October 2007

>>> Get your FBI file -- and your NSA and CIA files too, while you're at it

The Freedom-of-Information-loving folks who brought you Get Grandpa's FBI File have just launched a sister site: Get My FBI File . This site helps you automatically generate the letters you need to send in to get your own FBI file ... and while you're at it, you can also get your NSA, CIA, DIA, DSS, Secret Service, etc. files too, just by checking a few boxes. If you throw in UnSecureFlight.Com, we're getting perilously close to one-stop shopping for all your government security file needs.
http://www.getmyfbifile.com/
http://unsecureflight.com/home.html

>>> Tech Beyond 2010 – What lies ahead

Gigabit Internet (2012) – Dogged by the speed of your home broadband service? With a gigabit Internet connection over a fiber-optic line, you’ll be able to download the latest movies in less than a minute at speeds up to 1 gbps.

Mobile fuel cells (2013) – Now in development, hydrogen fuel cells will power your laptop for a week at a time using store-bought fuel cartridges.

Smart homes (2014) – We’ve heard for years about the smart home – a house chock-full of computer-driven appliances that cater to your every need. As homes with built-in Ethernet wiring become more common in several years, central home PCs will control everything from the thermostat to the lighting to the security system.

>>> Fifteen Million Americans Victimized by ID Theft

Fifteen million Americans were victimized by identity theft in a recent 12-month period, according to a Gartner study. Greater amounts of money are being stolen than ever before. And, more of what’s lost stays lost, with only a 61 percent recovery rate reported in 2006. Indirect identity authentication tools like tokens, badges and smartcards can be lost, stolen or duplicated. PINs and passwords are inconvenient and compromised far too easily. People share them, or write them down, and they can be stolen when used in public places.
http://www.persay.com/Volume_1_Issue2/main_article/speechtek_article.htm
or http://tinyurl.com/2m9hq5

>>> Roadmap for Evaluating a Voice Biometric System

Regardless of your industry or your company’s specific objectives, testing and deployment of a voice biometric solution can be easy and fast… as long as you rely on proven methodology.
http://www.persay.com/Volume_1_Issue2/second_article/roadmap_article.htm
or http://tinyurl.com/2sh52r

>>> Data Security Breaches

The data breaches noted have been reported because the personal information compromised includes data elements useful to identity thieves, such as Social Security numbers, account numbers, and driver's license numbers. Some breaches that do NOT expose such sensitive information have been included in order to underscore the variety and frequency of data breaches. However, we have not included the number of records involved in such breaches in the total because we want this compilation to reflect breaches that expose individuals to identity theft as well as breaches that qualify for disclosure under state laws. The breaches posted below include only those reported in the United States and does not include incidents in other countries.

The total number of records containing sensitive personal information involved in security breaches is 167,493,672.
http://www.privacyrights.org/ar/ChronDataBreaches.htm
or http://tinyurl.com/bl8kp

>>> Fires Bring Reminder to Have Disaster Recovery Plans

With Southern California wildfires burning more than 283,000 acres from San Diego to Malibu, destroying about 700 homes and 100 businesses so far, the need for credit unions to have effective disaster recovery plans is in the forefront.
http://www.cuna.org/newsnow/07/system102307-7.html?ref=hed
or http://tinyurl.com/224pua

>>> Beware of hackers targeting storage systems

Corporate storage systems and networks are an attractive target for hackers looking to steal sensitive data or launch computer attacks, Alan Lustiger, security architect at TD Ameritrade, told an audience at Computerworld's Storage Networking World user conference in the US this week.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;594274160
or http://tinyurl.com/2nzpv6

>>> Ebola Monkey Man: Pissing Off Nigerian Scammers One At a Time!

