With new international protocols coming into effect and further domestic law-enforcement measures pending, rarely have the twin weights of national security and personal liberty hung in such a delicate balance. This became clear at the Computers, Freedom & Privacy Conference held April 21-23 in Berkeley, Calif., where hot topics included unseen ramifications of the Patriot Act; a new push by law enforcement to wiretap VoIP communications; and the need to prevent abuses of technology at the international level.

Symantec released its semi-annual Internet Security Threat Report in March 2004, which assesses global security trends. In the first half of 2003, one-sixth of the surveyed companies reported serious security breaches; in the second half of the year, half did, and these security breaches show no signs of stopping.

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