identity theft

Google Bombing and the IRS

Adam Penenberg — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:14:13 -0400

Tax season is here, and like many Americans I recently went online to download forms. Usually I'd head straight to the Internal Revenue Service Web site but I find Google a more efficient way of navigating big government sites. When I Googled "IRS form 1065," there was no direct link to it on the IRS Web site, just manuals and tax tips. I skimmed the page and the ninth result was:

Form 1065 B
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Security in an Age of Openness

Fast Security — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 22:48:21 -0400

The recent debut of T-Mobile’s G1, the Android smart phone, is both a blessing and a curse. Why? Because Android is arguably the most open mobile Operating System yet. Created by a partnership of Google, the Open Handset Alliance, and T-Mobile, Android hopes to grab coveted market share from RIM (Blackberry) and Apple (iPhone) by opting not to put regulations on third-party application development.

Email Security Lessons from Gov. Sarah Palin

Fast Security — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:35:34 -0400

After Sarah Palin's email account was breached, the McCain campaign promised swift retribution. The hammer of justice fell last week on David Kernell, the son of a Tennessee state lawmaker. The 20 year-old University of Tennessee student accessed Palin's email account by successfully guessing a number of password reset questions, the answers to which were easily found online ("Where did you meet your spouse?" was among them).

Mergers Can Lead to More Security Woes

Fast Security — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 13:50:15 -0400

Every day it seems like we’re hearing about a bank merger or at least banks talking about merging. Washington Mutual and J.P. Morgan Chase. Merrill Lynch and Bank of America. It doesn’t look like we’ll be hearing any less of this anytime soon, as more banks are expected to fail. But some internet pirates are looking to take advantage of the situation, and you.

Privacy and Security Issues in Social Networking

Brendan Collins — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:30:04 -0400

When it comes to privacy and security issues on social networks, "the sites most likely to suffer from issues are the most popular ones," Graham Cluley, Chief Technology Officer at UK tech security firm Sophos says. But security issues and privacy issues are entirely two different beasts. A security issue occurs when a hacker gains unauthorized access to a site's protected coding or written language. Privacy issues, those involving the unwarranted access of private information, don't necessarily have to involve security breaches.

7 Tips for Protecting Your Identity Online

Rachel King — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:15:15 -0400

When connecting your computer to the Internet, anti-virus software is an absolute must. Viruses, trojans, worms and other harmful attachments can destroy your computer, and even your life. Threat levels range from spam and pop-up windows to identity theft, where the culprit copies and sends your personal documents to other computers -- with the bug attached. The easiest way to prevent this from happening: simply download anti-virus or anti-spyware software.

The Latest in Identity Theft

Fast Security — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:18:09 -0400

The Biggest Hack Exposed: How Safe is the Web Really?

Rip Empson — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:23:39 -0400

Last week, the Department of Justice cracked the biggest case of credit card and identity theft in U.S. history. Oh, snap. Last Tuesday, Federal prosecutors charged 11 hackers with the theft and sale of more than 40 million credit and debit card numbers. The thieves charged with the crime allegedly hacked into the wireless networks of nine major retailers, including BJ’s Wholesale Club, OfficeMax, TJ Maxx, Boston Market, Barnes & Noble, and Sports Authority.