Honeymoon Over: Flashback Trojan Infects Apple
(and what you can do about it)
For years, Apple Mac users have been able to smugly preach security supremacy over fellow Windows users. Apple computers were less susceptible to viruses because they accounted for such a small share of hack-able devices. With the explosive growth of Mac laptops, iPads and iPhones, that honeymoon is all but a nostalgic memory. Apple’s Mac OS X no longer has impunity from virus infection. For the second time in the last year, Apple’s OS X has been successfully breached by malware. Here are the details, and steps you MUST take to protect yourself:
Flashback Trojan Facts:
- The Flashback Trojan has currently infected more than 600,000 Macs.
- Flashback is a ‘drive-by’ virus, meaning users only have to visit a site that exploits the flaw; you don’t have to download anything to be at risk.
- The flaw exploits weaknesses in Java coding, an fairly essential and widely used web browsing tool.
- First, the Trojan loads software onto your system that directs victims to additional malware.
- Once the malware is installed, the Trojan steals passwords and banking info from Safari.
Tips for Protecting Your Mac:
- Immediately download and install all Apple updates and security patches (the latest of which corrects the Java flaw).
- Configure your system to download and install security and software updates automatically as they are released.
Identity Theft – Know Your Rights
Have you experienced that clutch of fear that makes your heart skip a beat when you all of a sudden discover your wallet is missing? Your first reaction might be a cuss word for carrying all that critical information in the first place. Your second is to try to slow your mind as it frantically scans for solutions. Knowing what to do if you lose vital information and knowing your rights if you become a victim of identity theft will save you time, money and a ton of stress.
A consumer survey conducted by the Federal Trade Commission reveals, in a new report, that many identity theft victims do not understand their rights. Following is a summary of what you should know if you become the unfortunate victim of identity theft.
Dumb Kids Equal Easy Targets
Your national security depends on the job you do educating your children.
Here’s an alarming wakeup call: a task force led by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Joel Klein, former chancellor of New York’s school system has issued a stunning report. They warn that the nation’s security and economic prosperity are at risk if America’s schools don’t improve. The task force consists of 30 members with backgrounds in education and foreign affairs and was organized by the Council on Foreign Relations. As reported by the Associated Press, the report cautions that far too many schools fail to adequately prepare students and that “The dominant power of the 21st century will depend on human capital. The failure to produce that capital will undermine American security.” A shortage of skilled workers is expected to get worse as the current work force retires. The task force said the State Department and U.S. Intelligence agencies face critical shortfalls in the fields of foreign language, science, defense and aerospace. And so, it’s not a stretch to realize that no matter how diligent we are about educating people and businesses to protect their identities and information and to develop safe habits, the problem is ever so much more complex.
ID Theft – Five Tips for Vacation Protection
Holiday travel brings various levels of challenge and stress. Don’t let identity theft risk add to your anxiety.
Here are five tips to help you to avoid becoming a victim while on vacation:
1. Stop your mail and newspaper. Avoid letting un-invited credit invitations sit in your mail box. You can stop your mail by phone or online at usps.com. Also, ask a trusted neighbor to watch for package & parcel deliveries and to hang on to them until you return. If you receive a daily newspaper, put your subscription on hold. A pile of un-retrieved newspapers in your driveway is a “Welcome” sign to thieves.
2. Don’t advertise that you’re on vacation. Make sure if you are going to post vacation updates on your e-mail, on social networking websites, or on your voice mail greeting, that you post generically, no specifics. Put a few lights on timers so that your home doesn’t look unoccupied for the entire time you’re gone. Replace the front porch light bulb.
3. Enroll in a protection product that safeguards your most valuable asset, your identity. You may think you have all your bases covered, but it can be harder than you think, especially once you need to recover from a theft. One way to make sure you’re protected is by using a product that monitors if you are vulnerable to having your identity stolen. A number of quality service providers offer alerts via text or email of potentially suspicious activity as well as resolution assistance to help you cut through the red tape should you need it.
The Shocking Story Line of Child Identity Theft
You need to know the statistics behind child identity theft:
- 1 in 10 Children are targeted for identity theft
- A child is 51X more likely to become a victim of identity theft than an adult
- Schools, foster parents, friends, family and acquaintences are often the culprits behind the theft of a child’s identity.
Now that you know the stats, here’s the story on how it happens and solutions to keep it from affecting you.
Check out CSID.com for the original story and info-graphic.
Google and Facebook Go Deeper Into Your Privacy
This post is a summary of an excellent article appearing in USA Today By Byron Acohido, Scott Martin and Jon Swartz.
It’s a heated competition to tap what many experts predict will be the next big Internet gold rush — online advertising — Google and Facebook laid down very big bets, during a week when European regulators are hashing out strict new rules that could prevent much of what the tech giants seek to do.
Google signaled its intent to begin correlating data about its users’ activities across all of its most popular services and across multiple devices. The goal: to deliver those richer behavior profiles to advertisers.
Likewise, Facebook announced it will soon make Timeline the new, more glitzy user interface for its service, mandatory. Timeline is designed to chronologically assemble, automatically display and make globally accessible the preferences, acquaintances and activities for most of Facebook’s 800 million members.
“If they can make the ads more relevant, the logic goes, they can increase the number of advertisers and the price they can charge per click (on each ad),” says Alex Daley, chief investment strategist at Casey Research. “Because the click will be from more qualified leads — customers who are more interested in the product — they can grow the revenue base.”
Sileo In the Media
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