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benjon hamal

BBC News - Google China e-mail hack: FBI to investigate - 5 views

www.bbc.co.uk/...world-us-canada-13635912

1.3_privacy_anonymity 1.4_Intellectual_Property

shared by benjon hamal on 10 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • Fiche Galinha on 12 Jan 12
     
    The main social and ethical issue in this article is security and privacy. Using a method known as 'spear-phising', hackers were handed users' account information. I find it quite freightning how people, who are supposed to be some of the best minds in the world, as they work in sensitive parts of the US government, fall into the trap of giving their account information to hackers. In my opinion a greater awareness should be raised, on how to protect their privacy, among high-profile government officials in order to protect vital and classified information.
  • ...1 more comment...
  • Isy :) on 13 Jan 12
     
    I agree with Andre as though the consequences of the hack can be dealt with in a relatively short amount of time, the incident reveals a bigger problem with the security of the government's files and questions just how safe confidential information really is from being accessed by the wrong people. The main social and ethical issue is security, as the security of US official's e-mails may have been breached by fishing. The fact that such an incident has occurred in such a place with such important information and with supposedly very high security measures is worrying, and ways to detect and combat the threat of phishing should be publicized.
  • The Zhan on 15 Jan 12
     
    this is racism...
  • Mr Brooke on 17 Jan 12
     
    In what way is this racism Zhan?
Jorge F1

DNA link led to sex attack arrest - 4 views

www.bbc.co.uk/...uk-england-essex-15923444

1.2_security 2.6_law_control 3.7_databases

shared by Jorge F1 on 05 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • Jorge F1 on 05 Jan 12
     
    The national DNA database proved "uniquely crucial" in an investigation that led to the conviction of a sex attacker in Essex. But police fear the service that helped to link Lawrence Button to the sexual assault of a former University of Essex student, in 2009, may be scaled back.
  • ...3 more comments...
  • The Zhan on 06 Jan 12
     
    This article compromises the privacy of British citizens, as well as the reliability and integrity of the DNA database. I will focus my comment on the latter. It was a matter of fortune that Button's DNA had been collected due to his arrest for a domestic assault in May 2010. This is because according to the Protection of Freedoms Bill, biometric material can only be retained if the holder consents it formally. This consent "can be withdrawn at any time". There are also strict regulations on the amount of time that a DNA profile can be retained by authorities according to the new Bill. In addition to that, what way is there to ensure the 62 million(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom) British citizens have their DNA profile taken and input in the database? This compromises the integrity and completeness of the DNA database. According to the article itself, "The national database is believed to hold over five million DNA profiles". The new Bill also "requires schools to get parents' consent before processing children's biometric information" (http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-11/protectionoffreedoms.html) The full official bill on the regulation of biometric data can be found at: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/lbill/2010-2012/0099/lbill_2010-20120099_en_2.htm#pt1-ch1-pb1-l1g1 Hence the sweeping statement "The odds, we were told, were over a billion to one, so we were quite confident we'd got the right man", is certainly misleading, because the database is likely not to include a fraction of the British population. The most disturbing thing is that the responsible chief Richard McNamara states "it was the DNA alone that convicted the man, because we never had any other evidence". Is it really ethical to convict a criminal solely based on a potentially incomplete database? A solution to this problem would be to enforce surveillance systems and active police monitoring in order to obtain more plausible evidence.
  • The Zhan on 06 Jan 12
     
    This article regards the compromising of the privacy of British citizens, as well as the reliability and integrity of the DNA database. I will focus my comment on the latter.
  • Mr Brooke on 06 Jan 12
     
    "The Zhan" you raise some interesting points on the privacy issues of DNA databases. However I think you may have misunderstood the reliability issue of the DNA test. When two DNA samples are found to be the same then it is 99.99% certain that it is in fact the DNA of the suspect and is a very reliable indicator that it was that person. There are forensic issues involved in the collection and contamination of DNA samples from a crime scene but that is another issue. The main social and ethical issue here that you have rightly pointed out is the collection and storage of DNA from people. This article outlines some of these issues from 2008: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7177152.stm Here the issue of innocent peoples data being stored has come because ....."following a change in the law in 2001, all DNA collected by forensics - for whatever purpose - can be stored permanently. " It was promised in the recent election in the UK to destroy old data but it appears to be one of the many U turns that the current government has made: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/8659968/A-Bill-to-curtail-our-liberty.html
  • The Zhan on 06 Jan 12
     
