Keylogger Wireless Network?
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-hackers1jun01,0,2083352.story
Computer hackers steal Carson funds
Cyber-thieves make off with $45,000 after shifting nearly $450,000 from the city's coffers.
By Hector Becerra, Times Staff Writer June 1, 2007
If Carson Treasurer Karen Avilla had had a nagging feeling she was being watched whenever she got on her laptop computer, she would have been right.
Cyber-thieves were able to shift nearly $450,000 from the city's general fund last week by using a program that was able to mimic the computer strokes made by Carson's financial officer. Each time Avilla logged on to her city-provided laptop in the morning, someone was — virtually — looking over her shoulder, recording every single keystroke.
Armed with the spyware program, the hackers obtained bank passwords. They wired $90,000 to a "Diego Smith" in North Carolina. One day later, on May 24, the thieves got bolder and wired $358,000 from the city's bank account to a bank in Kalamazoo, Mich.
Avilla and her deputy discovered the theft just in time to have all but $45,000 of the funds frozen. But the experience left city leaders rattled.
"As I sat there with the detectives and the forensic folks from the bank, I thought, 'I don't even want to touch a computer,' " Avilla said Thursday. "I felt violated. It made me think, 'Who's out there?' "
The crime raised concerns about the security of municipal coffers, especially when wireless networks are used. Although such city hacking cases have been isolated, some experts said many municipalities lack the large information technology staffs and large budgets for computer security. [Specious argument. You can invest in computerized financial systems but don't plan for security? Sort of like cutting the cost of your yacht be not bothering to make it water tight... Bob]
... Avilla said she still doesn't know how her computer was targeted. [They probably went after everyone, and then looked theough the “take.” Bob] She said she doubts it had the latest security software patch protections [Now's a great time to think of that Bob] — something sheriff's detectives and bank investigators told her is essential in safeguarding her computer.
She said that as soon as word got out, Carson fielded calls from officials in other cities, asking how they could protect themselves. [Sort of like asking John Kerry how to win an election... Bob]
... Earlier this year, the finance director of the Northern California city of Willows discovered that a hacker had taken $4,000 from a city fund. Avilla said cities may not always notice smaller thefts.
... "It's not an inexpensive enterprise to have a full team that goes around checking every laptop ever used. [Precisely the wrong strategy. Bob]
... Avilla said she noticed a problem when she found she was unable to log on to the city's bank account. She thought she must have been typing the password incorrectly.
On May 22, the bank gave her a new password. But unbeknownst to her, the cyber thieves got that password as soon as she tapped it into her computer.
On May 24, Avilla and her deputy checked bank balances and discovered the previous day's $90,000 wire transfer to someone in Wilson, N.C. Avilla checked with the bank and discovered the $358,000 transfer that day through National City Bank in Kalamazoo.
... Avilla said the experience has made her angry and determined to seek legislation that would address the problem. [Agreed! Let's call it the “Fire All Stupid and Thoughtless MANagers Act” (FASTMAN) Bob] "There's got to be more than one way to fight this," she said. "They get us in so many ways. There's got to be a way for us to get them."
See? Nothing to it. Settlement in only 28 months! Of course, this was a tiny breach by today's standards...
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/05/31/ap3775185.html
ChoicePoint Settles With 44 States
By HARRY R. WEBER 05.31.07, 12:11 PM ET
ChoicePoint Inc. said Thursday it settled with 44 states over allegations it failed to adequately secure consumers' personal information related to a breach of its database that it disclosed in 2005.
The Alpharetta, Ga.-based consumer data provider has agreed to adopt significantly stronger security measures, including written certification and, in some cases, onsite visits by ChoicePoint to ensure the legitimacy of companies before they are allowed access to personally identifiable information.
ChoicePoint will also conduct periodic audits to ensure that companies are using consumer data for legitimate purposes, according to the settlement.
ChoicePoint will also pay a total of $500,000 to the states to use for public education campaigns about identity theft.
The breach that was disclosed in February 2005 involved thieves posing as small business customers who gained access to ChoicePoint's database, possibly compromising the personal information of 163,000 Americans, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
Don't you love quotes like this? Seriously, this points out some issues that could easily impact investigations as well as e-discovery. Well worth a read.
http://techdirt.com/articles/20070531/152833.shtml
Forensics Losing Relevance? New Tools Let Even Hobbyists Thwart Experts
from the cat-and-mouse dept
Chris Lindquist writes "Scott Berinato has written an article about how the declining complexity and increased effectiveness of antiforensic tools is making life difficult for data experts looking to snag the bad guys. "Five years ago, you could count on one hand the number of people who could do a lot of these things," says one investigator. "Now it's hobby level." The result of all this antiforensic activity, Berinato concludes, is that someday soon the TJX case could be considered ordinary, a quaint precursor to an age of rampant electronic crime, run by well-organized syndicates and driven by easy-to-use, widely available antiforensic tools." It's an interesting article, but it seems to overplay the woe-is-me factor for investigators. This is always a back and forth game, where the tools used by scammers and criminals gets more advanced -- but so should the tools and tricks (note that it need not all be technology) used by those charged with tracking down the criminals.
