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Introduction
If you are developing a web-based system whereby a user, or users, are logging in and staying logged in (sessions, cookies), the following ideas are written with you in mind. Making sure your authentication and authorization schemes are secure is going to be part of your task. All of those things fall under the umbrella term: security. Any competent, security conscious person should already know that most intrusions/attacks are undertaken as follows:

Continue reading “Secure Website Login Programming with PHP & MySQL”

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Google Inc. took control of online ad tracker DoubleClick Inc. Tuesday just hours after European regulators cleared Google’s $3.1 billion bid for the company.

The European Union said the deal, announced 11 months ago, won’t curb competition in the online advertising arena.

United States regulators cleared it in December. Approval from the EU was the last hurdle before the deal could conclude.

Regulators dismissed objections from rivals Microsoft Corp., Yahoo Inc. and advertisers that Google would gain too much control over online advertising prices if it owned DoubleClick.

Unable to topple Google on its own, Microsoft is trying to force slumping rival Yahoo Inc. into a shotgun marriage, with a $44.6 billion wager that the two companies together will have a better chance of tackling the Internet search leader.

Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said combining with DoubleClick would allow Google to more quickly bring to market advances in technology and infrastructure that would dramatically improve digital media and better target advertising to users.

The EU’s antitrust authority said its decision was based exclusively on the economic aspects of the deal and had no bearing on the companies’ obligations under EU rules regarding personal privacy and processing of personal data.

A separate probe by data privacy regulators on search engines’ privacy policies is due to wrap up by April.

European consumer group BEUC said it was disappointed the European Commission had not tackled worries about how Google collects and uses the personal information it amasses.

But the group said it was hopeful Google and DoubleClick would set a good example and “rigorously apply” EU rules.

Privacy advocates at the Center for Digital Democracy in Washington, D.C., said EU regulators’ failure to impose safeguards had “helped strengthen a growing digital colossus that will now be in a dominant position to shape much of the global future of the Internet.”

The European Commission, however, said it found no proof Google and DoubleClick would be able to marginalize competitors because Microsoft, Yahoo and AOL provided “credible” alternatives for placing ads on Web sites.

Google and DoubleClick are not currently rivals, it said, and Google’s purchase of even a potential competitor would not have an adverse impact on competition in the online ad market.

New York-based DoubleClick helps its customers place and track online advertising, including ads alongside search results, which Google — more than its nearest search competitors, Yahoo and Microsoft — has turned into a lucrative business.

DoubleClick places ads on Web pages that targeted consumers are likely to use, generating money for smaller publishers and lesser-visited pages.

SUNNYVALE, Calif. - Yahoo Inc. increased two top executives’ bonuses last year amid a deepening slump that set the stage for Microsoft Corp.’s unsolicited bid for the struggling Internet pioneer.

The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company paid its president, Susan Decker, a $1.1 million bonus in 2007, according to documents filed Friday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. That represented a 29 percent increase from the $850,000 bonus she received in 2006, when she was still Yahoo’s chief financial officer.

Yahoo promoted Decker in June last year when co-founder Jerry Yang replaced Terry Semel as chief executive officer.

The company awarded its general counsel, Michael Callahan, with a $225,000 bonus for 2007. He received a $200,000 bonus in 2006.

The company didn’t explain what Decker and Callahan did to merit the larger bonuses.

The SEC requires Yahoo to spell out the reasons when the company files a proxy statement for its annual meeting later this year. The proxy statement also will contain other details about the total compensation, including salaries and stock options, paid to Decker and Yahoo’s top executives in 2007.

In Friday’s filing, Yahoo disclosed it set Decker’s 2008 salary at $815,000.

With rival Google Inc. widening its lead in the lucrative search advertising market, Yahoo’s profits slipped by 12 percent in 2007.

It marked the second consecutive year of lower earnings, a funk that caused Yahoo’s stock price to plunge 50 percent between December 2005 and Feb. 1 this year — the day that Microsoft announced a buyout offer initially valued at $44.6 billion, or $31 per share.

Yahoo has rejected Microsoft’s bid and has been exploring other possible deals with News Corp.’s MySpace.com and Time Warner Inc.’s AOL.

The effort to elude Microsoft is being steered by Yang, who received a $1 salary and didn’t get a bonus last year. Most of Yang’s estimated $2.3 billion fortune is held in Yahoo stock.

Yahoo also gave its chief financial officer, Blake Jorgensen, a $405,000 bonus for 2007. He didn’t join Yahoo until June last year.

It’s a good thing Yahoo Taiwan bought Wretch.cc last year: the Web site, which offers free blogs, picture and video posting and other applications to users, just swiped the top Internet ranking on the island away from its owner’s portal.

Wretch.cc was ranked the top Web site in Taiwan in a top-100 list tabulated by Business Next, a local magazine, and Taiwan’s Access Rating Online (ARO).

Talk about a big victory.

Yahoo Taiwan’s portal has been the top site by hits and unique visitors in Taiwan since its US$146 million all-stock purchase of Kimo.com in December of 2000, the most popular portal on the island at the time.

Yahoo added a number of features to draw new users, including an English-Chinese dictionary, stock listings and other features. It’s also been ranked as the top local destination for online auctions.

But despite Yahoo’s best attempts to keep up with new features such as blogs, Wretch.cc continued to grow and gain popularity. It proved such a difficult battle that Yahoo Taiwan finally used cash to end the battle, buying Wretch.cc for an undisclosed sum. Local newspaper reports valued the deal at NT$700 million (US$22.7 million).

Yahoo Taiwan came in second in the ranking overall, but it remained number one against other Internet portals.

Rounding out the top five overall Web sites in Taiwan, PChome Online came in third, Yam.com ranked fourth, and Gamer.com took fifth place in the Business Next/ARO list.