    I agree with your first point to some extent, but I think that implying that it DNA profiling is 99.99% accurate is when in fact it is 99.9999999999% accurate (one to a trillion sir, get it right), is not acceptable - according to this http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/henryporter/2009/may/25/dna-database-false-positive I think that retaining DNA samples in databases and profiling an individual in a pervasively detailed manner could lead to extremes such as that of convicting criminals for pre-crimes, as portrayed in the film Minority Report. That would heavily compromise a citizen's privacy. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I7tBjrA8Mj0/TWPfWNY9-0I/AAAAAAAAADg/QTXlFpTtNvM/s1600/MINORITY+REPORT.jpg "The US government has come up with a Big Brother-esque machine that senses if an individual intends to do harm". The system, "Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST), determines if a person intends to do harm by using a mal-intent algorithm that uses data from sensors that monitor a person's physiological and behavioral changes." http://news.techworld.com/security/3309928/tom-cruise-pre-crime-minority-report-machine-brought-to-life/
  • Mr Brooke on 06 Jan 12
     
    Good find Zhan! Would be interesting to see what the bods in the maths department have to say about "adventitious matches" and statistical probability. Maybe any of you who do HL maths can follow it up and add to this? Nice to see a reference to some classic sci-fi as well. This is a favourite read of mine. Also one of my all time top ten films! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_Androids_Dream_of_Electric_Sheep%3F http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083658/
Morten Nielsen

BBC News - Valve's online game service Steam hit by hackers - 3 views

www.bbc.co.uk/...technology-15690187

1.2_security 1.1_reliability_integrity 3.7_databases 3.4_internet

shared by Morten Nielsen on 05 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • The attackers used login details from the forum hack to access a database that held ID and credit card data
  • The initial investigation showed that the attackers gained access to a Steam database that held "user names, hashed and salted passwords, game purchases, email addresses, billing addresses and encrypted credit card information".
  • Tranny Franny on 06 Jan 12
     
    This article further increases the already notorious fear of databases containing people's details being accessed by undesired people, who could potentially use this data to cause harm. This raises a serious privacy issue, as, although it has not been confirmed, these hackers have accessed the Steam database which holds up to 35 million people's credit card data and email addresses, posing a threat to a large amount of people. Although it is not known if any harm came of this attack, security measures such as changing password and transferring credit card data to a more secure service (Steam Guard security service) were suggested to Steam users. This is a solution that doesn't undo the harm that has already been made, but is still a positive measure as it can help prevent potential future attacks from hackers on this database.
  • The Zhan on 11 Jan 12
     
    "Valve has officially rolled out its new Steam security system, Steam Guard, which allows users to lock their accounts to a single PC if they so choose. Steam Guard essentially blocks all attempts to access a protected Steam account, then sends verification emails to a registered email address which allow the account owner to monitor account activity and grant access on a single PC at a time. " http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/2011/03/17/valve-launches-steam-guard-security/1 This ensures the 35 million users "the account security they need as they purchase more and more digital goods", especially if they use Steam in public spaces such as cibercafés. http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/03/valve-introduces-steam-guard-to-fight-acount-phishing-and-hijack/
Mr Brooke

Ordering Pizza in 2015 | American Civil Liberties Union - 7 views

www.aclu.org/...ordering-pizza-2015

1.3_privacy_anonymity 2.5_home_leisure 3.7_databases

shared by Mr Brooke on 30 Jan 12 - Cached
  • Mr Brooke on 30 Jan 12
     
    "Ordering Pizza in 2015"
  • ...1 more comment...
  • Ines Simon on 30 Jan 12
     
    Scary! After this video I surely don't want to order another pizza. The social and ethical issue here is surely privacy. With only one phone call, people can "wire into the system" and be able to view this type of personal information. Plus, if this is in 2005, nowadays not only we can figure out this information, but also more! Privacy is becoming a great issue as we are seeing that as technology is increasing, the less privacy we have, more people are starting to be able to access people's personal information. Relating to this videos, solutions that could apply could be: 1. When ordering a pizza, instead of calling from your mobile phone or home phone, call from the nearest phone booth to your house an order to somewhere near your house. Yet, don't give any personal information such as home address or mobile phone number. 2. Don't order! Go to the pizzaria and buy your pizza straight from the restaurant. In this way, you surely don't have to give any personal information so that you'll have more privacy than if you called from your phone.
  • Jorge F1 on 02 Feb 12
     
