According to USAtoday.com, the FBI has just issued a warning for travelers, since recently hackers have tried to hack into their hotel room connections via pop up windows.

“The FBI recommends that all government, private industry and academic personnel who travel abroad take extra caution before updating software products on their hotel Internet connection.”

To read more: http://usat.ly/JBey0C

Cybercrime in Canada is not a quiet issue, the incidents are on the rise, and the attacks are skyrocketing.  Canadian servers are being hacked, and at a rapid rate!  Canada’s spike in hacker attacks, is part of a worldwide trend, wheras malicious content was typically hosted in Eastern Europe, now criminals focus on Canada, US and France.

To read more: http://bit.ly/K0RiKB

Private Data aside, do you know where your money is going online?  Internet crime is costing consumers $500 million dollars due to online scams, according to Inverstors.com.

“There is always some spectacular dollar loss tied to cyberfraud; it is a big problem and it’s happening more frequently than ever,” he said. “It just follows the trends in online digital life — more commerce, financial services, banking is all moving online and the fraud moves with it.”

To read more: http://bit.ly/JBoEyl

A supreme court will hear the case of a teenage girl from Nova Scotia, Canada, who claims she was cyberbullied on Facebook.

A growing problem, in Canada 19% of youth are being cyber bullied. The impacts on victims of cyberbullying tend to be stronger than traditional bullying,” Canada.com,” …and can include depressive symptoms, anxiety, social isolation and substance abuse.”

To read more: http://bit.ly/KNMlBL

“Made up of a high-tech web of supercomputers, listening posts and genius-level code breakers developed during the intrigue of the Cold War, CSEC has transformed itself into a world-class electronic eavesdropping and cyberwarfare outfit.” – Vancouver Sun

However, the CSEC mandate is not to intercept transmissions on between Canadians on home soil. NDP justice critic Jack Harris said even most MPs are unaware CSEC exists. But given its extraordinary capabilities, he said, there is a risk it could commit massive privacy violations against Canadians.

“It’s such a secretive body, with such broad powers, that Canadians have reason to be concerned,” he said. “The public is susceptible to this type of snooping on their communications without even knowing about it.” Harris said the commissioner’s claim that CSEC has never committed a wrong appears dubious.

True civilian oversight of the organization is needed, he said, just as it is for the RCMP and CSIS. Such an oversight body should also be mandated to process public complaints, he said. The fact that CSEC can intercept Canadians’ communications without a warrant is also very troubling, he said. CSEC should have to obtain warrants before listening in on Canadians, as other agencies must, he argued.

And unlike police or CSIS wiretaps, which require the subject to eventually be informed of the communications monitoring, Harris pointed out CSEC is not obligated to ever inform Canadians they are being watched.

In the end, Harris said, Canadians should be wary of the powerful eye of state spying, now that its view can be directed toward home territory.

“If they’re intercepting some foreigner’s communication that’s one thing, but if they’re intercepting Canadians’ communications, that’s another.”

With CSEC, much like CISPA, with FN, the User will be in control of their data, not some third party (i.e. service provider), making it much, much more difficult for government intercept, which is the way it should be, isn’t it?

After all, it is your data, not theirs – service providers are merely custodians and conduits! * Article seen in Vancouver Sun to read more: http://bit.ly/JBdrQH

What is CISPA? CISPA is intended to improve computer security by allowing companies and government agencies to share sensitive information.

“The White House today expressed concerns about a controversial cybersecurity bill that would authorize Internet companies to divulge confidential customer records and communications.” – CNET

“A recent torrent of criticism prompted the politicians behind the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act to circulate a revised version (PDF) of CISPA this evening before an expected floor vote next week. But the authors made only relatively minor tweaks. The legislation remains so broad that the NSA could vacuum up “all sorts of sensitive information like Internet use information and the contents of e-mails,” ACLU legislative counsel Michelle Richardson told CNET.

