Tag: cyber crime

Cyber Crime a big cost for small businesses

Staff Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — It’s not just big businesses like JPMorgan Chase, Target and Home Depot that get hacked. Small companies suffer from intrusions into their computer systems, too. The costs associated with computer and website attacks can run well into the thousands and even millions of dollars for a small company. Many small businesses have been attacked — 44%, according to a 2013 survey by the National Small Business Association, an advocacy group. Those companies had costs averaging $8,700. JPMorgan Chase (JPM) said the attack on its computer servers…

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Following celebrity hacks, here’s how to secure your iCloud account

Staff Writer

Though Apple says it’s investigating a reported hack on the iCloud accounts of several celebrities, there is an easy way for users to secure their accounts. Over the weekend, reports emerged that a number of celebrities had their iCloud accounts compromised by unknown hackers, and personal photos leaked onto the internet. Apple says it is “actively investigating” the situation. The exact details of the hack are unknown, but some security researchers believe Apple left iCloud vulnerable to a brute force password hacking attempt. Basically, hackers could use a piece of…

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NEW YORK: Target sent victims to Experian, which leaked data to criminals

Staff Writer

Companies can’t keep your data safe. It’s that simple. When Target lost data on some 110 million customers, it recommended them to credit bureau Experian for “identity theft protection,” offering to cover the cost for a year. Think you’re in better hands? Think again. Sometime before the Target (TGT) hack, Experian had its own data leak — via a subsidiary. It unknowingly sold the personal data of millions of Americans — including Social Security numbers — to a fraudster in Vietnam. That guy then sold the personal information to identity…

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Historic eBay password database hack, Change your password!

eBay revealed that attackers “compromised a database containing encrypted passwords and other non-financial data” between late February and early March. The database included names, e-mail addresses, home addresses, phone numbers, and dates of birth. While there is “no evidence of the compromise resulting in unauthorized activity for eBay users,” the company is recommending that users change their passwords. The attackers were able to log in to eBay employee accounts.”Cyberattackers compromised a small number of employee log-in credentials, allowing unauthorized access to eBay’s corporate network,” the eBay announcement said. “Working with law…

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Vietnam, China and India gamers most vulnerable to cyberattacks

Staff Writer
Video game

Summary: The number of attacks could spike as millions are expected to receive games as presents in the holiday season, especially with the launch of newer consoles like PlayStation and Xbox, says Kaspersky Lab. Users worldwide are being hit by an average of 34,000 attacks related to gaming malware daily, according to a study by Kaspersky Lab. The total number of attacks on gamers was 11.7 million in 2013, and the number is expected to rise with millions of users receiving games for Christmas, especially wih the launch of newer…

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Online music piracy in the UK drops by a third

Staff Writer

In the last year, us Brits downloaded a third fewer pirated music tracks than the year before. According to figures from Ofcom, the number of such songs we snaffled fell from 301 million in March 2012 to 199 million in March this year, the Guardian reports. So maybe we’re less a bunch of Fun Lovin’ Criminals than before. The music industry is said to be on the road to recovery, with total revenues increasing for the first time this year since 1999, although they only went up by 0.3 per…

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Cybersecurity and Internet Governance

Staff Writer

Editor’s note: This brief is a feature of the Council of Councils initiative, gathering opinions from global experts on major international developments. Cybersecurity is now a leading concern for major economies. Reports indicate that hackers can target the U.S. Department of Justice or Iranian nuclear facilities just as easily as they can mine credit card data. Threats have risen as the Internet has become a critical infrastructure for the global economy, with thousands of operations migrating onto it. For example, the innocuous practice of bring-your-own-device to work presents mounting dangers…

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‘Bangladeshi’ hacks Google’s local domain, users redirected

Staff Writer

Internet users trying to access Google’s search engine on Monday morning quickly discovered the company’s local domain was compromised. A hacker, who identified himself as Bangladeshi, defaced the company’s Google.co.ke domain, replacing the page with a black background with the word ‘hacked’ engraved on it. The error was quickly fixed. Google Kenya, however, denied claims it had been hacked into. The company explained that it was the domain name server (DNS) which hosts google.co.ke that had been compromised. Adapted from nation.co.ke

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