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The recent shutdown of file-sharing site Megaupload by the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) has resulted in a number of phishing attacks, directly targeting fans of the former service. Phishing is a tactic used to acquire legitimate information, ... such as usernames, passwords and credit card numbers, by masquerading as a trustworthy person or organization. Users unknowingly provide their personal data for use in scams and frauds. A classic phishing attack (still used today) might be an email reportedly from a bank (or similar institution), stating that your account has been suspended. The email ... (view more)

The theft of online security certificates by hackers thought to be from Iran may be even more serious than first thought. The stolen certificates include those for security agencies from the United States, United Kingdom and Israel. The security ... breach originates with DigiNotar, a Netherlands organization that produces Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates which are used by webites. An SSL, for example, is used when home users connect to their banking web sites. Using the SSL certificate, information to and from the home PC to a bank website is encrypted and cannot be intercepted by a third ... (view more)

According to a new report, teens that spend considerable time using social networking sites are more likely to drink alcohol or smoke tobacco and marijuana. The study also provides some stunning statistics showing the extensive use of social ... networking amongst American teens. The report, which was produced by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) -- which is associated with Columbia University -- found that 70 per cent of teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 spend at least some time on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter or another social networking site on an average day. ... (view more)

Microsoft has been judged the clear winner in a recent test of how well web browsers block unintended access to malicious software on websites. It's great news for Microsoft's reputation, though some critics suggest the methods used in the test may ... be lacking. Browser Malware Protection Tested, Compared The browser comparison was conducted by independent security firm NSS labs. The test observed a feature known as browser protection, which appears in all the major browsers under various names. In general, browser protection is designed to deal with situations where users are tricked into ... (view more)

A proposed new law under debate in the California senate would make drastic changes to the way social networks handle user privacy. It would mean sites like Facebook would have to maximize their privacy settings as a default. Under the proposals, ... social networking sites would have to allow users to set privacy levels at the time of registration, explaining the various options "in plain language." This would have to include a clear explanation of exactly which categories of people and businesses would be able to see information. (Source: ca.gov ) Full Control Over Information By default, a new ... (view more)

The popularity of online poker sites has skyrocketed in recent years. But for some the experience may be tarnished upon hearing that a number of these sites are using "Poker Bots" -- automated software programs designed to play poker games by ... stacking the deck and lining the pockets of those that control them. Internet gambling is illegal in the United States, but online casinos operate offshore and continue to attract a number of new users on a daily basis. Likewise, Poker bots are not new to most gaming circles. The programs continue to be openly sold online the black market for hundreds of ... (view more)

The organization that oversees the distribution of Internet domain names has given final approval to ".xxx", a domain dedicated to adult subject matter. The new domain is known as a generic top-level domain, meaning it is the final part of a website ... address and isn't country-specific (like .ca for Canada and). This is the first new top-level domain since 2004's .pro for professionals. It could be the last to get specific approval, as there are plans to open up the system so that individuals and organizations can register and control their own top level domains using any word or ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced that Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) supports two separate technologies for restricting access to information related to a user's online activity. One of the privacy features was recently prompted by the Federal Trade Commission ... (FTC). Both technologies involve the way websites share data with third-parties. The most prominent example is with advertisements that appear on a page; for example, rather than simply linking ads to the page content (such as a newspaper site running golf equipment ads alongside a golf match report), a site might pass on details of all the pages a ... (view more)

A New York senator has called for major US Internet sites to offer all of their web pages in secure mode. Charles Schumer says the move would help protect against theft of data through public WiFi networks. The request involves the hypertext ... transfer protocol, which is the technical system used for transferring data between a website and a user, and vice versa. The protocol is available in two forms: standard (in which page addresses begin with http://) and secure (in which page addresses begin with https://). Secure Browser Sessions Encrypted, Denoted by Padlock In a secure connection, which ... (view more)

A new feature in Internet Explorer is a major boost for Microsoft's web browser "Tracking Protection" system. The feature, which will debut in Internet Explorer 9 , is a response to calls by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for Internet to make it ... easier for users to opt out of being tracked online . The FTC doesn't want sites to ditch all tracking activities, but rather desires site visitors to have the power to prevent their details being passed on to third parties. This is most relevant with advertising; for example, if a company wants to display an advertisement based around the ... (view more)