The AP reports “WikiLeaks’ release of secret government communications should serve as a warning to the nation’s biggest companies: You’re next.” According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse’s Chronology of Data Breaches, more than 500 million sensitive records have been breached in the past five years. The Chronology of Data breaches lists specific examples of incidents in…
Service men and women face an elevated level of identity theft due to the ubiquitous use of the Social Security number (SSN) both here and abroad. Military personnel use their SSNs for a variety of reasons every day from everything including on various forms, IDs, access to facilities, and in Iraq they have it painted…
News9 in Oklahoma reports “An Oklahoma couple is urging thieves to return a stolen computer they say has the power to save millions of lives. The couple stopped at Panera to grab a meal before heading back to the lab. When they finished, they found their car windows broken and the laptop gone. Unfortunately, most…
Early adopters of new technology often discover bugs, quirks, imperfections, and security issues before a product is widely adopted. That’s why I usually wait six to eight months for companies to fix their flaws. Researchers discovered they could hack into Internet-ready HDTV’s. One of the top five best-selling TVs left its security process vulnerable to…
This McAfee Labs list comprises 2010’s most buzzed about platforms and services, all of which are expected to be major targets for cybercriminals in the coming year. Exploiting Social Media: URL-shortening services With more than 3,000 shortened URLs being generated per minute, McAfee Labs expects to see a growing number used for spam, scamming, and…
According to Bureau of Justice Statistics, 5% of U.S. residents over the age of 16 fell victim to identity theft within a two-year period. More than half of those affected were victims of credit card fraud. Identity theft was defined in the survey as the attempted or successful misuse of an existing account, such as…
There has been lots of media attention on home invasions due to their frequency and the brutality that accompanies them. A home invasion is much like a bank robbery when the robbers use force to get what they want. Robbery as defined in Wikipedia is the crime of seizing property through violence or intimidation. At common…
Whenever you travel, “know before you go”. “When you travel abroad, the odds are you will have a safe and incident-free trip. Travelers can, however, become victims of crime and violence, or experience unexpected difficulties. No one is better able to tell you this than the U.S. consular officers who work in more than 250…
Here are some practical tips from McAfee to ensure optimal Internet safety and security in 2011: Be aware that threats aimed at mobile phones are growing – Use software that backs up smart devices and use strong discretion when storing, saving or editing personal information on your smartphone or device. Don’t keep all of your…
Craigslist is a staple of my internet experience, even though I have a love/hate relationship with it. I love it because lots of people use it faithfully and the deals and the ability to recycle opposed to buy new or throw away. I hate it because people who use it are often unreliable and the…