Next week this Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act will voted on by the House of Representatives.

“What sparked the privacy worries is the section of CISPA that says ‘notwithstanding any other provision of law,’ companies may share information ‘with any other entity, including the federal government.’ That would trump state and federal wiretap and other privacy laws. (CISPA doesn’t, however, require companies to turn over that data.)” – CNET

Either way, with FN, the User will be in control of their data, not some third party (i.e. service provider), which is the way it should be, isn’t it? After all, it is your data, no theirs – service providers are merely custodians and conduits!

Read more: :http://cnet.co/HSkfZA

Obama Administration states that the bill MUST preserve and protect the privacy and civil liberties of American citizens.

Hackers are busy down at Anonymous breaking into UK government sites and planning their attacks on more Chinese sites.

This time, the hackers announced in advance that they would be hacking into UK government sites, leaving UK officials time for preperation.  Sunday evening,

“The resulting distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks disrupted the target websites for a time. Tweets apparently from Anonymous described this as a “digital protest” rather than hacking and threatened further similar actions every Saturday against U.K. government sites” – Wall Street Journal

To read more: http://on.wsj.com/HnLJCC

“The activist hacker group Anonymous plans to launch further attacks on Chinese government websites in a bid to uncover corruption and lobby for human rights, a member of the group said on Monday.”

Currently, China blocks Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and many other websites citing a need to maintain social stability.

To read more: http://bit.ly/HnMiwd

Is CISPA the new enemy? We saw the backlash of SOPA and PIPA and watched the drama unfold.  Now, a new legislation that has “wide-ranging privacy implications”, enter: CISPA.

“The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, or CISPA, focuses on defending companies from cyber-attacks and theft… CISPA addresses how information would be shared between private companies and the government to catch malicious actors breaching networks to steal information or sabotaging systems.”

To read more: http://bit.ly/HnMlIq

UK teachers have recently reported widespread cyber bullying by pupils and… wait for it.. parents!  These teachers have been issued with death threats, accused of serious crimes against children and sexist/racial abuse.

“Almost half (49%) of teachers who were subjected to abusive comments from parents said they did not feel supported or had no action taken as a result, with just 29% feeling that appropriate action was taken.”

To read more: http://bit.ly/HS0CxU

And that is just the beginning folks, stay tuned to all of our regular cyber related updates @fednetworks on twitter!

Below we have provided a brief overview of the 7 Foundational Privacy Prinicples set out by Ann Cavoukian to ensure online protection.  To read more www.ipc.on.ca
We at FN are both emphatic endorsers of the principles outlined by these principles, all of which we have and in fact have incorporated  into our entire product suite, but we are also strong advocates of the general tone, direction and global leadership role that both the Ontario (Ann Cavoukian) and Federal (Jennifer Stoddart) have played in establishing Canada as a leading light in the need for more informed privacy policy and initiatives.

“The objectives of Privacy by Design — ensuring privacy and gaining personal control over one’s information and, for organizations, gaining a sustainable competitive advantage — may be accomplished by practicing the following 7 Foundational Principles”

1.    Proactive not Reactive; Preventative not Remedial

Privacy by Design anticipates and prevents privacy invasive events before they happen.

2.    Privacy as the Default Setting

Privacy by Design seeks to deliver the maximum degree of privacy by ensuring that personal data are automatically protected in any given IT system or business practice.

3.    Privacy Embedded into Design

Privacy by Design is embedded into the design and architecture of IT systems and business practices.

4.    Full Functionality — Positive-Sum, not Zero-Sum

Privacy by Design seeks to accommodate all legitimate interests and objectives in a positive-sum “win-win” manner, not through a dated, zero-sum approach, where unnecessary trade-offs are made.

