VIII. Interpret the lines below.

1. PCs had slowed to a crawl.

2. If that’s not tricky enough, spyware companies have found ways to hide from the computer itself.

3. “These programs are blowing smoke to disguise the presence of the files,” says Eric Howes.

4. “We’re at the point now where if you remove 100 [pieces of spyware] and miss one, it’s all going to come back.”

5. … says Roger Thompson, director for malicious-content research at Computer Associates.

6. The surreptitious nature of the industry makes hard information scarce.

7. The company plans to offer support on the enterprise level.

8. Microsoft’s entry has some rival antispyware companies peeved.

9. “The extent that Microsoft wants to profit by jumping into the security industry instead of fixing their product… seems to me like an inherent conflict of interest,” says Rick Carlson.

10. Not everyone is crying foul about Bill Gates & Co.’s latest foray.

11. Corporations, meanwhile, are taking a hard look at their own advertising practices.

12. Companies such as America Online have implemented a zero-tolerance policy.

13. “[Their] strategies until the last year or so was to get big by any means necessary, and then once you get [there] you ask the industry to forgive you for the sins of the past.”

14. Lawmakers are also beginning to draw a hard line.

15. At war against a shadowy, well-financed enemy, businesses will need all the help they can get.

 

IX. Points for discussion.

1. Is using spyware a grave crime?

2. How do spyware companies operate?

3. Is the problem in question soluble?

4. What is the key idea running through the article?

 

 

MOBILE PHONE CRIME BLITZ LAUNCHED

A nationwide crackdown on mobile phone crime was launched in December with the creation of special police unit.

Latest figures show half of all street crime now involves mobile phone theft. Nearly 200 are stolen in England and Wales every day, mostly in London, and many are exported by gangs to Africa, Asia and Europe. The £1 m National Mobile Phone Crime Unit will bring together immigration, Customs and Excise and police officers with industry experts. Senior police officers say, if successful, the unit could make a “significant” impact on the UK’s robbery problem.

Mobile phone networks have recently made advances in anti-crime measures, with all stolen phones now capable of being blocked for use in Britain. Tough penalties are also in place for criminals who seek to re-programme handsets.

However, Scotland Yard’s Commander John Yates, who is in charge of the unit, said it was believed the “epidemic” of mobile phone theft across Britain was still being fuelled by an international market. Handsets taken abroad do not need re-programming and, while British customers are offered cheap phones as an incentive to sign up with networks, users abroad enjoy inexpensive calls but have to pay foe handsets costing up to £800 each.

“This is all speculative at the moment,” said Cmndr Yates, “the aim of the unit is to find out what is generating mobile phone theft and what we can do to combat it”. He added there were some extremely organized gangs, particularly being burglaries on retail outlets.

As part of the new initiative police hope to get industry co-operation to set up an international database to make all stolen handsets useless whatever their destination. Information gathered by the National Mobile Phone Crime Unit about how criminals operate will be passed to all law enforcement agencies and police forces across the UK.

Steve Hope

/ Digest, 9, 2004/

 

Set Work

I. Say what is meant by:

street crime

mobile phone theft

to make advances in anti-crime measures

handsets

to fuel an epidemic of mobile phone theft

extremely organized gangs

retail outlets

part of the new initiative.

 

II. Find in the article the English for:

по всей Британии, развернуть широкомасштабную операцию по борьбе с кражами сотовых телефонов, правоохранительные органы, как орудуют преступники, быть заблокированным (о телефоне), стимул, создать базу данных, отделение по борьбе с кражами сотовых телефонов, воздействовать на что-л., подключиться к сети через какую-л. компанию.