FBI Chief Worries About Terror at Political Conventions; Europe Appoints Anti-Terror Coordinator; Microsoft Pitches in on Patches; Aussies Won’t Extradite Alleged Piracy Leader

FBI Chief Worries About Terror at Political Conventions

The Boston Herald reports that FBI Director Robert Mueller has warned that Islamic extremists may try to tilt the presidential election by launching attacks during the Democratic or Republican political conventions. According to the story, Mueller cited the bombings two weeks ago in Spain and three days before national elections, which toppled the ruling party, and suggested that al-Qaeda or some other terror group might try a similar move in the United States.Europe Appoints Anti-Terror CoordinatorThe Washington Post reports that European Union leaders have appointed the continent’s first counterterrorism coordinator Thursday and vowed to improve intelligence-sharing in response to bombings in Madrid on March 11. According to the report, other measures approved by the EU after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, such as a pan-European arrest warrant to replace lengthy extradition proceedings, have not been fully implemented. Microsoft Pitches in on PatchesComputerworld reports that under a new program, Microsoft Corp. is paying for security assessments of its customers’ networks to help improve policies in areas such as software patch management and assuage fears about the security risks posed by Microsoft products. According to the story, the Microsoft Patch Assurance Security Service provides free security audits to all of its enterprise customers and pays for third-party security consultants, including Internet Security Systems Inc., to do the audits, according to those involved in the program. Aussies Won’t Extradite Alleged Piracy LeaderThe Register reports that Australian magistrates have blocked the extradition of the alleged head of a software piracy syndicate to the US. According to the story, US investigators charge that alleged ringleader rose trough the ranks of the infamous DrinkorDie piracy group, which released a pirated copy of Windows 95, days before its official release and has been getting up to similar antics ever since.