Request for Google to remove links about you

Have you ever searched for your name on Google and saw just how easy it is for people to find out personal information about you?

Do you have personal information on the web that you would like deleted or hidden from Joe Schmo trying to find out about you?

Google has created an online form in which you can ask for the links to your personal data or posts to be removed from search results.

This form is a response to a European Commission ruling that people have “the right to be forgotten” online.

The EC has administered for Google to stop linking to anything that’s “inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant, or excessive in relation to the purposes for which they were processed.”

The landmark privacy decision by the European Union Court of Justice emerged from a number of cases coming from the Spanish data protection authority in 2011.

This ruling applies across the EU, among those are web giants Google and Facebook.

Clearing Your Name

When you submit links that you would like to be removed, Google says it will,

“assess each individual request and attempt to balance the privacy rights of the individual with the public’s right to know and distribute information.”

A statement provided to CNET by Google, Floridi called the move “an exciting initiative, which will probably require some hard and rather philosophical thinking.”

Google has pledged to consider whether or not there is public interest in information about financial scams, professional malpractice, criminal convictions, and public conduct or government officials.

In order to ask for links to be removed, you have to supply the URL and request, provide your name, contact email address, and a copy of a photo ID.

You may put in a request on the behalf of another person, like a spouse, or an associate, to have their name removed from a link.

Once Google has reviewed your request and have removed the link, it will disappear from Google search results in all site across the EU.

There is a statement saying, Google’s lawyers are arguing that applying the EU ruling to US publications in Google’s US search results would be “absurd”.

So by deleting your name from the EU, are you really being deleted from the net?
 For more information, view this EU podcast below:


Don’t miss out on the latest tech news and computer security alerts! Follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet, “Like” us on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+.

References:
Published by Trenholm, Rich
You can now ask Google to remove links about you – C|Net
http://www.cnet.com/news/you-can-now-ask-google-to-remove-links-about-you/

IFTTT productivity, the work strategy

The use of technology is supposed to make our lives simpler, but it may be doing just the opposite.  We are filled with endless digital technologies that should make our lives more simple, more organized and more productive.  IFTTT productivity is the work strategy that may just set you free from the ciaos.

IFTTT stands for If This, Then That.

A free service that lets you customize its features to help with your daily productivity.

IFTTT Productivity Planning

IFTTT works by connecting cloud-based services, from Dropbox and Google Drive, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and iOS Reminders.

All your accounts can be linked through the cloud from your IFTTT account.  You will be able to watch for events that can trigger these accounts.

IFTTT is easily customizable.  Here are some examples of recipes.

Has Google gone too far by sending people to jail?

 

Google+ notifications are convenient for some. An alert automatically goes out to your friends with an invite for Google+.  Google does the work for you, so you don’t have to, right?

Some are calling this “convenience” a worst case scenario for a Massachusetts man that was jailed for an email invitation to his ex-girlfriend who put a restraining order on him.

Thomas Gagnon is saying he did not send this invitation to his ex-girlfriend, which he ended up in jail for. Police arrested him with a $500 bail.

When Gagnon’s ex-girlfriend received the invitation, she went to the police to complain that Gagnon violated his restraining order by sending her the email.

Microsoft attacks Google

A hearing for this case has been sent on Feburary 6, 2014. Gagnon’s attorney, Neil Hourihan, told the media his client has no idea how the invitation got sent.

ABC News has tried to contact both Hourihan and Gagnon but has not been successful.

Attorney Bradley Shear of Bethesda, Md., told ABC News it is likely Gagnon is telling the truth. If he didn’t send the invitation to his ex-girlfriend, Google could face a major liability for sending the invite without his permission.

Google+ allows users to connect their email contacts into various groups like; school classmates, professional contacts, and personal friends. If one contact is moved to a certain group, it will trigger Google to send an email inviting them to join Google+.

Shear pointed out that a Google product forum from 2011 and 2012 titled “Prevent automatic email invitations to Google+?” that involved many angry complaints by Google+ users about the automatic invitation feature.


One customer wrote:

“As soon as I add an email to a circle, Google seems to send an email automatically asking that person to join Google Plus. Is there any way of turning this off? I don’t want Google to send any email on my behalf without my permission. At least I would expect some sort of warning.”

Gmail practices

Google is making a case that Gmail practices do not violate privacy law.

