Half of U.S. Adults have been hacked: Are you one of them?

AARP has estimated, nearly half of all adult Americans have been hacked in the past year.  The Better Business Bureau said 1 in 5 of all victims are college students or in their twenties.

Identity theft is exponentially rising while users aren’t realizing the true risk that is posed.

Roughly, 432 million online accounts that belong to 110 million Americans, which are half of all adults were hacked in cyber-attacks in the past year.

Consumer Reports estimates that 11 million Americans were victimized from email scams in 2013.

This year alone, there have been 260 breaches that have occurred in health facilities, exposing the sensitive data of 8 million people.

Could this be from health care facilities still using Microsoft Windows XP?  The software is no longer supported and vulnerable to zero-day exploits.

From coffee shops to corporate networks, grocery stores to airports, two-thirds of surfers have nothing to protect themselves.

AARP has launched Fraud Watch Network, where you can get access to information about how to protect yourself and stay alert on the latest tricks and scams.

The best ways to safeguard your personal data are:

1. Don’t share if you don’t have to
2. Monitor your finances
3. Protect your electronic devices and accounts
4. Leave a paper trail
5. Don’t trust everyone

Studies have shown that from the ages of 18 to 24, in the average of 132 days, they’ve been scammed.
 
That’s five times larger than the national average.

This goes to show why university computers are popular targets for cyber-criminals.

This year nearly 840,000 private records were exposed in breach attacks in at least 12 universities.
 
Universities affected are: University of Maryland, Indiana University, Johns Hopkins University, Iowa State, University of Minnesota, Auburn University College of Business, University of Wisconsin, Loyola Law School and North Dakota University.

Also, there were 5,000 records hacked in 10 data breaches of financial institutions, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center.

Reducing identity theft includes:

• Monitoring financing accounts
• Keeping checkbooks and statements
• Securely storing computers and all devices
• Avoiding Wi-Fi networks when shopping online
• Reading reviews before installing apps
• Decline free game downloads, music, and screen savers
• Adjust privacy settings for your social network sites
• Use credit cards instead of debit cards for liability protection
• Shredding solicitations for pre-approved credit cards

You can opt out of certain solicitations at https://www.optoutprescreen.com

For information on other scams, sign up for the Fraud Watch Network.

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:

Kirchheimer, Sid
Half of U.S. Adults Hacked: Are You Among Them? – AARP Blog
http://blog.aarp.org/2014/06/06/half-of-u-s-adults-hacked-are-you-among-them/
June 6, 2014

Kirchheimer, Sid
College Students: Ideal for ID Theft – AARP Blog
http://blog.aarp.org/2014/05/16/college-students-ideal-for-id-theft…

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/

How hacks are costing you

Hackers have obtained millions of usernames, passwords and credit cards.  You may be asking yourself, why is this happening?

When someone hacks into your account, it will end up costing you money, time, and distress.
When accounts get hacked and the owner of that account doesn’t find out about it until their credit is already damaged, it takes effort to make thing right again.

The damage done depends on the hacker and how much access they had with your accounts.

In the recent case with Target, 40 million stolen credit cards and debit card accounts were hacked into.

Hackers are able to access your account and even make fraudulent cards.

Consumers sometimes don’t suffer much from the hacks, but sometimes they do.

Individuals cancel their accounts and wait for replacement cards, so the banks end up taking the financial hit.
When hackers get a hold of usernames and passwords, the problem gets much bigger.

Experts say that makes it easier to break into you email, seeing people use the same usernames and passwords for multiple accounts.

For help on creating a great password for your accounts see our recent post, Long passwords don’t offer “safe option”.

Smart hackers attempt to use your stolen passwords to access your email attached to your account.
It is proven that more than half of us keep the same password for most websites.  Among that half, many use passwords such as, “password”, “123456″, or “welcome”.

These easy to guess passwords are not secure and routinely make you vulnerable to attacks.

Tricky Tricksters

Criminals can ruin your credit history by taking out bank loans in your name.  The clean up is messy, because to get this fixed, you must work with all three major credit reporting agencies and the federal government.

The main way to steal your identity is to use your Social Security number.

