Group items tagged

"WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in collaboration with major implantable pacemaker and ICD manufacturers, demonstrated the effects of emissions from radio frequency identification (RFID) readers on common implantable cardiac devices. According to research published in the January edition of the HeartRhythm Journal, the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, the observed effects may cause increasing complications as RFID use expands in the medical device field. Read full text of study » The study, which looked at the electromagnetic interference susceptibility of 15 pacemakers and 15 ICDs caused by exposure to 13 RFID readers, concluded that low frequency RFID readers may pose the greatest risk to pacemakers and ICDs. While modern pacemakers and ICDs use filters to minimize susceptibility to higher-frequency signals, there is limited filtering of low frequency signals due to the design constraints of both pacemakers and ICDs."

What is RFID? RFID stands for Radio Frequency IDentification, a technology that uses tiny computer chips smaller than a grain of sand to track items at a distance. RFID "spychips" have been hidden in the packaging of Gillette razor products and in other products you might buy at a local Tesco, Wal-Mart or Target store - and they have already been used to spy on people.

"BERLIN - Millions of German bank cards have been affected by a "millennium bug"-like problem because they contain software that can't process the number 2010, industry groups said Tuesday. The DSGV group, which represents public-sector banks, said some 20 million debit cards issued by those banks were affected, along with around 3.5 million credit cards - nearly half of the total number of cards issued by those banks. The group said cash machines were adjusted hours after the problem emerged to ensure that customers could withdraw money, but there may still be problems using some debit-card terminals. Those should be fixed by Monday, it said. Problems remain with credit cards and customers should use debit cards instead for now, added the group. The BVR group of cooperative banks said about 4 million debit cards issued by its members - about 15 percent of the total - also were afflicted by the faulty software, although there were no problems withdrawing cash. Its credit cards were unaffected. Another 2.5 million cards issued by German private banks were affected. The problem stemmed from a chip on the cards which, due to a programming fault, wouldn't correctly process the number 2010. Computer experts widely believed that hardware and software systems would fail as the clocks rolled over to the year 2000. The problem, they said, would be caused when computers and other devices, which used only two digits to represent the year, mistook the year 2000 for the year 1900. In the end, however, the so-called "millennium bug" caused few problems."

"Steve Perry, executive vice president of Visa Europe, has a different take on the folding stuff packed in our wallets that most of us take for granted. "Cash is expensive," he says. "We need to be using it less." Expensive? Vintage wines, maybe. Designer clothes, yes. Modern art, almost certainly. But cash? "Why do you think supermarkets introduced cashback?" Perry asks rhetorically. He has me stumped there. I tell him I always thought of it as a service for overdrawn students to drive a few more sales through the tills. "No," he responds politely. "It's because they want cash out of the system so there is less to manage. Processing a transaction on a card can be cheaper than handling cash." Perry is a leading cheerleader for the cashless society. It's hardly a surprising role, but its an argument he is finding increasingly easy to make. Last month, for example, the Payments Council announced to anguished outrage that in 2018 the cheque would be dead. "There are many more efficient ways of making payments than by paper in the 21st century, and the time is ripe for the economy as a whole to reap the benefits of its replacement," Paul Smee, chief executive of the Payments Council, said. Perry extends the same argument to cash. Notes and coins are never going to be fully replaced, he accepts. Currency has, after all, been around in some form or another since 3,000BC. But now that we're in the electronic age, payments could do with a little catching up, he reckons. Visa has recently published an extensive report on the cost of cash to society. Citing numerous independent papers by consultants and national governments, the payments company constructs a compelling case. "

