identity theft | Breaking Cybersecurity News | The Hacker News

Americans are nearly as likely to be victimized by Internet-based crime as by other forms of nonviolent theft. This perception emerges from a recent survey on crimes committed against individuals and their families. According to a Gallup Poll released Monday, 11% of American adults reported that they or a household member were victims of a computer or Internet crime on their home computers in the past year. This marks an increase from the previous seven years, where the percentage ranged between 6% and 8%. Gallup notes: "At 11 percent, computer/Internet-based crime is edging closer in reported frequency to the most common traditional forms of crime involving nonviolent theft of personal property and vandalism. Further, the increase is an exception in the overall crime picture, in that Americans' victimization reports have been fairly steady over the past several years. Not only has the overall percentage of Americans experiencing any type of crime been fairly flat, but Ameri...

Thousands of Social Security numbers have been stolen from the computers of a New York state agency. The Social Security Administration in New York City reports that a subcontractor, who was working for the Office of Temporary Disability Assistance on computer infrastructure upgrades, illegally downloaded approximately 15,000 Social Security numbers. These numbers were taken from computers belonging to private contractors working for the agency, which is responsible for deciding Social Security disability claims. The commissioner of Social Security, Michael Astrue, confirmed that the accused worker has been arrested and is now in the custody of the New York State Police. According to Astrue, the unauthorized download of information occurred in a limited number of cases. However, investigations are ongoing, and the full extent of the damage is still unknown. Individuals whose information was compromised will be notified. They will also be offered free credit monitoring and a special ...

When Ben Franklin famously wrote, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," he wasn't thinking about cybercrime. Yet, in today's world of phishing, shoulder-surfing, and spyware, his advice is more relevant than ever. Unfortunately, some people will take advantage of any opportunity to rip you off. Just as you take precautions when handling cash, you should be vigilant when using credit or debit cards, whether in person or online. Tips for Protecting Your Account Information and Avoiding Payment Card Scams Prevent Online Intrusions Use updated anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Only download information from trusted sites, and don't click on pop-up windows or suspicious links in emails. These can be tricks to install spyware, which can record your keystrokes to steal account or other confidential information. Use Secure Websites When purchasing items online, look for safety symbols like the padlock icon in the browser's status bar, an "s" after "http" in the U...

Globalization benefits consumers and businesses but also provides opportunities for organized crime. Many internet criminals join or form organized crime groups, motivated by economic, cultural, or technical reasons. Globally, individuals and mafia groups engage in illegal online activities, often aiming to become wealthy. Australia ranks among the top 10 countries targeted by cybercrime. Recently, Australian credit card holders' personal information was compromised and published on a website originating from Vietnam. Although this might seem like an isolated incident, such occurrences are part of a broader organized cybercrime effort. Cybercriminals sell thousands of pieces of stolen, misappropriated, and sometimes fake credit card information daily. Three primary packages are available: CC Dump: Information from the credit card's magnetic strip. A simple dump costs around US$0.10 (AU$0.09) when bought in large quantities. CC Full Info: Contains all details about a b...

Computer security firms and military personnel have issued warnings about certain Facebook features that could compromise both personal and national security. On Thursday, Sophos, a computer security developer, warned that Facebook's new online messaging service could increase users' vulnerability to identity theft. John Leyden of The Register reported that the service, which combines site updates, instant messaging chat, and SMS messages in one place, is an attractive target for cybercriminals. According to Leyden, spammers can easily target accounts, or they can be compromised to create Web 2.0 botnets. "Users need to realize that these new features increase the attack surface on the Facebook platform, making personal accounts more attractive to cybercriminals," said Graham Cluley, Sophos' senior technology consultant, to AFP. "Facebook accounts will now be linked with more people in users' social circles, creating new opportunities for identity fraud...

Criminals are posing as IT support staff, calling unsuspecting U.K. internet users to push rogue antivirus software. GetSafeOnline.org reports this as part of their Internet safety week campaign. These scam operations often involve up to 400 people using sales techniques and social engineering to deceive victims. The goal is to obtain credit card information through the sale of rogue antivirus software or gain remote access to the victim's system for future use. Typically, the scam begins with an unexpected call. The caller, pretending to be an IT helpdesk technician, builds rapport with the victim, presenting themselves as trustworthy by using personal information available online. The victim is then questioned about computer problems like slow email or internet browsing. Once the victim admits to an issue, the caller exaggerates the problem and offers a solution for a small fee. The caller might say, "For a small fee, we can install something to fix your system and clean it c...

With mobile phones now essentially serving as personal computers, proposed amendments to the Information Technology Act, 2006, specify that transmitting offensive or menacing text, audio, or video can result in two years of imprisonment. This punishment also applies if the content is false and intended to cause annoyance, inconvenience, danger, or insult. Furthermore, using a cellphone to impersonate and cheat someone can lead to five years of imprisonment. The need to define "communication device" in the proposed amendments arose because the current law does not specify which devices fall under this category. The amended IT Act clarifies that a cellphone or a personal digital assistant (PDA) is considered a communication device, allowing legal action accordingly. In light of various scandals over the past two years, including the arrest of a prominent portal's CEO, the government has introduced new cybercrimes under the proposed law. The amended Act, presented to the ...