National Cyber Security By Gregory Evans

It seems that even Sesame Street is not safe from hackers.  And unfortunately they used very graphic images to prove their point. Cyber crime is up and security experts are blaming smartphones.  The problem is the smartphone is too useful and too user friendly. If you were one of the many people affected by the recent BlackBerry outages, there’s some good news and some bad news.   The good news is you may be able to get free apps to make up for the inconvenience.  The bad news is you won’t get any cash. Also check out the job of the day!

It is an open secret that Chinese hackers have been lurking in the cyber world for years.  They have allegedly targeted the American government and businesses.  And now they may be responsible for yet another attack, this time on NationalCyberSecurity.com. The Air Force is trying to downplay the recent hacking of its war drones.  The virus that recently infected the remote cockpits of its fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles operating over war zones was swiftly and easily contained according to Air Force officials. He may be a computer whiz-kid but he is behind bars today after trying to bring new bank card scamming technology into Britain.  German Thomas Beeckmann was stopped in June at Victoria coach station having just arrived from Holland. Also, listen in to hear the job of the day!

Wednesday night, military officials divulged details of a virus that infected computers supporting drones that fly over battlefields.  Air Force officials said they wanted to give out more information so people wouldn’t be concerned that missions were ever in jeopardy. He’s accused of hacking celebrities and now Christopher Chaney is behind bars.  The Florida man allegedly hacked into a number of people’s emails including Scarlett Johansson, Christina Aguilera and Mila Kunis. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office in Houston, TX is taking a shot at crime prevention.  The office announced that it now has two initiatives to help residents keep an eye out on crime by looking out for Internet predators and tracking down criminals on the run. Also listen to hear the job of the day!

Did it happen again?  Was Sony the victim of another cyber attack?  The company said today that it found a large amount of unauthorized sign-in attempts on its PlayStation Network and other online entertainment services.  Because of that, it has temporarily suspended about 93,000 user accounts for those services. It has quickly spread overseas and BlackBerry is working hard to fix massive worldwide outages.  Sprint Nextel announced today that it is working with BlackBerry-builder Research in Motion to fix the problem that has now reached the United States.  It has already caused interruptions in Europe and Asia. It was a busy day today for Apple.  It released the latest versions of the software that powers its smartphones and iPad tablet computers.  The company also unveiled its much anticipated iCloud service. Also, listen to the job of the day!!

Was it or wasn’t it Anonymous that allegedly hacked into the New York Stock Exchange?  The answer: maybe and maybe not.  We do know that the NYSE’s site was in fact attacked twice on Monday.  Some believe that it was the result of computer attacks as part of the weeks long anti-Wall Street protest.  The state of Michigan is cracking down on cyber crime with a new cyber command center and cyber defense response teams.  It’s a part of their plan to heighten the state’s profile in the computer security industry. You may think your actions online are safe and private but a new study released today says otherwise.  They study results is renewing calls for “do not track” rules. Also listen to hear the job of the day!!

The U.S. government remains tight lipped about a computer virus that infected the cockpits of America’s Predator and Reaper drones.  They are saying that the virus has been logging pilots’ every keystroke while they flew remote missions over warzones including Afghanistan. It may be National Cyber Security Awareness month but that apparently is not stopping spammers.  Cyber experts warn computer users that there’s been an upsurge in spam and virus-loaded emails this month. A cyberbullying law is getting some traction in the NY Senate.  Sen. Jeff Kine now has support in proposing legislation to expand the crime of third- degree stalking to include cyberbullying.  The recent suicide of Jamey Rodemeyer reportedly helped to move things along.  Rodemeyer was a victim of bullying.

If nothing else, the WikiLeaks scandal may make you more secure online.  The White House plans to issue an executive order on Friday to replace a flawed patchwork of computer security safeguards exposed by the disclosure of hundreds of thousands of classified government documents to WikiLeaks last year. Facebook is facing some more legal problems.  This time it’s from a Kansas Facebook user.  42 year old John Graham filed a federal lawsuit against the social networking giant, claiming it violated wiretap laws with a tracking cookie that records web browsing history after logging off of Facebook. The death of Steve Jobs has touched people in many ways.  Unfortunately, it’s also moving scammers to try and cash in on the Apple co-founder’s death. Tune in to hear the job of the day as well.

