USAToday stories
Reuters editor accused of getting Anonymous to hack former employer
March 14, 2013
By William M. Welch and Byron Acohido, USA TODAY
(Update. 15 March 2013: Reuters suspended social-media editor for the Reuters news agency charged Thursday in federal court with conspiring with the hacker group “Anonymous” to hack into and alter an online Tribune Company news story.)
A social-media editor for the Reuters news agency was charged Thursday with conspiring with the hacker group “Anonymous” to hack into and …More
Google execs lack clarity in closed-door briefing of Congress
February 3, 2012
By Byron Acohido, USA TODAY, 3Feb2012, P1B
Google executives faced tough questions Thursday, in a meeting with members of Congress, about changes to the company’s privacy policy scheduled to go into effect March 1.
However, the search giant failed to assuage lawmakers’ privacy concerns stemming from the company’s controversial plans to step up the cross-referencing of data generated by consumers who use its popular online services, says Rep. …More
Trust in the Internet falters after DigiNotar, Comodo hacked
September 28, 2011
The keepers of the Internet have become acutely concerned about the Web’s core trustworthiness.
A hacker cracked into digital certificate supplier DigiNotar this summer and began issuing forged digital certificates for hundreds of web pages published by dozens of marquee companies.
Unable to cope with the fallout, the Dutch firm, a division of Vasco, filed for bankruptcy on 20Sept2011 and abruptly closed up shop. Two other digital certificate …More
Apps, social networks pose rising danger to kids online
September 7, 2011
By Byron Acohido, USA TODAY, 07Sept2011, P3B
There is a rising threat to kids who habituate the Internet: the likelihood that a popular mobile app or social-networking service will invade their privacy.
The Federal Trade Commission last month announced a $50,000 settlement with app maker W3 Innovations for collecting and dispersing information of kids under 13 in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act, or COPPA.
Earlier …More
Surge of SpyEye attacks begins, as free, cheap hacking toolkits circulate
August 21, 2011
By Byron Acohido, USA TODAY 22Aug2011, p1B
SEATTLE — The odds that a cybergang will stealthily turn your PC into a bot this summer and use it to carry out all manner of cyberattacks just notched notably higher.
That’s the upshot of a premier hacker’s toolkit, called SpyEye, recently being made accessible to cybercriminals of all stripes.
Security analysts anticipate a surge in SpyEye attacks the rest of this year.
“Every …More
Mass SQL hacking attacks takes aim at smaller online businesses
July 5, 2011
By Byron Acohido, USA TODAY, 5 July 2011, p 1B
Criminals who infect websites are making the Internet much riskier for small business owners.
Since early June, one gang has been using a uniquely insidious type of automated attack to inject malicious code on some 20,000 to 30,000 sites, many of them small businesses that rely on the Internet to reach customers, says Wayne Huang, chief technical officer at website …More
LulzSec declares hacktivist war on corporations & governments
June 20, 2011
By Byron Acohido
USA TODAY, 20June2011, P1B
LulzSec, the upstart hackitivist group, was busy over the weekend. First, it disavowed responsibility for the hacking of video game company Sega. In fact it added a new twist by offering to help Sega (once long ago a big name in video games) track down the perpetrators.
And this morning, the group announced that it was partnering with the …More
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