Viruses on Macs

"Viruses Catch up to the Mac"

Before reading this article, I was not aware that Mac computers are less prone to viruses compared to PCs. I think that Mac users are being naive to think that nothing can attack their computer just because it is a Mac. Hackers and cyberterrorists are very clever people always coming up with new ways to harm other people’s computers and files. With these seven new vulnerabilities that have been discovered for Mac computers, new security programs need to be developed fast before the viruses spread to more users. Viruses can spread from one computer to the next so rapidly. One of my friends has a virus on her computer and I get at least two instant messages from her a week with a link in it to check out some unknown website that will in turn infect my computer. Luckily, I recognized that the link was unfamiliar so I did not click on it, but others are not always so fortunate. The man in the article clicked on a link to view some photos and ended up with an infected computer. When surfing the web or even talking through instant messaging be careful what you click on and what files you download.

In a previous post, I mentioned how the hacker, Kevin Mitnick, now works in a security consulting firm, putting his knowledge about computers to good use. Apple should consider hiring Mitnick or another former hacker to test possible attacks on Macs. It is important to see a hacker’s point of view to see what holes they can find in the security in order to prevent future problems.

Cybersquatting

"Tug of War Over Keywords"

In this week’s article fournd in The New York Times, there is a debate about whether realty listings website, MSLonline, should be allowed to be in procession of other companies’ names as search engine keywords. In other words, when a consumer is looking to make a listing or interested in buying a house types in “Edina Realty,” another realty business, the first company that will pop up on the search results page is MLSonline. Although buying domain names and keywords of other companies’ names is legal, is it ethical? When companies purchase domain names or keywords so similar to another company, I believe they are purposely trying to sabotage the other company. There is no way that MLSonline randomly choose that keyword. I am sure they own the rights to several other keywords of other companies in attempt to sway consumers to only look at their site. I realize that businesses are in constant competition and not everything one company does will be appreciated by another in the same industry, but to go as far buying a keyword of another company name is just plain mean and sneaky. Consumers are in essence not given the opportunity to see Edina Reality as a result, and will in turn only look at the website if they happened to have heard of it elsewhere.

Cybersquatting has become a big problem on the web. People purchase domain names before a company with that title has a chance to make the purchase. Now this individual has the right to do whatever they want with this site and practically holds it hostage. In the case of MSLonline, I wonder if they purchased keywords like “Edina Realty” so they could make a profit from Edina Realty buying it back. The U.S. Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act protects trademark holders from the people who purchase domain names in bad faith. From my knowledge, there is no act concerning the purchase of keywords yet, so we will have to wait and see what happens for Edina Realty after the court date.

EXTRA CREDIT GOOGLE ARTICLE

The article entitled, "Imagining the Google Future" was an interesting reading depicting several ways the company's newly acquired geniuses could lead the company in the future. Out of the four scenarios presented in the article, I believe that scenario number three, "Google is Dead," is the most likely scenario to happen. This scenario takes place in 2020, which gives Google a significant amount of time to change from what it is today. I agree with the possibility of too many commercial and pornographic websites clogging up the search engines. Presently, many keywords one would type in to find a common resource, such as the White House, brings the user to a porn site.

Another reason for failure given by the article is that the demand for online advertisements was decreasing. I can see this being a possibility due to the fact that click fraud is an increasing problem. Some companies may be weary about advertising online if they are going to be overcharged for fraudulent clicks. The scenario says that Google would be involved in a click fraud court battle in the future. I think this could definitely happen because even though they have technology and staff who work to prevent it, there are still ways it can be done. So, when a company advertising on Google becomes victim to click fraud despite Google's security, the company would probably be quick to blame Google for the extra clicks to make a profit.

With a snowball effect of allegations and court hearings, a company can be viewed in a negative light by the public. I can see that a company such as Microsoft would become more trustworthy to customers due to the fact that Google is involved in so many legal battles in this scenario. Customer spending will be directed more towards the trusted company, taking away profits from Google. In conclusion, I think scenario three is a possibility for Google if they are not careful of the decisions they make. Uncontrollable factors can cause problems for the company, but in order to stay in business they must react to the changes and be proactive before uncontrollable forces affect the company in the future.

