The Last Watchdog

on Internet security by Byron Acohido

FTC finds P2P networks rife with leaked identity data
February 22, 2010

Comment on this post

The Federal Trade Commission today finally voiced concern about the long-known problem of data leaking into criminal hands via LimeWire, BearShare, Kazaa and dozens of other  peer-to-peer (P2P)  file sharing networks.

The FTC put nearly 100 companies and agencies on notice that their employees appear to be regularly leaking large amounts of sensitive customer and employee data on popular P2P networks

The FTC did not name names, either of …More

Bookmark and Share

Why it is all too easy to become a cybercriminal
February 19, 2010

5 Comments

The disclosure of Operation Aurora last month and the outing of the  Kneber botnet gang’s stolen booty this week have much in common.

Both involved nothing-out-of-the-ordinary cyberattacks that quixotically rose above the din to grab international headlines.

The mainstream attention is welcomed. It helps to underscore how the Internet underground has advanced to the point where a plethora of powerful hacking tools and services  is readily available to  …More

Bookmark and Share

How Google Buzz lowers the bar for privacy, security
February 16, 2010

Comment on this post

More bad buzz about Google Buzz seems certain to play out in coming weeks. That’s because privacy and security can’t be separated. And despite two rounds of privacy-setting revisions, the search giant’s  new social network, in its current configuration,  markedly lowers privacy and security.

Coming on the heels of  Facebook’s controversial privacy-setting revamp,  the launch of  Buzz has enervated privacy advocates and cybersecurity experts. They’ve long been …More

Bookmark and Share

Google-NSA collaboration draws alarm
February 5, 2010

Comment on this post

Wanted: Inside sales rep to hawk online services to U.S. spy agencies.

Perks: Employer has search monopoly — and warm leads at top spy organizations.

That’s one takeaway of reports that Google has asked the secretive National Security Agency to help track down the cyberattackers who recently breached its network. More on this below.

Reporter Ellen Nakashima’s front page story in the Washington Post yesterday, 04Feb2010, has …More

Bookmark and Share

Servers used in Google attacks tied to Peng Yong, Dyn Inc.
February 1, 2010

1 Comment

Steve Ragan, security editor at The Tech Herald, has conducted an extensive examination of how Google and dozens of other tech, financial and media corporations got breached via the latest Windows Internet Explorer flaw. Ragan discusses his findings in a lengthy blog post that reads like Sherlock Holmes in the early stages of connecting the dots for a befuddled Mr. Watson, in this case …More

Bookmark and Share

Search Last Watchdog

Navigate Last Watchdog