“We depend on information and information technology (IT) to make many of our day-to-day tasks easier and more convenient. Computers play key roles in transportation, health care, banking, and energy. Businesses use IT for payroll and accounting, inventory and sales, and research and development. Modern military forces use weapons that are increasingly coordinated through computer-based… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: ID Theft
The Target Data Breach: Frequently Asked Questions
CRS – The Target Data Breach: Frequently Asked Questions. N. Eric Weiss. Specialist in Financial Economics; Rena S. Miller, Specialist in Financial Economics. April 22, 2014. “According to Target, in November and December of 2013, information on 40 million payment cards (credit, debit, and ATM cards) and personally identifiable information (PII) on 70 million customers was compromised. The Secret Service has… Continue Reading
Verizon 2014 Data Breach Investigations Report
Excerpt from the Verizon 2014 Data Breach Investigations Report: ‘“We have more incidents, more sources, and more variation than ever before—and trying to approach tens of thousands of incidents using the same techniques simply won’t cut it. Not only would the dominant incident characteristics drown out the subtleties of the less frequent varieties, but we cannot… Continue Reading
FTC Announces Top National Consumer Complaints for 2013
News release: “Identity theft continues to top the Federal Trade Commission’s national ranking of consumer complaints, and American consumers reported losing over $1.6 billion to fraud overall in 2013, according to the FTC’s annual report on consumer complaints released today. “Americans of all ages are vulnerable to identity theft, and it remains the most common consumer… Continue Reading
Commentary – FBI Issues Cyber Attack Warning To Retailers: Is Chip And PIN The Answer?
Eric A. Packel: “Point-of-sale (POS) systems are under attack. In the wake of breaches at Neiman Marcus, Target and other stores over the 2013 holiday season, the FBI is now warning retailers to expect similar cyber attacks in the coming months. The warning came in the form of a 3 page report distributed to numerous retailers… Continue Reading
CRS – Identity Theft: Trends and Issues
Identity Theft: Trends and Issues, Kristin Finklea, Specialist in Domestic Security. January 16, 2014. “Policymakers continue to be concerned with securing the economic health of the United States—including combating those crimes that threaten to undermine the nation’s financial stability. Identity theft, for one, poses both security and economic risks. By some estimates, identity fraud cost Americans nearly $21 billion in… Continue Reading
Report to Government on Massive Theft of Credit Card Data From Retail Customers
KAPTOXA POS Report Overview – “iSIGHT Partners, working with the U.S. Secret Service, has determined that a new piece of malicious software, KAPTOXA (Kar-Toe-Sha), has potentially infected a large number of retail information systems. This software can find, store, and then transmit sensitive information such as credit card and PIN numbers. These findings are part of a… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – Government Support for Bank Holding Companies, InfoSec, James Webb Space Telescope
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR BANK HOLDING COMPANIES – Statutory Changes to Limit Future Support Are Not Yet Fully Implemented, GAO-14-174T, Jan 8, 2014: “GAO found that from 2007 through 2009, the federal government’s actions to stabilize the financial system provided significant funding support and other benefits to bank holding companies and their subsidiaries. The Board of Governors of… Continue Reading
EPIC – Snapchat Data Breach Exposes 4.6 Million Usernames
“A data breach has exposed the usernames and partial phone numbers of 4.6 million users of Snapchat, a popular photo- and video-sharing app. The breach was accomplished by exploiting a flaw that was previously brought to company’s attention by security researchers. Last year, EPIC filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission regarding Snapchat’s deceptive claim that photos would “disappear forever”… Continue Reading
FBI Releases Annual Crime Statistics from National Incident-Based Reporting System
News release: “..the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released its second compilation of annual data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). The report, NIBRS 2012, presents core tables about incident and offense data submitted by a third of the nation’s law enforcement agencies that participate in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, as well… Continue Reading
GAO – Consumer Privacy Framework Needs to Reflect Changes in Technology and the Marketplace
INFORMATION RESELLERS: Consumer Privacy Framework Needs to Reflect Changes in Technology and the Marketplace, GAO-14-251T, Dec 18, 2013 “No overarching federal privacy law governs the collection and sale of personal information among private-sector companies, including information resellers. Instead, laws tailored to specific purposes, situations, or entities govern the use, sharing, and protection of personal information. For example,… Continue Reading
Major Study Sheds Light On Online Privacy, Security Values, Behavior
“A new poll released today by the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) found that Internet users are highly concerned about the theft of personal and financial information and believe strongly that the federal government should do more to protect them. This CCIA telephone survey of 1,000 voters was conducted by Benenson Strategy Group (D) and American… Continue Reading
