In the papers 30 March

30-03-2007

by Sylvia Leatham

Dell raided in work permit investigation | AIB customers targeted in phishing attack

The Irish Times reports that AIB customers were the target of an attempted phishing attack this week, forcing the bank to issue a new warning on its website reminding customers not to respond to e-mails requesting personal information. E-mails were circulated purporting to be from AIB and asking customers to follow a link to a website to re-confirm their internet banking registration number and full personal access code. An AIB spokesman said the site was quickly closed down and no customers had suffered any financial losses.

The paper also says that cybersquatting is on the increase, according to a report from the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). Disputes arising from appropriated domain names increased by 25 percent in 2006, compared with 2005.

The same paper reports that Irish telecoms software firm Accuris Networks has won a deal worth USD1.5 million to provide its technology to Telecom New Zealand. The AccuRoam software will be used to enable Telecom New Zealand customers to roam on many more networks when travelling internationally.

The paper also notes that IBM kicked off its European Innovation and Venture Capital Centre with an event in Dublin attended by more than 70 start-up firms. Although IBM does not invest directly in new technology firms, it is eager to foster relationships with start-ups working in areas that complement its own products and services.

The paper also says that junior sales staff are most likely to be responsible for technological security breaches at work, according to a survey. A poll of 942 IT managers by e-security firm MessageLabs found that salesmen aged between 26 and 35 are most at risk from computer viruses and other online attacks. The firm said sales staff were too busy to worry about protecting themselves and their company from fraud.

The same paper notes that online advertising firm DoubleClick is exploring a sale and is in talks with Microsoft and other potential suitors, according to reports quoting people familiar with the matter.

The same paper says that complaints by Irish citizens concerning online child pornography grew 12 percent last year, as reported by ENN on Thursday.

The Irish Independent reports that Visa International has invested in Dublin-based internet domain registrar dotMobi. Read more on this story on ENN.

The paper also says that PC giant Dell has been raided by Gardai for allegedly employing non-nationals who are not eligible to work in the State. It is understood that non-nationals from outside the EU were employed by Dell after they managed to obtain false documentation to get work permits. The credentials of up to 40 people among the 3,000-strong workforce at the Limerick plant are being examined.

The Irish Examiner says that two State regulatory bodies have joined forces with mobile phone companies to combat mobile spam. The crackdown on unsolicited premium text messages is being spearheaded by the Data Protection Commissioner and the Regulator for Premium Rate Telecommunications (RegTel). It is understood the DPC is concentrating its resources on three or four companies that are the subject of most complaints.

According to the Financial Times, SAP shares fell to a near two-year low during Thursday trading after the world's biggest maker of business software lost its star product developer. The departure of 38-year-old technology head Shai Agassi extends a run of bad news, which includes missed targets in two recent quarters, investor doubts about a new product and a lawsuit from rival Oracle alleging theft. Agassi's departure has also led to a reorganisation of SAP's top management, with sales chief Leo Apotheker being named deputy chief executive.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has launched a service that lets iTunes users buy at a reduced price full albums from which they've already bought singles. The new offering at the iTunes Store, called Complete My Album, allows consumers to purchase at a reduced rate the remaining songs from an album for which they've already bought single songs on iTunes. The reduction in the album price is based on the number of USD0.99 tracks from that album that have already been purchased. Someone who bought two USD0.99 songs, for example, would pay USD8.01 for the remaining songs on an album that normally retails on iTunes for USD9.99.