Posts Tagged: ‘security software’

Scam of the day – April 26, 2013 – Latest Apple Safari 6.0.4 updates

April 26, 2013 Posted by Steven Weisman, Esq.

I make it a practice to constantly keep you advised about the latest security patches issued by computer software companies.  Identity thieves and scammers are constantly discovering and exploiting vulnerabilities in the software that we all use in order to make us victims of identity theft or other scams.  Software companies are just as constantly trying to keep up with these threats by developing security patches.  Unfortunately, many people do not keep their computer software up to date with the latest security patches and this makes them particularly vulnerable to becoming a scam or identity theft victim.  Apple the maker of the Safari browser has issued a new security alert and patch for its latest Safari 6.0.4 software and you should download it and install it immediately if you use this browser.

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The link for accessing the new Apple Safari security updates is http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5701

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Scam of the day – April 22, 2013 – Urgent Java updates

April 22, 2013 Posted by Steven Weisman, Esq.

Computer hackers are constantly exploiting vulnerabilities in software to attack your computer and steal information from it that can make you a victim of identity theft.   The dirty little secret is that computer security software is not very effective against the newest viruses and malware.  Studies have shown that it takes the software security companies about a month to catch up with the latest viruses.  During that time you are extremely vulnerable to viruses and other malware despite having the latest security software on your computer.  Java software which is made by Oracle has been a particularly successful target of hackers and identity thieves.  According to Kaspersky Lab, flaws in Java software was responsible for about half of all the cyber attacks by hackers last year.    Dangerous vulnerabilities in Java software have been continuously exploited by identity thieves and hackers to gain access to victims’ computers, steal information and make them victims of identity theft. Despite the best efforts of Oracle the maker of Java software, Java continues to be a source of opportunity for hackers and identity thieves.  It has gotten so bad that  the Department of Homeland Security has gone as far as to advise that people disable Java or prevent Java apps from running in your browser.

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I strongly advise people who do not need to use Java that they disable it.  Here is an important link from the Department of Homeland Security with information as to how to disable Java or to otherwise deal with its vulnerabilities: http://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/alerts/TA13-064A.

However if you still desire to use Java software, you should use this link to go to Oracle’s latest security patches for Java: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javafx/overview/index.html

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Scam of the day – April 20, 2013 – Bluetooth scams

April 20, 2013 Posted by Steven Weisman, Esq.

Bluetooth technology has proven to be a boon to hands-free use of our smart phones.  Often this technology is used to pair up the smart phone with a car’s technology system, such as the widely used Sync system in Ford vehicles.  But just as this technology can be used to make our lives easier and better, it can also be used by identity thieves to steal information from our smart phones.  Identity thieves will hack into our smart phones using readily available and cheap technology.  They will then steal information stored on your smart phones to make us a victim of identity theft and although many of us take great precautions to keep our computers safe, we often to do not take the necessary steps to keep our smart phones and other portable devices safe.

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Make sure that you use a complex password that combines letters and symbols on your smart phone.  Even just a few exclamation points at the end of a password can provide greatly enhanced security for your smart phone.  Also it is important to switch your Bluetooth into the “non discoverable” mode when you are not using it to keep identity thieves from hacking into your smart phone.  Finally make sure that you install and keep updated, security software for your smart phone.

For more tips on how to keep your identity safe and secure on your smart phone, check out my book “50 Ways to Protect Your Identity in a Digital Age.”  It can be purchased at a discount from Amazon by merely clicking on the picture of the book on the right of this page.

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Scam of the day – April 7, 2013 – Chief Justice of the Supreme Court a victim of identity theft

April 6, 2013 Posted by Steven Weisman, Esq.

As I have told you many times, identity theft can happen to anyone.   In fact, statistics and trends would indicate that it is not a matter of if you will become a victim of identity theft, but when.  No one is immune to identity theft, not Michelle Obama, not Donald Trump, not Tiger Woods and now, not Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.  The Associated Press recently disclosed that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts was a victim of identity theft when someone got access to his credit card.  At this time, it is not known whether the breach of the Chief Justice’s security was due to the use of a skimmer, malware in a card scanner, stealing of the card or a data breach either in Justice Roberts’ computer or the computers of any company that held his card information.  What is known is that this type of identity theft can happen to anyone, regardless of who you are and how much you try to protect your security.

So what do you do?