Shear stated, “Google is going through every one of your contacts and sending them an invitation, weather its your doctor, your lawyer, your mistress, or your ex-fiancee who’s got a restraining order against you”.

This situation is a perfect example of what happens when a company oversteps its bounds.

What do you think about Gmail automatically sending out invites to your contact? Let us know what you think?

Don’t miss out on the latest tech news and computer security alerts! Follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet,  “Like” us on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+.

References:

Man Jailed for Gmail Invite to Ex-Girlfriend – Yahoo News
http://news.yahoo.com/man-jailed-gmail-invite-ex-girlfriend-111716107–abc-news-topstories.html

Play-i teaches children to program robots

http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/play-teaches-children-program-robots/

A start-up  entrepreneur, Vikas Gupta has come up with a little robot that will teach your kids how to code.  Gupta, an engineer who works in Silicon Valley, worries his 2-year old daughter won’t have a suitable education in a wold run by technology.

Gupta grew up in India, and has seen the lack of development in programmers in our U.S. education system.

http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/play-teaches-children-program-robots/

Gupta and other engineers with Google, Apple, and Frog Design, have formed Play-i, a programmable robot aimed at young children, to make learning how to program robots easy and fun.

The crafty engineers have launched a crowd-funding campaign aimed at raising $250,000.  If they meet their goal, the Play-i robots will be mass-produced for kids ages five and up.

The Vision

The idea behind Play-i is to teach kids how to string code together to create applications.  An iPad is needed to visually display the kid-friendly programming language.  By stringing together code commands through the iPad, kids can control movements and activities of the robot.


http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/play-teaches-children-program-robots/

There are two character robots for the Play-i – Yana and Bo.  Yana, is a single robot “storyteller” that will cost $49.  Bo, “the teacher”, sits atop three other balls with wheels that will cost $149.
Yana and Bo will allow kids to manipulate lights, movement and sounds of the two robots.

Google Ventures put in $1 million to Gupta’s team of seven engineers early this year.  If you would like to help fund the project,  you can go to Play-i.com.  You can also reserve one of the Play-i robots to be a part of the test market.

It’s a tangible way for kids to get programming at a much younger age.” says Google Ventures partner Andy Wheeler. “Hopefully, within a few years they are expanding into retail and expanding the software and hardware components … to allow the toy to grow with the child.”

Hopefully the company will reach its goal of $250,000 in the next 30 days.  Do you think this is a good way for our children to keep up with technology today?  Watch the inspirational video below!




Be sure to follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet or “Like” us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on the latest Facebook scams.

Valley engineers want kids to program robots – USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/10/28/valley-engineers-want-kids-to-program-robots/3197381/
October 28, 2013

Play-i looks to crowdfunding to teach kids to code – C|Net
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10797_3-57609596-235/play-i-looks-to-crowdfunding-to-teach-kids-to-code/
October 28, 2013

https://www.play-i.com/

This is how Indonesia tops the charts for malicious traffic.

Last week, We Live Security confirmed Indonesia topped China in cyber-attacks.  In the second quarter of 2013, Indonesia almost doubled its traffic filled with attacks from 21% to 38% of the entire world.

Between China and Indonesia, they account for almost half the attack traffic in the world; with China generating 33%

.
http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/indonesia-tops-charts-malicious-traffic./

According to PC World, attacks have been rapidly increasing with 89% of attacks, compared to 56% in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Could it be a misunderstanding?

Does it seem strange that Indonesia accounted for only 1% of global attacks last year and now are #1 in the world with an increase of 125%?  Akamai, an internet content delivery network, reported:

“The attack traffic in the State of the Internet report is based on traffic received on servers sitting on unadvertised IP space. Since there is no legitimate reason for a system to be making a connection to those IP addresses, all traffic coming to them is considered to be malicious at some level.”

Automated scans may be picking up potentially malware infected computers from Internet cafes and shared networks.

http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/indonesia-tops-charts-malicious-traffic./

The main factor for the rise in malicious traffic is likely due to the recent growth of Internet usage.  From 2011 to 2012, an increase of 10 million started using the internet, that is 800,000 users a month.  Its predicted that there will be 80 million Indonesian users by the end of 2013.

Compared to the United States, that's still miniscule, only 15% of Americans do not use the internet.

