data breach

Tue
05
Mar
John Lister's picture

No More Passwords: 'Keys' to Become New Standard

The demise of the password has come a step closer this week with the adoption of a new standard for physical "keys" for logging in to websites. "WebAuthn," as it's called, makes it easier for sites to let users log in through a physical method - ... rather than relying on users having to remember a password. These methods range from USB devices that act like a physical key to biometric devices such as fingerprint or eye scanners. The big hope is that such devices reduce the need to rely on passwords which can be guessed or stolen in data breaches. Browsers Already On Board Having a ... (view more)

Wed
10
Oct
John Lister's picture

Google+ Social Network Bites Dust amid Data Breach

Google is to shut its social network Google+. Although the service was something of a flop, the closure is more to do with a massive data exposure. Google+ launched back in 2011 and was one of several attempts by the company to compete with the ... likes of Facebook. Its main selling point was the concept of Circles, which meant that users weren't restricted to sharing posts and updates with a fixed set of friends. Instead, they could write a post that was seen by a particular group, such as work colleagues or people with a shared hobby. Facebook does have such a feature, but it's not as ... (view more)

Mon
17
Sep
Dennis Faas's picture

Explained: Is Ransomware a Real Threat? Should I worry?

Infopackets Reader Tina A. writes: " Dear Dennis, I've been reading articles on the Internet about cyber criminals breaking into computer networks, encrypting files and then demanding a ransom. I've also read that if I leave my computer connected to ... the Internet, I could be susceptible to ransomware. I don't know what to believe. So my question is: is ransomware a threat? Is ransomware malware? Should I be worried? " My response: This is a pretty big question to answer. The simple answer is that: yes , ransomware is a threat, and yes you can get infected with ransomware just by having your ... (view more)

Thu
29
Sep
John Lister's picture

500M Accounts Stolen in Yahoo Data Breach

A US senator wants the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate Yahoo's handling of a major data breach. Mark Warner says the company left the public, and specifically investors, in the dark. Last week the company announced that it was hit ... in late 2014 by an attack that it believed to have been backed by a foreign government. Around 500 million accounts were affected and the stolen data included names, email address, dates of birth, phone numbers and passwords. The good news is that the passwords were encrypted. The bad news is that the data also included security questions and ... (view more)

Thu
07
Apr
Dennis Faas's picture

Mcafee: Only 1/3 Of Companies Admit Data Breach

A leading security firm says targeting personal data is becoming less of a priority for online criminals. Instead, there's now a greater effort to unlawfully access corporate data, including trade secrets. Word of this new trend comes to us courtesy ... of a McAfee report based on a survey of around 1,000 IT managers in seven countries. Only 1/3 Of Companies Publicly Admit Data Breach Perhaps the most dramatic finding was that previous estimates of data breaches may have been much lower than was reality, as just 30 per cent of companies questioned said they always make breaches public. Around 60 ... (view more)

Thu
12
Mar
Dennis Faas's picture

ID Theft on Rise due to Economic Slump, Report Suggests

How much thought do you give to security when you use your credit card at a retail location? According to the Chicago Tribune, most consumers don't think about what happens to their credit card information when their plastic gets swiped at the cash ... register. Unfortunately, large retailers have networks that are potentially vulnerable to breaches connected to cash registers, bar code scanners and store computers. (Source: chicagotribune.com ) In some high-profile cases of network vulnerability, thieves don't just pluck one credit card number. They pluck millions of them. For instance, in 2007 ... (view more)

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