Preventing Identity Theft Cases

McAfees 10 Tips To Secure New Devices and Guard Against Cybercrime in 2011

Posted on Tuesday, 18th January 2011 by Archie Norton

Here are some practical tips from McAfee to ensure optimal Internet safety and security in 2011:

Be aware that threats aimed at mobile phones are growing – Use software that backs up smart devices and use strong discretion when storing, saving or editing personal information on your smartphone or device. Don’t keep all of your personal passwords on your device, and avoid using it to store financial information like credit card and bank account numbers.

Keep in mind that gaming and entertainment devices are now Internet-connected – Many people don’t realize that their new gaming console may represent another port of entry for cybercrooks into their household. Some Internet TV applications can expose personal information, so be sure to install anti-virus software, two-way firewalls, anti-spyware, anti-phishing, and safe search capabilities, just as you would on a PC. Block f

Monday Morning News Kick Off: Facebook Enables ‘One-Click’ Identity Theft; ‘Call of Duty’ Gamers Hack Medical Server (For Real); World Cup Data Safe

Posted on Sunday, 16th January 2011 by Nathan Thorpe

Welcome to the Monday Morning News Kick Off post from the ITAC blog. In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we are doing a “light” post today on all current identity theft, data breach and cyber security news (all in one convenient spot). For those of us who are not working today, we hope you can take a moment to remember what this day is really all about — honoring an individual who has played a major role in promoting racial equality in the United States.

Facebook Enables One-Click Identity Theft Option for Rogue Application Developers In a move that could herald a new level of danger for Facebook users, third party application developers are now able to access your home address and mobile phone number. Facebook has announced that developers of Facebook apps can now gather the personal contact information from their users. I rea

The Pentagon Federal Credit Union Breached

Posted on Sunday, 16th January 2011 by Nate Sawers

A data breach at the Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed) has exposed the personal and financial records of members of the U.S. military and their families, putting hundreds of thousands of people at risk of identity theft.

The Pentagon Federal Credit Union database, which includes names, addresses, Social Security numbers and credit card numbers, was accessed by a malware-infested PC.

PenFed serves about 100,000 members in the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The Pentagon Federal Credit Union offers mortgages, credit cards and loans to its customers, and has $15 billion in assets.

The full extent of the data breach is not yet known. T

Top Targets for Emerging Threats in 2011

Posted on Saturday, 15th January 2011 by Archie Norton

This McAfee Labs list comprises 2010?s most buzzed about platforms and services, all of which are expected to be major targets for cybercriminals in the coming year.

Exploiting Social Media: URL-shortening services With more than 3,000 shortened URLs being generated per minute, McAfee Labs expects to see a growing number used for spam, scamming, and other malicious purposes.

Exploiting Social Media: Geolocation services Locative services can easily search, track, and plot the whereabouts of friends and strangers.

Data Breaches Up 33% in 2010

Posted on Wednesday, 12th January 2011 by Nate Sawers

There were 662 data breaches in the United States in 2010, almost a 33 percent increase from 2009 according to a report by the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC). The 662 data breaches exposed a total of 16,167,542 records. It’s a seemingly staggering number, though the ITRC adamantly states in a press release that the statistic may in fact be drastically low.

The actual number is considerably higher because current regulations in the United States don’t require all data breaches to be disclosed, the group said. “Other than breaches reported by the media and a few progressive state Websites, there is little or no information available on many data breach events,” said the ITRC.

The Identity Theft Resource Center defines a breach as any event that potentially puts a person’s name, Social Security number, drivers license number, medical record or financial record (credit or debit card) potentially at risk either in electronic or paper format.

The 2010 report clearly shows that some companies listed the exact number of documents exposed in their incidents.

Other breaches, however, were not as transparent. Nearly half

Tags: 2010, Data Breaches
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5 Ways to Update Your PC for the New Year

Posted on Monday, 10th January 2011 by Archie Norton

Out with the old and in with the new. In my household, closets, cabinets, and drawers are purged and reorganized during the last two weeks of December. Anything that hasn’t been used in the past year, is tossed, donated, or recycled. I rarely put anything into storage, since that generally means I’ll never use it again. This process makes room for new Christmas gifts, and clearing out stuff clutter also helps disperse mental clutter.

During the first two weeks of January I do the same thing with gadgets and technology. To get your PC organized and efficient, follow this process:

1. Go through your files, deleting and organizing as necessary.

2. Back up your data. McAfee offers unlimited online backup for $5 a month. For local backup, the 2TB Western Digital MyBook for $99 can’t be beat. I use both, plus redundant local drives, and I keep them in sync with GoodSync. Inclu

Tags: New Year, Year
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