National Cyber Security By Gregory Evans

For those using social media to commit cyber crime, it may not be business as usual again as indication has emerged that governments of the world may introduce ways and means of monitoring internet social media content. Eight UK universities are set to work closely with the UK's cyber intelligence agency after it recognized them as centers of excellence for cybersecurity research. Also check out the job of the day!!!

HOUSE Legislators on Thursday filed a bill seeking to safeguard the privacy of individual and corporate computer users from the growing sophistication in the criminal skills of local and international computer hackers. The Department of Justice, the FBI and the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) remind the public there is a potential for disaster fraud in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Suspected fraudulent activity pertaining to relief efforts associated with the recent series of tornadoes in the Midwest and South should be reported to the NCDF hotline at 866-720-5721. The hotline is staffed by a live operator 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for the purpose of reporting suspected scams being perpetrated by criminals in the aftermath of disasters. Also check out the job of the day!!!

The notorious hacker who helped the FBI bring down his worldwide empire is a martyr who took the rap for the crimes of his colleagues, a LulzSec member told FoxNews.com over beers at a Manhattan dive bar, just hours after learning the news about the shadowy figure known online as “Sabu.” Five computer hackers in the United States and abroad were charged today, and a sixth pled guilty, for computer hacking and other crimes. The six hackers identified themselves as aligned with the group Anonymous, which is a loose confederation of computer hackers and others, and/or offshoot groups related to Anonymous, including “Internet Feds,” “LulzSec,” and “AntiSec.” Also check out the job of the day!!!!

The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office Tuesday announced that five principal members of the hacktivist groups Anonymous and its offshoot, LulzSec, have been arrested and charged. The men were located both in the United States and abroad. A lot can happen in 10 years, and that’s an understatement when it comes to malware: According to new data released by Microsoft this week, the number of malware variants went from 1,000 in 1991 to millions in 2011. Also check out the job of the day!!!

The Australian Institute of Criminology has found that while traditional crimes across the nation are falling in incidence, cybercrime is on the rise. FBI Director Robert Mueller recently spoke at a cybersecurity conference where he reiterated his belief that so-called cybercrime will soon surpass terrorism as the biggest threat in America. Also check out the job of the day!!!

Today at the annual RSA computer security conference in San Francisco, Director Mueller talked about cyber threats to U.S. national security, the FBI’s role in addressing these threats, and the increasing importance of public-private sector partnerships. Also check out the job of the day!!

The tiny $35 Raspberry Pi computer went on sale today, crashing its distributors' websites on the way to selling out within hours of launch. Identity theft and other scams cost Americans $1.52 billion last year, the Federal Trade Commission said on Tuesday. STEALING funds from companies is the No 1 white-collar crime suffered by Australian firms, with cybercrime a close second, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers survey. Also check out the job of the day!!!

While new computer technology has made power grids more effective, systems designed to secure those networks from cyberattacks continue to lag, Government Accountability Office officials told a House subcommittee on Tuesday. Crowd Strike, a start-up cyber-security firm has claimed that they have found a bug in Google’s Android that can enable hackers to gain complete control of devices. The details of these findings are to be revealed at a major computer security conference that takes place next week in San Francisco. Two-thirds of Hungarian adult internet users were victims of cybercrime in 2011, online security company Symantec reported on Tuesday. The abuses, with losses estimated at HUF 21 billion (EUR 72.33 million), went up 21 per cent from 2010 and affected some 900,000 people. László Gombás, systems engineer at Symantec, said Hungary has been among the worst-ranking countries in terms of cybercrime for the last ten years. Also check out the job of the day!!

The top government lawyers from three dozen states sent a letter to Google, expressing "strong concerns" with the privacy policy the Web giant intends to roll out soon. A BILL penalizing cybercrimes in the Philippines has been approved by the House committee on information and communications technology (ICT). Computer scientists at the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va., released a formal solicitation (DARPA-BAA-12-21) to industry for the agency's High-Assurance Cyber Military Systems (HACMS) program to safeguard civil and military embedded systems in vehicle electronics from hackers, computer viruses, and other cyber malware. Also check out the job of the day!!!

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) continues to receive complaints from victims of payday loan telephone collection scams. As previously reported in December 2010, the typical payday loan scam involves a caller who claims the victim is delinquent on a payday loan and must make payment to avoid legal consequences. Opponents of the government's online surveillance bill say Canada should look to its allies for cautionary tales before pushing ahead with measures that would erode Internet freedom. Also check out the job of the day!!!!

Pittsylvania County North Carolina Sheriff Mike Taylor plans to form task forces in the coming months to tackle cyber crime against children and the county’s rising burglary rate.  Both units will begin operation by June 30 and will be evaluated after a year to determine their effectiveness, Taylor said Friday. There is growing talk of cyberwar, as opposed to run-of-the-mill cybercrime. There are also terms that lie somewhere in the middle like cyber espionage, and cyber hacktivism--which is sort of like cyber terrorism for good guys. At the heart of the debate is an attempt to define the scope of an appropriate response to each type of threat. Also check out the job of the day!!!

Criminals continue to explore new avenues to lure victims, most recently by claiming to be a US military contractor, who was performing reconstruction work in Libya. Fraudsters sent unsolicited e-mails claiming that several metal boxes were found in cellars of high-rise buildings built and occupied by Muammar Gaddafi. Each box purportedly contained large sums of money, in addition to guns, armor, bullets, and drugs. The e-mails requested the recipient’s assistance with transferring the money out of Libya. Head’s up, Washington, D.C. — according to a list compiled by online security provider Norton and research firm Sperling’s BestPlaces, the U.S. capital has the highest number of cybercrime risk factors in the nation. Seattle, San Francisco, Atlanta and Boston round-out the top-five riskiest places. Also check out the job of the day!!!!

Unlocking a phone is not illegal, but unlocking a phone which is under contract is a breach of contract and is subject to legal action. With cyber criminals exploring the smart phones market, the business of installing top paid apps for free on mobiles is flourishing in the market. Huge billboards around the City lure customers by offering top paid apps which they will install on their smart phones for free. Apps piracy also comes under software piracy and it is illegal as per Indian Cyber Laws. Good news Seattle. It is no longer  the city at highest risk for cybercrime.  This year, the city is  No. 2, behind Washington, D.C., on the "Riskiest online cities" list from Sperling's BestPlaces and Norton. Also, check out the job of the day!!!!

FORREST B. SMITH, age 77, a resident of Slidell, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt to crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten. Specifically, SMITH pleaded guilty to possessing images depicting the sexual exploitation and victimization of children. Warning of “cyber mayhem” sweeping the country, leaders of the Senate Homeland Security, Intelligence, and Commerce committees on Tuesday introduced long-expected legislation designed to streamline government efforts to combat cyberthreats. Also check out the job of the day!!!

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement created a cybercrime task force to keep up with crimes committed online. Louisiana city employees and potential outside sources will be examined in an FBI investigation into possible cyber crimes that have been committed with a computer(s) in the water distribution office. Also check out the job of the day!!!