http://www.databreaches.net/?p=12983
When the road to ID theft is paved with good intentions
August 3, 2010 by admin
Nancy Amons reports that some Nashville, Tennessee flood victims discovered that their personal information was publicly available online after they submitted documentation such as canceled checks and other sensitive information online to obtain property tax relief.
It seems that the Metro Assessor of Property had tried to make things easier for people to upload documentation to request relief by wait for it…. removing the system’s password protection.
“When I found out that information was exposed to the public, I wasn’t real happy about that,” [Property Assessor George] Rooker said.
Rooker says 68 flood victims accidentally had documents posted on-line. In three cases, the breach was serious, he said.
Source: WSMV
“The machines can't store an image.” “Okay, they can store an image, but we never use that feature.” “We won't store the images.” “No, we won't.” “I promise we won't.” “You can trust us!” “Okay, yes we store the images.”
http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20012583-281.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
Feds admit storing checkpoint body scan images
For the last few years, federal agencies have defended body scanning by insisting that all images will be discarded as soon as they're viewed. The Transportation Security Administration claimed last summer, for instance, that "scanned images cannot be stored or recorded."
Now it turns out that some police agencies are storing the controversial images after all. The U.S. Marshals Service admitted this week that it had surreptitiously saved tens of thousands of images recorded with a millimeter wave system at the security checkpoint of a single Florida courthouse.
This follows an earlier disclosure (PDF) by the TSA that it requires all airport body scanners it purchases to be able to store and transmit images for "testing, training, and evaluation purposes." The agency says, however, that those capabilities are not normally activated when the devices are installed at airports.
Tools for ubiquitous surveillance.
http://www.killerstartups.com/Mobile/mobiscope-com-video-surveillance-comes-to-your-mobile
Mobiscope.com - Video Surveillance Comes To Your Mobile
Mobiscope is a new product bringing a full surveillance system into the palm of your hand. That’s right, by installing the provided application you will be able to turn you smartphone into a true surveillance camera. All that you need for this to work is having a webcam or a network camera in order to have everything recorded and streamed on your mobile.
In this way, you can keep an eye on your home or even your office when you are away from it. You can also use such a service in order to see what your children are doing when you have left them at home with strict orders to do their homework and steer clear of the Wii.
This should be interesting...
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20012550-245.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
TippingPoint gives vendors six months to fix holes
As of Wednesday, software vendors will have a deadline to fix vulnerabilities reported to them by TippingPoint's Zero Day Initiative rather than allowing holes to remain unpatched indefinitely.
Vendors will be required to fix the holes within six months, said Aaron Portnoy, manager of security research at TippingPoint, owned by Hewlett-Packard. TippingPoint runs the Zero Day Initiative, which acts a broker paying researchers for information on vulnerabilities and then providing the information to the vendors so they can fix them.
Extensions to the deadline will be given on a case by case basis, he said. If they don't fix the hole within six months and haven't received an extension, TippingPoint will release limited details on the vulnerability, along with mitigation information so organizations and consumers who are at risk from the hole can protect themselves, he added.
I suppose it is possible they confused Wikipedia with Wikileaks... Note that the article includes a picture of the FBI logo.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-10851394
Wikipedia and FBI in logo use row
In a letter sent to Wikipedia's San Francisco office, the FBI said that "unauthorised reproduction of the FBI Seal was prohibited by US law".
"Whoever possesses any insignia...or any colourable imitation thereof..shall be fined...or imprisoned... or both," the FBI wrote.
However, Wikipedia denied that it had done anything wrong and said that FBI lawyers had "misquoted the law".
The issue centred on the FBI's Wikipedia entry which, in addition to information on the US bureau, also features an image of the "Seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation".
The image can be viewed in four different resolutions, including a high-resolution 2000px version.
The FBI said that this was "particularly problematic, because it facilitates both deliberate and unwitting violations of restrictions by Wikipedia users".
It is not yet known why the FBI has singled out Wikipedia, when the FBI seal is published on numerous other websites.
Terminology
In response, the lawyer for Wikipedia - Mike Godwin - wrote back to the bureau saying that there was a big difference between the words "problematic" and "unlawful".
"The enactment of [these laws] was intended to protect the public against the use of a recognisable assertion of authority with intent to deceive.
"The seal is in no way evidence of any 'intent to deceive', nor is it an 'assertion of authority', recognisable or otherwise," he wrote.
Mr Godwin claimed that the FBI letter sent to Wikipedia omitted key words, which changed the interpretation of the law.
"We are compelled as a matter of law and principle to deny your demand for removal of the FBI Seal from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons," said Mr Godwin adding that the firm was "prepared to argue our view in court."
