Recent Articles
SOPA: R.I.P. or OMG? - 25 January 2012
On January 18, dozens of popular websites and Internet search portals went dark to protest HR 3261, the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would have imposed legal sanctions on websites that posted or linked to other websites that posted content in violation of copyrights on that material. By the end of the [Continue Reading]
Cyber threat from workplace social networking real, but may be overhyped - 19 January 2012
In just the last few years, social media has fundamentally affected the way many of us communicate. And statistics aren’t needed to prove it. If you’re under 40, chances are good that you have a Facebook, Twitter, and/or Linkedin account. If you’re 40 or older, you might have one of these – but it’s an [Continue Reading]
What is Cyber Insurance? - 12 January 2012
Cyber. It’s a word often signifying anything having to do with information zipping across the Internet. In the world of insurance and risk management, it has to do with a broad range of scenarios in which stored information might be damaged or lost. In fact, from an insurance perspective, this information might even live in [Continue Reading]
Doctors and Hospitals Victims of Records Theft - 29 December 2011
Digital records kept by medical providers contain highly sensitive data, such as test results, diagnoses, and financial information. And chances are very good that somewhere there is medical data server holding information about you. So, it’s easy to see why the all-too-frequent security breaches in hospitals and doctors offices are quite disturbing. There have been [Continue Reading]
“Vishing” You a Merry Christmas and a “Smishing” New Year - 15 December 2011
Imagine yourself elbow to elbow with a crowd of pre-Christmas shoppers at your favorite department store or retail outlet. Your cell phone rings. It’s an automated call from your bank. The bank’s security department is calling to warn you that an identity thief may have compromised your checking account. They want you to call back [Continue Reading]
Schools Face Big Cyber Risks - 8 December 2011
In 2008, a Fox News article reported that two 18-year-olds in Orange County, California, hacked into their school’s computer network to alter grades and steal test material. One of the boys had infiltrated the school network multiple times and was charged with 69 felony counts which could add up to over 38 years in prison. [Continue Reading]
They’re Back: Flash Cookies Re-spawn - 2 December 2011
Nearly all computer users have experienced the invasion of tracking devices known as cookies. These devices invade a computer when a user visits merchant or other websites while looking for a great deal or just researching product information. Consumers dislike cookies because these digital organisms collect personal information about you and send it back to [Continue Reading]
Major Corporation a Victim of Coordinated Cyber Attack - 17 November 2011
The global security firm RSA, a major provider of data encryption and identity assurance, announced back in March that it had been hacked. As disturbing as the initial revelation was, there is now even more bad news: The cyber attack that compromised RSA also targeted more than 700 other companies, including nearly 20% of all [Continue Reading]
There’s Nothing “Old School” About Cyber Crime In Academia - 28 October 2011
THE SCENE OF THE CRIME DATELINE: Your Town, USA. It was a dark and stormy night and a crime was being committed: the felonious theft of precious goods for material gain. The victim was an organization engaged in a variety of businesses including computer database administration, health care services, financial services, and a retail merchandising [Continue Reading]
IT Still Largely Responsible for Cyber Risks - 27 October 2011
Although information security and cyber-risk management is recognized as an enterprise-wide responsibility by many organizations, the information technology (IT) department still is seen as the front-line defense against information losses and other cyber-liability risks, according to an industry survey. More than two-thirds of respondents say their organizations have a disaster-response plan in place in the [Continue Reading]
