Category: Thought Leadership

The FDIC Reviews Mobile Payment Systems

In 2011, the technology world was all abuzz with news of a new payment system which could turn your smartphone into a virtual wallet. Google was the first to come forward with their Google Wallet and they partnered with Visa and MasterCard to produce Near Field Communication systems in a limited number of smartphones.

Find out what the FDIC and other experts have to say about this service.

Data Privacy Day 2013: How Safe is Your Data?

How are you celebrating Data Privacy Day today?

Data Privacy Day is a global effort to help educate people about the privacy risks they face and empower them to protect their privacy and control their digital footprint. Another aim of Data Privacy Day is to remind everyone that the protection of privacy and data is everyone’s priority.

But are you making it *your* priority? Click to read the entire article and learn ways to keep your data protected!

 

Netflix and Facebook: A Privacy Issue?

Last month we published a blog post that detailed how that the U.S. government is currently capturing and storing all your emails in huge data warehouses and can use it against you whenever they feel like it.

Just a few weeks ago, lawmakers removed an important provision to the Video Privacy Protection Act that would have required the government to seek a warrant before accessing these emails.

Click to read more.

Is Ransomware Holding Your PC Hostage?

Remember malware and scareware?

Malware, short for malicious software, is software designed to secretly access your computer system without your informed consent. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, crimeware, most rootkits, and other malicious and unwanted software.

Scareware is scam software of limited or no benefit, such as a message that convinces you that a virus has infected your computer and suggesting that you download (and pay for) fake antivirus software to remove it.

Well, just when you thought it was safe, now there’s something called ransomware, which PC security experts say just might be a much bigger problem that both malware and scareware combined.

 

2013 Online Security Tips: New Year’s Resolutions to Protect Against Identity Theft

It is nearing the end of 2012 and it if you haven’t made your new year’s resolution by now, you better get started. This year was a big year for identity theft. From data breaches to new technology, identity thieves were quite active and show no signs of slowing down in 2013. So why not make your new year’s resolution about protecting yourself from identity theft?

Read on for some great examples of resolutions you can make to make sure your 2013 isn’t marred by a nasty case of identity theft.

 

All Your Emails Are Being Stored by the Government (and May be Used Against You)

Recently, a man named William Binney sat down for a remarkably scary interview with RT, an online magazine.

Binney worked for the National Security Agency (NSA) for many years before resigning in 2001, stating that he didn’t want to be a part of an agency that he believed was betraying the Constitution.

In his interview with RT, Binney makes the jaw-dropping claim that nearly every email sent by a U.S. citizen is being captured and stored by the FBI in huge data warehouses.

But here’s what’s interesting about our online correspondence: even the FBI has no idea what they are collecting. Read more startling news in the article.

7 Handy Tips for Safer Online Holiday Shopping

The holiday season is here and that means tons of shopping.

We all want the best deals, which used to mean running from store to store looking a bargain. These days it is much easier to find the best price by comparing websites from the comfort of our laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

Read on for seven simple ways to help lower the risks of shopping online.

 

Thursday Twitter Chat With the ITRC! Learn Tips to Prevent Identity Theft

The Identity Theft Resource Center already spends more time on Twitter than they would like to admit, so they have decided to go ahead and make it official and begin a weekly identity theft twitter chat.

It is the hope of the ITRC that this will help people involved and interested in identity theft connect with one another. Whether those involved are organizations working on identity theft issues, victims of the crime or service providers, these conversations have shown to produce wonderful ideas. The ITRC is sure the weekly identity theft chat will do just that.

Read on to learn more details of this exciting event!

 

Is the UN Trying to Take Over the Internet?

Is the United Nations trying to take over the Internet? The short answer is yes, they are.

This is not getting as much press as PIPA and SOPA, yet it’s urgent that people understand what is at stake: nothing less than the freedom of an open and unregulated Internet. In a few weeks, it may be too late.

So what can you do? Read more to learn about these proposed changes and why you must let other people know about them.

The Petraeus Affair and the Dangerous Link between Our Online and Offline Privacy

By now, most of us have heard about the ever-widening scandal that began with the revelation of an affair between General David Petraeus and Paula Broadwell, his biographer.

To recap, Broadwell and General Petraeus, both married, allegedly engaged in an affair that began last summer and ended a few months ago. General Petraeus was the director of the CIA and a highly decorated army commander, but he stepped down from his post late last week when the affair became public.

Keep reading to find out what laws are in place — if any — to curb law enforcement from finding out all the sordid details about our lives.

 

vote

Ask the Expert: Where do Obama and Romney Stand on Internet Policy and Online Privacy?

Q: “With all the political noise out there this campaign season, I haven’t heard where both presidential candidates stand regarding Internet policy and online privacy. Since I believe this is such an important topic, can you fill us in?”

A: You would think that with as much money and hot air that is being put out there by both candidates that they would spend a bit of time detailing their Internet and online privacy policies. There is a significant difference between them.

No matter which way you intend to vote tomorrow, it’s important that you understand these differences, since they could have a significant impact on you and our country as a whole.