    The social and ethical issue here is surely privacy. We can see here that there are various databases which are interconnected and the pizza restaurant is able to access all of them. This is a major issue as the pizza restaurant can invade the customers privacy and use the data to exploit the customer e.g. the pizza restaurant may see that the customer is wealthy and charge a higher price. Furthermore, If anyone else can gains access to this information the customers safety can be put at risk for instance, the pizza service knows whether or not you are at home therefore this could increase home robberies.
  • joey <3 on 03 Feb 12
     
    i think this can even be considered dangerous. There could be a scenario where a young and wealth girl places the pizza offer. what could happen then is the person on the phone would know all her private information where she lives, where she works/studies her income and would probably end up with a picture of her. the person on the phone might not be a very reliable person and decide to do something dangerous
Morten Nielsen

Feds: We obtained MegaUpload conversations with search warrant | Media Maverick - CNET ... - 2 views

news.cnet.com/...versations-with-search-warrant

1.2_security 1.3_privacy_anonymity 1.7_surveillance 2.6_gov_control_use_info 2.6_law_control 3.4_internet

shared by Morten Nielsen on 02 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • there are hints that the FBI managed to place government-issued spyware on the defendants' computers.
  • The FBI cites alleged conversations between DotCom and his top lieutenants, including e-mail and Skype instant-messaging logs. Some of the records go back nearly five years,
  • Sources told CNET yesterday that Skype, the Internet phone service now owned by Microsoft, was not asked by the feds to turn over information and was not served with legal process.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • Ira Rothken, MegaUpload's attorney, declined to comment yesterday about how his client's internal documents were obtained by the government, but said the government's "allegations are flimsy under the law."
  • On January 19, New Zealand police raided the home of DotCom in a rural area outside of Auckland. The U.S. government is seeking to extradite DotCom; a local judge denied bail and an extradition hearing is scheduled for February 22.
  • Morten Nielsen on 02 Feb 12
     
    The concern is privacy.Apparently the FBI was able to acquire Kim DotCom's messages with other MegaUpload employers by means of spyware, which could access skype conversations stored on a local host. Even though the FBI had a warrant to search for information, this is still rather disconcerting. This software can easily be misused. The software is called CIPAV and it stands for Computer and Internet Protocol Address Verifier. This software is able to send "network-level messages" containing the target computer's IP address, Ethernet MAC address, environment variables, the last-visited Web site, and other registry-type information including the name of the registered owner of the computer and the operating system's serial number. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10222294-38.html
  • Ines Simon on 02 Feb 12
     
    I agree with you Morten. The social and ethical issue here is privacy. In the article they specify when saying "Sources told CNET yesterday that Skype, the Internet phone service now owned by Microsoft, was not asked by the feds to turn over information and was not served with legal process" that Skype did not give permission to the FBI to access this information. Even though the Data Protection Act states that "Personal data shall be obtained only for one or more specified and lawful purposes, and shall not be further processed in any manner incompatible with that purpose or those purposes." it is still not appropriate to "hack" into Kim DotCom's messages. Here is a link with the rules for Data Protection Act. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/29/schedule/1 Privacy is coming to bits, the only way we can talk to people knowing that knowing is going to get hold o f that information is by face-to-face communication, and even by that way people can be hearing the conversation secretly. Where has privacy gone?
Jorge F1

BBC News - Trendnet security cam flaw exposes video feeds on net - 8 views

www.bbc.co.uk/...technology-16919664

1.1_reliability_integrity 2.5_pub_broadcast_info 3.4_internet

shared by Jorge F1 on 07 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • "We first became aware of this on 12 January," said Zak Wood, Trendnet's director of global marketing.
  • Ines Simon on 07 Feb 12
     
    SO scary!!!!!! After reading this shocking article I'll probably start covering my security cameras while I'm at home! A main social and ethical issue is SURELY privacy. I think that many people aren't aware that security is coming to bits by the second, privacy isn't what it was some years ago. And, in my opinion, it's the technology's fault. Even though computers, internet, phones etc have become useful, society's becoming too much dependent to technology and this is an issue as technology will continue to increase even more, meaning that society's privacy will continue to decrease even more. Can't we even have privacy at home?
  • Morten Nielsen on 08 Feb 12
     
    To some extent I agree with you Ines. But technology isn't all bad. Yes, we are losing privacy at a rapid pace. But these cameras provided us with security. Well, they would have if it wasn't for the breach in Trendnet's security they would have provided people with security. Our world has become much dependent on social networking etc. We do not have as much privacy as one would like, but this is not solely the technology fault in my opinion. It is as much human nature, the drive to have 15 minutes of fame. Just my two cents anyway : )
  • The Zhan on 10 Feb 12
     