Criminals sometimes pose as you and send emails to your doctor and accountant requesting documents that show your Social Security number.  Many other records are easily obtained online.

If someone is using your Social Security number, they can take loans out and make purchases beyond what you would expect.

Identity theft will wreak havoc with your finances, credit history, and reputation.

You may have to change your social security number and to do so you need to convince the Social Security Administration that identity theft has happened and you’ve exhausted all options for stopping the criminals.

Hackers may even act as you towards your friends or family.  They will request money due to an emergency.

If you experience identity theft, it can take time, money, and patience to resolve.

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:

How hack attacks can cost you money – CNN Money
http://money.cnn.com/2014/01/06/technology/security/hack-cost/
January 6, 2014

Safely Shop on Black Friday and Cyber Monday [Infographic]

The holiday shopping season is the busiest time of year. Finding the perfect gift is on everyone’s to do list.

Some of us have made it a tradition to go Black Friday shopping every year.  Others are starting to do shopping online for holiday deals.

USA Today’s Byron Acohido has warned about the increasingly aggressive efforts made by cybercriminals to prey on Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers.

Digital crooks are bombarding emails, social media sites, and search results with corrupted links that lead to a scam that will infect your PC with malware.

Fake delivery confirmations from FedEx, UPS, Amazon, and Walmart may appear in your inbox which are likely to be phishing scams.

Did you know:

• 56% of people say that they only shop online at websites they know are safe
• 64% of people say that they have protection software installed and updated on their computers
• 54% of people are familiar with phishing emails
• 21% of respondents use an identity monitoring service to stay updated on their security identity status

Here is an infographic with tips on how to protect yourself during the shopping season.

[Via: IdentityHawk.com identity theft]

Be sure to follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet or “Like” us on Facebook. You know you want to.

References:

Shop Safe on Black Friday & Cyber Monday: 10 Tips to Protect Yourself While Shopping this Holiday Season [Infographic] – Identity Hawk
http://www.identityhawk.com/cyber-monday-black-friday-shopping-identity-theft-infographic

Careful What You Click, Cybercriminals Preying on Black Friday, Cyber Monday Shoppers – Hot HardWare
http://hothardware.com/News/Careful-What-You-Click-Cybercriminals-Preying-on-Black-Friday-Cyber-Monday-Shoppers/

How to Spot Banking Cyber-Criminals in the Act

Banks are trustworthy financial institutions that we don’t think twice about handing our money over to.   This is why we have to be aware of the banking thieves waiting for us to give up our personal information, because many of these attacks seem very convincing.

Cybercriminals are good at swindling you into thinking they are trustworthy companies just trying to help you out.  Don’t be fooled, there are ways to tell weather or not the emails and phone calls are fake.

Hesperbot a new Trojan that has been detected by ESET, uses high-tech mechanisms to bypass the banking security systems.  This is canny social engineering trick for victims to fall for the scam.

Here are some tips to use when distinguishing between the behavior of a banking thief and the real institution:


http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/spot-banking-cyber-criminals/
Never confirm anything through a text message
Banks will send you a text, informing you that your account has changed.  Do not believe this!  Banks will not ask you to confirm anything through a text message.  Do not ever click on links or put in passwords from a text message you may receive from a bank.




http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/spot-banking-cyber-criminals/
Don’t believe any deadline threats
Banks will let you know if something is “urgent” with suspicion of fraud pertaining to matters regarding your funds.  Banks will not ever send you a message threatening a deadline about your account shutting down. Cybercriminals are always in a rush to get you to fall for their scam.  Their websites are often flagged or blocked pretty quickly so the faster you respond to their “urgent” message, the better for them.




http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/spot-banking-cyber-criminals/
Don’t trust links about a “new version” of your banking app
There are noted attempts of fraudulent instillation on your phone with a new app for your banking system.  The malicious apps are trying to bypass security systems to get into your bank accounts.  You can call your bank to double check on the upgrade, or go to their website.  These apps are now being analyzed.




http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/spot-banking-cyber-criminals/ 
Watch out for shortened URLs in an email
Cybercriminals can use shortened URLs to trick people into clicking onto a fraudulent website.  URL-shortening deceives users into clicking a link without ever knowing where it will take you.  You may have seen shortened URLs from twitter and YouTube, but your bank will not use them.