The Security Risk

With almost half of Indonesia's internet users connecting from an Internet cafe, the risk level is significant.  Users are not able to protect themselves on the internet seeing the computer isn't theirs.  Cafe owners may not see the value of investing in security for their computer yet.

Most users access the internet for the same reasons Americans do: Google, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

In 2011, 86% of internet users in Indonesia were using pirated software.  Compared to the global rate of 42% and 19% in the United States.  Many software companies will not provide software updates to unregistered software, so they are full of unpatched vulnerabilities.

 

http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/indonesia-tops-charts-malicious-traffic./

Nine out of ten Indonesian internet users have pirated software and just about two-thirds of their computers have malware.  This gives come clarity in the reason why Indonesia is #1 for malicious traffic.  You can say China is  still #1 because malicious traffic coming from their has been confirmed cyber criminals.

Don’t miss out on the latest tech news and computer security alerts! Follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet,  “Like” us on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+.

References:
Is this how Indonesia topped the malicious traffic charts? - We Live Security
http://www.welivesecurity.com/2013/10/23/is-this-how-indonesia-topped-the-malicious-traffic-charts/
Oct. 23, 2013

Indonesia overtakes China as leading source of cyberattacks, Akamai reports - We Live Security
http://www.welivesecurity.com/2013/10/17/indonesia-overtakes-china-as-leading-source-of-cyberattacks-akamai-reports/
Oct. 17, 2013

Indonesia Tops China as Cyber Attack Capital - PC Magazine
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2425836,00.asp

Google Turns 15!

Google has turned 15 today! The mega search engine is by far the most popular throughout the world.  Taking over 80% of all the searches today.
Google crawls and indexes many web pages, increasing the liklihood of returning what you are searching for.  Google is pretty good at populating your search field with what you are already looking for.
If you go to Google’s home page, there is a little celebration piñata Doodle to play.  Simple, fun, and doesn’t stray you too far away from what you were originally doing.

http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/google-turns-15/

 http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/google-turns-15/

Google’s Accomplishments

Here is a great website showing the 15 years of Google and all its accomplishments.  http://www.google.com/about/company/timeline/
The timeline goes all the way back to when Google’s name started out as “googol”.

http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/google-turns-15/

In the past year; Google invested $1 billion for a clean energy farm in Texas,  introduced enhanced campaigns updating AdWords, unveiled Project Loon, teams up with Starbucks giving them fast and free WiFi, and releases Google Trekker to the world.
Google has a slew of accomplishments, and I’m sure many more to come.  So Happy Birthday Google, you have a lot to celebrate about!
References:
Google Timeline
http://www.google.com/about/company/timeline/

Google said they will not stop scanning your emails.

Google has used an automation to serve ads based on keywords since 2004.  It’s no secret our privacy isn’t so private.  This is the norm of practice for the Internet advertisers these days.  Google is becoming very questionable and people want privacy.  Now there is a lawsuit…
Google’s attorneys say their practice of electronically scanning Gmail accounts is to help sell ads.  They also claim there is nothing wrong with it and it is legal.  The federal judge has been asked to dismiss the lawsuit that intends to stop this practice.
Google argues that “all users of email must necessarily expect that their emails will be subject to automated processing.”
The class action lawsuit, says Google “unlawfully opens up, reads, and aquires the content of people’s private email messages”  this is in violation of California’s privacy laws and federal wiretapping statues.  The lawsuit states that the company scans 425 million users accounts that aren’t signed up with Gmail, but are receiving messages from Gmail users.
These users never agreed to Google’s terms under the Gmail accounts Terms and Conditions.

The Target

Google has confessed to targeting its advertising based on the words users input to their Gmail messages.  For example, the company see’s a lot of messages about guns or hunting, then Google would send the information to its database and would display advertisements from local sporting goods stores onto your page.  Google claims the process is fully automated, “and no humans read your email…”

“This case involves Plaintiffs’ effort to criminalize ordinary business practices that have been part of Google’s free Gmail service since it was introduced nearly a decade ago,” the company attorneys argue.
People believe their email is private for better or worse.  But in Google’s eyes, the 97% revenue they are receiving from advertising outweighs your Right of Privacy.