    The IT system in focus is the Trendnet home security camera. Here is how real-time, live video broadcasting works. This information originally referred to IP based cameras, which essentially work the same way. Image: http://www.ipcctv.com/images/learnMore/Single-Camera.gif The camera is installed and ran "The camera turns video & audio into binary data The camera connects to your the and transmits this data onto the network This data can then be viewed on a PC; on the local network, or over the internet." The remote viewer inputs the Internet addresses which link to the video streams and is able to see footage. source: http://www.ipcctv.com/article.php?xArt=13
The Zhan

Bosses switch on antisocial network - 2 views

www.smh.com.au/...al-network-20110301-1bd6t.html

1.7_surveillance 2.1_bus_emp 3.4_internet 3.3_networks 3.2 _software

shared by The Zhan on 08 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • 'It's about informing you where you stand in relation to other people rather than a manager having to come over and talk to you about it
  • Some companies are introducing internal social networks to try to encourage staff to talk to their colleagues rather than escape into the ether
  • The Zhan on 08 Feb 12
     
    Rather than blocking access to Facebook and Twitter, a growing of employers are monitoring what proportion of the working day individuals spend on them.
  • Tranny Franny on 10 Feb 12
     
    State and Describe the main Social and Ethical issues that relates to this article: The main social and ethical issue that relates to this article is surveillance. In this article, it is suggested that workers in an office space would have the time they spend on a social network being monitored and controlled. This survaillence of how the workers spend their time on the computer seems somewhat appropriate in my opinion. What this is doing is it's reaching a compromise for the workers, by still letting them access these social networks, while limiting how long they can access it for daily so as to ensure that they focus as much on their work. Although it could be question whether it's ethical to monitor people's computer, what this is doing is avoiding measures such as a boss visually monitoring everyone's computer behind their backs,which raises a much bigger surveillance issue. The second suggestion of an internal and local social network that would only include people in the workplace is also a good option that attempts to keep the workers focused on the workplace and to ecourage communication between workers, rather than getting distracted with life outside the workplace. This is also, in my opinion an excellent suggestion as it offers an alternative to simply blocking social networks, which raises an issue in terms of how ethical it is to simply restrict someone from visiting a website, which could be seen as censorship.
Morten Nielsen

Over 3 years later, "deleted" Facebook photos are still online - 2 views

arstechnica.com/...ok-photos-are-still-online.ars

1.1_reliability_integrity 1.3_privacy_anonymity 1.12_digital_citizenship 2.5_social_networking 3.4_internet

shared by Morten Nielsen on 08 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • "did not always delete images from content delivery networks in a reasonable period of time even though they were immediately removed from the site,
  • In the meantime, photos that users thought they "deleted" from the social network months or even years ago remain accessible via direct link.
  • "working with our content delivery network (CDN) partner to significantly reduce the amount of time that backup copies persist."
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • but said the company is working on a new system that will delete the photos in a mere month and a half
  • Morten Nielsen on 08 Feb 12
     
    I find, in this scenario, Facebook's behaviour immoral. They have known of this problem for three years, and they have yet to produce any progress. Facebook does not seem to respect one's stance on these things. If you wish the picture deleted, then it should be deleted.
  • ...2 more comments...
  • Jorge F1 on 09 Feb 12
     
    I agree with Morten, if Facebook has known this problem for the past three years they should have done something about it not wait for someone to find out and then apologise and attempt to fix the problem later. However, i'm not quite sure on how this works because I have had friends send me links to pictures that were deleted minutes before and a content error appears and i'm not able to access the picture/link.
  • Mr Brooke on 09 Feb 12
     
    Jorge I think the difference is that if you have a direct link ie the url of the image then you can still see it. A link from someone's wall will be broken and the image will appear to have gone.
  • The Zhan on 10 Feb 12
     
