The conference on cybersecurity in Dallas, Texas has brought forward the fears of cybersecurity experts in which they still recognize the potential for "nightmare" scenarios. All the experts at this conference agree that the only way to protect against the "nightmare scenario" is for global cooperation.

This article is actually looking at the question of whether there is even a cybersecurity threat. It demonstrates that even within government bodies in the US there is no consensus about the level of current threat.

"Cyberattacks aren't confined to governmental/national boundaries and neither should cybersecurity programs." Finally a forward-thinking idea about what needs to happen in order to make an effective cybersecurity plan. This is a statement by Sen. Jay Rockefeller in which he also discussed the need to eliminate the government vs. market solutions. Neither can create a solution independent of the other..."we will only succeed if we do work together." He recognizes the importance of creating an environment in which the private sector can have the resources it needs to work within itself and with the government.

This article looks at the notion that the internet was supposed to spark the decline of autocrats. It then argues that authoritarian regimes, such as China and Vietnam, have actually undermined the potential power of the Web in the way that it controls content. However, this idea of a filtered internet for users should not be restricted to countries such as China and Vietnam. Australia is quickly becoming one of the most censored countries in the Western world and in many instances has been compared to that of China.

It would take 31,000 years to read all the web addresses in the world. Google has indexed over 1 trillion web addresses. This is particularly significant considering the internet is only 40 years old.

The Worldwide Cybersecurity Summit is taking place in Dallas and will discuss ways to protect the world's digital infrastructure and electronic threats. This summit recognizes the important of creating a coordinated front in order to counter the growing concern of cybersecurity. It will remain to be seen if cooperation between governments is actually possible...not likely.

The cybersecurity threat in India is demonstrated in Symantec's Internet Security Threat Report that outlined the latest threat for computers which involves the Trojan viruses sending confidential data to a host server. This information is then used by cyber mafia to carry out financial transactions in various countries resulting in identity theft.

Google has released the extent to which intruders broke into their system in January. It targeted their password system which controls access to users worldwide. This brings up the debate about the security and privacy of systems like Google that centralize personal information. However, the real issue behind this attack was that it was traced to two computers in China which then started the whole 'Google to change its policy toward China'.

Although many attempts have been made to regulate the trade of many types of endangered species over the internet, all have failed. It is a perfect example of the problems associated with a world-wide need for cooperation in order to achieve regulation of some kind of the internet.

This article refers to the internet as the "weapon of choice" for the Taliban. The reason the article gives for why the internet is deemed a weapon in this case is due to the distribution of misinformation. If this is the case the internet should deemed to be a weapon in the hands of any government in the world. Misleading information is a problem everywhere and this is why people need to be diligent when looking at information on the web.

Useful graphic created by the BBC which shows the spread of the internet from 1998-2008 across the world. Interesting to note the speed with which China and parts of South American grew. From 2001-2008 they moved from 0-5% usage - 26-30% usage.

The internet has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for its help in "advancing, dialogue, debate and consensus." According to the article if the internet were to win it would be a "win for each and every one of us." Go Internet!

This article is dealing with the recent disclosure by Google that it had fallen victim to a cyber attack. It renews the growing sentiment that a global response to the issue of cybersecurity is needed with particular emphasis on the cooperation between the government and business sectors.

Interesting comparison was made in this article regarding President Obama's priorities. It stated that "Obama has made cyber security a top priority for his administration, and has listed the threat from cyber weapons along with other weapons of mass destruction - such as nuclear, chemical and biological weapons." Is it fair to make a comparison between the threat of nuclear weapons and threats which exist within the world of computers?

The findings of this article definitely portrays an extremist view of the internet. It shows the internet to be extremely dangerous which would add to the already growing nervousness which I think many parents experience in letting their children surf the web. While cybersecurity is an increasingly prominent issue I don't see how producing a bubble of fear around the online world can improve the situation. You generally cannot function without the internet and being fed these alarmist ideas only furthers the notion that people should be fearful and avoid the internet rather than be engaging with it and appreciating it for being an amazing tool to communicate and learn.

This article is looking at the release of some details of former President Bush's secret cybersecurity plan. It focuses around the debate as to whether cybersecurity should be extended into infrastructure or scaled back. It will be interesting to see how President Obama will react to this issue especially now that many details have been made public which will spark interest and debate.