If we don't open this can of worms, we can claim we haven't seen a single worm?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6707235.stm
'No evidence' of CCTV data breach
The Information Commissioner's Office says it has not seen evidence which suggests that most CCTV systems are breaching its own code of practice. [“Nor have we seen evidence of compliance.” Bob]
Newly-launched industry body Camerawatch has said its own research showed 90% of CCTV was not complying.
Camerawatch said this could have an impact if images from incorrectly used CCTV were presented as legal evidence.
But the ICO said no audit of CCTV systems had been done: "We don't believe there is any such evidence."
The commissioner's office does not have audit and inspection powers itself, but has enforcement powers and can investigate complaints of CCTV being used in breach of the Data Protection Act.
There are up to 4.2m CCTV cameras in Britain - about one for every 14 people.
... "When evidence is presented in court, it could well be that even before they get to court, if the system is deemed to not have been operating under data protection properly - and there are 70 odd points of law, if it's not been run correctly then the evidence could well be challenged," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
The code of practice covers such areas as signage, permission and storage of images.
Using the Streisand Effect for Strategic Advantage... I love it!
http://techdirt.com/articles/20070601/003819.shtml
RealMedia Looking For A Lawsuit; Launches Software To Download And Burn Streaming Video
from the this-ought-to-be-fun dept
RealNetworks has become something of an also ran online. The company that really pioneered both web audio and video went astray over the last few years as it became more focused on tricking its users into installing all sorts of adware they didn't need or want. All that did was piss people off and send them looking for alternatives. And, of course, given the demand, many alternatives hit the market, and most were a lot more innovative, because Real stopped innovating. So, now, in an attempt to return RealNetworks to the spotlight, Rob Glaser is begging for a lawsuit. The latest version of RealPlayer will make it easy to download streaming video and audio and burn it to a CD or DVD. Obviously, there are already a ton of other products out there that do this -- but none is really mainstream beyond the geekier crowd. RealPlayer, on the other hand, can certainly be considered mainstream. It's definitely a good attempt at delivering exactly what the customer wants -- which is just the type of thing that will cause the entertainment industry to freak out and send in the lawyers. My guess is that RealNetworks is hoping for exactly that, as the resulting publicity can only help the software get even further adoption -- and there's a better than decent chance that Real would prevail in any such lawsuit (they just need to point the court to the Betamax decision and ask anyone to explain what's different).
Yeah, we knew that...
http://techdirt.com/articles/20070529/224835.shtml
GAO: FBI Network Not Very Secure
from the shocking dept
The Government Accountability Office continues to break through the political clutter with its reports on what's really going on. The latest in a long series of reports notes that the FBI's new Trilogy data network "place sensitive information transmitted on the network at increased risk of unauthorized disclosure or modification, and could result in a disruption of service." Should this really comes as a surprise? After all, this is the same FBI that wasted hundreds of millions of dollars on a computer system that was late, overbudget and useless at tracking terrorists -- which was eventually scrapped entirely before researchers who examined its security could kick off a crime spree to celebrate how useless the system was. After completely ditching the old useless system, the government set aside another $500 million for this new system -- but apparently forgot to do anything to make sure that the system was actually useful. While it's nice that the GAO is actually pointing out how bad the new system is, wouldn't it be nice if there were some actual accountability from the folks who both commissioned and built the systems?
What happened here? “We want to limit our potential market?”
eHarmony sued for excluding gays
Thu May 31, 2007 2:45 PM ET By Jill Serjeant
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The popular online dating service eHarmony was sued on Thursday for refusing to offer its services to gays, lesbians and bisexuals.
... Lawyers bringing the action said they believed it was the first lawsuit of its kind against eHarmony, which has long rankled the gay community with its failure to offer a "men seeking men" or "women seeking women" option.
They were seeking to make it a class action lawsuit on behalf of gays and lesbians denied access to the dating service.
eHarmony was founded in 2000 by evangelical Christian Dr. Neil Clark Warren and had strong early ties with the influential religious conservative group Focus on the Family.