Fraudulent Jobs Online

"Keep Your Online Job Search In-Line"

With the occurrence of frequent online frauds, it is imperative to protect oneself whenever giving out private information. Most people would assume that career sites would be a secure place to apply for jobs, but one must still use caution. The article found at CNN.com mentions an example of a fraudulent job when the victim is told they will make money by cashing checks. I remember reading about a woman in my hometown that answered a job advertisement ad and ended up loosing thousands of dollars. She was told if she forwarded money to a family in Iran that she would receive a hefty bonus for cashing checks that could not be cashed in the family’s hometown. She ended up loosing a large amount of money because she was sending real money abroad and receiving fake checks. I think that older people are more susceptible to these types of scams because younger generations are being educated on the types of online crimes and how to protect oneself. In addition to the safety tips given in the article, check out some more tips for applying to jobs online.

Presently, most of us are on the search for jobs for after graduation. After reading this article, I hope everyone sees that it is important to be cautious in applying to jobs online and urge everyone to apply to jobs found on credible sites such as CareerBuilder.com that have staff dedicated to fraud detection. As mentioned in the class textbook, online fraud is often hyped up by media and is not as prevalent as it seems. However, if you are ever in doubt if a company is credible, contact the Better Business Bureau to check into it before applying for the job. Image found at CareerBuilder.com

MySpace Warnings

"MySpace Posts Safety Ads"

In class, we have discussed how people can become addicted to the Web and look for any new information they can find on the Internet to feed their habit. Another negative consequence of the creation of the Internet has been child pornography. Some young girls are not realizing the danger they are putting themselves in when they create a MySpace profile. Some girls post sexual pictures of themselves on their profiles to attract attention. The girls are definitely attracting attention, but from the wrong people. Some older men are using this website to search for younger children to target for sexual assault. Putting up pornographic pictures is just adding to the problem of child pornography on the Internet.

The new ad campaign that MySpace has proposed will warn the children and their parents about the dangers of putting too much information on the Web and being a member of MySpace. In placing these warnings on the website, my hope is that parents will actually see and read them. I am afraid that children will ignore the warnings and try to hide them from their parents so they can continue to use the site.

Even through the company is sorting through profiles and flagging those they believe to be under the age of 14, children can still lie to get around the restriction. Something must be done to prevent children from accessing restricted sites by lying. For example, one way to solve this problem would be that parents have to register a MySpace profile for their children by putting in driver’s license information. This way, the parent will be aware that their child is using the site and will be able to monitor the child’s profile.

Phishing Scams

"Phishing in IRS Waters"


Besides hackers intruding into peoples private lives by poking through computer files and watching what is entered on the Internet, hackers are getting private information handed right to them. This recent idea of phishing has been an increasing problem that is continuing to rise on the internet. Phishing is when mass emails are sent to consumers posing as actual companies to collect private data about consumers. For example, I receive about two emails from Chase Bank every week asking to update my account information. I know better than to respond to this email with any private information because I do not have an account with Chase Bank. However, those who do have an account with Chase may have a tricky time deciding whether to respond to the email.

In this week’s article found at BusinessWeek.com, the IRS is a new target of the scam. Phisishing emails are disguised as IRS statements trying to get innocent tax payers to enter in private account information. Even though the IRS does not have anything to do with these scamming emails, phishing can present negative light on the company. For example, I would be weary about dealing with Chase Bank considering all the problems I have with the emails when I am not even a customer yet. Also, I get PayPal account emails asking me to update my account when I do not have an account set up.

The safe way to handle the threat of phishing emails is to never respond to any of these emails. Instead, call up the company using the phone number on your statement to talk to a real person to see if they really need your account updated.

Photo found at dayioglu.net

RFID viruses

"Scientists: RFID Chips Carry a Virus"

In the article found at CNN, readers learn that RFID chips can be infected with viruses. RFID are chips that are placed on pallets and products that track where the items are through the distribution channels. If viruses are passed through these distribution channels, a great deal of damage can occur. I am surprised to read that the business people who use these RFID’s on a daily basis assume that they can not be penetrated with viruses. I think this is very naïve and careless to assume that a piece of hardware that passes through and connects to many networks isn’t susceptible to viruses and misuse. Supermarkets and airlines are main users of this technology and it is scary to think how they can be affected by a viral RFID. After gaining this knowledge, I would hope that these companies will look into getting their technology checked for viruses to prevent a future disaster. It is disappointing that companies need to worry about hackers messing with even this kind of technology, but it is a growing problem. Several industries already use this technology to track their products. For example, pharmacies such as CVS are using RFID’s on their more expensive drugs to prevent theft. Once this security issue is resolved, I think more companies should take advantage of this high tech device. It seems very beneficial to know where your inventory is at all times and study the effectiveness of distribution channels.
Image found at the Electronic Frontier Foundation's website.