British ISPs Balk at Antiterror Requirements; HIPAA a Hardship for Healthcare Companies; Pakistan Police Said to Detain Doctor over Anthrax

British ISPs Balk at Antiterror Requirements

Todays Guardian newspaper reports that Internet service providers in the United Kingdom have told the Home Office that they will not voluntarily stockpile the personal records of their customers for long periods so that they can be accessed by police or intelligence officers. British Home Secretary David Blunkett was spearheading a push to extend the time that such records were retained. According to the Guardian, industry representatives and government officials have been struggling to agree to terms of a voluntary code of practice introduced under the anti-terrorism legislation rushed through parliament last November in the aftermath of the attacks on the U.S. The apparent collapse of the negotiations may leave Blunkett facing a choice between using his reserved powers under the legislation to force internet providers to comply or dropping the measure in response to public and political opposition. HIPAA a Hardship for Healthcare CompaniesIDG News Service, since HIPAA was enacted, it has pushed hospitals and other health care organizations to shift from older, mainframe technology and paper-based processes to more efficient and secure systems that improve patient confidentiality. But the difficult economic climate may make it harder for health care providers to comply.

A report by the consulting company Frost & Sullivan found that, despite an April 2004 deadline for HIPAA compliance on patient privacy, IT spending remains a low priority for hospitals and health care providers struggling for survival because of the economy. According to

Pakistan Police Said to Detain Doctor over AnthraxReuters report last night, Pakistani police, working with U.S. FBI agents, detained Amir Aziz, an orthopedic surgeon near the eastern city of Lahore Monday and accused him of supplying anthrax to Islamic militant groups. Azizs brother told Reuters that Dr. Aziz, was first questioned at his home Saturday by police and two foreigners identified by police as agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. But local police and a US embassy spokesman said they knew nothing about it.

According to a