Consumer Security

U.S. District Judge Patti Saris sentenced computer hacker Albert Gonzalez to 20 years in prison for his role in stealing 40 million debit and credit card numbers that resulted in an economic loss of $200 million, according to the U.S. government's best estimate. The sentence closes what was the larg...

In November 2009, IBM announced its acquisition of Guardium, a privately held company based in Waltham, Mass., and the planned integration of Guardium's Database Activity Monitoring technology into IBM's Information Management and Business Analytics and Optimization initiatives. Financial terms were...

As the number, power and flexibility of mobile devices has increased, so has their use for shopping. In 2008, a Nielsen survey found that 9 million people in the United States "have used their mobile phone to pay for goods or services," and many more expect to do so soon. In a 2009 survey by Deloitt...

In this age of phishing, hacking, identity fraud, and other forms of cybercrime, answering two simple questions -- "Who are you?" and "How can you prove it?" -- is fast becoming a critical requirement for all online business activities. Moreover, solving this "identity management" challenge has beco...

Less than 20 days until Cyber Monday. You've got staffing queued up. Your warehouse is full. Your shipper is standing by. But have you considered what will happen on your Web site after a flood of qualified buyers click on the irresistible and precisely worded ad for your product or service? You've ...

Many consumers are still afraid of shopping online, and it's not hard to see why, with reports of fraud, identity theft, data loss and other security breaches regularly making the news. The fact is, though, online shopping is safer than ever before, and new and emerging security technologies, method...

While recent reports don't predict a major recovery for retailers this holiday season, the outlook for e-commerce sites is slightly more optimistic: 2009 will post an 18 percent increase in online holiday shopping over last year. For many consumers, though, the convenience of online shopping comes w...

Social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn have entered the mainstream -- and fraudsters are taking notice. In recent months, Fox News Network, CNN Anchor Rick Sanchez, and even President Obama have suffered high-profile hacks of their Twitter accounts. Public figures like Bill Gate...

Albert Gonzalez, 28, a hacker already in jail awaiting trial for what was deemed the largest identity theft in the U.S., has apparently topped himself. Along with two unnamed coconspirators, Gonzalez has been indicted by a federal grand jury in New Jersey for an identity theft that trumps the previo...

When you conduct business online -- whether it's selling merchandise through a Web site or simply using email for company communication, there is some level of digital risk. The Web has enabled instant global access to conduct business remotely like never before in history. Personal meetings allow ...

A hacker -- or a group of hackers -- is attempting to hold hostage some 8 million records purportedly acquired from the Virginia Prescription Monitoring Program, according to ransom note posted to the program's Web site on April 30. Few statements have been released by Virginia state authorities, ot...

It's tax time again, and the online scammers are crawling out of the woodwork. Their goals are to intercept personal information about taxpayers nationwide, and in some ways, they may be benefiting from the IRS' push for people to electronically file their returns. Some scammers are "phishing" taxpa...

Massive credit card payment processor Heartland Payment Systems disclosed Tuesday that a security breach within its processing system some time in 2008 resulted in the potential exposure of millions of credit card and debit card numbers. No cardholder Social Security numbers, addresses or telephone ...

The current economic environment has consumers tightening their purse strings, carefully scrutinizing each dollar they spend. Scaling back on expenditures, including investments, they're not taking any chances with the money they do have. There is little trust in the economy or the future. To get co...

Identity theft has had a crippling effect on more than 9 million Americans, according to the Federal Trade Commission, and businesses that collect or hold identifying information report millions of dollars in annual losses as a result of these crimes. New identity theft regulations for creditors -- ...