Banking online secure if you follow safety rules

I hear so much about hackers attacking Web sites and stealing people's personal information. Is it safe to bank online?

One of the scariest things about banking online is that you're forced to enter personal information, such as account numbers, that you'd never type anywhere else on the Internet. You're also viewing your most sensitive financial information, and the fear is if you can see it, a skillful hacker might as well.

Getting over that hurdle takes faith in the security of your computer and the banking Web site, but the most paranoid people in the world — computer security specialists — say it's fine to bank online. As long as you guard against the person who is likely your biggest problem: yourself.

Hackers do target banking sites, but it's a hard job. They prefer a much easier way to fool people into coughing up their personal information: fraud spam. Links in those messages direct you to sites that look and feel like real banking sites, but if you enter your account details into them, the hackers take them. If you're banking online, your top priority should be avoid these "phishing" e-mails. Avoiding them is simple: don't click on links in e-mails sent to you purporting to be from your bank. Open up a separate window in your browser and type in the banking Web site address on your own.

You also have to be careful about where you surf on the Internet when you're not banking. Viruses you catch elsewhere can hide silently inside your computer only to activate once you enter information into specific sites, like banking sites.

General good computer-security practices also apply.

Users should have different passwords for their banking and e-mail and other accounts, since if a hacker gets one, he's likely to try it on other accounts in the victim's name.

Vigilance in downloading is also critical. Hackers usually break into people's machines with essentially their permission — they trick victims into downloading programs they think they need but are actually viruses. Up-to-date anti-virus software and a suspicious eye can help there.

MySpace bullying trial ends in misdemeanors

A federal jury found 49-year-old Lori Drew guilty of three counts of misdemeanor computer fraud on Wednesday, acquitting her of the more serious felony charges related to computing hacking.

The Missouri resident was accused of taking part in a scheme to use a fake MySpace account to bully her daughter's one-time friend, Megan Meier — actions which resulted in the 13-year-old girl's suicide. The case has been closely watched because federal prosecutors brought novel hacking charges against the woman after local and state attorneys could not find applicable criminal statutes.

The conviction on three misdemeanors could result in Drew serving up to three years in prison, according to media reports. While the jury did not find Drew guilty of computer hacking charges, the case still sets a precedent of a successful criminal prosecution for violation of an Internet service's terms of use, legal experts said.

"If this verdict stands," Andrew M. Grossman, senior legal policy analyst for the Heritage Foundation, told the New York Times. "It means that every site on the Internet gets to define the criminal law. That’s a radical change. What used to be small-stakes contracts become high-stakes criminal prohibitions."

The case stems from the fatal conclusion to a serious case of cyberbullying that took place in O'Fallon, Missouri on October 16, 2006. On that day, 13-year-old Megan Meier hung herself in her closet following a series of changes with an alleged 16-year-old boy, named Josh, through the MySpace's online service. Months later, the Meiers learned that Lori Drew, a 47-year-old neighbor and mother of a former friend of Megan's, had allegedly took part in creating the fake persona to befriend and later torment the girl. State investigators, however, could not find a law under which Drew could be charged, but public outrage convinced federal prosecutors to pursue the case. A year and a half later, the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California indicted Lori Drew on conspiracy and hacking charges.

On Wednesday, the jury in Los Angeles acquitted Drew on the three felony charges of computer hacking and could not reach a decision on a felony charge of conspiracy.

MySpace has promised to make the Web service safer for its younger users. In January, the site, owned by News Corp., reached an agreement with the top prosecutors of 49 states and the District of Columbia to abide by a set of standards designed to promote the safety. Technology companies, including such giants as Microsoft and Verizon, met this week at a two-day conference to discuss ways of making social networking and the Internet in general safer for children.

If you have tips or insights on this topic, please contact SecurityFocus.

PIN NUMBER REVERSAL (GOOD TO KNOW)

word to the wise. > > PIN NUMBER REVERSAL (GOOD TO KNOW) > > If you should ever be forced by a robber to withdraw money from an ATM > machine, you can notify the police by entering your Pin # in reverse. > > For example if your pin number is 1234 then you would put in 4321. > > The ATM recognizes that your pin number is backwards from the ATM card > you placed in the machine > > The machine will still give you the moneyyou requested, but unknown to > the robber, the police will be immediately dispatched to help you. > > This information was recently broadcast on CTV and it states that it > is seldom used because people don't know it exists. > > I checked with my Bank of Nova Scotia to see if this was correct and > staff said yes this information is correct. > > Please pass this along to everyone possible

Phone number that worths a lot

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WPA Wi-Fi Encryption is Cracked

WPA Wi-Fi Encryption is Cracked - November 12th, 2008
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There is no where to hide.