October 2009
Battling a rising number of malware attacks
Submitted by SafeInternet on Thu, 2009-10-29 18:08Back in 2008, Microsoft released a report that found that malware attacks had risen by 300% in the second half of 2007 compared to the first half. These attacks were typically carried out by trojans, which infect a computer and then are able to record keystrokes and send back typed-in passwords to scam artists.
Is tougher legislation needed to combat sexting?
Submitted by SafeInternet on Mon, 2009-10-26 21:20Last week, Nick Lacroce, a member of Susquenita High School in Pennsylvania, wrote an op-ed about a controversy at his school in which a form of sexting was carried out involving videotaping or photographing multiple people doing inappropriate things. It was one of the largest sexting incidents in the state.
Ultimately, Lacroce addresses how authorities should handle such controversies.
Anonymized Data Holds Promise as Well as Questions
Submitted by SafeInternet on Fri, 2009-10-23 14:55Back in September, we posted about the fallacies of "anonymized data" and how several researchers had been able to take information that was supposedly stripped of all identifying information and "reverse engineer" it to match it to its origins.
Last week, the New York Times sounded the alarm once again, pointing to several recent incidents in which anonymized data was anything but.
Is the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act due for a revision?
Submitted by SafeInternet on Thu, 2009-10-22 09:48The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act isn't officially due for a revision until 2015, but according to FTC Commissioner Pamela Jones Harbour, we can't afford to wait that long.
The act, passed in 1998 and made effective in 2000, was targeted toward children and places many responsibilities on a website operator to include protections in its privacy policy and obtain parents' permission before collecting personal information from children under the age of 13.
Join us to create a Framework for a Safe Internet
Submitted by SafeInternet on Mon, 2009-10-19 12:07Join us tomorrow in room B-338 of the Rayburn House Office Building from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for an educational event and discussion for Capitol Hill members, staff, media and the public on various aspects of Internet safety. Three expert panels will address topics and issues ranging from the facts about who is online to how to increase public awareness and highlight demand for a safe Internet.
Do we need broader cyberbullying legislation?
Submitted by SafeInternet on Mon, 2009-10-19 08:04A member of our Alliance, Wired Safety released a survey it conducted recently that found that 85% of teens have been a victim of cyber bullying at least once. The group questioned 40,000 middle school students and discovered the vast majority of them (95%) wouldn't tell their parents if they were being bullied.
Does the US need a new Cyber Czar?
Submitted by SafeInternet on Wed, 2009-10-14 09:39Back in August, Melissa Hathaway, President Barack Obama's appointed cybersecurity czar, announced her resignation, citing personal reasons. The resignation was regarded by many as a setback for Obama's ambitious cybersecurity plans that he outlined early in his presidency.
How companies and organizations are recognizing National Cyber Security Awareness Month
Submitted by SafeInternet on Wed, 2009-10-14 09:05Given its role in protecting computers from viruses and malware, it shouldn't come as a surprise that McAfee is a strong supporter of October's National Cyber Security Awareness Month. The company produced a documentary that will run on NBC affiliate stations this month titled, "H*Commerce: The Business of Hacking You."
How hackers hijack emails
Submitted by SafeInternet on Sun, 2009-10-11 10:12This summer, a hacker sent waves through the tech world when he leaked hundreds of pages of secret documents pertaining to Twitter's business practices to the blog TechCrunch. After the blog published some of the documents, it conducted an interview with the pseudonymous hacker, who explained in detail how he infiltrated Twitter's defenses. The answer? By simply gaining access to one of the employee's Gmail accounts.
FCC Cybersecurity Workshop: Motivation, Coordination Key
Submitted by SafeInternet on Fri, 2009-10-09 07:35Last week, the Federal Communications Commission hosted a workshop on September 30 to examine the nation’s ability to prevent, detect and respond to cyber attacks and how broadband technology can enhance the nation’s cyber security efforts.