    The apparent deletion of photos takes place by the elimination "all of the metadata for the photo as well as any and all tagging and linking information. For all practical purposes, the photo no longer exists. However, technically, the bits that make up the photo persist somewhere. It's possible that someone who previously had access to a photo and saved the direct URL from the CDN (...) could still access the photo." http://webapps.stackexchange.com/questions/2493/how-long-does-facebook-keep-data-of-a-deleted-account In the article, "Wolens claims that Facebook is on the verge of fixing up its content systems so that "deleted" photos are really, truly deleted from the CDN within 45 days." However, the reliability of this claim is compromised by Facebook's Terms of Service, which every user must comply prior to creating an account. Summing up, it grants Facebook the right to do whatever they like with old content. They can even sublicense it: "You hereby grant Facebook an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to (a) use, copy, publish, stream, store, retain, publicly perform or display, transmit, scan, reformat, modify, edit, frame, translate, excerpt, adapt, create derivative works and DISTRIBUTE (through multiple tiers), any User Content." http://consumerist.com/2009/02/facebooks-new-terms-of-service-we-can-do-anything-we-want-with-your-content-forever.html Note the contradictions with the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998: "If you collect data about people for one reason, you can not use it for another; You can not give people's data to other people or
  • The Zhan on 10 Feb 12
     
    ...organizations unless they agree;" http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Protection_Act I get the impression that through blurring the ownership of intellectual property and personal records, social networks have some ulterior motives. The following passage in the article suggests the photos could, in fact, be instantly deleted from the CDN databases: "(Amusingly, after publishing the 2010 followup, Facebook appeared to delete my photos from its CDN that I had linked in the piece. (...) Other "deleted" photos that I had saved links to-ones that weren't from my account and were deleted even earlier than mine-remained online.)" Zuckerberg counterargues: "trust us, we're not doing this to profit from you, it's so we are legally protected as we enable you to share content with other users and services." http://consumerist.com/2009/02/facebooks-new-terms-of-service-we-can-do-anything-we-want-with-your-content-forever.html In the end, it is in the hands of the user to control what is shared and given up ownership of.
Fiche Galinha

Pentagon Hacker Compromises Personal Data - 0 views

www.military.com/...0,13319,95760,00.html

1.2_security

shared by Fiche Galinha on 10 Sep 10 - No Cached
  • Pentagon Hacker Compromises Personal Data
  • Fiche Galinha on 10 Sep 10
     
    WASHINGTON - An intruder gained access to a Defense Department computer server and compromised confidential health care insurance information for more than 14,000 people, the department said Friday.
benjon hamal

Eric Schmidt On Privacy (VIDEO): Google CEO Says Anonymity Online Is 'Dangerous' - 0 views

www.huffingtonpost.com/...idt-privacy-stan_n_677224.html

shared by benjon hamal on 10 Sep 10 - Cached
  • benjon hamal on 10 Sep 10
     
    Schmidt took the stance that governments may eventually put an end to anonymity. "We need a [verified] name service for people," he said. "Governments will demand it."
Mr Brooke

BBC News - Google tests cars that drive themselves - 3 views

www.bbc.co.uk/...technology-11508351

2.1_transportation 3.2_software

shared by Mr Brooke on 10 Oct 10 - No Cached
  • Mr Brooke on 10 Oct 10
     
    "Google tests cars that drive themselves"
  • Ines Simon on 01 Mar 12
     
    This is a good system since cars that drive themselves will decrease danger in the road. They're programmed and don't have the problem of "drinking and driving" like humans do. This is an advantage because it will reduce danger. Plus, it will increase time for leisure since people can be socializing with people or doing work instead of driving.
  • Ines Simon on 01 Mar 12
Mr Brooke

Games for Change (G4C) -- home - 1 views

www.gamesforchange.org

2.5_digital_entertainment

shared by Mr Brooke on 01 Nov 10 - Cached
  • Mr Brooke on 01 Nov 10
     
    A not so secret secret has been afoot. Gameful is a "Secret Headquarters" for people playing and creating games to make us better and change the world.
joey <3

Technology - 1 views

www.reddit.com/technology

shared by joey <3 on 06 Sep 11 - Cached
  • joey <3 on 06 Sep 11
     
    reddit's sub-reddit 'technology' is constantly updated on news and new technologies by people around the world on relevant issues... so from here i can get a variety of information and updates from many different websites at once... obviously looking directly at others would also be a good idea.
  • Mr Brooke on 07 Sep 11
     
    Reddit technology has some great links to ITGS material! How about picking one for discussion tomorrow. See if you can think which tags would be most appropriate from the ones on this page: http://itgsopedia.wikispaces.com/Global+Tagging Then share the link to the group with the tags.
Ines Simon

Apple's Siri curses out 12-year-old - 2 views

news.cnet.com/...es-siri-curses-out-12-year-old

1.11_people_machines 3.2_software

shared by Ines Simon on 04 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • Ines Simon on 04 Jan 12
     
