TECH.BLORGE.com » Scams

Computer password hall of shame

Ronald O Carlson — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:03:33 +0000

The big black hole of personal computer security can usually be found right between the user’s ears. From phishing (miracle weight loss, cheap Viagra, anyone?) to the subject of this wake up call, passwords, it’s people like you and me making bad, bad and easily avoidable choices.

Think of a high-profile computer security [...] Related posts:

Rating the Black Friday/Cyber Monday scams

John Lister — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:45:35 +0000

Malware distributors who try to trick people using topical subjects are, of course, the scum of the earth. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t acknowledge that some of them are more skilful than others.

Take, for example, two scams that have [...] Related posts:

FAA: Turn off all electronic devices, or not

Ronald O Carlson — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:00:27 +0000

If you fly, then you know that everyone is required to turn off all electronic devices before take off or else. However, repeated tests over the course of decades haven’t found any evidence that using a cellphone, tablet, PDA or reader during take off, or landing, causes any problems.

The New York [...] Related posts:

Missing period could be bad news

John Lister — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:00:40 +0000

The humble period is the smallest character on a computer screen. But it appears it could also be a major security risk.

That’s the conclusion of security firm Sophos, which investigated a lesser-known risk from typosquatting. Most people think of this [...] Related posts:

How to watch the companies watching you

Ronald O Carlson — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 04:19:00 +0000

Whether you take precautions or not, your activity on the internet is being tracked — call it a fact of life. That said, if you’re curious about who’s doing the tracking and what they’re after, there’s a Firefox plugin that can help you find out.

So, who’s watching you? Exactly who you would [...] Related posts:

House votes against freedom of choice

George Gardner — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 01:05:29 +0000

The House, today, has voted to keep the 2007 Better Use of Light Bulbs (BULB) Act which will set restrictions on the efficiency of light bulbs starting January 1, 2012, requiring that they be 25-30 percent more efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs.

Thomas Edison, father [...] Related posts:

New caps and smartphones frustrate wine fraud

Susan Wilson — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 19:49:07 +0000

Wine connoisseurs aren’t happy when they open their favorite wine only find it’s a nasty counterfeit. In order to assure [...] Related posts:

Washington Jobless to spend more time tweaking spam filters

John Lister — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:07:47 +0000

The Washington Post has revealed that around 1.3 million users of its jobseeker site have had their e-mail addresses exposed to hackers. The newspaper said no more sensitive details were lost.

According to the newspaper, two attacks took place on [...] Related posts:

FBI busts the united nations of scareware

John Lister — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 12:00:14 +0000

The FBI says it has seized nearly 50 computers in eight countries as part of an attack on two operations to sell bogus security software. But in a depressing acknowledgement of reality, it isn’t claiming to have done anything [...] Related posts:

Microsoft warns of old-school computer scams

John Lister — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:00:47 +0000

Thanks to ongoing education and media coverage, the message is starting to get through to a lot of people about the need for caution and smart security practice online. Unfortunately, it seems, make a phone call and all bets are [...] Related posts: