National Cyber Security By Gregory Evans

Men seem to be the most common victims of cyber attacks according to a new study.  A new Symantec report studied 500 Singaporean adults and found that 86 percent of men are likely to become a victim of cybercrime versus 74 percent of women. Two major cyber giants could be headed back to court soon.  Auto-Completion Solutions LLC or ACS says Google Inc. and Facebook Inc. infringed on its technology patent by incorporating it on their websites. It seems that people want the government to get involved when it comes to cybersecurity.  A recent Eset/ Harris Interactive poll found that 91 percent of respondents feel vulnerable in some way to cyberattacks.  Eighty-four percent think the Federal government should have some responsibility in protecting their online identities. We will also have the job of the day.  Make sure you listen in!

It may seem like innocent banking protection but experts say this latest Trojan is anything but innocent.  The Trojan steals SMS messages and can intercept text messages, sending them to the attacker’s command and control server. The UK government is asking search engine sites like Google to step up to the plate and help fight online piracy.  Government officials are expected to ask Google to make it more difficult for piracy sites by blocking them. With kids headed back to school, cyberbullying is something on many students and parents’ minds.  A San Francisco based nonprofit organization kicked off its national campaign this week to help keep kids safe online. Also, check out the job of the day!

Hackers turned to Twitter to wreak havoc during preparations for the 9/11 ceremonies this weekend.  They allegedly hacked into the NBC News account and posted false messages about a new attack on New York’s ground zero. It beat out some of the top thinkers in the world at Jeopardy.  Now, IBM’s Watson computer has a pretty neat job to add to its resume.   The company will work with WellPoint to bring Watson technology to the healthcare sector. The cyber world isn’t just about hacking into other people’s computers and shutting down networks.  It can actually be used for very good causes like finding a long lost son.  Thanks to Facebook, Kattia Liebers was reunited with her 17 –year- old son after he was taken from her 12 years ago. Also, make sure you check out the job of the day!

Hackers and mobsters have a lot in common according to President Obama.  His administration wants to impose stricter punishments for cyber-criminals because of increased data breaches.   The U.S. government wants to hold businesses accountable if they have week cyber security.  Lawmakers plan to introduce a bill next week that would fine big companies that lose consumer data in a security breach if that breach is a result of poor security measures.   Police say she led a sophisticated conspiracy to import and sell counterfeit Cisco Systems networking equipment and because of that a Virginia woman received a five- year prison sentence.  In addition to the prison time, a U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia also ordered Chun-Yu Zhao, 43, of Chantilly, Virginia, to pay US$2.7 million restitution and a $17,500 fine. Also listen for the job of the day!  

A new report says that hackers are turning their sights from computers to cars.  Computer security company McAfee released information regarding the large amount of electronics being used in cars today.  Researchers believe that technology is making cars increasingly vulnerable to hacking attacks, even by something as simple as text message.   If you have a Twitter account, you are not alone.  In fact, you are among 100 million other active users.  Twitter CEO Dick Costolo announced the statistic this morning.  He also said Twitter receives 400 million page views per month.  That’s up from about 250 million in January of this year.   Here’s one more thing robots can apparently do just as well as humans, carry on conversations.  You may remember that last week, Cleverbot, which is an artificial intelligence computer, shocked the world when it held a human like conversation.      Also, listen to hear the job of the day!

It’s an effort to crack down on cyber crime, but a proposed U.S. law could also make you a target for something much less sinister.  On Wednesday, two senators said the main law targeting cybercrime needs fixing because it allows law enforcement agencies to target people who simply violate websites’ terms of service or their employer’s computer use policies. The news isn’t too good for many computer users.  Norton Cybercrime’s annual report found that 19 web users fall victim to online crime every minute.  Also according to the security firm's report, only 16 percent of victims of online crime report the incident to the police. If you have a computer, there’s nearly a 50 percent chance you are using illegal software.  That’s the latest word from the Business Software Alliance, (BSA) which released its detailed findings from its new global anti-piracy study today.  In the study, the company found that 47 percent of computer users around the world get software through illegal means most or all of the time. 