Your Right

When using Gmail, you can block individual advertisers through Google Ad Preferences, where you can opt out of getting personalized ads.  Advertisements will still appear on your page but those ads aren’t from Google and won’t be based on your search terms.
Microsoft also shows ads in their Outlook.com email account, but those ads are based on demographic info.  Such as your age, geographic location, and gender that is provided when signing up for the service.
Both services have an “automated system scan” although Gmail is actually directed into your private messages.  Microsoft also uses information from your Xbox, Windows phone, and Internet browsing sessions to serve ads.
So both services personalize ads bases on the user, both services allow users to turn off the ad personalization, and both services do not share information with advertisers.  They just populate the advertisements into your page.
What ads do you see appear on your computer screen?  We’d like to hear your story below!
Follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet or “Like” us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on the latest tech news and PC security alerts.
References:
Google Pleads Their Case For Scanning Your Emails To Help Sell Ads – Huffington Post

September 5, 2013
Scroogled: How True Is Microsoft’s Google Attack Ad? – About.com
http://google.about.com/od/blogs/qt/Scroogled-How-True-Is-Microsofts-Google-Attack-Ad.htm
Where Does Google Get 97% of Its Revenue? – GIGAOM
http://gigaom.com/2009/07/17/where-does-google-get-97-of-its-revenue/

Super Malware that Attacks Android Discovered

Android and security threats go almost hand in hand as new and imminent threats are discovered on almost a weekly basis in today’s market. However, there was no threat that could potentially uproot Google’s Android as one of the most popular mobile operating systems in the world. But all that is set to change now, as a new virus has been detected that is very advanced and attacks the Android operating system in a new and innovative way. Also, the code is a little hard to completely remove, and can potentially detract users from using Android in the future.

Deadly Characteristics of the Virus

When a security researcher performs an assessment of any malicious software, he or she considers the most dangerous traits of that malicious software. From that viewpoint, this is one of the most dangerous Android malware discovered. Firstly, the code is so complex that it looks almost like a code that is written for a Windows computer, or even more advanced. The code also uses obfuscation techniques to confuse the OS about its true nature, thus evading detection. But the most dangerous trait of this malware is that it has been programmed to resist attempts of uninstallation by the user.

Kaspersky Labs behind the Discovery

Kaspersky, a leading security products company, detected this malware in Android and said that is has the capability of single handedly bringing down the Android operating system. They also reported that this malware exploits vulnerabilities in the Android OS that were previously, quite literally unknown.

References:
Android super-malware discovered – Is Google's platform in peril ...

virusfreephone.com/.../android-super-malware-discovered-is-googles-pla...‎

View shared post

4 days ago – Android super-malware discovered – Is Google's platform in peril? ... Android Mobile Attacks Spreading Across The Globe, McAfee Finds ›.

Android super-malware discovered – Is Google's platform in ..

malware.rsspump.com/?...android-super-malware-discovered--is...‎

View shared post

4 days ago – Android super-malware discovered – Is Google's platform in peril? ... and anti- malware software in light of the recent malicious attacks across  ...

Most Mobile Malware Target's Android Devices

According to the NQ report, one type of malware is delivered through app repackaging in which a user downloads a mobile application that looks legitimate but is actually a harmful program.

Malware can also be downloaded through fake websites when a user clicks on a URL that appears authentic but is not.

Mobile users can also be duped through so-called "smishing" -- a combination of the words SMS and phishing -- where a user receives a text message asking for personal information like a credit card number, e-mail address or social security number.

Android's malware not limited to bad apps

Stels, an Android trojan delivered via fake U.S. Internal Revenue Service-themed emails, uses "an Android crimeware kit to steal sensitive information from the device," and also makes calls to premium numbers. Sullivan said the new threat “could be a game changer.”

Users on any mobile platform, including iOS, can be targeted with spam that directs them to malware websites. However, while previous exploits have been demonstrated to allow a visited website to crack the security on iOS to "jailbreak" the device, Apple has been vigilant about patching these flaws and distributing iOS updates that scuttle the profitability of discovered threats, effectively frustrating the malware business on iOS.



Here’s Symantec’s breakdown of the types of mobile threat it identified last year, with information theft being the most common threat. Add in user tracking and more than fifty per cent of the mobile malware identified was trying to steal user info or track their movements:



Check your phone: Nations with the most mobile malware - CNN.com
edition.cnn.com/2013/04/16/.../world-most-mobile-infected-countries
Apr 19, 2013 – Security threats from mobile malware are on the rise and nearly 95% ... Android devices were targeted by malware in 2012; Mobile devices in ...

