“Most users don’t seem to realize the severity of the risks they’re subjecting themselves to while using hotel Wi-Fi networks,” writes Windows Report, noting that America’s FBI “issued a Public Service Announcement concerning the risks of using hotel Wi-Fi networks while teleworking.” Apparently, more and more U.S. hotels started advertising room reservations during the daytime for those who seek a distraction-free…
Tag: Identity Theft
Kingpin Behind Massive Identity-Theft Service Says He’s Sorry
Krebs on Security tells the tale of Hieu Minh Ngo, who earned $3 million by selling the identity records he’d stolen from consumer data brokers (which included social security numbers and physical addresses). “He was selling the personal information on more than 200 million Americans,” one secret service agent tells the site, “and allowing anyone to buy it for pennies apiece.”…
‘Guilty’ Verdict for Russian Who Stole 117M Dropbox and LinkedIn Login Codes in 2012
In 2012 “Russian hacker” Yevgeniy Nikulin breached the internal networks of LinkedIn, Dropbox, and Formspring, and then sold their user databases on the black market, reports ZDNet. (He stole 117 million login codes, according to Bloomberg.) Nikulin was arrested in 2016 (while on vacation in the Czech Republic), and after an extradition battle spent years in U.S. prisons while awaiting his…
Would a Post Office Bankruptcy Kill E-Commerce?
MountainLogic writes: With the U.S. Postal Service slated to run out of money this summer, a congressional bailout has become embroiled in the usual, critical and unusual political fights. Every day letter carriers deliver some of our web orders, there are many other functions the post office performs including providing an address validation API that is the core of many shipping…
Personal Data of All 6.5 Million Israeli Voters Is Exposed
A software flaw exposed the personal data of every eligible voter in Israel — including full names, addresses and identity card numbers for 6.5 million people — raising concerns about identity theft and electoral manipulation, three weeks before the country’s national election. The New York Times reports: The security lapse was tied to a mobile app used by Prime Minister Benjamin…
Equifax’s Stock Rose More Than 50% In 2019
“There’s still time to file a claim for a share of the $425 million that Equifax agreed to cough up after hosing almost half of the country in its massive data breach a few years ago,” writes a Pennyslvania newspaper columnist, pointing victims to equifaxbreachsettlement.com. “But unless you can prove you were an identity theft victim who lost money, or had…
Wawa Announces Data Breach Potentially Affecting More Than 850 Stores
Wawa, a convenience store and gas station chain, notified customers Thursday of a data breach (Warning: source may be paywalled; alternative source) that collected debit and credit card information at potentially all of its more than 850 locations along the East Coast. It is now offering free credit monitoring and identity theft protection to those affected. The New York Times reports:…
Ask Slashdot: What Should You Do If Someone’s Trying To Steal Your Identity?
Long-time Slashdot reader shanen “just got the darnedest phone call…” The caller knew my name and the name of a bank that I’ve done business with, and obviously my phone number, but beyond that I have no idea what was going on… There is no problem with my account. She was quite clear about that, but she had no clear reason…
FCC Fails, Robocalls (and Complaints) Increase, Along with Number-Hijacking
“Despite new initiatives by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and carriers, robocalls aren’t on the wane,” reports Forbes. “Americans are still facing a scourge of 200 million unwanted robocalls a day, according to a report from Transaction Network Services (TNS), a major telecommunications network and services company. And nearly 30% of all U.S. calls were negative (nuisance, scam or fraud calls)…
Eight of the World’s Biggest Technology Service Providers Were Hacked by Chinese Cyber Spies in an Elaborate and Years-Long Invasion
The invasion exploited weaknesses in those companies, their customers, and the Western system of technological defense, Reuters reported on Wednesday. From the report: Hacked by suspected Chinese cyber spies five times from 2014 to 2017, security staff at Swedish telecoms equipment giant Ericsson had taken to naming their response efforts after different types of wine. Pinot Noir began in September 2016….