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Don’t make it easy for identity thieves.  As tempting as it is, don’t leave your credit card information on file with online retailers such as Amazon.  If they have a data breach, you are in trouble.  Maintain your own computer’s Firewall and security software up to date and don’t download files or click on links from websites or in emails unless you are absolutely positive that the website or the email is legitimate.  Check credit card readers and ATMS for signs of a skimmer or being tampered with before inserting your card.  Finally, monitor your credit card statements carefully each month to check for evidence of a breach of security.  The earlier you discover a breach, the better.

You can get some comfort over the limit of your liability being only $50 for a stolen credit card, but remember, potentially there is no limit for stolen debit cards, so limit your use of your debit cards to use solely as an ATM card.

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Scam of the day – March 8, 2013 – Dangerous links

March 8, 2013 Posted by Steven Weisman, Esq.

Once again I had to go no farther than my own email box for today’s scam of the day f0r two examples of scams that operate by getting you to click on tainted links.  Never click on links in an email unless you are absolutely positive that they are legitimate.  When they come, as did the emails copies below, it is easy to see that they are just an attempt to get you and me to click on the links using whatever bait they think will work.  However, other times the email may appear to come from a friend of yours.  The problem is that you cannot be sure that your friend’s email account has not been hacked and that it is an identity thief who is sending you the link.  Other times, even if you independently confirm that it actually is your friend who sent you the link, you can’t be sure that the link he or she sent is not one that is tainted and that he or she is unwittingly passing along.  It is always important to confirm that not just the sender, but the link itself is legitimate before clicking on any links.  The problem with clicking on the tainted link is that by clicking on the link, you unwittingly download a keystroke logging malware program that steals all of the information from your computer and ends up making you a victim of identity theft.

Here are two examples of emails I got today with tainted links.   DO NOT CLICK ON THESE LINKS.

“Couldnt believe this in our area.. Click here to read it.”

“Read this please. Click this link.”

Interestingly enough, the first email came under the heading of “Safety First” while the second came under the heading of “smoking.”

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As I have indicated above, do not click on any link in an email until you have verified both the identity of the real sender and the legitimacy of the link itself.  Also make sure that you have a Firewall and good security software installed on your computer and always kept up to date.  It is also important to keep the same kind of security software in place and up to date on your tablet, smartphone and other portable devices where you might download material.  Too many people neglect security software for their portable devices.  For more information, check out my book “50 Ways to Protect Your Identity in a Digital Age.”

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Scam of the day – February 24, 2013 – More income tax identity theft scams

February 23, 2013 Posted by Steven Weisman, Esq.

Every season is scam season and income tax season is a huge time for income tax identity thefts by which identity thieves access your name and Social Security number and the file a phony income tax return in your name and claim a phony income tax refund based on false information they include in the return.  The Treasury Department Inspector General issued a report last summer that predicted the IRS will lose as much as 21 billion dollars to income tax identity theft over the next five years.  However, it is not just the IRS that loses, but it is also the person whose name and Social Security number has been stolen who is harmed.  If you file your legitimate return after the identity thief has filed a return using your name and Social Security number, it can take up to a year for you to get your legitimately owed refund from the IRS.

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The key to protecting yourself from this kind of identity theft is to protect your Social Security number as much as possible.  Don’t carry your Social Security card with you.  Shred any documents that may contain personal information, such as your Social Security number so dumpster diving identity thieves cannot go through your trash and turn it into their gold.  Limit the places that have your Social Security number.  Don’t give it to companies that ask for it to use it as an identifier of you unless they legally need it, such as when you apply for a loan from a bank.  My eye doctor wanted my Social Security number and I refused to give it.  Remember, the security of your personal information is only as secure as the security of the weakest place that holds your information.  Keep your computer and other electronic devices protected with the latest security software to prevent hacking into your devices and stealing your information.  Finally, file your income tax return as early as possible to prevent an identity thief from filing before you do.

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Scam of the day – February 21, 2013 – The threat to you of the recent hacking of hundreds of companies

February 21, 2013 Posted by Steven Weisman, Esq.

As I have been reporting to you, there have been a recent wave of serious hacking into companies such as Facebook and now Apple, that were long thought to be secure and safe from cyberattacks and these two companies are only two of the hundreds  that have been hacked.  Often companies do not publicize it when a hacking occurs. There is initial evidence that suggests that in the recent Facebook and Apple attacks, it may be the same people and the same vulnerability that is being exploited, namely a vunerability with Java software.  The Department of Homeland Security and many computer security experts are advising people to disable Java on their computers.  As I have told you previously, the computer security company Kaspersky Lab has indicated that Java software  security flaws were responsible for almost half of all cyber attacks in the world last year.  There are conflicting reports as to the source of these most recent hacking, some say Russia, some sayChina, but whoever it is,  the result is the same.  You and I are in danger.  There are plenty of criminals and foreign enemies who can get access to the technology necessary to hack into the computers of the companies and intrastructure of our country.  We are in grave danger.

