Stay Safe Online Blog

Launched four years ago by Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society, StopBadware emerged today as a stand alone nonprofit organization under the leadership of Maxim Weinstein, StopBadware’s executive director.

If you don’t know StopBadware, you should. It’s an important organization in the cybersecurity space that focuses on helping to rid the Internet of malicious software and provides a resource for computer users on these issues. One of the key initiatives of the organization is a searchable badware clearinghouse  of websites that are known to distribute badware based on data from Google and Sunbelt Software. The organization also hosts Badwarebusters  “a community for discussing viruses, spyware, and other bad software.”

We wish Maxim and StopBadware good luck in this new expanded effort and we at NCSA look forward to working with them to make the Internet safer and more secure.

SSO (stay safe online),
Michael

The Congressional Internet Caucus State of the Net Conference is being held this week in DC. Howard Schmidt, the new Cyber Security Coordinator in the White House, will be addressing attendees over lunch, his first public address. There will also be several panels on cybersecurity, including: Cyberwar: Is Congress Preparing for the Common Defense? Global Free Expression: Will the Internet Reign or Get Reined In? And, Clouding Internet Policy.

Check out the full agenda.

This annual conference is great and features a broad range of presenters and attendees from industry and government. Worth attending if you can.

SSO (stay safe online),
Michael

On January 13, 2010, Facebook and McAfee (disclaimer McAfee is an NCSA Board member) announced a new partnership aimed at making the Internet more safe and secure by making available a free six month subscription to McAfee’s Internet Security Suite software to all of Facebook’s 350 million users.

Facebook users are heavily dependent on a secure and safe Internet to connect with family, friends, and colleagues and to promote causes, fan pages, and commerce. The McAfee/Facebook partnership will make available to a wide range of users across the globe a key protection that should be on any computer connected to the Internet.

(click here or post title to read the entire entry)

In the last of its series from digital security experts, Just Ask Gemalto posted an interview with NCSA executive director Michael Kaiser.

See the video on YouTube.

Byron Acohido from USA Today, Crunch Gear’s John Biggs, and Amazon’s Steve Riley and others also participated in the series. Take a look they are interesting and educational.

NCSA appreciates the opportunity to participate in the series.

SSO (staysafeonline),
Michael

What does stalking have to with cybersecurity?

Quite a bit. 

Stalking impacts 3.4 million people annually and about 25% of victims report some use of technology, including spyware, email, identity theft, and instant messenger. ( Stalking Victimization in the United Sates, The U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics)  If stalkers are compromising systems to track their victims then they could also put larger networks at risk. (click here or title to read full post)

Of the many online safety resources available for parents and kids, the Federal Trade Commission’s web resources are some of the best. Two new FTC resources continue their efforts to bring useable, comprehensive information to consumers. (click here to read more)

Despite the fact that the Christmas shopping season seems to have started, at least in the hearts of the big retailers, before Halloween this year. You are just now giving thought to sitting down in front of your computer to begin the task of making a list, checking it twice and searching for and buying that “perfect” gift online.  Make sure you start by preparing to shop online securely (click here to read full post).

A recent  New York Times Article, Hacked E-Mails Fuel Climate Change Skeptics  reports on the public disclosure of stolen emails between scientists in engaged in climate change research in the United Kingdom and the US. Throughout the article the word hacking is used to describe the acts by which the emails were obtained. Espionage would be more appropriate way to characterize the behavior. (click here to read full post)

A recent New York Times article Going for the Bling: Hollywood Burglars  details the exploits of a California crime ring that prayed on celebrities by breaking into their homes and stealing designer goods and other things of value. This band of young criminals cased homes over the Internet using various sites to keep up with celebrity whereabouts including when they were out (click title to see read full entry)