Information Protection and Security

 The United States and the European Union have agreed to treatcybersecurity , cyber crime and data protection as international issues, cooperatively developing polices based on shared values.

Information-sharing by businesses could help the agency link attacks.
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Cyber criminals have stolen at least $40 million from small to mid-sized companies across America in a sophisticated but increasingly common form of online banking fraud, the FBI said this week.

Cyber criminals have stolen at least $40 million from small to mid-sized companies across America in a sophisticated but increasingly common form of online banking fraud, the FBI said this week.

Remember the Conficker worm? It uses flaws (yes, it's still around) in Windows software to remotely take over computers and link them into a virtual computer that can be commanded remotely by its authors. In August, 2009, Conficker had more than five million computers under its control — government, business and home computers in more than 200 countries.  Compromises like this can be avoided by regular patching (updating software). You can protect yourself from malware like conficker which can ultimately lead to identity theft, financial loss, and/or cyber crime.  Make sure your machine is patched up to date.  It’s easy and takes no time if you do it automatically.  The same with Rutgers Antivirus Delivery Service…it’s free (for Rutgers faculty, staff and students), automatic and covers spyware, too. Do yourself a favor and consider maintenance a priority.  Stop. Think. Secure IT!

If you're on Facebook, Twitter or any other social networking site, you could be the next victim because more cyberthieves are targeting increasingly popular social networking sites that provide a gold mine of personal information, according to the FBI.
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When Opera launched the Unite concept and an alpha version of the platform in June some experts voiced concerns about the possibility of cybercriminals using the platform for nefarious purposes. Opera is working on what it calls "a detailed walk-through" of Opera Unite applications, with widget security also in the works, according to its Web site.
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Anchorage police are creating a new job in the Crimes Against Children Unit -- a cyber crimes prevention specialist who will help educate the public on the dangers on the Internet.
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A US software writer has pleaded guilty to developing a botnet-based spamming tool used by notorious spammer Alan Ralsky.
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Computers, indispensable in peace, are becoming ever more important in political conflicts and open warfare. This is the third article in a series on the growing use of computer power as a weapon.
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