Mobile malware jumped 163 percent in 2012, mostly on Android
www.techradar.com › ... › Mobile phones‎
by Matt Swider - in 89 Google+ circles
Apr 16, 2013 – Another reason Android continues to be the most malware-targeted mobile OS is that it's more popular in pirate-heavy countries like China, ......

Android Remains Main Target For Mobile Malware Writers Despite
techcrunch.com/2013/04/16/symantec-mobile-malware/‎
by Natasha Lomas - in 770 Google+ circles
Apr 16, 2013 – Mobile malware remains a small and nascent issue, especially when ... In fact, while Apple's iOS had the most documented vulnerabilities in 2012, ... But clearly the vast majority of Android malware lands on devices via the ......

Mobile malware exploding, but only for Android - AppleInsider
appleinsider.com/.../mobile-malware-exploding-but-only-for-android‎
May 14, 2013 – Malware targeting mobile devices is rapidly growing in both the number of ... but the only platform being actively targeted is Google's Android, which ... an exploit and chose to address it with a patch, most Android users would ...

Mobile Malware grows massively, Android targeted most » Phone
www.phonesreview.co.uk/.../mobile-malware-grows-massively-android-t...‎
Apr 15, 2013 – There will be many of us that have some kind of security software installed onto our computers especially if its running Windows, but this is not ...

Facebook Pushes App Update to Android Users.... Outside of Google Play

Oh Facebook, WHAT are you doing?

There are reports that Android users that have the Facebook app installed on their devices are being nagged to download and install an update – OUTSIDE of Google Play.

While at first glance this may appear as if there were a bit of malicious activity going on – as authentic app updates are usually delivered via Google Play – it is actually a legitimate update that Facebook says they’re rolling out to a small number of users.

The reason why they decided to push it outside of the Google Play store is still left unclear, but hey, it’s not like it’s the first shady thing they’ve done with the Facebook App for Android.

Obviously this update cannot be applied unless the device is set to allow applications from “Unknown sources” (aka outside of Google Play) to be installed, but enabling this setting is obviously not recommended for security reasons.

Facebook claims that only users with WiFi enabled will get the update notification; however, complaints within the Help Center conflict with that statement. Judging from the thread, I’d say Facebook users are wondering why the social networking giant thinks they’re above pushing updates via Google Play like everyone else.

What are your thoughts on this? Would you install this update on your Android device?

Don’t miss out on the latest tech news and computer security alerts! Follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet,  “Like” us on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+.

Buy of the Week: Basic Google Analytics Installation for $12.99!

Do you know how much traffic your website gets?

Google Analytics (GA) is a service offered by Google that generates detailed statistics about the visits to a website. It is the most widely used website statistics service, and is available free of charge.

If you do not already have Google Analytics installed on your existing website, Hyphenet can help you  start tracking website activity by installing the Google Analytics tracking code for just $12.99*!

Benefits of Using Google Analytics

With Google Analytics, you can:

• Evaluate website traffic flow & see where visitors are coming from


• Measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns


• Identify what links visitors click the most & improve the quality of your web pages

Google Analytics is free to use, although there is a premium version available for a fee.

Call us at (619) 325-0990 to get help installing Google Analytics on your website for $12.99*, and don't forget to ask about our other web services that can help build your company's presence on the web.

* Google Analytics installation for small websites (< 20 pages).

Google Agrees to Respect 'Do Not Track' Browser Feature & Add it to Chrome

Show of hands: who here would use a “Do Not Track” feature/button if it was supplied within their web browser? (That actually worked.)

Both Firefox and Internet Explorer have offered “Do Not Track” features since last year, but they’ve been rather ineffective since advertisers and tracking companies refused to honor the system. Google even put forth the effort to find loopholes in order to circumvent user privacy settings in both Safari and Internet Explorer to keep an eye on users’ browsing activity.

With the cat out of the bag and the Obama administration taking interest in an online privacy “bill of rights,” Google has joined the coalition of internet giants that are all-for the idea of a “Do Not Track” option in web browsers – that’s actually respected by online advertisers and their nosey organizations.

