payments

Against the advice of security experts, a police department has paid a $750 ransom to cybercriminals who corrupted its file system using a 'ransomware' attack. The Swansea Police Department in Massachusetts was hit by a virus called 'CryptoLocker' . ... It's not yet known how the virus got onto the police department's system, though the most likely explanation is that somebody opened an email attachment laced with the virus. Many previous CryptoLocker infections have come through bogus emails claiming to carry a delivery note from a courier company. The good news was that the virus didn't affect ... (view more)

A Microsoft manager has revealed that the latest Windows Phone system already includes support for "contactless" smartphone payments in stores. However, there remain serious questions about the system's security status, which is still being worked ... on. Electronic Payments Make Transactions Quicker NFC is a form of wireless communication that works very much like Bluetooth and WiFi, but only over a much shorter distance (as little as a few centimeters). One of its primary uses could be to make electronic payments in stores without swiping a card. Although technically NFC payments are ... (view more)