    Someone reportedly tampers with a demo iPhone 4S so that when a 12-year-old boy picks it up and asks Siri a question, she is not amused or amusing. She tells him to 'Shut the f*** up.' Read this blog post by Chris Matyszczyk on Technically Incorrect.
  • The Zhan on 05 Jan 12
     
    The main social and ethical issues are integrity of the system, security, and people and machines. Although I do not own an iPhone 4S, I would imagine it the product had been hacked and its set-up instructions had been reprogrammed by a user who is extremely knowledgeable on issues such as encryption and programming know-how. Perhaps because the iPhone referred to in the news story was a "demonstration" version, I suppose its encryption levels are not as powerful as the real product (Apple would have to invest less money in manufacturing). However, there is a much simpler explanation, according to "MacTrast" (http://www.mactrast.com/2011/12/siri-tells-twelve-year-old-to-shut-the-fck-up-after-pranksters-tamper-with-display-iphone/): Simply changing the name in the contact card by verbalising it (asking Siri "Call me (insert ridiculous statement here)") allows the user to tamper with the phrase voiced by Siri, without having to deal with complicated encryption or validation processes. This means the system itself is integral and works correctly, but the given primary contact's nickname is has been inappropriately altered. To solve this problem, the company should enforce the security of its demo versions of the Siri for iPhone 4S by impossibilitating a deliberate change of contact names and redistribute them across retailers.
benjon hamal

BBC News - Facebook works with Websense to add phishing safety net - 5 views

www.bbc.co.uk/...technology-15154014

1.3_privacy_anonymity

shared by benjon hamal on 14 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • Mr Brooke on 14 Jan 12
     
    Don't forget the other tags. You are missing one from section 2 and one from section 3
  • ...1 more comment...
  • El Mexicano Pastiche on 15 Jan 12
     
    Privacy is the main issue being presented as facebook users are exposed to phising. Phising involves 'stealing' a users username and passwords usually through emails or links leading to fake websites which seem to be trustworthy. Phishing attempts give the user a sense of urgency in order to convince them to give their information. (e.g. You need to provide us with your username and password as soon as possible. Not doing so will result in permanent deletion of your account) The relationship between the users and the IT system is that users often use facebook on a day to day basis to perform various activities. This makes facebook a 'profitable' target due to the large number of people that can be tricked at once. The risk is that the stakeholders may be susceptible to is the loss of their username and password, giving the hacker/phisher full acess to ones account which may then lead to other information to be divulged about the user. Facebook is attempting to solve this issue by warning users about suspicious links they may be accessing, although there are already some security options in facebook settings such as the use of HTTPS which provides "encrypted communication and secure identification of a network web server." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_Secure
  • Mr Brooke on 17 Jan 12
     
    Seems to be a good solution but what are the limits of this solution?
  • Tranny Franny on 18 Jan 12
     
    In theory this would be a good solution, due to the fact that as soon as the user read the warning message in detail, they would feel encouraged not to follow the link. However, due to the facebook's nature, in practice, this solution isn't as effective as one would expect. Throughout Facebook's history, when a user clicks a link that leads to an application, a message appears stating that if the user accepts then information from their profile will be accessed. Because of this, when users see this message they will simply think it is one of the usual messages and skip to the link due to habit. Another obvious limitation is the fact that all it does is simply suggest that it MIGHT be malicious, and therefore most users that are unaware of the dangers of phishing might ignore it and choose to follow the link.
Jorge F1

Israeli hacker retaliates to credit card hacking - 2 views

www.bbc.co.uk/...world-middle-east-16526067

1.2_security 2.6_military 3.7_databases

shared by Jorge F1 on 15 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • Jorge F1 on 15 Jan 12
     
    An Israeli hacker has published details of hundreds of Saudi credit cards online and is threatening to post more in revenge for acts by Arab hackers.
  • ...1 more comment...
  • Ines Simon on 18 Jan 12
     