The U.S. version of Google ranked first among search engines, and 14th overall, while Google Taiwan came in second, China’s Baidu ranked third and video search engine Flurl came in fourth.

In video posting sites, Taiwan’s I’m TV beat out YouTube for the top spot in Taiwan.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp would not rush to merge its technology platform with Yahoo Inc’s after a takeover of the Internet company, according to the Financial Times, citing an interview with Microsoft chief software architect Ray Ozzie.

Ozzie described technology companies that rush to merge things together as “reckless,” according to the paper.

The paper reported that Ozzie said he was “very optimistic” Microsoft could achieve the main goals of the $41 billion deal, provided it concentrated on not disrupting the experience of Internet users and advertisers, rather than on racing to get all the financial and other benefits from a consolidation of the two companies’ operations.

(Reporting by Yinka Adegoke; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 (Developer Preview)

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WASHINGTON - Citing security risks, the Pentagon banned Google teams from making detailed street-level video maps of U.S. military bases after images of a Texas base ended up on the popular Internet site.

A message sent to all Defense Department bases and installations around the country late last week told officials not to allow the mapping Web site to take panoramic views inside the facilities. Google said taking such pictures is against its policy and that the incident was a mistake.

Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, chief of the U.S. Northern Command, said Thursday that that the decision to issue a formal ban was made after at least one Google crew requested and then was permitted access to a base, identified in the message as Fort Sam Houston. He said he was concerned that allowing the 360-degree, street-level view could provide sensitive information to potential adversaries and endanger base personnel.

It’s a worry, Renuart said, because such views can show “where all the guards are, it shows how the barriers go up and down, it shows how to get in and out of buildings, and I think that poses a real security risk to our military installations.”

Google spokesman Larry Yu said a Google crew mistakenly asked for access to a base.

“It is against our policy to request access to military bases for the purpose of capturing imagery in Street View,” he said, adding that when Google was contacted, the imagery was taken off the site within about 24 hours.

Street View is a feature on Google Map pages that allows viewers to click on a location and see a panoramic view of that spot.

The issue emerged just a few days after published reports suggested that protesters used Google Earth to help plot their access to the roof of the Parliament building in London.

Renuart stressed that this was not an attack against the Internet giant, and that it was more a concern about secondary effects of an otherwise good technology.

Military officials talked to representatives at Google, Renuart said. “Google was very appreciative of us letting them know that we had a concern,” he said. “They understand the security implications, and they have given us no indication that they would not be helpful to us if we asked.”

According to the message sent by U.S. Northern Command to military installations around the country, Google representatives requested access to Fort Sam Houston and were granted permission.

“Once given access they took panoramic images of the area with roof-mounted recording equipment,” the message said. “These images were placed on the Internet for public access.” The imagery included views of entry gates, barriers, the headquarters and other facilities.

The message ordered that military bases prohibit such photography, report any vehicles that may have surveillance capabilities and report any incidents where such access was granted.

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) Chief Executive Steve Ballmer pledged on Thursday the company would gain share against Google Inc (GOOG.O) in online advertising and Web searching, even if it’s his “last breath” at the company.

Speaking at Microsoft’s MIX08 online technology conference in Las Vegas, Ballmer reiterated the justifications for its$41.2 billion unsolicited offer for Yahoo Inc (YHOO.O), saying the deal would accelerate its efforts to build a competitor to Google.

“So it may be my last breath at Microsoft, but we’re going to be there, working away, building share,” said Ballmer during a bantering question-and-answer session with Guy Kawasaki, a venture capitalist and one of the first employees at Apple Inc (AAPL.O).

“In online, yeah, it’s Google, Google, Google, and we’re in the game. We’re just the little engine that could,” joked Ballmer, whose company is the world’s largest software maker.

In the wide-ranging chat with Kawasaki, Ballmer addressed criticism about Windows Vista, launched a few subtle jabs at Apple, and even re-enacted an infamous dance that earned him Web video fame and earned him the unflattering nickname of “Monkey Boy” in some Internet circles.

He didn’t, however, have much to say about the company’s offer for Yahoo. Microsoft has proposed buying Yahoo for $31 a share in cash and stock. Yahoo’s board has rejected the bid, saying it undervalued the company.

“We’ve made an offer, and it’s out there, baby,” said Ballmer. The deal was originally worth $44.6 billion, but Microsoft’s stock slide has pushed down its value.

The Microsoft CEO said if a deal should go through, the two companies will look to reduce overlapping areas.

“We shouldn’t have two of everything. It won’t make sense to have two search services, two advertising services, two mail services, and we will have to sort some of that through,” said Ballmer.

Kawasaki did not hesitate to bring up past embarrassing moments for Ballmer, including references in an lawsuit that claimed Ballmer threw a chair at a former employee who said he was leaving Microsoft for Google.

“Don’t pick up a chair and throw it at me,” Kawasaki said with a laugh. “Don’t go monkey on me either.”

At one point, Kawasaki asked Ballmer if he viewed Apple like a Chihuahua that Microsoft kicks off its leg from time to time. Ballmer proceeded to yelp like a dog before praising Apple.

Later, in response to Ballmer’s statement that Apple “punted” in Web services, Kawasaki, known for his ardent support of Apple products, said Apple may argue that Microsoft has punted in operating systems, a reference to some consumer dissatisfaction with the new Windows Vista operating system.

“They’d be wrong. Every day, statistically they’d be wrong. Last time I checked, there were a lot of governments that think we have a very high market share,” said Ballmer, who joked earlier that Kawasaki’s super-thin Apple MacBook Air lacked half the features of a PC.

(Reporting by Daisuke Wakabayashi, editing by Tim Dobbyn/Jeffrey Benkoe)

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