Another interesting “legal interpretation”
No, Net Neutrality Doesn't Violate the 5th Amendment
Posted by kdawson on Tuesday August 03, @02:34PM
"Yesterday we discussed the theory that net neutrality might violate the 5th Amendment's 'takings clause.' Over at TechDirt they've explained why the paper making that claim is mistaken. Part of it is due to a misunderstanding of the technology, such as when the author suggests that someone who puts up a server connected to the Internet is 'invading' a broadband provider's private network. And part of it is due to glossing over the fact that broadband networks all have involved massive government subsidies, in the form of rights of way access, local franchise/monopolies, and/or direct subsidies from governments. The paper pretends, instead, that broadband networks are 100% private."
Does Apple have the clout to do this? Would they really risk their customers?
Apple May Brick Jailbroken iPhones
Despite last week's ruling that jailbreaking the iPhone is legal, Apple is still warning consumers that doing so is a violation of the company's terms of service and that it reserves the right to terminate service to jailbreakers.
Ethical Hacking mid-term question: List four more ways, including one you wrote yourself.
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/tips-securely-configure-wireless-router-public-access-point/
4 Ways To Securely Configure A Wireless Router As A Public Access Point
Interesting, but is it statistically significant?
How High-Tech Gadget Trends Differ By US Region
Posted by kdawson on Tuesday August 03, @04:50PM
Ant writes in with news of a study revealing differences in gadget preferences by US region. The survey is not rigorous, based as it was on 7,500 online questionnaires submitted to Retrevo, a website for tech shoppers. The company plans to run the survey annually.
"...in the smartphone category, the state of Maryland came out on top with 48 percent more households owning at least one such handset than elsewhere in the country. ... In iPad use, the state of New York took top honors. According to the survey, 52 percent more households have at least one iPad in the Empire State. … Massachusetts beat out the rest of the nation in e-reader adoption..."
Another way to distract drivers... Might be a fun tool to nag my students: “Did you remember to bring your homework? Your pencil? Your textbook? I know you brought your cellphone...”
http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/spokentwitter-voice-to-tweet/
SpokenTwitter: Use Your Voice To Tweet
SpokenTwitter is a nifty service for Twitter users that lets use voice to tweet.
Here’s how it works – you sign up with the service, give it access to your Twitter account, call your nearest country based access number (it shows that on the homepage), speak your tweet and it gets posted as a SpokenTwit link on your Twitter profile. When you click on that link, you are directed to the website where you can listen to the recording.
There is no limit to the length of the recording,
www.spokentwit.com/voice/index.php
Similar tools : Chir.ps and Chirbit.
A word to the wise: Use tools like this at your peril. I doubt my students use one of these, the excuses I get are too lame. Fortunately (for me, not the students) I don't give a damn. I'm an equal opportunity flunker.
http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/excusegenerator-excuses-for-being-absent/
ExcuseGenerator: Generate Good Excuses For Being Absent (iPhone App)
It is an app for iPhone/iPod/iPad that just needs to know if the excuse is for work or for school.
Once you have specified your choice, the app shows you a number of relevant and believable excuses for being absent. You can also click to check out the top 10 excuses of all time. Many times you might not be able to use the exact excuses displayed by the app, but they can definitely act as a source of inspiration to create your own excuses.
A pro version of the app also lets you generate sounds like rain or barking dogs and use them as an excuse.
Download ExcuseGenerator from iTunes
Useful? Now I can be Centennial-Man and Mr-Math-Master and The-Hooded-Hacker all at the same time!
Google Lets You Sign In to Multiple Accounts at Once
I hope I can still use this for my Finance students...
Forbes Sells Investopedia To ValueClick In $42 Million Deal
Online marketing services company ValueClick is buying financial information and investing education website Investopedia from Forbes for approximately $42 million in cash.
… Founded in 1999, Investopedia provides visitors with a glossary of financial terms, news articles, tutorials, and investing education tools, such as virtual trading simulators and exam preparation materials.
Good News! Definitely worth looking at, particularly the Professors section. For all my students
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Nook Study from Barnes & Noble is Now Live
Last month I reported on a free study tool from Barnes & Noble called Nook Study. Nook Study is now available for free as a free download for Mac and Windows. Nook Study gives students access to more than 500,000 free ebooks. Students can also purchase and download other titles.
Nook Study provides more than just ebooks for students. Nook Study provides students with the ability to sort titles according to the courses they're taking. Students can use Nook Study to highlight and annotate ebooks. Nook Study also provides a search function that enables students to highlight a word then in one click search for it on Google, Wolfram Alpha, Wikipedia, and other online reference tools.
… Nook Study seems to have been designed for college students, but high school students could use it as well.
[From the Nook site:
… 7-day free trials on eTextbooks
SparkCharts – a course-in-a-chart, amazingly complete information on subjects from Research to Economics. It’s like a cheat sheet, without cheating!
[You can import handouts! Some print and copy functions. ]
(Related) Bad News?
http://www.slashgear.com/barnes-winner-takes-nook-0496476/
Barnes & Noble up for sale; winner takes nook
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