However,  there are some things that internet users should keep in mind about this new “Do Not Track” button:

The new do-not-track button isn't going to stop all Web tracking. The companies have agreed to stop using the data about people's Web browsing habits to customize ads, and have agreed not to use the data for employment, credit, health-care or insurance purposes. But the data can still be used for some purposes such as "market research" and "product development" and can still be obtained by law enforcement officers.

Facebook would also still have the ability to track user's online activity with the "Like" button and other functions.

Google plans on adding the ‘Do Not Track’ feature to the popular Chrome web browser by the end of 2012. Apple has already added the anti-tracking feature to Safari in their latest OS update (10.8), code name “Mountain Lion.”

[via Wall Street Journal]
Image Credit: The Italian Voice

Don’t miss out on the latest tech news and computer security alerts! Follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet,  “Like” us on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+.

Don't Forget to Clear Your Google Web History Before March 1st

There are only seven days left in February.

Who cares, you ask?

Need I remind you that Google’s new privacy policy – which will allow them to share user data across nearly all of their services – will take effect on March 1^st, 2012? So, pretty much anyone that uses one of Google’s handy-dandy services should care. And let’s face it - that’s a whole lot of users.

As the Electronic Frontier Foundation pointed out, one of the things that users may want to do before March 1^st is erase their Google Web History.

Currently your Google Web History is kept out of reach of Google’s other products and while you may not realize it, your search data can reveal an awful lot about you, such as your location, interests, health concerns, religion, and a whole lot more.

With that being said, it’s probably a good idea to wipe your Google Web History data before the new privacy policy kicks in and Google gets a very clear understanding of every aspect of your life.

How to Erase Your Google Web History

1. Sign into your Google account.


2. Visit google.com/history
   -or-
   Click the arrow on the top right corner of the page and select ‘Privacy’.
   Scroll down until you see ‘Sign into Dashboard’.
   Scroll until you see ‘Web History’ and click ‘Remove items or clear Web History’


3. Click ‘Remove all Web History’


4. Select ‘OK’.

Keep in mind that this will “pause” your web history tracking, so if you want to start fresh then remember to enable it after clearing it out. To enable Web History again, just click the blue ‘Resume’ button at the top of the Web History page.

Don’t miss out on the latest tech news and computer security alerts! Follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet,  “Like” us on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+.

Google: We'll Pay You $25 If You Let Us Track Everything You Do

Have you been sitting back, wondering when companies will start paying YOU for your personal data and browsing habits?

The day has finally arrived! And who better to pony up the dough than the one company that likely has the most user data of them all (and recently announced their intent to share it across all of their services)?

Yes, I’m referring to none other than Google.

The search engine giant has started a new project called “Screenwise” that involves panelists who agree to install a browser extension that will share all of the sites you visit – and how you use them – with them.  That, in turn, will help Google improve their products and services to “make a better online experience for everyone.”

So what is Google looking to pay for users who agree to this?  A maximum of $25 per year, depending on how long you keep it installed:

Up to $25 in gift cards. Our panel management partner, Knowledge Networks, will give you a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card code instantly when you sign up and download the Google Screenwise browser extension.¹ Then you’ll get additional $5 Amazon.com Gift Card codes every three months for staying with it.² It's our way of saying "Thank you."

It seems that a lot of people were open to the idea of being paid for their browsing data too.

Even though Google only launched the Screenwise project on Tuesday, they’ve already reached the number of panelists they were hoping for and the option to sign-up for it has been replaced by the following message:

We appreciate and are overwhelmed by your interest at the moment. Please come back later for more details.

Were you one of the users that signed up for Screenwise? What do you think about the Screenwise project? Share your thoughts below!

Don’t miss out on the latest tech news and computer security alerts! Follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet,  “Like” us on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+.

Photo Credit: L_K_M

Spammers Promote Malware Masquerading as Google+ Hangouts Plug-in

In the past, I’ve mentioned that it’s generally a bad idea to buy or download any software that’s promoted via spam since there’s a good chance you’re getting malware.

As it turns out, that warning also applies to legitimate applications as well.

Spammers have begun sending out emails inviting users to try out Google+ hangouts, which Lifehacker recently named “the most popular online meeting services.”

Screenshot Credit: Malware City (BitDefender)

Subject: Try Google+ Hangouts NOW!
Try Google+ Hangouts NOW!
Google+  Hangouts is the most popular online meeting service!