"*To announce tenure limit of bank MDs, minimum disclosure requirements soon To strengthen credit control and forestall the recurrence of non-performing loans in banks, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said that very soon those without the national identity card may not be able to access bank loans. It added that in a few weeks time it will release a new minimum disclosure requirement for banks and tenure limit for managing directors and chief executive officers. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, CBN governor made the declaration at the launch and public forum of CRC Credit Bureau Limited. Experts have hailed the move, saying it has always been easy for people to forge any other identity card, noting that it will be difficult to forge the national identity card. Sanusi said "the CBN will liaison with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) with a view to enhancing the National Identity Card project", and that "whenever the National Identity scheme takes off we will ensure that no new credit is extended to anybody unless the person has a national identity card". Sanusi at the forum warned existing managing directors of banks to start thinking of an exit and succession plan before the imposition of the tenure limit. "

DanJ's Blogs and Articles More Blogs to Check out. I've added a few more blogs to my list. Let me know what you think.

"The national identity card is linked to people's national insurance number, the government hasconfirmed. Home secretary Alan Johnson said NI numbers are one of several data items that are part of the national ID card database but not the passport database. Johnson was responding to a written question from shadow home secretary Chris Grayling. More than 2,400 had applied voluntarily for a card, he said. Johnson said the information in the UK passport database is "very similar" to that held on the National Identity Register. In addition to NI numbers the register also held fingerprint biometrics, which will be required for passport issue "in due course", he said. Johnson said the NI numbers help identity verification checks for identity cards, and in time, passports. The government admitted in 2007 that it had lost nine million NI numbers, some of which were suspected of being used fraudulently."

"LONDON - New regulations that took effect Wednesday require skilled foreign workers who extend their stay in Britain to obtain identity cards containing biometric data, including finger prints and photographs. The UK Border Agency rules are part of the extended rollout of a 2008 program that will require all foreign workers who plan to stay in Britain six months or longer to obtain an ID card by April 2011. The rules apply only to workers from outside the European Economic Area and Switzerland. British officials say the ID cards for foreign workers will help combat illegal workers and illegal immigration and allow cardholders to establish their identity and immigration status, making it easier for them to access various benefits they are entitled to. The cards, in conjunction with workers' passports, can also be used to facilitate entry into Britain after trips abroad, officials said. Skilled workers are defined as those with a job sponsor who can establish their skills and earnings potential on a point-based system that also takes into account their English language ability."

"(1/4/10) FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - A new state law attempting to meet the requirements of the Federal Real ID Act instituted by Congress in 2005, now requires Floridians either getting a new license or renewing an expiring license to provide additional documentation to prove their identity before their new license can be issued. Even if a person uses the on-line renewal system or does so by mail, every renewing driver will have to bring at least four items to a local DHSMV/Driver's License office, proving their identity, address and Social Security Number. The DHSMV has set up a convenient website to help customers gather the necessary documents by creating a personalized list of items to bring with them to a driver's license office. Effective January 1, 2010, drivers are required to provide one of the following to establish their identity: a certified, state-issued birth certificate, a valid passport, a counselor report of birth abroad, a certificate of naturalization, or a certificate of citizenship. Expired or expiring driver's licenses/ID cards will not be accepted to prove one's identity. To prove their Social Security Number, they must provide one of the following items: a Social Security Card, a W-2 Form from their employer, a recent pay check, or a Form 1099. Additionally, drivers will have to show two documents to establish their home address, including (but not limited to): a recent mortgage bill or statement, a Florida voter registration card, Florida vehicle registration, a utility hook-up bill no more than 60 days old, a W-2 or 1099 form, recent bank statements,or even a current homeowner's insurance statement or bill. For those minors or dependents who do not have any of these items in their own name, a parent or guardian residing at the same address must accompany the driver and provide proof of their residence. For homeless persons, a letter from a homeless shelter or half-way house is only one of the documents allowed. Mail received from s

