cybercrime

The excitement and curiosity over the death of Osama bin Laden hasn't just sparked a flurry of activity on the Internet — it's also become a feeding ground for hackers looking to steal your information. Just because something shows up in a Google search or gets past your spam folder doesn't mean it's legit — hackers prey on unsuspecting victims during news events by hiding malicious links and viruses in common-looking web pages. They may even send out phishing emails, teasing leaked or exclusive photos in order to get you to hand over credit card info, download a virus, or even gain access to home networks. How can you protect yourself against a cyberattack? Check out my tips below!

• Beware of unknown links: Just because something shows up in your inbox or on your Facebook wall doesn't mean it's not spam. If you don't know where the link came from (or it looks suspicious), don't click!
• Don't give out usernames or passwords: If you've been asked to enter your username and password anywhere else than a legit online account you already frequent, back away slowly.

Check out the rest of my tips after the jump.

The royal wedding is taking place next week, so listen up if you're planning an online viewing party: a recent study by Norton shows that 62 percent of Americans say they'll be following the wedding events (one-third of which are looking online for royal wedding news), which means it's prime time for hackers to hide within hot-topic searches.

Just because something shows up in a Google search or gets past your spam folder doesn't mean it's legit — hackers prey on unsuspecting victims during news events by hiding malicious links and viruses in common-looking web pages. They may even send out phishing emails, teasing all-access coverage in order to get you to hand over credit card info, download a virus, or even gain access to home networks. How can you protect yourself against a royal wedding cyberattack? Check out my tips below!

• Beware of unknown links: Just because something shows up in your inbox or on your Facebook wall doesn't mean it's not spam. If you don't know where the link came from (or it looks suspicious), don't click!
• Don't give out usernames or passwords: If you've been asked to enter your username and password anywhere else than a legit online account you already frequent, back away slowly.

Check out the rest of my tips after the jump.

After news that the Obama administration announced a new National Internet ID initiative, the general Internet quickly rallied against it. The name itself sounds sort of like something handed down by a Communist regime, but the administration has been quick to point out that the implication of such a strategy would in no way begin a slippery slope of regulation and big brother-esque monitoring. In fact, its purpose is not to monitor online activity — its purpose is to aid US consumers in creating a central identity for use on the Internet. But what exactly would this accomplish?

When it comes to worrying about online security, your opinions are split. But given the recent popularity of online privacy in the news from companies like Google and Facebook, it's possible the government could come up with a plausible solution.The initiative is aimed at increasing cybersecurity and gives authority to the U.S. Commerce Department — not the Department of Homeland Security or the National Security Agency, reinforcing that this security measure is aimed to protect US consumers and is not considered a national security measure or tracking system of any kind. Find out what you should expect, and when to expect it, after the break.

Unfortunately, it may be a few years until Spencer Pratt begins his war on cybercrime, so until then, we'll have to rely on this Norton study — that ranks the 10 worst US cities for cyber security — to keep our Internet safe. Cybercrime costs Americans $560 million dollars a year (mostly from fraudulent online purchases), and according to Norton's latest figures, Seattle tops the list as the most vulnerable city for cybercrime. The results were tallied using stats like access to available hotspots, online shopping figures, potential cyberattacks, and malware infections. Seattlites — watch out!

To see the full list of the 10 worst cities in the country, and to get some tips on maintaining a healthy online presence, just read more

There's a new cyber superhero about to wipe the Internet clean of crime — and his name is Spencer Pratt. You know and love the newlywed from his spot on The Hills, but Spencer announced today that he'll be taking a break from the MTV show to focus on finishing his stint at USC — where he's studying software engineering and encryption — then will head to work in the cyber security department at American Defense Enterprises. He says:

My new mission is this: To do my part in maintaining the technological superiority of the U.S. military and prevent emerging technologies from threatening our nation’s security.

Although Spencer is all over Twitter (and knows how to market music videos on YouTube with the best of 'em), I'm a little surprised at his geeky career change, which will take him away from the Hollywood spotlight. What about you — do you feel safer knowing that Spencer will be watching our backs online?

Google has had its fair share of problems with China recently, but after today, it may be pulling out of China's search market all together. In a statement released on its blog earlier today, Google has started making moves to shut down its China offices after a targeted email attack on Gmail users and human-rights activists.

The attack, which took place in December, affected "at least 20" other businesses in the US and China, as well as Gmail users who are known advocates of Chinese human-rights organizations. Google has been censoring its search results at the request of the Chinese government since 2006, but the attack seems to be a final straw as they prepare to close up shop. Since the attack, Google has made upgrades to its servers and added extra security measures, but states that it was likely a phishing scam or spyware that gave the attackers access to the accounts. As if you needed another reason to make sure your passwords were rock solid — and to be aware of suspicious links — the consequences could include your privacy.