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  Cyber experts warn if you find a deal for DiRT 3 Steam Codes on eBay or places similar, just to keep moving.  At least one million and as many as three million Steam codes for a free copy of Codemaster’s DiRT 3 were leaked onto the web, reportedly by hackers. Law officers are looking into the possible hacking of Iranian Gmail accounts.  About 300,000 accounts were reportedly compromised and read by hackers according to Fox-IT.  That is a forensics firm that investigated the theft of hundreds of digital certificates from a Dutch company. The Sony Corporation hopes some leadership from a former U.S. Homeland Security official will prevent another major hacking like over the summer.  The company announced it has hired Philip Reitinger to take the role of chief information security officer. Also, check out the job of the day!

The crackdown on hacktivists continues with the arrest of two men in the U.K. The Metropolitan Police Service released a statement late Thursday saying that two males, ages 24 and 20, are now behind bars and could be connected to the hacking groups Anonymous and LulzSec.   He said he was sorry but it was too little, too late for Luis Mijangos.  A judge sentenced the 32-year old Thursday to six years in prison for hacking into the computers of women and teenage girls.  He found sexually explicit photos and threatened to put them online unless the victims gave him more pictures. Cyber attacks have reached the Irish but they were able to make some arrests.  Two people were taken into custody after law officers investigated an attack on the Fine Gael website.  In January, the hackers allegedly modified the personal information of 2,000 site subscribers that was emailed to the media. Also, check out the job of the day!

They may be used to having the prying eyes of the paparazzi on them at all times.  Now, Hollywood will have to be on alert for hackers as well. Indian students are getting a crash course in hacking and how to avoid it.  Future engineers of MSU’s Faculty of Technology and Engineering will host a festival this month teaching all about the world of hacking and how and why to avoid it. If you are poor, it is much harder to afford the Internet.  A recent report has the numbers to back up that claim.  According to a report done by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, more than one-third of all Americans are not connected to the Internet. Also, tune in for the job of the day!

Some good news coming from China.  It may have gotten a lot harder for hackers to get away with their crimes.  The country announced new, tougher penalties people convicted of computer hacking. Australian authorities are working hard to stop identity theft and other scams.  It looks like they may have taken a big step in that direction.  Property owners can now put a caveat over their property in an effort to stop scammers.   A group of university employees have found a new way to keep you on your computer for a longer time.  It’s called PwrSmart.  It’s by New Boundaries Technology and it’s an energy conserving program. Also, tune in for the job of the day.  

Could the hacking group Anonymous group be at it again?  It is a definite possibility.  The website englishdefenseleague.org went offline today in what is a possible take down by a hacker. It has been a crazy two weeks for many BART commuters.  The hacking group Anonymous even got in on the action, claiming to hack the BART system in protest of a shooting death by a BART police of transient.  The police are hoping to put a stop to the madness as they began to make arrests. Facebook is working to make sure your time on their site is as enjoyable as possible.  To ensure that it is, they are paying out some pretty big chunks of cash.  The social networking site has shelled out $40,000 to people that have reported security bugs in its service.  That comes just one month after launching its Bug Bounty program. Also, make sure you check us out for the job of the day!

If you think that cyber crime doesn’t pay, think again.  Unfortunately it paid off big time for a group of cyber criminals.  The gang apparently withdrew $13 million dollars in one day from ATMs in six countries.  That made it one of the largest and most complex banking heists ever. Two rivals are teaming up hoping that it will keep children safe from online predators.  The U.S. and China will work together to take down a network of sites that exploit children.  It’s considered a rare cyber crime bust operation between the two countries. No place is safe when it comes to cyber crime, not even cyber cafes.  So, Indian police are going to keep a close eye on cyber cafes in an effort to keep you safe online. Also, make sure you tune in for the job of the day!

The British are doing everything possible to keep children safe online, including considering banning adult content.  British officials say getting that type of entertainment out of the cyber world could go a long way in protecing their children and worth it in the end.     One man may consider himself a hacker, but he's doin it to make life better for disabled sister.  Glenn is an electrical engineer.  And he used those skills to create what he's calling the Frankenkindle for his sister, who has cerebral palsy.   It's the news that shook the cyber community to its core. Apple CEO, Steve Jobs announced that he will step down from his role.  The position will now go to the current COO Tim Cook.  Jobs will shift over tothe chairman of the board.  The announcement comes after a long period of leave due to health reasons.    

