine, and the pixel turns back to white when your choice is a safe one. This trick works for Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows NT4.

Try Backspace to Navigate Folders
Instead of using the "Up" or "Up One Level" icon to jump back to the folder above the one you're in, try using the Backspace key on your keyboard. It might seem counter-intuitive, but it's a quick shortcut to jumping back in the file structure.

Open Web Pages Without Opening Your Browser First
Instead of opening Internet Explorer, choose Start, Run, and type the web site address in the Open dialog box. Internet Explorer will open automatically to the site you entered.

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If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions regarding this newsletter, email suzanne@surfsecret.com.