... eHarmony could not immediately be reached for comment. Commenting in the past on eHarmony's gay and lesbian policy, Warren has said that he does not know the dynamics of same-sex relationships but he expects the principles to be different. [Not the smartest statement to make... Bob]
Let the kicking and screaming begin? This distresses me. With a minimal investment, they could try a variety of business models and measure the customer response. Once they see what works, they can increase the investment and try a few tweeks. Is this rocket science?
http://techdirt.com/articles/20070531/081724.shtml
Warner Music's Online Video Archive: Too Little, Too Late
from the this-is-big-news? dept
Lots of news sites are covering Warner Music's announcement today that they're going to offer music videos from their archives for free (with ads) streaming online. About the only reason why this should be news is the fact that it took them until 2007 to realize that these promotional videos could be used for promotional purposes. Remember, the whole point of music videos was to attract more interest in the music and musicians. In other words, music videos have always been promotional materials, and as such it's bizarre that it's taken Warner Music this long to realize that it might make sense to offer them up for people to view. That said, Warner Music still seems confused about this, as they're focused not on making it even easier to use these music videos for promotional purpose, but on "monetizing" them. First, these videos are at Warner's own hub, rather than distributed to content sites where people already go. They seem to believe that people will want to search them out, a strategy that hasn't worked for other media companies because it goes against the way people want to interact with the content. People don't know which artists are on the Warner Music label, and they don't care. If they want music videos they want to go to places where they can get all kinds of music videos, rather than just a random group that happens to have a business relationship with a company that the users don't care about. Then, of course, these videos are only for streaming -- not for promoting. Users can't share them with their friends, they can only download videos for a fee. At some point you would think that the folks at the major labels would start to realize the difference between promotional goods and goods that should be sold, but it appears they're still a long way away from that epiphany.
Oops?
Baghdad Embassy Plans Appear on Internet
By MATTHEW LEE Associated Press Writer Jun 1, 3:24 AM EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Detailed plans for the new U.S. Embassy under construction in Baghdad appeared online Thursday in a breach of the tight security surrounding the sensitive project.
Computer-generated projections of the soon-to-be completed, heavily fortified compound were posted on the Web site of the Kansas City, Mo.-based architectural firm that was contracted to design the massive facility in the Iraqi capital.
The images were removed by Berger Devine Yaeger Inc. shortly after the company was contacted by the State Department.
On the Net: http://www.bergerdevineyaeger.com
Oops!
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/05/31/ap3777165.html
N.J. GOP Sues Governor for E-Mails
By TOM HESTER Jr. 05.31.07, 7:57 PM ET
The state Republican Party chairman sued Democratic Gov. Jon S. Corzine on Thursday to force the release of e-mails between the governor and a state union leader he once dated and lavished with gifts.
GOP chief Tom Wilson said he particularly wants messages that Corzine and his staff exchanged with Carla Katz, the leader of a state workers union, during recent state employee contract talks.
"The people have a right to know whether or not his personal relationship with Ms. Katz unduly or inappropriately influenced Jon Corzine's actions," Wilson said.
Put a little information on the Internet (campaign contributions) and first thing you know you have people using it! How surprising! No one from Colorado – not worth the effort?
http://digg.com/politics/Contact_Info_for_50_Politicians_Who_Take_Campaign_Money_from_the_RIAA
Contact Info for 50 Politicians Who Take Campaign Money from the RIAA
"We've linked their contact information so that you, as their constituents, can inform them that they're taking money from the "Worst Company in America," and that's going to cost them your vote."
Have you played with Google Maps recently?
[How it works: http://maps.google.com/help/maps/streetview/index.html Bob]
New video footage, apparently somewhat compelling, of Loch Ness Monster
An amateur scientist believes he could have captured the Loch Ness Monster - on videotape. Yorkshireman Gordon Holmes was carrying out experiments at the famous loch when by chance he happened to spot a strange creature in the waters. Now his film of the incident is causing a sensation.
What's the techie equivalent of “Couch Potato?” If nothing else, this type of story stirs up lots of comments...
http://digg.com/television/TV_over_Internet_is_already_here_and_its_free_watch_it_now
TV over Internet is already here and its free - watch it now
This site has over 320 TV channels you can watch for free in your browser. You can watch sports, movies, news, comedy, business, cartoons, adult TV and more. Most popular channels are ESPN, E-Music, ABC News, BBC, FOX, Bloomberg, Galaxy Cartoons, Comedy TV, PETN Music and of course adult channels. Site has recently been upgraded.
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