    One of the main social and ethical issues in this article is surly privacy. Privacy has been a main issue for our society, not only about credit card details, yet also other personal information. As technology is increasing, the less privacy we have as there are more ways in obtaining this information. And in this case, as technology is increasing, hackers are also as there are easier and more ways in order to get the information they want. There are various ways the hacker can get access to these thousands of credit card numbers, here is one step-by-step of one of the ways of how this IT system works: Firstly, the hacker (or hackers) go around lots of banks and put a small video camera pointing to the bank machine keypad. This video camera is well hidden so that people cannot see them. When someone goes to the machine, they put their credit card number and this analogue information converts to digital information and is recorded in the memory in the video camera. After a few hours/days, the hackers remove the video cameras and upload the data in the memory card via a USB cable and save the data on their servers. The hackers then watch the video and record the credit card numbers on a paper/other computer. With this information, they can obtain more personal information such as names, phone numbers, post codes etc with specialized programs. Finally, when they have all the information they have, they post the personal information including the credit card numbers, on the internet. Yet, in order to maintain the hacker anonymous and not being able to be found via the IP address, he uses another proxy server when uploading this information on the internet. There are also other ways to get the credit card information such as: - Intercepting emails containing passwords - Popups infected by viruses - Spyware - Spam - Keyloggers etc. Some possible solutions for this issue is: - When typing your credit card number in the bank machine keypad, hide the keypad coveri
  • Morten Nielsen on 18 Jan 12
     
    Well yes, I agree with Ines. This is to some extent about privacy. However, I doubt that they obtained that much information by use of cameras in banks. I'd find it much more likely if they have obtained the data from a database in the private sector. I do not think privacy is the most important issue here though. By far and large the most important issue in the article - is how cyber warfare could start to affect the conflict in the Middle East. We've seen how valuable the Internet was in the Arab Spring. The cyber warfare is going to be, and to some extent I imagine, is already an essential tool for the different factions in the Middle East. As this was a breach in the private sector, the security there must be improved with f.ex. stronger firewalls.They must improve their security, if not they are sure to lose money because of the reliability issue.
  • Ines Simon on 19 Jan 12
     
    I agree with you, Morten. However, I gave one example of how it would be possible to obtain the credit card numbers, where I gave in the end more examples of how it would be possible to do so.
joey <3

Chinese Hackers Blamed for Huge South Korean Database Theft - CSO Online - Security and... - 2 views

www.csoonline.com/...ge-south-korean-database-theft

1.2_security 3.7_databases 2.5_social_networking

shared by joey <3 on 05 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • the main worry is that the data theft will fuel a rise in spamming, phishing and social engineering attacks.
  • joey <3 on 05 Jan 12
     
    "Hackers have stolen the personal data of 35 million users of the South Korean social network Cyworld and search engine Nate, the company that runs them SK Communications has admitted."
  • Isy :) on 06 Jan 12
     
    This article talks about the theft of personal details such as email addresses, phone numbers and passwords, despite having been encrypted. This article brings up the ethical issues of privacy, reliability and security, showing that even though precautions such as encryption were taken to avoid such incidents, private and confidential information was still hacked. It questions the reliability and the security of online systems which store private data in databases, and will no doubt discourage people from using or providing personal information to such websites. Though the incident can be overcome by asking users to "reset those credentials", the theft presents the possibility of increased amounts of spamming and phishing, therefore actions should be taken to inform and protect users from becoming victims of such scams. The following website gives suggestions on how to protect yourself against phishing: http://www.focus.com/fyi/44-ways-protect-phishing/
Jorge F1

BBC News - Storage sites unnerved by Megaupload action - 3 views

www.bbc.co.uk/...technology-16679174

1.2_security 2.6_law_control 3.4_internet

shared by Jorge F1 on 25 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • Jorge F1 on 25 Jan 12
     
    The arrest of Megaupload's founders has led to other file storage sites taking action in an apparent attempt to protect themselves from legal action. The following is a link to a news story describing the disciplinary action taken against the founder of Megaupload: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16711416
  • ...1 more comment...
  • Morten Nielsen on 25 Jan 12
     
    The manner of his arrest is unnerving. Apparently they used two helicopters, had to break down doors and electronic locks - only to find him in a safe room with sawed off shotgun. Seems like something out of a B-movie. Even more so, when you consider that these things are allowed under the current regulations. If SOPA, ACTA or equivalent passes and gives the government more free reins, it becomes truly terrifying(bit exaggerated, I know). Megaupload is claiming to be "just like youtube". Check this article out, his lawyer is making quite the argument for it. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/01/were-just-like-youtube-megaupload-lawyer-tells-ars.ars He was the lawyer to defend isohunt.com as well. A well known search engine for torrents.
  • El Mexicano Pastiche on 26 Jan 12
     
