Data scams have kicked into high gear as markets tumble
January 29, 2009
By Byron Acohido and Jon Swartz, USA TODAY
Find original copy of this article here.
Cybercriminals have launched a massive new wave of Internet-based schemes to steal personal data and carry out financial scams in an effort to take advantage of the fear and confusion created by tumbling financial markets, security specialists say.
The schemes – often involving online promotions touting fake computer virus protection, get-rich scams and funny or lurid videos …More
Cybercrime experts keep close watch on Internet worm
January 27, 2009
By Byron Acohido, USA TODAY
Find original copy of this article here.
The world’s top virus hunters are watching every move made by the attacker in control of a nasty new Internet worm – referred to as “downadup” or “conficker.”
What worries them most is that the person, or group, controlling the worm could at any time direct the PCs to carry out criminal activities on an unprecedented scale. And there’s not much anyone can do to stop them.
The attackers could use …More
Lack of transparency on Heartland breach
January 21, 2009
How long can Heartland Payment Systems, Visa and MasterCard obscure the total number of records data thieves swiped in a caper that almost certainly will surpass the TJX hack? Is it 100 million? 150 million?
Once again, we have a case where more transparency would clearly serve the greater good of making the Internet incrementally safer. Instead, what appears to be unfolding is yet another demonstration of…More
Bridging the Digital Divide — securely
January 20, 2009
President Obama’s proposed $825 billion stimulus package includes $6 billion to extend high-speed Internet access to rural and underprivileged areas. This says a lot. It amounts to a very wise rejection of a bloated $44 billion proposal to lay fiberoptic cable as the preferred way to bridge the digital divide, says Mark Cooper, research director of Consumer Federation of America.
Installing basic high-speed connections based on existing wireless …More
Inauguration will spike traffic, threats
January 16, 2009
Next Tuesday, something else besides spam, phishing scams and denial of services attacks will congest the Internet. Experts are predicting a tsunami of Web traffic generated by the historic presidential inauguration of Barack Obama.
Paul Judge, CTO, Purewire, bets that Internet traffic will at least double; Mark Parker, from Marshal8e6 TRACE, thinks it will triple.
Judge predicts Obama-related traffic will spike on news sites, YouTube and Twitter, with excited …More
Spam respite over — levels rising again
January 14, 2009
Major bot networks dedicated to the spreading of spam are once again thriving. This new Symantec report documents how spam has been steadily creeping back up to its pre-November levels, accounting for upwards of 80% of all Internet traffic.
You may recall spam cratered spectacularly in mid-November after Washington Post reporter Brian Krebs wrote stories about how half of all spam routed through San Jose-based Web hosting service McColo.
Securityworks senior researcher Joe Stewart yesterday issued a report that …More
One big step toward a safer Internet
January 13, 2009
A monumental breakthrough in the war against cyber crime occurred on Monday. The Sans Institute and Mitre announced the Top 25 programming flaws most attacked by cyber gangs.
For now, let’s savor the moment. Hopefully, the collaborative consensus among a diverse collection of 37 organizations — including Microsoft, Oracle, EMC, Apple, the NSA, DHS and an amalgam of tech security firms — that produced the Top 25 flaws will emerge …More