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Computers, Web

Vacationers Prime Targets for Cybercriminals

With more and more people using Wi-Fi-enabled devices -- from iPhones to netbooks to standard laptops -- the need for public Internet access is steadily growing. Unfortunately, cybercriminals are very aware of this fact and, according to Fox News, are exploiting it to the best of their ability. By creating phony Wi-Fi networks in places such as hotels and airports, crooks target carefree vacationers who are more more worried about hitting the beach than they are network security. This nonchalance can often find travelers the victims of identity theft.

Wireless security company AirTight Networks conducted a study last year in 27 airports around the world, and the results are borderline horrifying. For instance, the baggage-handling system at JFK International was being run on an insecure network. Other airports' ticketing systems were similarly run on insecure networks. Of the airports that did use encryption, 80-percent of them used the easily cracked WEP standard, as opposed to the more secure WPA and WPA2 protocols. AirTight contacted several airlines regarding the loose security in early 2009, and thankfully, airlines such as American and JetBlue have been swift to remedy the situation.

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Computers

Terrorist Web Threat May Be Over-Hyped, Says Report

Interent's Role in Nurturing Extremism and Terrorism is Overstated

We've heard it said that a terrorist's most powerful weapon is the Internet. For our part, we've seen no shortage of stories about extremist recruiters using Facebook, or Twitter, or even 'World of Warcraft' to further their dastardly deeds. We've always been a bit incredulous, and now a report from the International Center for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence backs that up, indicating most terrorist networks are offline affairs.

The report, called "Countering Online Radicalization: A Strategy for Action," indicates that attempting to block access to online content is ineffective, that "[radicalization] is largely a real-world phenomenon that cannot be eradicated by simply 'pulling the plug.'" The report goes on to explain that the growth of terrorist networks is primarily done through real-life social activities, not online ones, concluding:
While the Internet provides a convenient platform for activists to renew their commitment and reach out to like-minded individuals elsewhere, it is largely ineffective when it comes to drawing in new recruits. Many experts who have studied the problem have concluded that the Internet can support and facilitate but never completely replace direct human contact and the ties of friendship and kinship through which intense personal loyalties form.
So, that's one less thing to worry so much about online. Now if only we could do something about all these worms. [From: Fox News]

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Computers, Laptops, desktops, Tech Tips

Virus Tip: How to Disable Print and File Sharing in Windows XP

Disable Print and File Sharing

One of the first things you should do if you think you have a virus is to quarantine your PC and disconnect from your home network to prevent the infection from spreading to other computers in your home. You don't want to disconnect from the Internet entirely however or you won't be able to download updates for your anti-virus software. Doing this on a Mac (in Preferences: Sharing) or in Vista (go to the Network and Sharing Center) is (relatively) straightforward, but under XP it takes a little maneuvering. Here's how to do it:

Disable File and Print Sharing:
  • Right click on the network icon in the system tray and choose "Open Network Connections"
  • Right click on "Local Area Connection" and select "Properties"
  • Under the "General" tab uncheck "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks"
Disable Network Discovery and Simple Sharing:
  • Open "MyComputer"
  • Click on the "Tools" menu and open "Folder Options"
  • Under the "View" tab uncheck "Automatically search for network folders and printers" as well as "Use simple file sharing"
This isn't a perfect solution, but it will put up an additional road block between your computers and the nasty virus you've picked up.

Computers, MySpace

Facebook Costing Businesses $264 Million Daily in Lost Man Hours

Workers Can't Stop Wasting Time on FacebookVanishing staplers aren't the only employee-related phenomena bleeding the corporate world dry. According to a new study by U.K.-based employment law firm Peninsula, roughly £130 million (or about $264 million U.S.) is lost per day by British corporations due to office workers dillydallying on Facebook. That's the equivalent of 233 million employee hours per month. And British companies aren't the only ones suffering: Australian security firm, SurfControl, conducted a similar study of its own and found that Facebook was swallowing $5 billion (Australian) a year, or the rough equivalent of $4 billion U.S.

The loss of cash and man hours is starting to garner attention amongst businesses, which are looking for a way to deal with the social networking phenomenon. Many companies have already started blocking the site in an effort to regain lost productivity and discourage employees from wasting of time. Several companies in America already block sites such as Facebook and MySpace and sometimes even block access to personal e-mail. They consider these measures ways of preventing information leaks and maintaining a productive working environment.

Gabbing around the water cooler is dead. In its place is updating your Facebook status.

From the BBC and Reuters

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Computers, MySpace

Barack Obama Joins LinkedIn

Obama Joins LinkedIn
In his quest to leave no social-networking stone unturned, Barack Obama has joined the professional networking service LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking site that allows you to do many of the standard social networking things such as send messages, connect with your friends, and create profiles, but instead of listing the bands you like and fending off requests from porn bots and jail bait, you are asked to fill in your education and past employment information. It's essentially an online resume service with the added bonus that former and current employers can endorse you.

Interestingly, you can't even upload a picture or tweak with the overall format of your page, but that's not what LinkedIn is about, anyway. It's really about networking on a professional level. The site has been around for a couple of years, but for some reason it's taking off lately -- we're getting about four or five requests to link with business acquaintances every day.

If his MySpace and Facebook friends lists are any indication, Obama seems to already have a lock on the young and Web-connected crowd. But now he seems to be selling himself to an older and more established professional crowd -- after all, the average age of users on LinkedIn is 29, which is slightly older than the average Edwards or Clinton fan.

As of this post, Obama only had a couple hundred contacts on his LinkedIn profile, which is a relatively barebones resume of his work history and goals for the presidency, but we imagine it'll grow with time, if LinkedIn's current popularity is any sign.

From Tech Digest

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Computers, MySpace

MySpace Asked to Identify Sex Offenders

MySpace Asked to Identify Sex OffendersThe attorneys general of North Carolina, Connecticut, Idaho, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania have issued a letter to MySpace asking the social networking giant to supply a list of the registered sex offenders who use the site. According to a statement by North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper, the demand comes after law enforcement agencies in those states identified 200 cases of kids being "lured out of their home by predators they met on MySpace."

Unlike public chat rooms that can be patrolled by the fuzz, MySpace allows direct and private contact between predators and potential victims, making them harder to catch.

Unfortunately, when asked to turn over sex offenders in the past, MySpace has claimed that producing such a list would be impossible until there is national legislation requiring busted pervs to register all of their e-mail addresses. According to a Wired article from last year, however, this claim isn't entirely true. With no assistance from MySpace, Wired's reporter ran a program that compared MySpace members against a list of sex offenders in 46 states. The program was able to identify 744 confirmed sex offenders with profiles on the site.

Hopefully, this letter from the states will convince MySpace to clock a little overtime for the safety of its younger users.

From Newsvine

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