Weekly News Wrap-Up for 28 May 2010
Posted by: Neal OFarrell on May 28, 2010
Data breaches and security come low on the list of concerns of tech firms
A few weeks ago I mentioned in a blog that companies have figured out that data breaches are not as embarrassing and costly as once thought, and so they are not as worried about such public breaches of trust as they once were.
A recent study seems to bear that out. Research firm BDO just released a study of the 100 largest U.S. public technology companies that asked these companies which risk factors worry them the most.
While worries about normal business challenges like beating the competition, developing new products, and dealing with a tough economy came in at the top of the list of corporate concerns, worries about breaches of technology security, privacy and theft came in at only number 23 on the list.
Yet another reminder (as if we needed it) that not only is protecting customer data not a priority for leading companies, the issue barely makes it on to their radar.
Data breaches not among top concerns for tech firms
Facebook told to set up warning system after new sex scam
Just as Facebook announced yet more steps to improve its privacy and defuse threats from Congress to take action against the company, security experts are warning users to be on the lookout for yet another Facebook scam involving a fake sex video.
According to one security researcher, hundreds of thousands of Facebook users recently received a message that seemed to come from their own inner circle of friends and provided a link to what appeared to be a video of a scantily clad bikini babe.
Users clicking on the link received a pop-up message prompting them to download a plug-in in order to view the video clip, but that download turned out to be a nasty piece of malware.
Scams like this are nothing new, mainly because they’re very effective. Facebook users often trust messages that appear to come from their FB friends, and are nowhere near as careful as they should be in clicking on any links or opening any attachments from these friends.
That’s what the scammers are counting on, and are finding this scam to be a very effective way to infect unprotected computers with a variety of nasty programs, from fake advertising and rogue anti-virus software, to banking Trojans.
Lessons learned?
- Trust but verify! Just because a message or email comes from what looks like a friend, always be suspicious if it looks like a generic message, requests you to click on a link or attachment, or just seems unusual for that friend to send you that kind of message.
- Stay up-to-date with Facebook’s privacy settings and options. They’re constantly changing and you may need to change with them.
Facebook told to set up warning system after new sex scam
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100525/tc_afp/technologyinternetfacebooksingapore
Be wary of new identity theft service scam
I’ve received a number of calls recently from senior citizens asking about suspicious calls they’ve been receiving. The calls purport to come from security firms that claim to have discovered that the victim’s personal information is being sold on the internet, and in return for a large fee, sometimes up to $500, the caller offers to provide identity protection services to the victims.
In most cases the calls are scams, and just a heartless way to steal money from vulnerable and trusting seniors. Some victims have reported receiving five or six calls a day from these scammers.
These scam artists often run sophisticated call centers that deliberately target lists of seniors who live alone, and can be relentless in harassing the victim into paying money for a service they never receive.
In one case the victim claimed that the reason she trusted the bogus company was because the caller never asked for money. At least not at first. And that’s often key to the con – building up a trusting relationship with the victim until the scam artists reach a point they feel best able to trick a check out of them.
Lesson learned?
- If you have elderly parents or relatives, or know seniors who live alone, talk to them about this issue and suggest that if they receive such a call they immediately refer the caller to you. Or just keep hanging up.
- A genuine and reputable identity theft protection company will never call a consumer and tell them they’ve been a victim.
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