Straddling the line between public service and marketing, Microsoft and a handful of security companies are sponsoring a campaign to heighten consumer security awareness and have declared Jan. 15 "Personal Firewall Day." . . .. The campaign features a Web site hosted by TruSecure, the Virginia-based security company whose employee first came up with the idea for a consumer-oriented security day. The Web site sports vendor-neutral advice for home PC users on how to secure their systems. "If it becomes a perception that the Internet is a dangerous place to walk at night, that hurts us all," said Fred Felman, vice president of marketing for security software maker Zone Labs, which is a supporter of Personal Firewall Day. Paul Robertson, director of risk assessment with TruSecure and the original proponent of the idea, said that safer home systems mean a more secure Internet in general. "The zombies used for DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks and the proxy servers that help spammers are all on consumers' home machines," he said. "That's the biggest part of the security problem on the Internet." . Boost digital security by observing Cyber Shield Day, a movement encouraging individuals to safeguard their personal networks diligently.. Personal Firewall Day, Cyber Awareness, Home Security, Online Safety. . Anthony Pell
Complaints about identity theft nearly doubled in 2002 as the fast-growing crime topped the government's list of consumer frauds for a third consecutive year. The Federal Trade Commission reports that 43 percent of roughly 380,000 complaints involved the hijacking of . . . . Complaints about identity theft nearly doubled in 2002 as the fast-growing crime topped the government's list of consumer frauds for a third consecutive year. The Federal Trade Commission reports that 43 percent of roughly 380,000 complaints involved the hijacking of someone's identity information, such as credit card or Social Security number, to steal money or commit fraud. The figures come from a government database of complaints collected from the FTC, the FBI and scores of law enforcement and consumer groups. Gripes about fraud in Internet auctions ranked No. 2 and accounted for 13 percent of complaints. Outlining the most-frequent complaints on a nationally broadcast interview Wednesday, the FTC's Howard Beales said reports from consumers have increased with greater awareness of the problem prompted by recent high-profile identity-theft cases. The link for this article located at MSNBC is no longer available. . In 2002, identity theft complaints soared while the FTC reported soaring consumer fraud incidents highlighting serious trends.. Identity Theft, Consumer Fraud Trends, Identity Crime Statistics. . LinuxSecurity.com Team
When it comes to regulating online privacy protection, there seems to be only one thing that everyone here on Capitol Hill can agree on: Consumers need to be better informed. The Senate Republican High Tech Task Force hosted a talk titled . . . . When it comes to regulating online privacy protection, there seems to be only one thing that everyone here on Capitol Hill can agree on: Consumers need to be better informed. The Senate Republican High Tech Task Force hosted a talk titled "Internet Privacy: The Pros and Cons of Legislative and Market Solutions," featuring a panel comprising speakers representing all areas of the technology community, from public policy organizations to leading online merchandisers. Panelists debated the pros and cons of using legislation to restrict the sharing of personal information on the Internet. The link for this article located at PC World is no longer available. . Individuals play a crucial role in safeguarding their digital privacy, highlighting the importance of education and conscious decisions in an interconnected environment.. Privacy Protection, Consumer Awareness, Data Sharing, Online Security. . LinuxSecurity.com Team
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