A Little Sunshine – Page 42 – Computer Security Articles

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Fri, 18 May 2018 18:35:24 +0000

T-Mobile is investigating a retail store employee who allegedly made unauthorized changes to a subscriber’s account in an elaborate scheme to steal the customer’s three-letter Instagram username. The modifications, which could have let the rogue employee empty bank accounts associated with the targeted T-Mobile subscriber, were made even though the victim customer already had taken steps recommended by the mobile carrier to help minimize the risks of account takeover. Here’s what happened, and some tips on how you can protect yourself from a similar fate.

Independent Krebs

May 17, 2018 admin

Tracking Firm LocationSmart Leaked Location Data for Customers of All Major U.S. Mobile Carriers Without Consent in Real Time Via Its Web Site

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Thu, 17 May 2018 18:29:18 +0000

LocationSmart, a U.S. based company that acts as an aggregator of real-time data about the precise location of mobile phone devices, has been leaking this information to anyone via a buggy component of its Web site — without the need for any password or other form of authentication or authorization — KrebsOnSecurity has learned. The company took the vulnerable service offline early this afternoon after being contacted by KrebsOnSecurity, which verified that it could be used to reveal the location of any AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon phone in the United States to an accuracy of within a few hundred yards.

Independent Krebs

May 9, 2018 admin

Think You’ve Got Your Credit Freezes Covered? Think Again.

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Wed, 09 May 2018 13:36:04 +0000

I spent a few days last week speaking at and attending a conference on responding to identity theft. The forum was held in Florida, one of the major epicenters for identity fraud complaints in United States. One gripe I heard from several presenters was that identity thieves increasingly are finding ways to open new mobile phone accounts in the names of people who have already frozen their credit files with the big-three credit bureaus. Here’s a look at what may be going on, and how you can protect yourself.

Independent Krebs

May 9, 2018 admin

Think You’ve Got Your Credit Freezes Covered? Think Again.

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Wed, 09 May 2018 13:36:04 +0000

I spent a few days last week speaking at and attending a conference on responding to identity theft. The forum was held in Florida, one of the major epicenters for identity fraud complaints in United States. One gripe I heard from several presenters was that identity thieves increasingly are finding ways to open new lines of credit for things like mobile phones on people who have already frozen their credit files with the big-three credit bureaus. Here’s a look at what may be going on, and how you can protect yourself.

Independent Krebs

April 20, 2018 admin

Is Facebook’s Anti-Abuse System Broken?

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2018 12:59:28 +0000

Facebook has built some of the most advanced algorithms for tracking users, but when it comes to acting on user abuse reports about Facebook groups and content that clearly violate the company’s “community standards,” the social media giant’s technology appears to be woefully inadequate.

Independent Krebs

April 18, 2018 admin

A Sobering Look at Fake Online Reviews

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2018 16:08:36 +0000

In 2016, KrebsOnSecurity exposed a network of phony Web sites and fake online reviews that funneled those seeking help for drug and alcohol addiction toward rehab centers that were secretly affiliated with the Church of Scientology. Not long after the story ran, that network of bogus reviews disappeared from the Web. Over the past few months, however, the same prolific purveyor of these phantom sites and reviews appears to be back at it again, enlisting the help of Internet users and paying people $25-$35 for each fake listing.

Independent Krebs

April 16, 2018 admin

Deleted Facebook Cybercrime Groups Had 300,000 Members

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2018 22:38:32 +0000

Hours after being alerted by KrebsOnSecurity, Facebook last week deleted almost 120 private discussion groups totaling more than 300,000 members who flagrantly promoted a host of illicit activities on the social media network’s platform. The scam groups facilitated a broad spectrum of shady activities, including spamming, wire fraud, account takeovers, phony tax refunds, 419 scams, denial-of-service attack-for-hire services and botnet creation tools. The average age of these groups on Facebook’s platform was two years.

Independent Krebs

April 11, 2018 admin

When Identity Thieves Hack Your Accountant

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2018 18:11:26 +0000

The Internal Revenue Service has been urging tax preparation firms to step up their cybersecurity efforts this year, warning that identity thieves and hackers increasingly are targeting certified public accountants (CPAs) in a bid to siphon oodles of sensitive personal and financial data on taxpayers. This is the story of a CPA in New Jersey whose compromise by malware led to identity theft and phony tax refund requests filed on behalf of his clients.