Federal Guides for Social Media Security p.II
By Mike Meikle, CEO at Hawkthorne Group
Once an agency crosses over into social media interactions with other agencies and non-governmental organizations, the guidance gets diluted. The guidelines point to five government agencies, none of which are the definitive resource for social media implementations. These guidelines are a must read for any organization that is considering a foray into the Web 2.0 sphere…
How to Protect Your Social Network Identity
By Mark Smail, CTO at Onix International, Inc.
Over a billion people visited social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter last month so it’s not surprising that hackers have these sites in their cross-hairs. In fact, according to recent research from Breach Security Labs, social networks were the most targeted category in 2009, accounting for 19% of all malicious attacks last year. By using simple data encryption and password protection tools, you can ensure that your personal information and online identities remain secure and private…
FaaS: The Emergence of Fraud as a Service
By Mike Meikle, CEO at Hawkthorne Group
Fraud as a service or FaaS for the acronym collectors, has been a topic of concern for security professionals since 2008. Gone are the days where the primary theft is being perpetrated by the sociopath lone-wolf in the basement. The major player is now organized crime, responsible for 70 percent of online fraud and billions in ill-gotten gains…
UN Crime & Justice Institute Fights Hackers
By Robert Siciliano, ID Theft Expert and Security Consultant to Intelius.com
We are observing an incredible rise in cybercrime. New profiles of attackers arrived in the so-called hacking underground, and the hacking world – sometimes – is meeting with organized crime and State-sponsored attacks. The world is changing and, basically, the keyword is the information. In today’s world Information is the Power that’s the sole reason why all of this is happening.
Top Ten Security SNAFU’s Of The Decade
By Robert Siciliano, ID Theft Expert and Security Consultant to Intelius.com
In the last decade we have seen technological breakthroughs unlike any other. In response we have seen a tremendous rise in fraud. The reason? The speed of the conveniences technology have far outpaced the security of technology. Here’s a list of the top ten of the last ten years…
How To Recognize Social Engineering Scams
By Robert Siciliano, ID Theft Expert and Security Consultant to Intelius.com
While similar to a confidence trick or simple fraud, Social Engineering typically applies to trickery or deception for the purpose of information gathering, fraud, or computer system access; in most cases the attacker never comes face-to-face with the victim. But in many cases the attacker certainly does come in contact with the victim. You may be doing all you can and should to protect yourself from hackers and scammers. But a response to a simple email that looks exactly like your expected monthly bank e-statement can completely drain your bank account.
Hacking a Corporate Network with Facebook
By Robert Siciliano, ID Theft Expert and Security Consultant to Intelius.com
Ethical hackers are the tech industries white nights, also known as white hat hackers. Steve Stasiukonis from Secure Network Technologies is such a person, hired by by companies CIO’s to penetrate an organizations network to determine where its vulnerabilities are. The process of a white hat starts with a permission based hack that often leads to results that make the CIO nauseous. In Dark Reading Steve writes about how he did it with a fake badge and a Facebook profile…
Federal Guidelines for Social Media Security
By Mike Meikle, CEO at Hawkthorne Group
The document’s executive summary rightly categorizes the decision to move to social media as a risk-based decision. The technology behind it all is really no where near as important. As was discussed in the previous post the why is far more important than the how. So, a real business case must be crafted as to why the move into social media is necessary…
Pair Arrested for Selling TSA Employee IDs
By Robert Siciliano, ID Theft Expert and Security Consultant to Intelius.com
The Boston Channel reports a Lynn couple was accused of selling the identities of at least 16 Transportation Security Administration workers at Logan International Airport. Police said the ID data was allegedly taken by a female TSA contract worker who is related to one of the two Lynn suspects. A TSA spokesman said the agency takes the ID theft very seriously. Well, that’s a good start…
Robert Siciliano’s Conversation with a Hacker
By Robert Siciliano, ID Theft Expert and Security Consultant to Intelius.com
The hacker I contacted immediately returned my email. I told him I was a journalist and wanted to do a story on him. I couldn’t have been more upfront with my intentions. I even provided him my website, but that didn’t seem to matter. He just wanted my money. First he wanted me to open up my IM and connect with him via his Yahoo email. That way we could chat. But I wasn’t about to let him in via IM because there are known hacks that can allow a bad guy into your IM then onto your PC. So I set up a private chat at tinychat…
