Near Field Communications (NFC), is the exchange of information between two devices via wireless signal. For example, a wireless signal emitting from your cell phone can act as a credit card when making a purchase. In the case of a mobile wallet application, those devices would be a mobile phone and… Read full post »

If you were hit by a bus, and passed on to whatever heaven might exist, would you care about your Facebook page? Probably not. But your loved ones more than likely would. Things like email, websites, and social media profiles are considered “digital assets,†which may have some monetary value, bu… Read full post »

Users of online and mobile banking know that financial institutions have a layered security approach in place. Those layers include multifactor-authentication, which may mean requiring users to punch in a second security code or carry a key fob, as well as due diligence in identifying customers as re… Read full post »

The 2012 Identity Fraud Report: Social Media and Mobile Forming the New Fraud Frontier, released by Javelin Strategy & Research reports that in 2011 identity fraud increased by 13 percent. More than 11.6 million adults became a victim of identity fraud in the United States, while the dollar amou… Read full post »

Over the last decade many computing tasks that were developed to be performed locally on and office PC have now moved to the cloud such as contact managers, office documents, media editing programs, you name it: if there is a software version, there is probably a cloud-based version, and often for f… Read full post »

The Federal Trade Commission today released its list of top consumer complaints received by the agency in 2011. For the 12th year in a row, identity theft complaints topped the list. Of more than 1.8 million complaints filed in 2011, 279,156 or 15 percent, were identity theft complaints. Nearly 25… Read full post »

The White House issued a statement in regards to our critical infrastructure – such as the electricity grid, financial sector, and transportation networks that sustain our way of life – have suffered repeated cyber intrusions, and cyber crime has increased dramatically over the last decade. The P… Read full post »

The Internal Revenue Service today issued its annual “Dirty Dozen†ranking of tax scams, reminding taxpayers to use caution during tax season to protect themselves against a wide range of schemes ranging from identity theft to return preparer fraud. Here are 4:

Identity Theft

Topping this year’… Read full post »

Corporations know there are long-term marketing benefits of social media and they also know the security issues with employees continue to be a problem.

Many companies restrict internal access. Others prevent employees from discussing or mentioning the company in social media during private time.

Fo… Read full post »

The Internal Revenue Service has issued its annual “Dirty Dozen†ranking of tax scams, reminding taxpayers to use caution during tax season to protect themselves against a wide range of schemes ranging from identity theft to return preparer fraud.

An IRS notice informing a taxpayer that more tha… Read full post »

Back in 2010, The Wall Street Journal was already warning us about app developers’ lack of transparency with regard to their intentions.

“An examination of 101 popular smartphone “appsâ€â€”games and other software applications for iPhone and Android phones—showed that 56 transmitted the ph… Read full post »

The 2012 Identity Fraud Report: Social Media and Mobile Forming the New Fraud Frontier, released by Javelin Strategy & Research, reports that in 2011 identity fraud increased by 13 percent. More than 11.6 million adults became a victim of identity fraud in the United States, while the dollar amou… Read full post »

Computers are like humans in that in some ways they can tell you when they are sick or they don’t feel good. But computers are also like pets who may not be able to speak, but if you are paying attention, they begin to behave in ways that alert you to… Read full post »

“Vishing†occurs when criminals cold-call victims and attempt to persuade them to divulge personal information over the phone. These scammers are generally after credit card numbers and personal identifying information, which can then be used to commit financial theft. Vishing can occur both on y… Read full post »

The Internal Revenue Service issued its annual “Dirty Dozen†ranking of tax scams, reminding taxpayers to use caution during tax season to protect themselves against a wide range of that aren’t necessarily always perpetrated by an outsider trying to scam the business or individual, but sometime… Read full post »

USB flash drives are handy little devices that can cause big security headaches. Even with robust datasecurity policies USBdrives often fall thru the cracks (and out of pockets). These flash drives are often used by employees for both personal and business use which could potentially spread a virus f… Read full post »

At the McAfee FOCUS conference in October of last year, members from McAfee Labs™ spoke about malware and other threats that affect security. One of the most popular events was when they brought an iPad on stage and did a live hack.

The researchers were able to remotely watch as a user accessed… Read full post »

Although it’s been a mild winter people still get itchy to head out for a ski vacation or a tropical one. Many people are searching online classifieds like Craigslist, eBay, newspapers and real estate listings for vacation rentals.

The most suspect site is Craigslist. I’m fully engaged in Craigsl… Read full post »

Location-based services utilize geo-location information to publish your whereabouts. In some cases, these services can also provide discounts or freebies as a reward for “checking in†at participating businesses and gathering “points.†These services can also be used to share photos and othe… Read full post »

In Seattle 3 men have been arrested for hacking the wireless networks of over a dozen businesses along with 41 burglaries. They are alleged to have stolen at least $750,000 in funds, computer equipment and other items.

SeattlePIreported their Wi-Fi hacking techniques included “wardriving,†in wh… Read full post »

Shopping is for people with time and money. When I am a consumer, it’s because I need something, and not necessarily the biggest or the best something. I need something practical, safe, and smart. eBay allows consumers to search for exactly what they need, and can be a great place to… Read full post »

In Barcelona, Spain on Feb. 27, 2012 McAfee unveils its series of technology advancements that deliver upon its vision of providing comprehensive mobile security and privacy protection for devices, data and apps. McAfee^® Enterprise Mobility Management (EMMâ„¢) 10.0, available now, includes sign… Read full post »

In the U.S. identity brokers allegedly sold Social Security cards and corresponding Puerto Rico birth certificates for prices ranging from $700 to $2,500 per set, since it can be used to hide illegal immigrants and gain employment. Puerto Rican stolen identities have surfaced in workplace immigration… Read full post »

Criminal hackers hack for fun, fame, revenge, trade secrets, or terror, but mostly they hack for financial gain. According to a data breach study, based on 75 incidents in the second half of 2010, 13% of web hacking cases involved leaked client data leading to financial fraud. (The top two reasons… Read full post »

There is an entire underground black-market out there hacking, buying and selling your information to steal your identity. The most sought after data is your credit card numbers.

“Carders†are the criminals who buy and sell “dumps,†which are large quantities of credit card and bank account d… Read full post »