A top American lawmaker may be right after all.  Just one day ago, China was accused of exercising “an intolerable level” of espionage right here in the county.  Today, Russia’s spy service announced they detained a Chinese national for allegedly attempting to steal secrets about a Russian missile system. Identity theft is a growing issue. However if you have questions, there's a website to help you.  The Consumer Federation of America opened a site called idtheftinfo.org. The site gives links to helpful, credible websites that offer information and advice about identity theft and privacy protection. The economy is hurting every industry and technology is no different. Jobs in technology fell 2 percent last year, outright more than 115,000 people out of work. That's the second consecutive year of falling employment in the industry. The good news is that the number of jobs lost was less than half of the more than 249,000 jobs lost the year before. Also, make sure you hear the job of the day!!

Crime may not pay for cyber criminals in England.  The Metropolitan Police claim to have saved millions of dollars in the last six month of fighting cybercrime.  The numbers are based on theoretical earnings the crooks could have made if police didn’t stop them. The United States has a cyber campaign and now so does Canada.  Monday the Canadian government launched a website and ad campaign focused on getting Canadians to help fight cybercrime. The clock is ticking for those of you who want to get your hands on the new iPhone 4S.  Today, Apple gave the public a glimpse of the faster version of its best-selling smartphone.  It even includes a virtual personal assistant you can talk to. Also check out the job of the day!

Hackers have a very strong message. It’s that no one is safe from them, not even Prime Ministers. Officials say in an effort to embarrass the government, hackers targeted the personal Twitter account of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. A homeless man is facing some pretty serious charges for allegedly hacking into Santa Cruz County computers last December.  He is out of custody but federal charges await him for now. If you have a smartphone, like most people do, you might want to pay attention to this story.  Researchers believe they’ve found a flaw in several smartphone models produced by HTC.  It gives any application that has Internet access the keys to a plethora of information on the phone, including e-mail addresses, GPS locations, phone numbers, and text message data. Also, check out the job of the day!

You, the voter may not have as much of a say when it comes to who will be our next president.  The 2012 Presidential may have hackers lurking to change the results. Betfair customers lost big but not because of what happened on the track but because they didn’t bet on cyber criminals cashing in.  Criminals reportedly stole payment card details of nearly 2.3 million Betfair customers. October is National Cyber Security Awareness month and it is the perfect time to discuss cyber security with the young and the not so young. Surfing the web can be like surfing in shark- infested waters according to some experts. Social media makes anyone an easy target. Also make sure you listen to hear the job of the day.

The world of cyber crime is constantly changing according to a new report from IBM.  The company released results of the X-Force 2011 Mid-Year Trend and Risk Report.  It says that whaling is becoming more popular for hackers. They didn’t hack into computers but law officers say they did use the Internet to steal cash from an Indian woman.  Police arrested four Nigerians after they allegedly lured the Indian teacher into a fake ICC World Cup lottery scheme. West Virginia State Police hope to crack down on cyber criminals and they are teaming up to do it.  The police will work with West Virginia University and the National White Collar Crime Center to form the West Virginia Cyber Crime Cooperative. Also make sure you listen to hear the job of the day.

A major international arrest came today.  Indonesia’s National Police arrested 35 Chinese and Taiwanese nationals at the request from Interpol.  They were all allegedly involved in cybercrime. The best way to fight cybercrime is to constantly monitor your network.  That’s the latest from a senior official for Arcsight, a subsidiary of Hewlett Packard. Microsoft took down what’s being described as a small but dangerous botnet.  On Monday, a Virginia federal judge ordered VeriSign to shut down almost two dozen domains linked to servers that controlled the Kelihos botnet at the request of Microsoft. Also tune in for the job of the day.

Some of the world’s top leaders have gathered together this week.  While they will discuss several issues at the United Nations' Internet Governance Forum, cyber security will be one of the big items on the list.  There will be workshops on protecting youth against the exploitation and exposure to adult content.  Cyber security is traveling overseas.  Ghana has established the first ever computer forensics firm with a new e-crime laboratory.  It will assist the country in fighting cyber crime. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo hopes a new act he signed will provide a way for teens to preserve their records and reputations.  It’s called the Cyber-Crime Youth Rescue Act and it could help teens for whom a quick “sext” message could lead to a criminal conviction. Also listen in for the job of the day.

She’s topped the charts and now she’s trying a new gig, fighting cybercrime.  Pop superstar, Lady Gaga wants to stop bullies and she used her recent concert to do that.  The suicide last week of bullied teen Jamey Rodemeyer prompted Lady Gaga to get involved. The Pentagon is stepping up to the plate to stop cybercrime with a pilot program to help protect its prime suppliers.  If it works, the program could serve as a model for other government agencies. If you’ve been on pins and needles waiting for the next iPhone, you won’t have to wait much longer.  According to reports, Apple announced you’ll get to see the next-generation iPhone at an event on Tuesday, October 4. Also, listen in for the job of the day.