Typical reaction by managers without a clue.
http://www.pogowasright.org/article.php?story=20080205100801448
NE: Adams Central's Computers Hacked
Tuesday, February 05 2008 @ 10:08 AM EST Contributed by: PrivacyNews News Section: Breaches
A local school is left reeling after hackers access personal information in the school network.
Adams Central School Board President Tom Behmer said no student's information was hacked in the incident last week, but they are concerned because staff member's information was on the hard drive.
Source - NTV
[From the article:
They won't know how much information was hacked until State Patrol investigates, but staff notified their banks to make sure any personal information is secured.
... "It happens all the time," Steve Spencer, a network administrator, said. Spencer controls networking at KDS Internet Services in Grand Island. He said strealing information is easy once hackers find even a way in.
Steve says computers are vulnerable in three ways: no system security, like a firewall, viruses and weak passwords.
School Board President Tom Behmer said Adams Central had a firewall. [...as to that other stuff, we don't know... Bob]
When you ask an entry level IT programmer to design and implement the system with no management supervision, here's what you get!
http://www.pogowasright.org/article.php?story=20080205164039388
Couple: 'Security Breach' On Cell Phone Web Site
Tuesday, February 05 2008 @ 04:40 PM EST Contributed by: PrivacyNews News Section: Breaches
A San Diego woman is outraged after she discovered what she called a potentially disastrous security breach on her cell phone company's Web site.
Janet Daniels told NBC 7/39 her husband was among the thousands of customers of Nationlink Wireless, an authorized dealer for Nextel and Sprint, whose private information was on display. That includes San Diego cell phone users.
Daniels said they chose Nationlink Wireless because of their special Employee Value Program, which gives customers a discount if they purchase the cell phone through their employer.
When Janet went on the Web site to track her husband's order, she said she was shocked at what she found. Not only did she find a list of each customer and the company they worked for, including such companies as Disney, Kaiser Permanente and even the U.S. Army, but also their addresses, birthdates, Social Security numbers, and an IP address where you can locate the customers' home.
Source - NBC SanDiego
[From the article:
Daniels said she assumes that the company did something after the report aired, because her husband was able to log on Monday night and delete his information. [Surely each victim is not required to delete their own information? This sounds like another security design bug. Bob]
... It is not known how long the data were live on the site. Some of the customers have been members since 2006, but without comment from Nationlink, there is no way to know how long their information was accessible online. [Isn't that part of the disclosure requirement? Bob]
More on costs...
http://www.pogowasright.org/article.php?story=20080206062917690
The Cost of ID Theft, Part 2: Fixing the System
Wednesday, February 06 2008 @ 06:29 AM EST Contributed by: PrivacyNews News Section: Breaches
The costs as well as the volume of ID thefts continue to rise. Estimated business losses per victim increased by about $7,500 from 2003 to 2004, from $41,717 to $49,254, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center. Reported costs per record were $197 last year, according to the Ponemon Institute's third annual study.
Source - TechNewsWorld
Cyberwar? Look at the target, ask “who benefits?”
http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/fourth-undersea-cable-cut-near-uae-suspicions-rise/
Fourth undersea cable cut near UAE, suspicions rise
Posted Feb 5th 2008 11:34AM by Darren Murph Filed under: Networking
For the fourth time in a week, an undersea communications cable has apparently been cut (or "failed due to a power outage," as some sources suggest), and while no official reports of subversion have surfaced just yet, things are beginning to get suspicious. [Ya think? Perhaps a “return to the 1400's” group is responsible? Bob] Flag Telecom, a subsidiary of Indian conglomerate Reliance ADA Group, has had two cables damaged in the span of a week -- a quandary it has never dealt with until now. As it stands, traffic from the Middle East and surrounding areas is being routed through various other cables in an attempt to remain online, but any more snips and we could be dealing with ping times eerily similar to those seen in 1993 (or much, much larger issues).
I suspect ALL the girls in my high school would have claimed to be pregnant – and named Elvis as the father. After all, that's how you deal with mandatory actions based on hearsay...
http://www.pogowasright.org/article.php?story=20080205141651409
MD: Teen Pregnancy Policy Threatens Students
Tuesday, February 05 2008 @ 02:16 PM EST Contributed by: PrivacyNews News Section: Minors & Students
A new Howard County, MD school policy threatens teens’ right to privacy now that school employees are required to inform parents if a student tells them that she is pregnant. The county Board of Education voted the policy into effect 7-1, according to the Baltimore Sun.
The lone vote against the policy was a student representative who told the Baltimore Sun, "I polled dozens of students. It was unanimous. The students didn’t want this policy, and they didn’t think it was fair to them."
Not only does the Howard County pregnancy notification policy (PDF) threaten students’ privacy because the information is shared with parents, but the policy also states that "information shared in confidence by students to staff will be divulged to principals, to others who by their training or licensure are able to provide immediate appropriate assistance." Therefore students’ personal information is shared with several members of the school administration as well.
Source - Ms. Magazine
[From the article:
The director of general pediatrics and adolescent medicine at John’s Hopkins University Dr. Tina L. Cheng told the Washington Post that research has shown that teens will stop using sexual health care services if they know their parents will be notified.
I suspect that having this information available to the public would terrify most politicians. That alone sounds like a great reason to do it!
http://www.bespacific.com/mt/archives/017402.html
February 05, 2008
Michigan AG Track Your Taxes Webpage
"This webpage is hosted by Attorney General Mike Cox as a clearinghouse of information that allows users to track how Michigan tax dollars are being spent by the Attorney General's office. Currently, users can search the total amount the Michigan Department of Attorney General spends on salary, benefits, rent, browse a detailed list of contracts, and much more. Cox is supporting legislation that would mandate the Michigan Department of Information Technology (DIT) create a user friendly Track Your Taxes website for all of state government."
In the “Vote early and often” category... (Sort of like one key starts any car you'd like to steal.)
http://www.boingboing.net/2007/01/25/diebold-voting-machi.html
Diebold voting machine key copied from pic on Diebold site
Posted by Xeni Jardin, January 25, 2007 7:19 AM | permalink
BoingBoing reader Sejin says, In another stunning blow to the security and integrity of Diebold's electronic voting machines, someone has made a copy of the key which opens ALL Diebold e-voting machines from a picture on the company's own website. The working keys were confirmed by Princeton scientists, the same people who discovered that a simple virus hack on the Diebold machines could steal an election. Absolutely incredible and another example of how Diebold's e-voting machines pose a great threat to the electoral process.
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=4066#more-4066
For my web site students
http://www.killerstartups.com/Video-Music-Photo/Wohotv---Just-Watch/
Woho.tv - Just Watch
As TV shows go into hiding, and the networks drag the already cancelled but leftover shows out of the closet of shame, there’s not much left to do but take action. That’s right, it’s time to make your own TV show. And with Woho.tv you can. Woho.tv has all the tools necessary for you to record on your webcam, edit and upload your own videos, add music, jingles, ads, logos—everything you need to make the next “24” (you’re on your own if you want Kiefer, though). Not into video podcasting? That’s fine. There’s plenty of other entertainment to be had with Woho. Upload your favorite videos from YouTube or DailyMotion, create your own playlists, make a video mashup, make friends worldwide, comment, save embed your faves and the lists goes on. Woho is your one-stop shop for entertainment.
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