If you’re tired of getting a bunch of spam mail, Google has some good news for you.  The company recently announced it plans to hire search quality associates to fight spam.  The employees will be based in the Dublin, Ireland office. Attacks on Androids are way up according to cyber security company McAfee.  Android malware is reportedly up 76 percent over the last three months.  That spike has made it the most assaulted mobile operating system on earth during that period. Something as simple as taking a walk could power up your cellphone.  Sounds strange right? However, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are hoping to make that statement a reality.  The researchers describe a new energy-harvesting technology that promises to dramatically reduce our dependence on batteries and instead capture the energy of human motion to power portable electronics.

Australia is stepping up to the plate to fight cyber crime.  It has a three- year plan to stop cyber crime.  The Australian government made the announcement of the new legislation on Tuesday. One airline is ditching paper and is turning to cyber technology.  United Continental plans to replace flight manuals and aeronautical navigational charts with electronic versions on Apple iPads. The airline has ordered 11,000 iPads that it plans to put in the hands of all United and Continental pilots. Some of the engineers at Ohio State University are getting pretty creative to make sure soldiers always stay connected.  The group developed a new antenna designed to be sown into clothing.  It would give the soldiers a connection range of four times larger than a conventional body worn antenna which is used right now.  

China may have gotten caught with its hand it the cyber cookie jar.  There have been plenty of rumors swirling around over the years claiming that China is responsible for various cyber attacks.  There’s not been enough proof to support those claims until now.  China has always refuted those accusations but an accidental leak reveals that they are engaging in cyber warfare and routing it through US IP addresses. Nigeria is also jumping into the ring to knockout cybercriminals.  Microsoft Nigeria, along with others, has launched a campaign against cyber crime in that country. If you are an AT&T customer, you will soon have fewer choices for your text messaging plan.  The company announced Tuesday that it will cut out its 1,000 text messages for $10 a month.  Instead, it will continue to offer unlimited text messages plans for a flat fee or a pay-per-text service.

The FBI says the U.S. is a target for cybercrime and they believe the attacks are coming from Russia.  There have been several distributed denial of service attacks against American websites costing more than $600,000.  Hackers don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.  This time the target was Omaha’s Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority or MECA.  Police say computer hackers broke into their payroll systems and got away with more than $200,000.  The problems apparently started when an employee opened an email attachment infected with a virus that steals passwords. Divorce can always get a bit nasty but one wife faces some serious time behind bars for allegedly stealing her husband’s Social Security number.  According to law officers, Rachel Jones used the number to fraudulently get a credit card.  

Google says IP spoofing is on the rise.  It reviewed more than 160 million web pages on more than 8 million sites in order to see how malware is distributed.  It found that while social engineering tricks play a major role, cyber criminals are turning more to IP spoofing as a way to avoid detection. UK police believe rioters used social media to increase the riots there.  Now the government will meet to discuss the role social media played in making matters worse.  Facebook, Twitter and Research in Motion, which makes BlackBerry will all meet with the British government to talk about their use and role in the worst riots in Britain in decades.  So far more than 1,200 people have been arrested. Wordpress seems to be making it a lot easier for just about anyone to have their own website.  According to the owner of Wordpress, the site now accounts for about 14.7 percent of the top million sites on the web.  That’s up about six percent from last year.   He also says that 22 percent of all new domains in the U.S

Targeting the BART system once this week apparently wasn’t enough for Anonymous.  The hacking group says members focused on the transit system again, this time hacking into the Police Officers Association website.  The group claims to have the private information of more than 100 BART police officers. This next story proves that you can hack just about anyone, anywhere, even at McDonalds.  37-year old Jason Cornish of Smyrna, Georgia allegedly attacked his former employer, Shionogi, for revenge.  Cornish was an information technology employee at the Japanese drug maker but resigned because of company layoffs that affected his former supervisor and close friend. A British college student faces some very serious charges after he allegedly hacked into Facebook.  It took several tries before he was able to penetrate the social networking site.   According to reports, 25- year old Glenn Steven Mangham used “considerable technical expertise” to repeatedly bypass security. Also, tune in for the job of the day.

Cyber crime is an international problem and the Thai government is joining the fight against cyber criminals.  It plans to expand its information security capabilities in an effort to stop global cybercrime.  Catching up with friends on Facebook is becoming an easy way for cyber criminals to target you and your information.  A new survey from Webroot says that users should take more steps to protect your privacy. The news isn’t good for Dell.  Yesterday it predicted weak sales growth after the closing bell.  The second largest personal computer maker’s stock fell 10 percent after that announcement.The computer company blamed the wary consumer and slower computer technology spending. Also tune in for the job of the day!