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So what can you do?  President Obama spoke of the dangers of cyberwarfare in his State of the Union Address.  The President and Congress need to act now!  Email your Congressman and Senator and demand that they take action.  Their lack of action in the face of a problem of which they have been aware for a long time has made this problem worse.

As for you and I, as I have said before, our information is only as safe as the security of the weakest institution that holds it and we have seen that banks and other institutions are not secure.  Security begins at home so the first thing that you should do is to follow the security practices I describe in scamicide.com and in my book “50 Ways to Protect Your Identity in a Digital Age.”   Security software is important, but studies have shown it to be no more than 5% effective in protecting you from the latest viruses.  It generally takes about a month for the software security companies to catch up.  However, it is still important to have security software and make sure that it is current.   In addition, you need backup documentation in case records at your bank, brokerage house or any other place that holds your assets are hacked into and lost.  Copy them regularly to a thumb drive and keep the thumb drive in a secure place in your home.  You should also make paper copies on a regular basis of your bank accounts, brokerage accounts and all other financial accounts and keep them in a locked safe in your home.  Other personal documentation that you should copy and keep locked in a safe include birth certificates, Social Security cards, Deeds, Mortgages, credit card statements,insurance documents and evidence of all accounts that you may have.  This may seem a little over the top, but it really is necessary in case of a major cyberattack on this country.

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Scam of the day – February 19, 2013 – Microsoft security updates

February 19, 2013 Posted by Steven Weisman, Esq.

Hackers and identity thieves exploit vulnerabilities in the software that we all use to access our computers, steal our information and make us victims of identity theft.  Fortunately, the computer software companies and security software companies are always just as busy trying to correct those vulnerabilities.  When they do, they issue security patches and updates, however, these updates are only effective if you install them on your computers and other devices.  Hackers and identity thieves constantly take advantage of the fact that many people do not keep their security software current and install the latest security patches issued by software companies when they become aware of vulnerabilities.  Microsoft has just issued an alert about dangerous vulnerabilities that they discovered in Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Server Software and Microsoft. NET Framework.

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If you have not already done so go to http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/bulletin/ms13-feb for the Microsoft security bulletin that describes these dangers in detail and provides links to install necessary patches to protect your computer.  Perhaps a better option is to enable your computers to automatically install all necessary updates and save yourself the time of having to constantly monitor new patches and security developments.  Remember, the hackers and identity thieves count on people not patching these vulnerabilities in a timely fashion.

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Scam of the day – December 28, 2012 – Security threat to major American banks

December 28, 2012 Posted by Steven Weisman, Esq.

Cassandra, was a figure from mythology who has been called the prophet of doom.  Even today, someone who predicts disasters that may or may not occur is often referred to as a “Cassandra.”  However, while the term is often used in mistrusting scorn, it is important to remember that although Cassandra often predicted doom such as the fall of Troy, she was always correct.  I mention Cassandra because over the coming weeks I will be warning you about a major threat to major American banks that has been in the works since 2008 by an organized crime group operating out of Russia.  This group has already stolen an estimated five million dollars from American banks, but this figure pales next to what they have planned for 2013.  Recent attacks against Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase which caused them to temporarily crash may be a harbinger of more major attacks in the near future.  These attacks, as often done in the past are primariily done through botnets where, as I have described previously in www.scamicide.com the hacker remotely takes over your computer and uses it to deliver the malware to banks and other institutions.  I will be updating this particular threat a lot in the upcoming months.

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Be a part of the solution, not part of the problem.  You can find information about avoiding becoming a part of a botnet in my book “50 Ways to Protect Your Identity in a Digital Age” as well as in postings here on scamicide.com.  The best thing you can do is to prevent your computer from becoming a part of a botnet.  The key to doing this is to make sure that your Firewall and security software are up to date and that future updates are done automatically.  As security patches are issued by your operating system, make sure that you install them.  Be particularly wary of opening attachments or clicking on links contained in emails or found on websites that you may not be sure of.  Make sure family members are not downloading free games or music without being sure that the downloads are clean.  Such free downloads are often carriers of the malware that will turn your computer into a part of a botnet.

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