http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/spot-banking-cyber-criminals/
Don’t trust couriers to pick up your “faulty” bank card
Courier scams are starting to become a problem with bank fraud.  The “bank” will call you telling you a courier will arrive to collect a faulty bank card.  A courier then arrives at your home asking for your bank card because it is “faulty” then proceed to give you a new bank card that is safe to use.  Do not fall for this.  And don’t let them in your house.  If your card is indeed faulty, the bank will instruct you to destroy it.  Never hand your bank card over to anyone.




http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/spot-banking-cyber-criminals/ 
Watch out for phone calls for you to “prove” your identity
A new scam is a phone call from either “the police” or “your bank”, telling you they have found fraudulent transactions on your card.  The criminals will ask you to prove your identity by calling a real bank number.  The trick is, when you hang up the criminals are still on the phone with a fake dial tone, then they ask you to enter your passwords and you just gave your account into away.




http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/spot-banking-cyber-criminals/ 
Don’t believe new email addresses
Be wise to receiving an email to your work email or any other address letting you know they are contacting you this way because it is a work day and they are more likely to get a hold of you.  Banks will not add another email address on their own.  The email address you give them should be the only one in their system.




http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/spot-banking-cyber-criminals/
Check to make sure the web page is secure
If you are on a real banking website, there should be a symbol in your browser’s address bar.  This shows you it is secure with a lock padlock or unbroken key symbol.  If there is no symbol in the browser, be wary, the page may not be real.




http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/spot-banking-cyber-criminals/ 
Banks should always use your name
If you receive an email addressing you as “Dear Customer” or “youremail@yahoo.com”, go no further.  Banks will always use your name and even include the last four of your social or account number.  Any emails addressed to anything friendly sounding but your name is often spam.




http://www.hyphenet.com/blog/spot-banking-cyber-criminals/
Don’t give up your personal information
When a bank gets a hold of you in suspicion of fraud, they will ask you to verify personal information.  Usually your phone pin number is asked for you to use, not your debit card pin.  Never give up any personal information like your mother’s maiden name or the name of your first pet.  Scammers use this to hack into other accounts of yours.


You can find a list of detailed phishing scams from ESET here.
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:
A scam-spotters guide: Ten things your bank will NEVER do – but cybercriminals will – We Live Security
http://www.welivesecurity.com/2013/09/12/a-scam-spotters-guide-ten-things-your-bank-will-never-do-but-cybercriminals-will/

Facebook Offer for Free Outback Steakhouse Dinners Not as Tasty As it Appears

Wouldn’t it be awesome if this offer for free Outback Steakhouse dinners was real?

Yes, I am sad to inform you that the deal offering to eat for free at the delicious Aussie-themed restaurant is nothing more than a scam.

Facebook evil-doers are hoping that you follow the scam’s instructions to share it with all of your Facebook pals, comment on the scam page to help build credibility, and then be a sucker by handing over all of your personal data in the scam surveys.

Beware of any wall posts or messages that contain the following message:

Eat for Free at Outback! Only 259 dinner coupons Remaining! Hurry up!
dealdrop[dot]me

Take advantage of this special Outback Steakhouse offer! Receive two FREE diner vouchers today! Act quickly before the supply runs out. With only a few coupons left, they’ll go fast!

Note: the scam also uses “eatatoutback[dot]me” as a url and will likely use others as their domains are flagged and/or disabled by their registrars.

Should you be silly enough to follow the link, you’ll be taken to the following page:



As you can tell, the scammers try to create a sense of urgency to fall for their tricks by saying the offer will expire tomorrow and that there are a limited number of Outback Steakhouse dinner coupons remaining.

Hopefully you won’t expose your Facebook friends to this scam by sharing the offer and you’ll keep your personal information to yourself by taking a pass on filling out the surveys that come up in the next step.

By filling out surveys advertised in scams similar to these, you’re opening yourself up to identity theft and even MORE scams.

Stay alert when roaming the Facebook realms and always remember that if an offer seems too good to be true, then it probably is.

Photo credit: soeperbaby

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.