Consumers of Internet pornography who secretly signed up for memberships on adult-oriented Web sites in the past few months may be in for a shock -- some of their personal information, including e-mail addresses, may have been compromised by a security breach.
A report by Privacy International has again found the UK to be up there with such enlightened regimes as Russia, China, and the US in terms of how intrusive surveillance is in our society.
Yes, we are on a par with countries that could be described as having totalitarian regimes, and countries with quite frankly appalling human rights records. Great. On a par with regimes that think it's fine to murder citizens, to elect leaders in perpetuity, and those that practice such positive human endeavours as 'extraordinary rendition' to countries that allow torture.
No one likes waiting in line to cross border checkpoints, but will new wireless passports keep your identity safe? The federal government is trying to reduce the amount of time it takes to cross the border at sea and land checkpoints.
By using the wireless passports, travelers will be able to verify their identity while still in line and can then be waved through. The wireless passports will be available soon, and can be read wirelessly from up to 20 feet away, according to the Washington Post.
The federal government will soon offer passport cards equipped with electronic data chips to U.S. citizens who travel frequently between the United States and Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean. The cards can be read wirelessly from 20 feet, offering convenience to travelers but raising security and privacy concerns about the possibility of data being intercepted.
The FBI is embarking on a $US1 billion ($A1.17 billion) project to build the world's largest computer database of biometrics to give the US government more ways to identify people at home and abroad, the Washington Post reported.
The FBI, the main investigative arm of the Department of Justice, has already started compiling digital images of faces, fingerprints and palm patterns in its systems, the paper said.
Online data thieves are usually portrayed as wily, anonymous hackers who use their cyberskills to crack into our bank accounts. But the most dangerous threats are often the ones we invite. How much information have you willingly volunteered online?
The good news is: it's not too late to keep your disgruntled ex-friends and random nutters at bay.
BRITISH Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government suffered new embarrassment over missing data on Monday when it revealed one of its contractors had lost the details of 3 million learner drivers.
The revelation came weeks after the government admitted it had lost computer discs containing the names and bank account details of 25 million people, exposing nearly half the population to possible fraud and identity theft.
When you send a Word document to a client or a co-worker, you are also sending metadata - info about the document - as well. You can easily include embarrassing comments, hidden text or info helpful to hackers. Here’s how to get rid of it.
A laptop stolen during a recent blood drive contained sensitive information on 268,000 Minnesota-region blood donors, Memorial Blood Centers said Wednesday.
The laptop was in a briefcase that was stolen just before 7 a.m. on Nov. 28 as workers were setting up a blood drive, said Laura Kaplan, manager of marketing and communications at the blood center. "They were setting up for a blood drive, and this was in a briefcase," she said. "The police have told us they believe it was a random crime."
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory revealed on Thursday that a "sophisticated cyber attack" over the last few weeks may have allowed personal information about thousands of lab visitors to be stolen.
The assault appeared "to be part of a coordinated attempt to gain access to computer networks at numerous laboratories and other institutions across the country," lab director Thom Mason said in a memo to the 4,200 employees at the Department of Energy facility.