Although Google+ Hangouts really is a way for you to video chat with your colleagues, friends, or anyone else of your choice, spammers aren’t actually trying to promote it.

No, instead, BitDefender Online Threats Analysts report that once you click the link in the email, you will be taken to a spoofed site resembling the Google+ Hangouts download page. However, instead of getting the Google+ Hangout plug-in, you’ll be served a malicious exe file.

If you do want to play around with Google Hangouts, it’s strongly recommended that you download the plug-in directly from Google here: https://plus.google.com/hangouts

Remember not to download or purchase software from spam or unsolicited emails from unknown sources. Otherwise, you may end up paying for or accidentally downloading malware.

Don’t miss out on the latest tech news and computer security alerts! Follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet,  “Like” us on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+.

Google Updates Its Privacy Policy – Cool or Creepy?

Google announced on their official blog yesterday that they will be rolling out a new privacy policy that blankets over 60 different Google products.

The new policy – which takes effect on March 1^st, 2012 – will allow Google to share collected user data between all of the Google products it encompasses (Google Books, Google Wallet & Chrome are not included for legal reasons).

Users do not have the option to opt-out of the new policy and if you don’t agree with it, well, your only recourse is to close your accounts with Google. Good thing about that is Google is committed to “data liberation” and they provide instructions on how to take your information elsewhere if you’d like.

A simple, more intuitive Google experience

On one hand, Google sharing data between their services seems like it can prove helpful.

As stated on the official blog post, Google can provide reminders that you’re going to be late for a meeting based on your location, your calendar and the traffic in that area on that given day. It would be like having a personal assistant by your side to keep you on track.

Plus, the unified privacy policy is easy for consumers to understand. Basically, they’re using your data to keep you on task, provide better spelling suggestions based on what you’ve typed before (even with your friends names) and, of course, serve more relevant ads and search results based off your activity when the opportunity arises.

Stuck between Google and a hard place

On the other hand, I’m not a fan of the fact that I cannot opt out of the new privacy policy.

It’s a little unnerving to think that I’m being watched everywhere I go on the internet – even if I’m doing as little as reading technology articles and surfing social networking sites. It’s just plain creepy.

It’s no surprise that Google’s plan to roll out this new privacy policy has privacy experts concerned.  As Common Sense Media chief executive James Steyer told the Washington Post, “Even if the company believes that tracking users across all platforms improves their services, consumers should still have the option to opt out — especially the kids and teens who are avid users of YouTube, Gmail and Google Search.”

As for Android users? Well, Google is collecting device information (hardware model, operating system version, etc.), log information (search queries, your phone number, calling-party number, duration of calls, IP address, device event information along with cookies that may uniquely identify your browser or Google account). So you can go ahead and expect whatever you do on your mobile device to be logged and compiled into your user profile and used to both your advantage and Google’s.

What it all boils down to...

Privacy concerns aside, we must remember that Google already had mountains of information on users that utilize their services and they're just sharing the data between their services.  As the saying goes, “Why have the information if you’re not going to use it?”

If you don’t want Google to peek over your shoulder while conducting your online activities, you can simply log out of your Google account(s) and go about your business. Oh, and don't do anything on your Android phone that you don't want Google to know about or track.

If you're curious to see what information Google has on you, I suggest you check out your Google Account Dashboard.

Don’t miss out on the latest tech news and computer security alerts! Follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet,  “Like” us on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+.

Google eyes logo credit eSarcasm

Look Before You Click! Spammers Abuse Google Open Redirect

It’s becoming more and more crucial that you look before you click.

Spammers are using Google’s open redirect in order to help their emails slide past spam filters and hide the destination website from the recipient.

For those of you who don’t know, an open redirect is a URL that redirects to a second URL. The second URL is visible in the first URL and can be changed to make the redirect point to an arbitrary website.

Here's an example:

firstwebsite.com/go.php?url=secondwebsite.com

Unfortunately not all redirect URLs are that obvious.

Solera Labs shared a redirect URL that shows how spammers are abusing Google open redirect in order to link unsuspecting users to a website that’s serving rogue antivirus software.



Upon first glance, the link appears safe due to Google’s domain name. However, once it’s clicked, the user would be redirected to the domain free-two-botlles.in, and then routed to various IP addresses before finally being served scareware by the name of “Fakealert.”

