Tag Archives: cyber attacks

Using EMV to Secure Social Security

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Identity thieves want Social Security numbers matched with names, addresses and birthdays.

And they have them. By the Millions!

On 90 Million Americans! Possibly 200 Million!

They used Experian to get information on 15 million T-Mobile customers – and threaten everyone in Experian’s databases. They stole information on 90 million people whos health insurance is provided by Anthem Blue Cross or Excellus Blue Cross.  And 22 Million current and former employees of the U. S. government, by hacking Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Plus 58 million customers of Home Depot and 70 million customers of Target.   The problem is growing. They are also targeting parking services such as Book 2 Park, Park N Fly, and One Stop Parking.

The sets intersect – it is likely many Home Depot customers also shop Target, work for the government and or have health insurance from Blue Cross Blue Shield.  But it’s also likely that very few of the 10 million customers of Excellus Blue Cross are also customers of Anthem Blue Cross so we are looking at a problem for at least 90 Million Americans, 28% of the country. That’s almost one out of three. And 200 million? That’s 2 out of 3.

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British Secretary of Defence: UK faces 1K cyber attacks annually

Via the  Telegraph, their correspondent James Kirkup reports that Liam Fox, the UK’s Secretary of Defence (Defense, if you prefer), has sais that “The Ministry of Defence is facing “cyberwar” attacks on a daily basis.”

Warning that Britain is now in continuous combat with an “invisible enemy” in cyberspace, the Defence Secretary said that the MoD last year detected and blocked more than 1,000 “potentially serious” attempts to infiltrate or disrupt its computer systems.

Speaking to the London Chambers of Commerce defence industry dinner, Dr Fox said electronic attacks on Britain doubled from 2009 to 2010. “There is a continuous battle being waged against us, day in, day out,” he said. Dr Fox’s remarks are the latest Government warning about the scale and severity of electronic attacks on sensitive State computer networks. George Osborne, the Chancellor, last month said that Government computers are receiving more than 20,000 malicious email attacks every month. .

The MoD and its highly sensitive electronic networks are a prime target for people trying to steal secrets or damage critical systems.

“Our systems are targeted by criminals, foreign intelligence services and other malicious actors seeking to exploit our people, corrupt our systems and steal information,” Dr Fox said. “The risks to defence are real, and I take them very seriously.”