When you consider the risk and high cost of identity theft, it pays to be skeptical whenever someone calls you and claims to be from your credit card company. How can you verify that they’re legit? Reader Cathy points us to bloggingawaydebt.com, which offers five simple things to do if you want to make sure you’re not being scammed.
security
Don't Like RFID In Your Credit Card? Ask 'Em To Turn It Off
By 9.11.07
While the danger of someone long-distance slurping the account information communicating out the RFID chips being increasingly embedded in credit cards is, for the time being, remote, reader Eyebrows McGee reports success in asking AmEx to turn it off…
By 9.6.07
../../../..//2007/09/06/did-you-know-you-dont/
Did you know you don’t have to show your ID to TSA employees when flying? Did you know that refusing to do so can get you bumped to the head of the line? [NewsBlog]
KEELOQ Maker Says Remote Car Entry Devices Not Hacked, Rebutting Researchers
By 9.4.07
Last week, researchers announced they had devised a way to steal cars by breaking the encryption used to encode the signals sent by keyless remote car entry devices using KEELOQ technology.
By 8.31.07
../../../..//2007/08/31/the-vatican-has-opened-a/
The Vatican has opened a special airline to shuttle pilgrims to holy spots around the globe, but not even their holy water is exempt from the 100 ml liquid carry-on limit. Man, those are going to be some well-anointed security checkpoints. [Telegraph via BoingBoing]
Verizon's Cancels Service Because You Called South Korea
By 8.29.07
Verizon gets skittish if you call South Korea or Arabic countries, and if the “High Toll” department doesn’t correctly report that they were able to get in contact with you to verify you intentionally made the call, you could find your service disconnected.
Researchers Hack Remote Keyless Car Entry Devices
By 8.28.07
Researchers have figured out a way to hack remote keyless car entry devices. The threat to the consumer is minimal, it takes several hours to crack the code, but it does give one pause, especially considering that if the Keeloq’s manufacturer added a few simple measures they could render the exploit nearly useless.
Time Warner Repairman Jailed For Sexual Assault
By 8.26.07
If a creepy Time Warner repairman says he wants to ‘be with you’ while on a service call, you probably shouldn’t let him back in your house. After making the comment, Steven James Hernandez was dispatched back to the house to fix a problem outside; instead, he decided to bang on the 28 year-old woman’s door. From KENS 5:
Police said the banging at the door lasted at least 15 minutes, and the man at the door was Hernandez.
Former Rep Kvetches About Sprint's Lax Identity Theft Protection
By 8.21.07
“We took pride in shredding all information of the customers and being as mindful as possible to their security. Something that always blew my mind was that right on the computer screen, available for anyone to see (depending on the store layout), was the customer’s social security number, date of birth, license number and more. Incredible! I never understood that. My store had two registers in the front and two in the back. A customer could stand behind us at the front register and get a full peak at everything we were doing. Where is the protection?”
How To De-RFID Your Credit Card
By 8.14.07
Credit card companies are putting magical radio chips inside your credit cards to allow for “touch n go” “contact-less” payments, but if for some reason the idea of a miniature beacon transmitting your credit card information, albeit however encrypted the companies feel like making them, there is something you can do about, blogs Cody: Dremel!
By 8.6.07
../../../..//2007/08/06/from-now-on-the-tsa/
From now on, the TSA would like you to remove any XBOXs (or DVD players or Nintendos, etc…) from your carry-on during screening so they can be inspected. [USA Today]
Please Don't Ask IRS Agents To Change Their User Name Or Password
By 8.5.07
If you ask nicely, thoughtless, gullible, IRS agents are willing to give you their user name and change their password, according to a recent report from the Treasury Inspector General. The report condemns our tax collectors for failing to observe the most basic security measures, despite recent entreaties for employees to be extra vigilant about protecting sensitive taxpayer data. From the AP:
- “Only eight of the 102 employees contacted either the inspector general’s office or IRS security offices to validate the legitimacy of the caller.
Is Someone Impersonating Your Child?
By 8.3.07
SmartMoney reports on the threat of underage identity theft; 5% of FTC complaints in 2005 were about victims 18 years old or younger. Children are often perfect targets, because they have social security numbers that are largely unused–which means unchecked–until they’re old enough to apply for their first job or credit card.
…shortly after [Kristen Smith’s] 16-year-old son started a summer gig at a local car dealership… his new employer conducted a routine background check that returned shocking news: A man living in Phoenix was using his Social Security number. Even more shocking was the discovery by the local police department that there was more than one perpetrator. In 1994, a man from Pennsylvania with a DUI arrest on his record had been using Smith’s son’s Social Security number as well.
10 Nifty Free Security Programs For Your PC
By 7.30.07
ZDNet has a list of 10 spiffy free security programs for your PC. We already use CCleaner, a program that removes cookies, URL history and unused files from your PC. Deleting cookies is very cathartic. Try it.
Airports On High Alert After TSA Seizes Block Cheese
By 7.25.07
Logan security remains high as terror concerns are raised [Boston Globe] (Thanks to Dork Esquire!)
Would You Buy Groceries With A Fingerprint?
By 7.25.07
Jewel-Osco, a Midwest supermarket, introduced a biometric payment system. After signing up and associating your fingerprint with your credit card, you can buy groceries just by pushing your finger on a reader at checkout and entering your “search number.”
Defense Contractor Suffers Potential Data Breach
By 7.22.07
Defense contractor SAIC Inc. transmitted personal information about US Military personel over the internet without encrypting it first, according to the LA Times.
