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Security News |
Biggest
Online Security Issue: Trust
IBM's Internet security study released yesterday has tremendous amount of useful
information. As some of the results are mulled over, one thing has become apparently
clear...
Microsoft,
Washington AG Sue, Charging Spyware
Redmond-based software monolith Microsoft and Washington state attorney general
filed suits against antispyware vendor Secure Computer LLC...
A
New Pack of Trojans
Just when you thought you'd run out of Trojans, you find a few more. These Trojans
work through the cell phone. These viruses can be dangerous, but with protection
they can be stopped.
U.S.:
Spammer #1
The United States continues to hold onto their position as the world's number
one originator of spam followed closely by China. Two years ago, Microsoft master
Bill Gates predicted spam would be dead.
ESPC
Goes After Utah’s Child Protection Registry
The Email Sender and Provider Coalition (ESPC) along several other organizations,
announced on Wednesday they were filing an application of amici curiae against
the Utah Child Protection Registry Act...
Big
Blue Vision Into 2006 Cybercrime
IBM released their thoughts on cybercrime for the coming year and those thoughts
aren't terribly nice. They predict cybercrime is going to get much worse and the
worst part is they feel average computer users without their own knowledge will
commit most cybercrimes.
Felonious
Hacking In California
California hacker Jeanson James Ancheta, 20, pled guilty in Los Angeles federal
court to taking control of hundreds of thousands of computers in the form of four
felony counts which could land him a six-year prison sentence and federal fines.
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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released their top 10 list on Wednesday and it's got some interesting details. Identity theft topped the list and accounted for about 255,000 of the 686,000 complaints filed over 2005.
The FTC receives complaints via a toll free number or online and are share through
a secure database of more than 1400 law enforcement agencies at all levels as
well as similar agencies in Canada and Australia.
"With a call or a click, consumers can file complaints with law enforcers across the country and around the world," said Deborah Platt Majoras, Chairman of the FTC. "These reports provide ammunition that helps law enforcers fight fraud and identity theft."
While identity fraud made up more than a third of complaints at 37%, a number of other Internet areas attracted attention also:
- Internet Auctions - 12 percent
- Foreign Money Offers - 8 percent
- Shop-at-Home/Catalog Sales - 8 percent
- Prizes/Sweepstakes and Lotteries - 7 percent
- Internet Services and Computer Complaints - 5 percent
- Business Opportunities and Work-at-Home plans - 2 percent
- Advance-Fee Loans and Credit Protection - 2 percent
- Telephone Services - 2 percent
- Other - 17 percent
They put together a few other statistics as well:
- Internet-related complaints accounted for 46 percent of all fraud complaints.
- The percent of Internet-related fraud complaints with "wire transfer" as the
reported payment method more than tripled between 2003 and 2005.
- The major metropolitan areas with the highest per capita rates of consumer
fraud reported were Washington, DC; Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater, FL; and Seattle,
WA.
- Credit card fraud was the most common form of reported identity theft, followed
by phone or utilities fraud, bank fraud, and employment fraud.
- The most frequently reported type of identity theft bank fraud was electronic
funds transfers.
- The major metropolitan areas with the highest per capita rates of reported
identity theft were Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, AZ; Las Vegas/Paradise, NV; and Riverside/San
Bernardino/Ontario, CA.
A lot conclusions can be drawn from this information. One would be online auction
houses, the most dominant of which is eBay, need to do more to toughen up their
defenses against such things. Another point is people at home must be much more
vigilant and careful about what they put on their computers. Many of the eBay
problems coming from phishing scams in the first place.
About
the Author:
John Stith is a technology writer with SecurityProNews. |
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