This site is dedicated to all the hardworking people who have either been scammed or annoyed by a Nigerian 419 Scam Artist. My intention is not to offend anyone. OK, that's a lie. My intention is to offend anyone who will sink low enough to take advantage of a hard working person. I love all people, except those that cause pain. If you are not a scammer and find this page offensive, use your head and please do not add it to your favorites section. Oh, and relax, it's all in good fun.
http://www.ebolamonkeyman.com/

>>> Credit unions, banks unveil identity theft-fighting Web site

The group of Oregon lenders that fights identity theft has launched a Web site that could help catch more purveyors of fraud. The Financial Institutions Security Task Force, which melds the Oregon Bankers Association with the Credit Union Association of Oregon, believes the site will keep the general public informed of major banking security issues. The site will also act as a conduit between the task force, law enforcement, the media and the public. The Web site, fist.oregonbankers.com, also contains information on current robbery rewards, upcoming events, fraud and robbery statistics and trends, state and national resources, and media materials.
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2007/10/15/daily55.html
or http://tinyurl.com/yumnk9

>>> More Consumers Switch Financial Institutions Over Fees Than Over Security Issues, Survey Finds

A recent survey which found more consumers switch financial institutions over issues with their fee structures than over security may be another indicator of a CU marketing opportunity. The survey, conducted by the noted research firm Gartner, Inc., found that 20% of consumers switch financial institutions over fees while only 4% do so out of concern their institution is not protecting their confidential data. This runs sharply counter to major marketing pushes by major banks which highlight security efforts and would seem to offer CUs a further opportunity to highlight the fee difference with banks.
http://www.cutimes.com/article.php?article=34903
or http://tinyurl.com/2r2fo3

>>> FIRE FAMILY FOUNDATION ESTABLISHED TO SUPPORT CALIFORNIA FIREFIGHTERS AND THEIR FAMILIES

Los Angeles Firemen’s Credit Union Members and Staff Donate Time and Resources so that 100% of Donations Will Pass Through to Beneficiaries

LOS ANGELES, California—Fire Family Foundation, the first of its kind in California, will help firefighters and their families in times of crisis, fund firefighter training programs, provide firefighting equipment to fire departments around the state, and support other firefighter-focused charities, announced Los Angeles Firemen’s Credit Union (LAFCU), which set up the foundation through volunteer members and staff and will similarly manage the Foundation so that 100% of donations will pass through to beneficiaries.
http://www.creditunions.com/resources/press/pressreleases/551/LAFCU%20Press%20Release%2010-22-07.doc
or http://tinyurl.com/2qv6eq

>>> CUNA Shuts Down New Card Activation Phish Attempt

A new phishing-scam attempt using the Credit Union National Association's name informs recipients about "irregular check card activity" and advises them to call a toll-free number to get any restrictions removed. That is a "bad idea," says Dorothy Steffens, CUNA's vice president of web services. The call is a ploy to get personal account information, possibly for identity theft purposes. Recipients received a message as a "CUNA Alert: Irregular Check Card Activity.”
http://www.cuna.org/newsnow/07/system102607-10.html?ref=hed
or http://tinyurl.com/38d2b4

September 2007

>>> Simpler-Webb partners with EVault
Simpler-Webb, Inc. announced its partnership with EVault to provide customer data protection software and Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions from EVault, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Seagate Technology. EVault offers a suite of data protection software and SaaS solutions that are easy-to-use, reliable, and flexible. This allows Simpler-Webb’s credit union customers to conform to industry-specific compliance and security regulations by addressing their backup, recovery, archiving, business continuity and e-discovery needs.
http://www.creditunions.com/resources/press/pressreleases/41565/EVault%20release%20CU.doc
http://tinyurl.com/39ss9y

>>> Sixty members caught in repeated phish nets
Financial accounts of more than 60 members at a credit union in Indiana may have been compromised due to an unusual multi-part e-mail phishing scam discovered Friday.

Fraudulent e-mails posing to be from the $391 million-asset Notre Dame FCU in South Bend rerouted users to a counterfeit credit union website in the Netherlands that asked members for personal information, such as debit card numbers and security codes.
http://www.cuna.org/newsnow/07/system090607-6.html?ref=hed
http://tinyurl.com/2o9grw


>>> Everyone's hacking the net, says Check Point founder
Governments, criminal gangs, and gifted amateurs are seeding cyberspace with Trojans, viruses and other malware to monitor activity and benefit economically, according to the founder of Check Point.

"Every day we are seeing attacks, and I am not sure if this is just the tip of the iceberg," said Gil Schwed, the founder and chief executive of the security software and appliance firm. Schwed was referring to recent media reports that the Pentagon, the German government, and Western corporate sites had been attacked from China.
http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/070906_checkpoint_cw.html
http://tinyurl.com/2mawwc

>>> The Biggest Problem with VISTA
The biggest problem with Vista is the one that Microsoft can least fix - driver support. Even after all this time, there's still a lot of (even brand new) hardware I own that doesn't support Windows Vista. Maybe Microsoft could bribe (or offer "incentives") to manufacturers to release Vista drivers for all of their hardware less than 3 years old. And make sure the drivers actually work properly. Other than that, I think the "Ultimate" edition should actually be the only version on sale. Price it at the same as Home Premium and then at install time give the option of installing a "basic", "regular" or "expert" version of the OS. It would save a lot of shelf space and confuse consumers less.

>>> Help users create complex passwords that are easy to remember
While most end users understand the importance of using passwords to secure corporate systems and data, they don't always know how to create a strong password. That's why it's just as important to create a strong password policy in your organization. Remember: Passwords are only as good as the policy that enforces their use. For example, if your company's password policy only requires a minimum of six characters and doesn't require complexity (i.e., a combination of uppercase and lowercase characters, digits, and/or nonalphanumeric characters), then you've got a pretty weak policy. That means most users will use passwords that are easy to crack through either brute force or social engineering.
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-1009_11-6028857.html?tag=nl.e036
http://tinyurl.com/2dr36b

>>> FBI May Seek No Hats Legislation in Washington State
The FBI in Washington State may seek legislation that would forbid financial institutions from doing business with member/customers wearing hats and sunglasses and hooded sweatshirts while inside the institution. Special Agent Larry Carr, who heads the bank robbery division in Seattle, plans to work with state lawmakers on the legislation, said The Seattle Times (Sept. 14). Robbers often use the clothing to disguise themselves and thwart surveillance cameras.
http://www.cuna.org/newsnow/07/system091407-5.html?ref=hed
http://tinyurl.com/2kx7t4

>>> CU Members Value More Online Security
When it comes to a positive credit union online experience, improving online security and communicating security policy are key according to a recent Solavista survey. Results from 1,809 credit union respondents showed that online security is the overwhelming feature members are seeking from their credit union’s Web site. In fact, three of the top four Web site improvement factors desired by members involved security enhancements. Some 81% said they want greater assurance that their information won’t be sold or distributed to others. Protecting against hackers (73% of all respondents) and protecting against phishing attacks (64%) ranked two and four respectively.

>>> Google Presents Power Point Alternative
The rumored arrival of a Google option for creating and viewing slide-based presentations became fact with the debut of its newest feature on Google Docs. You'll see something different when clicking New in Google Docs. The option to create a presentation with Google's online suite has been on the radar since Google disclosed it in April 2007, confirming an earlier rumor about it posted to Google Operating System. People have the option of creating new presentations with the slide editor in Google Docs. The technology comes from a blend of companies Google acquired for their slide-based innovations. As noted on the official Google blog, presentations and collaboration go hand in hand with this new product: “When it's time to present, participants can simply click a link to follow along as the presenter takes the audience through the slideshow. Participants are connected through Google Talk and can chat about the presentation as they're watching.”

The debut of presentations gives Google another point on which they and Capgemini can compete with Microsoft for certain segments of enterprise workers. Google's deal with Capgemini gives it access to a lot of people working for units managed by the IT outsourcer.