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NEWS ABOUT: online security

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More About:  hackers • hacker • hacking • Facebook • Sony • security breach • phishing • Playstation Network • Microsoft • email • online privacy • PlayStation • Twitter • iPad • Firefox • PBS • US government • scam • computer virus • government • Gmail • Nokia • Apple • privacy • spam

55K Twitter Passwords Leaked

Puzzling hit, but most hacked tied to spammers or dupe accounts

(Newser) - The usernames and passwords of more than 55,000 Twitter tweeters were leaked online Monday in a data dump that has puzzled experts. Twitter says that at least 20,000 of the leaked accounts were duplicates, and many more were spam accounts that had already been suspended, InformationWeek reports. Password... More »

Google, Yahoo, 13 Others Declare War on Phishing

New set of standards could make email more trustworthy

(Newser) - A new anti-phishing effort, backed by the big email service providers as well as banks, PayPal, social networks, and other companies, could dramatically reduce the number of scam emails you get in your inbox. Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and AOL are backing the new plan; 15 companies in total have come... More »

Facebook Closes 45K Accounts to Stop 'Worm'

Ramnit worm steals login info, spreads nasty links

(Newser) - Facebook has temporarily shut down about 45,000 accounts to protect users from a worm that steals login information and spreads malicious links, the Telegraph reports. Called Ramnit, the worm has been proliferating since April 2010 but only recently adapted to Facebook accounts. Most of the victims are in Britain... More »

Your Android Phone May Be Spying on You

Carrier IQ insists it's just a 'diagnostic tool'

(Newser) - A hidden piece of software in your Android phone may be watching your every move and sending that information to an unknown recipient, a security researcher has alleged. In a video posted earlier this week, Android researcher Trevor Eckhart shows a program called Carrier IQ logging keystrokes, text messages, and... More »

WikiLeaks Postpones New Leaking System

Assange cites fears for sources' safety

(Newser) - If you’ve got a giant trove of government secrets ready for release, you’ll just have to sit tight. Today was supposed to see the launch of WikiLeaks’ system overhaul, aimed at making it safer for sources to hand documents to the group. But Julian Assange tweeted over the... More »

Worst Passwords of 2011

Once again: 'Password' is not a good choice to beat hackers

(Newser) - Lots of people are still lousy at choosing computer passwords. Mashable picks up on the annual list of most-hacked passwords from SplashData. The usual suspects are still at the top:
  1. password
  2. 123456
  3. 12345678
  4. qwerty
  5. abc123
  6. monkey
  7. 1234567
  8. letmein
  9. trustno1
  10. dragon
Check out the rest here . More »

Apple Boots Developer Who Exposed Security Hole

Finding App Store bug costs Charlie Miller his license

(Newser) - Security guru Charlie Miller found himself kicked out of Apple's developer program just hours after he announced that he had found a major security flaw. Miller discovered a hole that allows iPhone and iPad applications to grab potentially malicious code from third-party servers even after they have been approved... More »

Hidden 'Supercookies' Stalk Users, Steal History

New techniques 'almost impossible' to detect

(Newser) - Privacy-conscious consumers have yet another thing to worry about in the ongoing battle over online security: supercookies. Unlike regular cookies that track a user's online activities, supercookies are much harder to locate and delete, and are able to reformulate a user profile even after that user deleted his regular... More »

Biggest Hack Ever? Beware Hype From McAfee

The hacking is real but not all that surprising: security experts

(Newser) - McAfee says it's uncovered the biggest hack in history with Operation Shady RAT, in which at least 70 governments and businesses around the world were breached. At Naked Security , expert Graham Cluley isn't quite ready to join the frenzied coverage. "To be honest, there's nothing particularly... More »

AT&T, iPad Hacker Pleads Guilty

He admits role in breach that exposed 120,000 users

(Newser) - A hacker who broke into AT&T's servers last year and helped steal information on iPad users got some legal comeuppance today, reports PC World . Daniel Spitler, 26, pleaded guilty to identify theft and conspiracy to gain unauthorized access to computers—felonies that could bring up to 10 years... More »

Hackers Hit Sony Again

LulzSec claims new cyberattack

(Newser) - According to hacker group Lulz Security or LulzSec, the current score is "hackers 16, Sony 0." That's what the group posted yesterday after claiming to have staged the 16th recent cyberattack on the electronics company. LulzSec posted a file containing Sony Computer Entertainment Developer Network source code,... More »

Following Hacks, Sony Restarts PlayStation Network

But full service won't be restored until end of May

(Newser) - Sony started restoring limited service to its online networks yesterday after taking its popular gaming system offline nearly a month ago after a massive security breach that affected 100 million users, reports the Wall Street Journal . Internet gaming, movie rentals, music services, and online video streaming are the first operations... More »

Sony: Hackers Could Have 10M Credit Cards

But company says there is no evidence card data was compromised

(Newser) - Sony executives apologized today for the PlayStation Network security breach , and acknowledged the hackers could have credit card information from as many as 10 million customers. Today’s press conference was the first time Sony, whose executives bowed deeply to express regret, has said how many credit cards could be... More »

PlayStation Hacker May Have Users’ Credit Card Info

Sony's security breach just got a lot worse

(Newser) - A hacker who got into the PlayStation Network may have gotten players' credit card information—including expiration dates and security codes, reports USA Today . "We cannot rule out the possibility," says a Sony executive on a company blog . The hacker, or hackers, did get personal information such as... More »

Should You Worry About the Epsilon Email Breach?

Not if you're tech savvy...

(Newser) - If you're sitting at a computer reading this story, chances are you've received an email—or two or three—from the likes of Citibank or Best Buy or Walgreens apologizing for the Epsilon email breach . But just how worried or angry should you actually be about the incident? Perhaps not... More »

Customer Emails Breached at Big Companies, Banks

Kroger, TiVo, Citi, Capitol One are among those affected

(Newser) - Look out for email scams—ones that appear to come from a legitimate business, not a Nigerian lawyer—in the near future. That's because the nation's biggest email marketer has been hacked, reports Security Week . The breach at Epsilon means that the names and email addresses of customers at its... More »

Facebook Now Lets Apps Grab Your Address, Phone Number

Analysts fear benefits for 'rogue' applications

(Newser) - Facebook is making users' addresses and cell phone numbers available to third-party developers, the site announced Friday on its blog . Users who accept the terms and conditions attached to a Facebook app while downloading it will be letting that app's makers see their contact information if they’ve posted it... More »

Gawker Hack Puts 1.3M Users' Data at Risk

Fears for future attack on government agencies

(Newser) - Gawker's databases have been hacked, and the site is telling users to change their passwords on Gawker and any other site where they used the same password. The management says it's “deeply embarrassed” by the security failure, noting that it shouldn’t have to depend “on the... More »

13 Things You Should Never Post on Facebook

C'mon, now: You know not to post your phone number ... right?

(Newser) - Love bragging to your Facebook friends that you and your roomie are about to embark on a 10-mile run? Stop. You're basically broadcasting to thieves that your home is theirs for the taking for the next 90 minutes. On the Huffington Post , Catharine Smith and Bianca Bosker list 12 more... More »

Firefox Add-on Makes Hacking Facebook a Breeze

Firesheep downloaded more than 100K times in 24 hours

(Newser) - A Firefox extension that makes it simple for users to hijack accounts at Facebook, Twitter, and dozens of other popular sites has been downloaded more than 100,000 times in 24 hours. The Firesheep add-on allows users to scan public WiFi networks and, via cookies, steal login details from unsecured... More »

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