Consumer Security

When a tweet goes out on Twitter that a user didn't send, the concern is usually that the account has been hijacked by a malicious user. This week, however, three users on Twitter were surprised to find out that their user names and images had been used as examples in a marketing campaign created by...

Following in the footsteps of rivals including Google and Mozilla, Microsoft this week hung a figurative "Wanted" sign in its Security Response Center offering rewards up to $100,000 for those who find vulnerabilities in its software. Specifically, the software giant announced three "Bug Bounty" pro...

Amazon on Tuesday announced a feature that lets users access websites using their Amazon account information. The goal of Login with Amazon is to reduce sign-in friction by providing secure credentials to websites, apps, games and other online access points on the Web, as well as on Android and iOS ...

LivingSocial's customers received some bad news on Friday: The popular daily deal site had been hacked, compromising some 50 million members' customer data. There was some good news -- credit card data was not affected, the company promised in its notice to customers. Also, the Facebook credentials ...

The USPS is hosting a pilot project with the goal of simplifying the account ID process for all federal agencies. One possible solution: allowing citizens to use their existing e-commerce accounts to access agency websites. While electronic mechanisms enable federal agencies to provide some online g...

Barnes & Noble revealed this week that PIN pad devices at 63 of its stores nationwide were hacked, putting some of its customers at risk. The company discovered the hacking in September, and for the past month, the FBI has been investigating the case. Fewer than 1 percent of Barnes & Noble P...

Barnes & Noble revealed this week that PIN pad devices at 63 of its stores nationwide were hacked, putting some of its customers at risk. The company discovered the hacking in September, and for the past month, the FBI has been investigating the case. Fewer than 1 percent of Barnes & Noble P...

The debate in the U.S. Congress over a comprehensive national cybersecurity program is wearing on, largely because of differences over the roles of government and business in protecting information technology. Elsewhere, however, cybersecurity awareness and research projects are being launched throu...

Amazon and Apple changed some of their security policies this week after tech journalist Mat Honan claimed an identity theft incident involving the two companies allowed a hacker to wipe out much of his personal online data. Both Amazon and Apple put an end to policies that allowed customers to cha...

LinkedIn has reported that some of its users' passwords have been stolen and published on the Internet. The company is withholding details, including exactly how many passwords were compromised. Members with accounts associated with the compromised passwords will find that their LinkedIn account pas...

The mobile age has arrived. In 2011, global shipments of smartphones and tablet devices surpassed shipments of laptops and desktop PCs, laying the groundwork for an era in which consumers are increasingly using mobile technology for everything from airline reservations to vehicle purchases. The mobi...

Several weeks after the Sony PlayStation Network was brought to its knees by a massive security breach, the company has decided to clean house with an executive reshuffling. Among the changes: Akira Sato, chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment, and Ken Kutaragi, honorary chairman, will retire, ef...

The average American credit cardholder carries 3.5 credit cards, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston's 2010 Survey of Consumer Payment Choice. Today, consumers use credit cards to pay for more than just large-ticket items. Everything from household items and utilities to insurance premiu...

It's time for corporations to wise up and use the latest, most effective weapons to safeguard and secure their data. High-tech devices, software applications, emails, user accounts, social media and networks -- even those presumed safe -- are being hacked with alarming alacrity and ease. Security to...

The official vision of the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace is a government-coordinated, private-sector initiative to increase the security of the Internet. In their words: "Individuals and organizations utilize secure, efficient, easy-to-use, and interoperable identity solutio...