Typosquatting – Another Great Web Scam

If nothing else, the world of web security is remarkable for the creativity of its scams and the names the names given to these scams. Where else could you expect to find names like typosquatting and Doppelganger Domains? In fact, the actual meanings of these scam names are just as interesting as the names might imply (well… at least for us hard-core geeks). What is Typosquatting? Typosquatting is the … Read More »

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Hacktivism: An Introduction

Internet attacks on highly visible corporations and government agencies have flooded the media over the past year. These attacks are often sensationalized (as is the goal of the media) and just as often misunderstood by the public because of the reasons for and methods of attack. Media reports of attacks on major corporations such as Sony, Lockheed and PBS, as well as government entities like the Department of Defense … Read More »

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Facebook Threats: Three Ways Hackers are Hijacking Your Social Media Experience

With over 750 million users, there are currently more people signed up to use the social network than living in the United States. While Facebook can create “it’s a small world after all” feeling, having that many people in one place, makes Facebook an ideal target for spammers and other crooks looking to utilize the social networking platform for their own personal gains. From malware to hijacked accounts, Facebook … Read More »

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Cyber Bed Bugs

I have a friend who just moved down to University of Cincinnati as an adjunct professor. He will be living in a boarding house near campus while he arranges moving his family and home. One of the nicer possible living spaces places he visited insisted on supplying not only his bed and mattress but also his pillows, blankets and linens. My first thought was ‘how convenient’, his response was … Read More »

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Staying Safe on Social Networks

From malware to hijacked accounts – when it comes to protecting yourself online, social networks can be a dangerous place. Both Facebook and Twitter provide recommended actions for keeping accounts secure, and though the two networks have different features, the ways they advise users to keep accounts safe are very similar. Here are four security tips anyone using a social network should know: 1. Watch out for suspicious links … Read More »

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Social Engineering – Bugs in the Human Hardware

Though putting security measures in place on your website is important, by all accounts, the largest threat to computer systems is people. A fun fact to back up this surprising statement: Oak Ridge National Labs (one of the US national energy labs) was a target for a spear phishing attack where 57 of a targeted 530 employees opened up an email that installed malware on their personal computers. Oak … Read More »

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Malware: the New Email Virus

Remember the email Virus craze of many years ago? Notably the ILOVEYOU virus and Melissa virus that brought down large portions of the Internet. These viruses were spread via emails that were opened by naive users who really did believe they were getting a personal love letter or message from a girl named Melissa. Email viruses caused turmoil in the 1990’s and early 2000’s, but are relatively rare these … Read More »