"BEIJING: The smart card system has been introduced in a Chinese city for the first time on Monday. The event coincided with a court verdict meting out the first-ever conviction in the country for theft and misuse of personal information. Wuxi, one of the most modern small cities of China, has unveiled the first batch of smart cards that contain barcodes containing crucial information about card holders . The smart cards, which are being rolled out for the first time in China, will enable their users to perform a wide range of tasks. The barcodes on the cards contain finger prints and personal information like date of birth, blood group, social security number and bank card numbers. It will carry the name and photograph of the card holder. The local administration of Wuxi is making arrangements for the use of smart cards in bank ATMs, buildings equipped with electronic guard system and even for allowing parents to pick up their children from high-guarded kindergarten schools. It will later add more information to the smart cards and widen the scope of its use. In another development, a court in China's Guangzhou city sentenced a man to one and a half year in prison for violating the security of personal information that include unlisted phone number and call histories of important people. Prosecutors told the court that Lin Guiyu bought personal information of senior officials and used it to swindle several people. He used the information to impersonate as the vice mayor of Zhuhai in Guangdong province while asking for money in return for official favors. Lin led a gang that committed five such crimes and cheated people of $121,554 after impersonating different officials including the Communist Party secretaries of Foshan and En'ping , official sources said. "

"The present national identity card system is outdated, and does not create interconnectivity and has many security issues. Therefore, the Government is planning to introduce an electronic smart card system to replace it from this year, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said. "This new smart card system will create connectivity," the Defence Secretary said at the Tech Colloquium Conference on the theme 'The Role of IT in Nation Building' in Colombo on Monday. He said with the introduction of the new smart card system it could be used as an identity card as well as a multi-purpose card for other purposes. This will enable to prevent any security problems like duplication. This will be an advantage for security concerns to do their investigation and surveillance activities without any hazard, he said. Rajapaksa said developed countries use more advanced surveillance systems than Sri Lanka by using new technology and without using physical presence such as Police and Army personnel. Therefore, this can create some inconvenience to the public to a larger extent, he said. The Defence Secretary said developed countries used advanced security and surveillance systems than Sri Lanka without heavy police and military presence. Therefore electronic surveillance systems are linked to control rooms and these control rooms could dispatch security and military personnel to the relevant position. He said they are now in the process of introducing ICT and new technology for surveillance systems like in developed countries. ICT could also bring an economic revival after defeating three decades of ethnic crisis and achieving true victory, he said. "However, Sri Lanka is still not being developed to that level as we are heavily depending on physical systems, which inconvenience the public. The use of high and advanced technology and IT have brought a lot of achievements during the recent past and it almost did a revolutionary change in the war theater to suppress t

"The State Department is planning to welcome thousands of immigrants from terror-watch list countries into the United States this year through a "diversity visa" lottery -- a giant legal loophole some lawmakers say is a "serious national security threat" that has gone unchecked for years. Ostensibly designed to increase ethnic diversity among immigrants, the program invites in thousands of poorly educated laborers with few job skills -- and that's only the beginning of its problems, according to lawmakers and government investigations. "There are a lot of holes in this program in terms of security and in terms of fraud," said Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., who has written legislation aimed at killing the lottery. Now, in the wake of the botched Christmas Day terror attack that emerged from Nigeria and Yemen, members of Congress are worried the system could be vulnerable to radicals looking to "play" the visa lottery as a means of reaching the U.S. Here's how it works: to avoid getting stuck with 3.5 million others on a visa waiting list, hundreds of thousands of people put their names into the separate diversity lottery, which rewards countries that typically see low levels of immigration to the U.S. Immediate family are allowed to join lottery winners. Countries like China, where lots of immigrants originate, are excluded. Then a computer in Kentucky picks names at random from the qualified applicants, who need only a high school degree or two years at a job that requires two years of experience. The program accounts for about 10 percent of all immigrant visas each year. Included in the lottery are all four countries the U.S considers state sponsors of terror -- Iran, Sudan, Cuba, and Syria -- and 13 of the 14 nations that are coming under special monitoring from the Transportation Security Administration as founts of terrorism. Pakistan is excluded because, like China, it sends over tens of thousands of immigrants each year and doesn't need to be in the lottery