    How online storage works Online storage in websites such as Megaupload, upload.to and Rapidshare work using cloud storage. This is similar to the storage used in Gmail, Youtube and Facebook Essentially this is how it works: 1. User accesses websites and selects file he/she wants to upload 2. File is uploaded to the cloud storage server, which is located in the house cloud storage systems called data centers. 3. Usually the files are then copied to other servers around the world in case one of them goes down or needs repairing, this is known as redundancy. Without redundancy cloud storage cannot guarantee that the user will be ble to access his files. Servers are also powered by multiple power supplies in case one of them fails. 4. When the user wants to access the files he uploaded he may do so through a web-based interface. For more information on how cloud storage systems work http://computer.howstuffworks.com/cloud-computing/cloud-storage1.htm
  • Fiche Galinha on 26 Jan 12
     
    http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120121/16551717500/jonathan-coulton-destroys-rationale-behind-megaupload-seizure-with-single-tweet-follows-up-with-epic-blog-post.shtml In the article above Jonathon Coultron makes a good point. Although there might be a lot of illegal activity on MegaUpload such as: sharing DVDs and CDs, there are also a large group of people that use MegaUpload as a tool to legally upload data that they wish to share with others or keep a backup for themselves. Furthermore, I think his tweet says it all in regards to the millions of dollars the music and film industry will gain from the death of MegaUpload.
Tranny Franny

BBC News - Backlash over Google move to change privacy settings - 1 views

www.bbc.co.uk/...technology-16720406

1.3_privacy_anonymity 2.1_bus_emp 3.4_internet

shared by Tranny Franny on 26 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • The Zhan on 02 Feb 12
     
    The main stakeholder here is the google, youtube, gmail, etc. user. The change in privacy policy settings in the system affects the stakeholder in these ways, as outlined in the article: In "suggesting search queries, or tailoring search results, based on the interests expressed in Google+, Gmail and YouTube" (mining data to provide "ever more targeted adverts"), the results become limited: "something I am interested in this week, I might not be interested in next week. I use Google's facilities as both a private individual and in my professional life. Which bit are they going to give back to me?" There is no opt-out alternative to the changes in the system. "Google has become a way of life for some people. They can't do without it even if they don't like the direction it is going in". The simplification of policies could lead to graver problems. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/27/tech/web/google-privacy-clarified/index.html
Jorge F1

BBC News - TripAdvisor rebuked over 'trust' claims on review site - 2 views

www.bbc.co.uk/...technology-16823012

1.1_reliability_integrity 2.5_pub_broadcast_info 3.4_internet

shared by Jorge F1 on 01 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • Entertainment Video $render("advert","advert-leaderboard");Advertisement $render("advert-post-script-load");
  • 1 February 2012 Last updated at 09:59 GMT

    TripAdvisor rebuked over 'trust' claims on review site

    Comments (167)
    TripAdvisor screenshot The travel site's UK homepage no longer makes the claims that provoked the complaints

    Related Stories

    TripAdvisor has been ordered to rewrite some of its marketing claims by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority.

    The ruling follows complaints by hotels that the site had said that its holiday reviews could be "trusted".

    The ASA said it was concerned that consumers might be fooled by fraudulent posts since the entries could be made "without any form of verification".

    TripAdvisor described the ruling as a "highly technical view" of "copy that was used in a limited capacity".

    However, the watchdog said that the ruling served as a warning to all UK-focused sites with user-generated material.

    Fraud systems

    The ASA said that the US-based firm's site originally carried statements saying that it contained "reviews that you can trust" and that it had "more than 50 million honest travel reviews".

    It said that two hotels and the online reputation firm Kwikchex, which represented others, had complained that the claims were misleading since they could not be substantiated.

    The advertising body said it acknowledged that reviewers were asked to sign a declaration that their reviews were real and that they had no incentive or competitive interest with the places commented on.

    “Start Quote

    Don't major on trustworthiness if fake reviews can appear”

  • "This should be regarded as a benchmark ruling which applies to all web sites which make claims about the reliability of their user-created content," the ASA's spokesman Matthew Wilson told the BBC.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • When asked about this the ASA said that its remit only extended to claims targeted at a UK audience, so it would not be pursuing changes at the .com site.
  • Jorge F1 on 01 Feb 12
     
    TripAdvisor has been ordered to rewrite some of its marketing claims by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority.
  • joey <3 on 03 Feb 12
     
    the social and ethical issue here is reliability. No one can be completely confident that what they see online is true whether it is with traveling companies or something mr brooke showed us in class: http://www.familywatchdog.us/search.asp in this website for example, we can not be sure that the people registered really are sex offenders.
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