Is Your Smartphone Safe?

The recent move by the FCC and major cell phone carriers to create a database of stolen phones is in response to the danger your smartphone is in from thieves who want to steal and then sell them for profit. What about the hackers who just want the information from your phone – and then hope you continue using it to make financial transactions? The goal of cyber thieves … Read More »

---

The Easy Millionaire Road

It is with mixed emotions that I tell you I will soon be leaving 403 Web Security. While the date of my departure has not been established, I am confident that the pressures of managing my soon-to-be millions of dollars will not allow me to continue as the Managing Director of 403 Web Security. As I regard you as my trusted friends, I will share the source of some … Read More »

---

Official Hacker of the Stars

Is it just me, or do the rest of you feel just a twinge of disappointment when you don’t make Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” each year? To add insult to injury, Christopher Chaney of Jacksonville, Florida was just arrested for hacking into computer accounts belong to more than 50 people—primarily celebrities like Scarlett Johansson, Christina Aguilera, Mila Kunis, Simone Harouche and Renee Olstead—but once again, this time … Read More »

---

Humans Hacking Humans – The Power of Social Engineering

Earlier this month, more than 10,000 hackers and security experts descended upon the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas for the 19th annual DefCon conference. Each year, this group of infosec aficionados gather together to trade information on hacking, connect with companies looking to hire talented hackers and share stories meant to reinforce reputations of hacker icons. Like any conference DefCon includes presentations and casual conversation, but insight into the … Read More »

---

Office Stranger Danger – Preventing Opportunities for Social Engineering

As I discussed in my last post, social engineering is the act of enticing people to bypass computer security by performing actions or divulging confidential information. Unfortunately the largest threat to the security of our businesses typically comes from within – naïve employees who inadvertently give up important security information to sly con artists. While educating your employees about phishing and other potential social engineering scams is an important … Read More »

---

Famous Hackers: Shimomura v. Mitnick

Hacking group LulzSec, made headlines last month when it hacked a number of high-profile websites including, PBS’ NewsHour, Sony and Nintendo. LulzSec didn’t just hack— they were also quite public about their escapades, calling out well-known and self-proclaimed “hacktivist” group Anonymous. While LulzSec’s jabs at Anonymous might seem uncharacteristic of a group with such sophisticated skills, these two groups aren’t the first hackers to have a disagreement. Kevin Mitnick … Read More »