"PositiveID (PSID) is to begin a study of its Health Link implantable microchip in diabetic, hypertensive and obese patients. The study -like everything else associated with the company formerly known as VeriChip - is bound to be controversial. The Health Link chip is implanted under a patient's skin. It can be scanned to access the patient's online medical records. The company's critics fear the chip will one day become mandatory, leading to a complete loss of medical privacy, or that Americans will be unable to receive healthcare unless they get chipped. BNET has noted that PositiveID also owns a credit monitoring and identity-theft prevention company, Steel Vault, and that it envisions its chips being linked to Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT) and employers. PositiveID linked credit monitoring and the Health Link chip in its most recent 10-Q. While PositiveID's press release gives few specifics, it indicates that the study will have something to do with the Health Link chip and customers of HealthScreenDirect, a company that offers screening for diabetes and high cholesterol. Its says the study will be: … a prospective, randomized, comparative clinical study that will seek to address improving disease management through the use of appropriate, concise, and up-to-date patient health information available to both practitioners caring for diabetic, hypertensive and obese patients and the patients themselves through the utilization of PositiveID's personal health record (Health Link) and an electronic medical records system. PositiveID CEO Scott R. Silverman said in the statement that the study will also advance the company's in-development glucose-sensing chip. Silverman is doubtless hoping that patients with the chip - and with their health records online - will have better outcomes in terms of managing their diabetes than those doing it the old-fashioned way. The unanswered question is why health record access - or even a microchip

"Cashless society benefits merchants and consumers, says Visa VP By Lauren Lindberg [Merchant and consumer benefits to electronic payment processing may be accelerating the shift to a cashless society] 13/01/2010 - The world is increasingly moving toward a cashless society, driven both by consumer demand and merchant preferences, a Visa official told the UK newspaper The Telegraph. Steve Perry, executive vice president of Visa Europe, told the newspaper that society is becoming increasingly cashless because consumers have found that electronic payment processing is easier than carrying around cash, and are consequently shifting from paper to plastic payment methods. In addition, debit and credit card processing is better for merchants because it costs less than handling cash, he said. "Because cards are less risky (the associated cost is estimated at 0.02 percent to 0.1 percent per transaction on cards compared with 0.1 percent to 0.2 percent with cash) and encourage spending, they are more efficient and better value," Perry told the newspaper. "Furthermore, card transaction fees are expected to fall.""

"Three steps to take to protect your account data from getting into the wrong hands Whether by choice or necessity, American consumers are increasingly relying on debit rather than credit cards. Debit card spending has risen steadily, growing from 47.7 percent of purchases made with plastic in 2003 to 58.9 percent in 2008 and it is expected to surpass 67 percent by 2013, according to the Nilson Report, a newsletter that tracks the consumer payment industry. When you use a debit card, the money is immediately taken from your checking account. While using debit guarantees that you pay as you go, these cards have downsides, including a growing appeal to thieves. "As economic conditions have worsened, there's been a noticeable increase in all types of card fraud," says Avivah Litan, an analyst specializing in fraud detection and prevention at Gartner Research in Stamford, Conn. "But ATM and debit-card fraud is the top area of concern we're hearing about from banks all over the world." More from ConsumerReports.org: * Pros and Cons of Debit Cards * Credit Card Perks * Post-Recession Investing Unlike credit-card thieves, who usually charge merchandise and then resell it to come up with money, people who create counterfeit ATM or debit cards by stealing your PIN and other account data can simply pull cold cash from your bank account. Using a technique known as skimming, they set up equipment that captures magnetic stripe and keypad information when you input your PIN at ATM machines, gas pumps, restaurants, or retailers. Here's how you can protect yourself: Don't Type in Your Pin at the Pump Be especially vigilant at gas stations, Litan says. "Gas pumps are notorious for skimming because they're produced by only a couple of different manufacturers, and if someone gets the key to one from a disgruntled employee, they can insert a skimming device inside the pump where it can't be seen," she says. She recommends using a credit card rather than a debit card whe