By using a Google open redirect, spammers are able to take advantage of Google's trustworthy reputation in order to bypass spam filters that would otherwise block their email due to links pointing towards blacklisted domains.

Despite the dangers lurking within open redirect, Google has excluded open redirects from their well-known bug bounty program since users can be tricked into clicking a link without the help of a redirect.

That being said, it is imperative that users closely inspect URLs before clicking on them to avoid being redirected to harmful websites.

If you’re wondering whether or not you should follow a link, you may want to run it through a URL scanner first. Here are a few that you can use:

• Virus Total URL & File Analyzer


• Symantec’s Norton Safe Web


• MyWOT


• McAfee’s SiteAdvisor

Note: I provided services that can be used without downloading any sort of browser add-on. If you have suggestions, feel free to share them below!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet or “Like” us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on the latest tech news & PC security threats.

Google Now Indexing Facebook & Disqus Comments

Head’s up, Google’s search bots have gotten smarter.

They’re so smart that they’ve gained the ability to crawl AJAX and Javascript content, meaning they can now index your comments posted via third-party commenting engines like Disqus, Intense Debate, or even Facebook.

Those of you who frequently let incriminating thoughts roll off your fingers via Facebook comments don’t have to panic just yet.  The only Facebook comments likely to be indexed are those you’ve posted on PUBLIC forums – such as news websites or your favorite blog – that utilize the Facebook, Disqus or similar commenting system.

However, that’s all on the condition that you – and your friends, mind you – have your privacy settings properly set so that your Facebook profiles remain private and therefore any comments posted on your Wall posts or status updates are omitted from Google search results.

That’s nothing new, though.

If you’re thinking, ‘so what?’ on your publicly posted comments winding up in Google’s search results then I guess the only real thing that may creep you out is the fact that someone can hone in on ALL of your publicly posted comments by searching “Commenter Name * Commenter Title” on Google.

Here’s the example that Digital Inspiration provided:

Google search query used: “Robert Scoble * Chief Learning Officer at Rackspace”

At that point your only real concern is that your boss doesn't suddenly grow curious enough to search your name just to see what you’re saying online, especially if you’re soiling the company name. People have a tendency to get fired over such things.

Better think twice about the comments you post online and double-check your Facebook privacy settings.

Photo Credit: Okko Pyokko

Be sure to follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet or “Like” us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on the latest tech news.

Social Networking Security & Privacy [INFOGRAPHIC]

Barracuda Labs recently revealed their findings in a 2011 Social Networking Security & Privacy Study, which focused on social networking usage, security & privacy.

The results were based on survey responses collected over a two week span from hundreds of social network website users representing over 20 different countries.

Judging from the results, it seems a lot of bad stuff tends to float around social networking sites.

Nearly ninety two percent of survey respondents stated they’ve received spam on social networks, while only a little over fifty four percent of them claimed to have been phished. Thankfully the numbers of folks saying they were sent malware, had their account send spam, or flat-out hijacked were 23.3%, 16.6% and 13%, respectively.

I guess it’s no surprise that only 5.9% claimed to use the once-popular Myspace network since 84% of those surveyed revealed that's where they felt the most unsafe.

Take a peek at the 2011 Social Networking Security & Privacy Study infographic:



Be sure to follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet or “Like” us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on the latest computer security threats.

 

 

Happy 13th Birthday, Google!

Did you wish Google a Happy Birthday today?

Despite the company having officially filed for incorporation on September 4^th, 1998, Google’s birthday has usually been celebrated a little over three weeks later, on September 27^th.

Why is that? According to the company, the date chosen to celebrate Google’s birthday is subject to change “depending on when people feel like having cake”.

It seems as though September 27^th continues to be the big day as the Google.com home page hails a new doodle featuring a birthday cake, balloons, & a few gifts. The clay styling of it actually reminds me of Wallace & Gromit, which Google featured a doodle for back in 2009.

Google has been entertaining the world with its doodles since the company launched back in 1998. The first Google doodle came about when founders Larry Page & Sergey Brin went to the Burning Man festival. They tweaked Google’s logo to incorporate a stick figure drawing of Burning Man; serving as a hint to website visitors that they were out of the office should anything go wrong in their absence.

To help celebrate Google’s 13^th birthday, let’s take a walk down memory lane to see what doodles have previously decorated Google’s site on this special day: