E-Commerce ALERTS - Archive 2007

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PRIVACY: THE WORST QUOTES OF THE YEAR

It's a callous defense that misses the point of privacy (it's not what you reveal but whether or not you retain the choice to reveal that defines privacy), but even so, it didn't make our list of the best quotes about privacy from 2007. That must mean the list is pretty good. It is. So good, in fact, we decided to make an award to "celebrate" the year's most unfortunate quotes about privacy. — MORE

CANADA, GREECE AND ROMANIA HAVE BEST PRIVACY RECORDS, GLOBAL REPORT SAYS

Individual privacy is best protected in Canada but is under threat in the United States and the European Union as governments introduce sweeping surveillance and information-gathering measures in the name of security and border control, an international rights group said in a report released Saturday — MORE

REPORTS OF DATA BREACHES REACHED NEW HEIGHTS IN 2007

The loss or theft of personal data such as credit card and Social Security numbers soared to unprecedented levels in 2007, and the trend isn't expected to turn around anytime soon as hackers stay a step ahead of security and laptops disappear with sensitive information — MORE

THE SMALL BUSINESS YEAR-END WEB SITE CHECKLIST

The time of year when we make resolutions is fast approaching. I'm not much of a resolution-maker myself, but I'm going to suggest that small business owners make one. Namely, it's a suggestion that you resolve to fix up your web site and pay attention to things you might've ignored for too long. Here's a small business web site checkup that you should tackle at least once a year — MORE

BEWARE OF BLENDED THREATS AND PHISHING ZOMBIES IN 2008

"Blended threats" - online security attacks that combine several techniques - are likely to become more pervasive in 2008, security industry insiders say. These threats are particularly insidious because they use multiple strategies to exploit known vulnerabilities - for instance, combining facets of hacking, computer-worm and denial-of-service attacks. — MORE

MIND THE GAPP: ACCOUNTANTS BRING GAAP-LIKE PRINCIPLES TO THE PRIVACY SPHERE

The accounting industry has closed ranks around the idea that the GAPP is the best international framework for assessing the privacy health of an organization. So when it comes to IT projects, any system or related business process touching personal data will have new rules to play by — MORE

CALGARY NAMED CANADA'S 'SAFEST CYBER CITY'

When it comes to maintaining safety on their home PCs, Calgarians fare better than the rest, reveals a Symantec sponsored survey, the results of which were announced today — MORE

SPYWARE SURGE AFFLICTS CANADIAN BUSINESSES

More than 55 per cent of small and midsized businesses (SMBs) and large enterprises report the volume of spyware they are battling has increased over the past 12 months, according to a recent survey by the Computing Technology Industry Association — MORE

DATA BREACHES WILL REMAIN A HUGE CONCERN IN 2008, SAYS SYMANTEC

Dean Turner, Director of Symantec's Global Intelligence Network says data breaches and ID theft will continue to dominate the threat landscape next year. He also outlines practical steps companies and consumers can take to protect themselves, in this interview — MORE

LOOMING ONLINE SECURITY THREATS IN 2008

As Internet users display more of their personal information on social networking Web sites, and office workers upload more sensitive data to online software programs, computer hackers are employing increasingly sophisticated methods to pry that information loose — MORE

THE HACK OF THE YEAR

In August, Swedish hacker Dan Egerstad gained access to sensitive embassy, NGO and corporate email accounts. Were they captured from the clutches of hackers? Or were they being used by spies? Patrick Gray investigates the most sensational hack of 2007 — MORE

PRIVACY EXPERT OFFERS STRATEGY FOR PROTECTING CUSTOMER INFORMATION

Want some tips on how to improve data security and increase customer loyalty? An attorney with a new book on privacy says she has just the thing for business leaders — MORE

MOBILE SECURITY: SETTING RESPONSIBLE GOALS

Mobile security is not an absolute - it is a mode of operation. If you have the right processes, technical controls and people smarts, this mode of operation is something that can be managed to serve as a way of reducing business risks. So properly setting and managing your mobile security goals is good for business — MORE

Should TJX really be worried about data breach fallout?

TJX Cos. is back in the headlines this week, amid revelations that more than 94 million accounts may have been compromised to date - far more than the 45 million TJX had previously acknowledged. Yet customers keep flocking to TJX with credit cards in hand — MORE

WANTED: SMALL BUSINESS TECH SUPPORT, GOOD AND CHEAP

"Give us the support we need so we can concentrate on our business." That was the general message to technology vendors that SMB owners aired in round table discussion hosted by Dell Canada — MORE

AS DATA BREACHES SNOWBALL, IT PROS LOOK FOR ANSWER

As new data breach reports pile up by the day, IT shops are desperately searching for tools to help ensure their organization doesn't become the next big headline — MORE

THEFT OF GAP LAPTOP PUTS 800,000 JOB APPLICANTS AT RISK

Personal information on about 800,000 people who applied for jobs at the Gap was compromised when a laptop was stolen. The stolen computer held personal data, including Social Security numbers, for people who applied online or by phone for store positions with the company's Old Navy, Banana Republic, Gap, and outlet stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico between July 2006 and June 2007, according to an online alert — MORE

WIFI CAN LEAVE USERS EXPOSED

The security issues are much worse with unprotected public WiFi and WiFi in coffee shops sprouting everywhere. Competent hackers can use "sniffers" to collect and analyze all of the data traffic going back and forth over a compromised WiFi network — MORE

INTERNAL ABUSE OVERTAKES VIRUSES AS SECURITY THREAT

Company insiders have overtaken viruses as the most reported security incident, the annual report from the respected U.S. Computer Security Institute (CSI) has reported — MORE

NOWHERE TO HIDE

If you give a company your name and address, how many copies of this data do you think will exist in databases around the world a mere 12 months later? Easily a thousand, estimates Jeff Jonas, who holds the titles of distinguished engineer and chief scientist at the IBM Entity Analytic Solutions group — MORE

INS AND OUTS OF ASSESSING CONFIDENTIALITY

There's no magic formula for determining whether a person will keep confidences, although gossipers are clearly suspect. This column will cover suggestions from three perspectives - legal, marketing and business consulting - about how to assess confidentiality — MORE

TEN TIPS ON HOW TO BUILD A BETTER WEB EXPERIENCE

What does it take to deliver superior customer service in cyberspace? Here are 10 steps garnered from those who run and evaluate top corporate Web sites — MORE

Q&A: A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO COMPUTER SECURITY

William "Bill" Boni is one of America's leading computer security experts. In his role as corporate vice president of information security and protection at Motorola, he's charged with protecting the electronics giant's global network and computer systems as well as its digital proprietary information, intellectual property and trade secrets. What are some of the things that you're worried about most? — MORE

CANADA: DATA BREACHES: TO NOTIFY OR NOT TO NOTIFY

If personal information held by your organization is stolen or otherwise compromised, what are the organization's legal obligations? Surprisingly, under Canada's federal privacy law applicable to the private sector, there is no specific requirement to notify anyone about the data breach — MORE

CANADIANS WILLINGLY DUPED BY SPAM: REPORT

While spam is on the rise, Canadians are choosing to click on spam out of curiosity, according to a study released by Ipsos-Reid — MORE

HOW TO GET THROUGH TO THE INTERNET GENERATION

A recent poll of youths aged 18 to 25 - the so-called Millennial Generation or Generation M spawned by the now aging Baby Boomers - indicates that the Web is the primary venue for selling products and services to this age group — MORE

REPORT: 90 PERCENT OF COMPANIES FAIL COMPLIANCE

An overwhelming percentage of businesses still fall far short in their efforts to comply with industry data-handling regulations and reduce their likelihood of experiencing a serious leakage incident, according to a new survey — MORE

COMPUTERS AS VULNERABLE AS EVER, POLL SHOWS

Has computer security really improved? According to a new poll conducted by InformationWeek, 66% of U.S. respondents and 89% of Chinese respondents don't believe so - they feel just as vulnerable to attacks as they did a year ago — MORE

TOP UK FIRMS IN PRIVACY BREACHES - WATCHDOG

Britain's information commissioner on Wednesday hit out at a number of banks and government departments for "horrifying" breaches of the country's data protection rules — MORE

PRIVACY COMMISSIONER'S ANNUAL REPORT HIGHLIGHTS WHERE BUSINESSES ARE GOING WRONG

The commissioner's annual report says the need to take data protection seriously has never been greater, particularly in the aftermath of several large security breaches that the Office of the Privacy Commissioner ("OPC") has been involved in investigating — MORE

U.S. FEDS FALL SHORT ON COMPUTER SECURITY

The 24 U.S. federal agencies continue to have significant weaknesses in protecting their information systems from intruders. While the high-profile loss of laptops and computer storage devices with sensitive data like Social Security numbers receive much public attention, the Government Accountability Office says there are other ways that federal computer systems are left vulnerable by the people assigned to secure them from intruders — MORE

FIVE WAYS TO NOT GET HACKED

Too often, simple mistakes are the cause of data breaches, said Darryl Lemecha, CIO and senior vice president of shared services at ChoicePoint. Listing a person's Social Security number on a mailing address label, or not encrypting data on a laptop that is later stolen or lost, have left some companies wishing they had thought more about security, he said — MORE

BUSINSSES FAIL TO PROTECT PRIVACY: WATCHDOG

Too many businesses are failing to train staff in how to handle personal information, putting consumers at risk of identity theft, says Canada's privacy commissioner. Recent data breaches have reinforced worries about both domestic security issues and how information flows across the border — MORE

SECURITY LABS CANNOT COPE WITH VOLUME OF INTERNET THREATS

Security labs cannot cope with volume of internet threats There is a dramatic increase in the quantity of malware being unleashed on the Internet," said Luis Corrons, technical director of PandaLabs, Panda Software's malware research laboratory — MORE

WIRELESS HACKERS SUSPECTED IN TJ MAXX BREACH

The Wall Street Journal reported that hackers in St. Paul, Minnesota, parked outside a Marshalls' department store and used the antenna to decode data between hand-held payment scanners, enabling them to break into parent company TJX's database and make off with credit and debit card records of nearly 47 million customers — MORE

REPORT ALL BREACHES OF PRIVACY, MPs URGE

Companies may soon be forced to tell Canadians when their personal information is lost or stolen by identity thieves under recommendations released Wednesday by a parliamentary committee moving to strengthen federal privacy laws — MORE

TIME TO TAKE PC SAFEGUARDS SERIOUSLY

Would you give a complete stranger access to your personal letters, tax returns and bank account password? No, probably not. But that is exactly the kind of information criminals are stealing from people who connect to the Internet without safeguarding their computers — MORE

ROGERS DATA LEAK SHOWS NEED FOR MANDATORY CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION LAW, EXPERT SAYS

A security breach like the one that hit Rogers Cable this month in Toronto shows the need to make it mandatory for companies to notify clients when their private information has been compromised, a privacy expert says — MORE

NEVER LOSE TRUST: PROTECT CUSTOMER DATA

A proactive approach to data breach and customer privacy protection starts with encryption of mobile devices, but organizations are also turning to automated monitoring, data discovery and beefed-up authentication technologies to add an extra layer of security — MORE

THE 'EVIL SIDE' OF THE WEB

"This is not just a battle between manufacturers of security software and some internet criminals. It is a war between good and evil." — MORE

TJX SAYS 45 MILLION CREDIT CARDS HACKED

On January 17, the discount retailer TJX reported that its computer system had been hacked and that the intruders obtained access to financial information and driver's licenses dating back as far as 2003 — MORE

SECURITY RISKS ENCIRCLE WI-FI

When many of the computer industry's top security gurus gathered in San Francisco last month for a conference, a Boston company decided to point its radar toward the airwaves and see how much of the show's wireless activity it could see — MORE

MORE PROFESSIONAL INTERNET HACKERS FUELING THRIVING UNDERGROUND ECONOMY

The semi-annual report by computer security services firm Symantec found that people could pay for as little as 14 U.S. dollars online to buy a new identity, complete with working U. S. bank account, credit card with security code, date of birth and government-issued social security number — MORE

INTERNAL SNAFUS CAUSE OF MOST BREACHES, STUDY SAYS

This year, more than 72 million records containing Social Security and credit card numbers, birth dates and other personal data will be exposed to unauthorized users in the U.S., according to a study by researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle — MORE

COMPUTER SECURITY - PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS IN 3 SIMPLE STEPS

What can you do to reduce the risk of computer outages? What measures can you implement to protect your computer, your data, and ultimately your business? — MORE

JUNK E-MAIL TRAFFIC IS INCREASING, EXPERTS SAY

Doomsday predictions that 2007 will be the year that unwanted e-mail, called spam, floods inboxes at unheard-of rates are coming true — MORE

EMPLOYEE PRIVACY AT RISK, RESEARCH WARNS

Researchers at a symposium hosted by Canada's privacy commissioner today called on legislators and employers to strengthen employee privacy guarantees and to anticipate the implications of emerging technologies that threaten privacy rights — MORE

CRAFTING A TECHNOLOGY SECURITY PLAN

The risks of not adequately securing your business network and PCs are huge, however. Remember: It's not just your data that's at risk from attacks from viruses, spyware, hackers and others. Any customer data stored on your computers - including Social Security numbers, bank account information and confidential data, such as key sales and marketing data - is at risk as well — MORE

COLD CASH LOOKING BETTER AMID CANADIAN E-COMMERCE SECURITY BREACHES

Forget the idea of a cashless society. An increasing number of Canadians are questioning the safety of electronic transactions in the wake of massive security breaches and loss of personal information at major companies in Canada. It's a problem that's even turning some off the convenience of plastic in favour of cold, hard cash — MORE

THE YEAR HACKING BECAME A BUSINESS

Computer security experts say 2006 was also the year hacking stopped being a hobby and became a lucrative profession practiced by an underground of computer software developers and sellers — MORE

SECURITY ISSUES FOR EVERY COMPANY

The American Society for Industrial Security's (ASIS) 2006 Trends in Proprietary Loss Survey of Fortune 100 companies "showed the No. 1 threat was internal, and that risks have increased through "exploitation of trusted relationships, including vendor, customers, joint ventures and subcontractor/outsourced providers." — MORE

IN COMPUTER SECURITY, PEOPLE ARE WEAK LINK

Corporate America spends millions of dollars a year trying to protect itself from cyber-predators. And still there are leaks. Boston security consultant Richard M. Smith estimates it costs American businesses millions more dollars to clean up the mess — MORE

THOUSANDS OF BANK FILES MISSING

A backup computer file went missing somewhere between Montreal and Toronto containing private information about nearly half a million current and former customers of a CIBC mutual fund subsidiary, the bank said today — MORE

TIED TO OUR BLACKBERRY?

The BlackBerry has become an essential mobile communication device, but it has also blurred the boundaries between the workplace and home, according to a study by Ryerson researchers at the School of Information Technology Management — MORE

RYERSON STUDY EXPLORES THE DEPTHS OF BLACKBERRY ADDICTION

A BlackBerry device can turn users into distracted, anti-social obsessives who could put the safety of others or themselves at risk, a research study from Ryerson University warns — MORE

THE HACKERS ARE WINNING THE WAR

Every day, your computer is at risk of being hijacked by hackers to wreak all sorts of Internet havoc such as sending spam, committing fraud or stealing data. And here's the real bad news - there's not much you can do about it — MORE

SECURITY PROS GLEAN INSIGHT FROM '06

Instead of insulting your intelligence, we're going to enhance it and take a look at some of the important lessons we've learned in 2006 — MORE

ADDITIONAL NEWS ARTICLES IN 2006 ARCHIVE

E-Commerce Alerts are issued by Bennett Gold LLP, Chartered Accountants as situations develop. Bookmark this site and check back often.