Phishing scams explode worldwide

Those insidious email scams known as phishing, in which a hacker uses a disguised address to get an internet user to install malware, rose 87% worldwide in the past year, a security firm said on Friday.

These schemes affected some 37.3 million users around in the 12 months to April 30, according to a report by the Russian-based security firm Kaspersky.

"The number of fraudulent websites and servers used in attacks has more than tripled since 2012, and more than 50% of the total number of individual targets were fake copies of the websites of banks and other credit and financial organisations," Kaspersky said.

The attackers often use emails purportedly from trusted organisations - Yahoo!, Google, Facebook and Amazon are top targets, according to the report.

Online game services, online payment systems, and the websites of banks and other credit and financial organisations are also commonly used to disguise phishing attempts.

Kaspersky said phishing has become a preferred method of cybercriminals.
"Although the specific targets of phishing attacks vary, the end goal of all malicious users engaged in this type of malicious activity is ultimately the same: to make money illegally," the report said.

"This goal is achieved either by directly stealing cash from the victim, as in the case with fake online banking service pages, online storefronts, and subscriptions to online games."

But attacks may also employ a more indirect approach, including the sale of stolen databases on the black market.

"A large collection of user data may come in handy for malicious users for a number of different fraudulent schemes involving spam mailings and the spread of malware," the report said.
The countries most often hit by phishing attacks were Russia, the United States, India, Vietnam and the Britain.

The location of "hostile servers" was most frequently in the US, Britain, Germany, Russia and India, Kaspersky said.

Original Article at: http://www.fin24.com/Companies/Financial-Services/Phishing-scams-explode-worldwide-20130623

Google ordered to turn over data to FBI

San Francisco - A US judge has ruled that Google Inc must comply with the FBI's warrant less demands for customer data, rejecting the company's argument that the government's practice of issuing such requests to telecommunication companies, internet service providers, banks and others is unconstitutional and unnecessary.

FBI counter-terrorism agents began issuing the secret, so-called national security letters, which don't require a judge's approval, after Congress passed the USA Patriot Act in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks.

The letters are used to collect unlimited kinds of sensitive, private information such as financial and phone records, and they have prompted complaints of government privacy violations in the name of national security.

US District Court Judge Susan Illston on Tuesday ordered Google to comply with the demands, even though she found the letters unconstitutional in March in a separate case filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. In that case, she found that the FBI's demand that recipients refrain from telling anyone - including customers - that they had received the letters was a violation of free speech rights.

The order in the Google case obtained by The Associated Press on Friday.

Google must comply

It was unclear from the judge's ruling what type of information the government sought to obtain with the letters. It was also unclear whom the government was targeting.

The judge put the Google ruling on hold until the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals can decide the matter. Until then, she said, the company would have to comply with the letters unless it shows the FBI didn't follow proper procedures in making its demands for customer data in the 19 letters Google is challenging.

After receiving sworn statements from two top-ranking FBI officials, the judge said she was satisfied that 17 of the 19 letters were issued properly. She wanted more information on two other letters.

Google could appeal the decision. The company declined comment.

Kurt Opsah, an attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said it could be many more months before the appeals court rules on the constitutionality of the letters.

"We are disappointed that the same judge who declared these letters unconstitutional is now requiring compliance with them," Opsah said.

Petition against Google

The judge's order omits any mention of Google or that the proceedings have been closed to the public. But the judge said "the petitioner" was involved in a similar case filed on April 22 in New York federal court.

Public records show that on that day, the federal government filed a "petition to enforce National Security Letter" against Google after the company declined to cooperate with government demands.

In 2007, the Justice Department's inspector general found widespread violations in the FBI's use of the letters, including demands without proper authorization and information obtained in non-emergency circumstances. The FBI has tightened oversight of the system.

The FBI made 16 511 national security letter requests for information regarding 7 201 people in 2011, the latest data available.

Original Post and more news @: http://www.news24.com/Technology/News/Google-ordered-to-turn-over-data-to-FBI-20130601