September 2009
Study shows applications, not just operating systems, are also vulnerable to hacking
Submitted by SafeInternet on Tue, 2009-09-29 23:21Despite what those famous Apple commercials would have you believe, Microsoft Windows is not the problem when it comes to viruses, nor is the Mac a solution. This according to the SANS Institute, an IT security education and research group, which published a study of computer and network vulnerabilities that included 15,000 organizations in its scope.
Safe Internet Alliance Announces Nine New Members
Submitted by SafeInternet on Fri, 2009-09-25 14:15October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month
Submitted by SafeInternet on Thu, 2009-09-24 07:16Launched in 2001, National Cyber Security Awareness Month is a public awareness effort to encourage internet users in both the public and private sectors to protect their computers and the country's cyber infrastructure. It is supported by the National Cyber Security Alliance and several other organizations, both government and private.
Online behavioral advertising and opt-in versus opt-out platforms
Submitted by SafeInternet on Mon, 2009-09-21 17:06This weekend, Facebook announced that it had settled a $9.5 million class action lawsuit and was shutting down its controversial Beacon ad platform. Launched in 2007, Beacon faced immediate backlash when it was found that Facebook was monitoring its users' online purchases and then advertising them to their friend feeds. The platform was "opt-out" rather than "opt-in," meaning that it was set as a default that a user had to manually turn off.
Education still first step in online safety awareness
Submitted by SafeInternet on Mon, 2009-09-21 06:13By Joy Howell
Online safety for kids is so important, because what they put online now could undermine their privacy, safety and security now and later, and follow them throughout their lives. We need to educate kids now so they don’t compromise their security unwittingly.
Senators hold hearing on cyber security
Submitted by SafeInternet on Wed, 2009-09-16 12:58According to Senator Susan Collins, "experts estimate that cyber crime may cost our global economy $1 trillion in losses – nearly $8 billion of that in the United States."
This is why both she and Senator Joe Lieberman, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, held a hearing on Monday to address the "cybercrime epidemic," as a news release put it. Specifically, the hearing focused on whether members of the public and private sectors were coordinating enough to prevent attacks on critical networks.
How anonymous is anonymized data?
Submitted by SafeInternet on Mon, 2009-09-14 12:12In 2007, amid growing privacy concerns, Google announced it would begin "anonymizing" its server log data that is older than 18 to 24 months. This included masking both the IP addresses and cookies of its users' search queries. This server log data is immensely valuable to companies like Google because it allows them to analyze trends while it tries to improve its search algorithm.
The Experts’ Take on the New Online Demographics
Submitted by Safe Internet on Fri, 2009-09-11 11:33Yesterday we hosted our third podcast on Internet safety, “The New Online Demographics: What the Numbers Mean for Providers, Advertisers and Safety." During the podcast, our panel discussed different perspectives on a broad question:
Changing online demographics and what they mean for internet safety
Submitted by SafeInternet on Tue, 2009-09-08 22:58Back in 2004, the Pew Internet & American Life Project released Internet tracking survey results showing that 51% of 106 million adults with home Internet use broadband. This was the first time on record that the percentage of broadband connections surpassed dial-up.
How much responsibility lies with the social networking site to curb cyber bullying?
Submitted by SafeInternet on Wed, 2009-09-02 17:14Here at the Safe Internet Alliance blog, we've talked about the precautions parents can take when protecting their children online. But how much responsibility is placed on the websites your children visit?