If I ever strived to be a dumb criminal I’d want to be Timothy James Chapek, 24 years old from Portland, Ore. This cat breaks into a home and jumps in the shower when the woman who lived there came home. The kid locked the bathroom door and called 911. From the 911 call: “I…
There are good and bad hackers. Here is a window into what they do and why: White Hat Hackers: These are the good guys, computer security experts who specialize in penetration testing and other methodologies to ensure that a company’s information systems are secure. These IT security professionals rely on a constantly evolving arsenal of…
In light of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and the subsequent tsunami warnings in Hawaii and on the US West Coast, McAfee is warning consumers about a number of online scams that have appeared within hours of these devastating events. Sadly, scammers seem to come out of the woodwork during a natural disaster to…
In Creekmoor in Orangeburg County South Carolina, residents are banding together to fight crime. The Times and Democrat reports “Creekmoor residents are trying to put a stop to property crimes and thefts before the entire area is overrun with crimes far worse than burglaries. About 60 residents of the Columbia Road neighborhood met last week…
Passwords are the bane of the security community. We are forced to rely on them, while knowing they’re only as secure as our operating systems, which can be compromised by spyware and malware. There are a number of common techniques used to crack passwords. Dictionary attacks: These rely on software that automatically plugs common words…
Internet criminals follow a similar editorial calendar as newspaper and magazine editors, coordinating their attacks around holidays, and the change in seasons. They further capitalize on significant events and natural disasters. Japans earthquake is a biggie. Whenever a natural disaster hits normal people get an urge to help those in distress. Our want/need/ability to help…
Near Field Communications, or NFC, is the exchange of information between two devices via wireless signal. For example, a wireless signal emitting from your cell phone can act as a credit card when making a purchase. This year, over 70 million mobile phones will be manufactured and sold with NFC built in. NFC can be…
While we often hear about international criminal hackers compromising databases and stealing credit card information, identity theft is often committed locally, by someone with access to sensitive paperwork. In one such case, a suspected identity thief was recently arrested in Washington, after driver’s licenses, credit cards, and Social Security numbers were stolen from more than…
It’s no secret that there are kooky people in the world, and those kooky people seem to gravitate to the Internet. My theory is that those with ulterior motives relish the anonymity of the web, which allows them to lure in their victims more easily. I can see why they’d appreciate that. It’s easier to…
Our culture deemphasizes individual responsibility. In my mind, life begins when you begin taking responsibility for everything in your life. Personal security is fundamentally your own responsibility and, while you may not be responsible for a crime happening to you, you are the one in the best position to prevent it. In the last decade,…
