Latest privacy news and analysis from NetworkWorld.com. Network World, Inc. Copyright(C) 1994 - 2009 Network World, Inc. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/111909-microsoft-denies-it-built-backdoor.html Microsoft today denied that it has built a backdoor into Windows 7, a concern that surfaced on Wednesday after a senior National Security Agency (NSA) official testified before Congress that the agency had worked on the operating system. Gregg Keizer 2009-11-19T12:00:00-04:00 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/111909-health-net-says-15m-medical.html Connecticut-based insurance provider Health Net told state officials that an external hard drive containing personal health and financial data on about 1.5 million customers has been missing for six months. Lucas Mearian 2009-11-19T12:00:00-04:00 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/111609-google-street-view-battle-highlights.html Google is being sued by a Swiss watchdog agency for allegedly failing to take adequate measures to protect privacy. The legal battle in Switzerland is just the latest in a long line of privacy issues with Google and illustrates the challenge of providing as much information as possible without violating privacy concerns. Tony Bradley 2009-11-16T12:00:00-04:00 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/111609-washington-watch-national-id-program.html Funding for the already troubled Real ID program has been cut 40%, amid criticism by privacy advocates and state governors. Jaikumar Vijayan 2009-11-16T12:00:00-04:00 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/111309-eu-us-accord-on-swift-data.html Some of Europe's largest countries are backing away from a controversial draft agreement being negotiated with the U.S. that would allow that country's antiterrorism agencies access to the personal financial data of millions of European citizens, it emerged Friday. Paul Meller 2009-11-13T12:00:00-04:00 http://www.networkworld.com/columnists/2009/111109antonopoulos.html In just four days, not one but two worms targeting the iPhone have emerged. Both of the worms target the same vulnerability, a default password in the SSH server that is installed on jail-broken iPhones. While one worm is a mostly a nuisance, the second siphons personal information from the iPhone, which makes it a serious identity theft threat. Andreas M. Antonopoulos 2009-11-11T12:00:00-04:00 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/110909-eighth-person-charged-with-passport.html An eighth person who has worked for the U.S. Department of State has pleaded guilty to illegally accessing numerous electronic passport files that are supposed to be confidential, the U.S. Department of Justice said. Grant Gross 2009-11-09T12:00:00-04:00 http://www.networkworld.com/reviews/2009/110509-peerblock-helps-you-surf-the.html They're lurking out there--sleazy spyware companies, unscrupulous advertisers, and just people you don't want looking at what your computer is doing. PeerBlock (free), an open source program, offers part of a solution--low level blocking of packets coming from, or going to, a long list of hosts. Ian Harac 2009-11-05T12:00:00-04:00 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/110509-developer-finds-major-coding-errors.html Social-networking sites MySpace and Facebook have apparently fixed coding errors that could have allowed an attacker access to all of their users' data and photos. Jeremy Kirk 2009-11-05T12:00:00-04:00 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/110509-federal-data-protection-law-inches.html A sweeping new bill that would implement a national standard for data protection and breach notification got a boost of support today from the Senate Judiciary Committee. Jaikumar Vijayan 2009-11-05T12:00:00-04:00