5.    End-to-End Security — Full Lifecycle Protection

Privacy by Design extends securely throughout the entire lifecycle of the data involved — strong security measures are essential to privacy, from start to finish
As a small albeit admittedly self-serving aside, we always chuckle to ourselves when we read this principle, for its the holy grail of cyber security and clearly is not even remotely achievable with current technologies, but just might be in the very near future…. hint hint

6.    Visibility and Transparency — Keep it Open

Privacy by Design seeks to assure all stakeholders that whatever the business practice or technology involved, it is in fact, operating according to the stated promises and objectives, subject to independent verification.

7.    Respect for User Privacy — Keep it User-Centric

Above all, Privacy by Design requires architects and operators to keep the interests of the individual uppermost by offering such measures as strong privacy defaults, appropriate notice, and empowering user-friendly options. Keep it user-centric.

So there you have it – 7 simple but profound principles. Gotta luv’em!

Confronting today’s cyber challenges requires a highly skilled and motivated research community, and it’s well documented that the demand for cyber expertise greatly exceeds the supply,” James Peery, director of the Information Systems Analysis Center at Sandia National Laboratories, told a Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing this week.

Read more: http://politi.co/GIVSrT

In cyber crime news… hackers contributed to 22% of the data breaches targeting large organizations, and stole almost twice as records from big organizations and government agencies.

Read more: http://cnet.co/GIVXff

Being the go- to for start ups and tech companies, San Francisco is also a haven for hackers and cybercrime.  Enter eCrime unit.

eCrime aims to “make sure that vulnerable populations are safe, that consumers are safe, and that we allow good behavior to occur…”

Read more: http://cnet.co/GIVYQv

Have we missed something you feel we should touch on?  DM or mention us on twitter with your ideas and we will be happy to mention and reference you!

Follow us on twitter @fednetworks

Sadly, cyber bullying is presenting new opportunities for the “bad kids” reach their targets, on new more dangerous levels.  Luckily, celebrities like Demi Lovato recently took to twitter to speak against such cruelty, but what  measures are we taking to protect the fragility of our children and youth?

Stopcyberbullying.org is a great resource for tips on how to educate youth and stand up against elements of cyber bullying.  Most importantly, we need to talk to and help our youth understand what is cyber bullying, and how not to be afraid to speak up against it.  If they remain silent, we won’t know the levels of their anguish, and they have to understand that we support them and cyber bullying is NOT acceptable.

Parents and educators have to be the safe place children can turn to when their online profiles have been attacked.

“T here are two kinds of cyberbullying, direct attacks (messages sent to your kids directly) and cyberbullying by proxy (using others to help cyberbully the victim, either with or without the accomplice’s knowledge). Because cyberbullying by proxy often gets adults involved in the harassment, it is much more dangerous.” –stopcyberbullying.org

“A quarter of youth who perpetrate cyberbullying are teenagers who have also bullied others offline. However, the remaining three quarters do not bully others in person – implying that the Internet has empowered youth who would never consider bullying anyone in the physical world to do so in the virtual world.” http://bit.ly/mW2Kqy

Discussion is key between parent and child, a trusting relationship where the youth can be open about their online activity and the issues they may be faced with.

Recently, another Obama administration official is in support of the major cybersecurity legislation pending in the Senate; with US businesses becoming more and more vulnerable to espionage without the passing of such legislation.

“Over the past five years, a highly sophisticated team of operatives have stealthily infiltrated more than 70 U.S. corporations and organizations to steal priceless company secrets. They did it without ever setting foot in any victim’s office. Sitting at undisclosed computers, they could be anywhere in the world,” Bryson wrote. “This is the new face of corporate espionage.”

To read more: http://bit.ly/AmPIaE

A much needed new campaign, aims to highlight the dangers and threats of cyber crime.  They aim to educate and provide insight into how both women and men can protect their identities online.

“We need to make sure that we provide the tools and information in order to assure them that if you follow some simple protection measures the risks of becoming a victim will be significantly reduced.”
The campaign outlines what people should look out for when it comes to fraud and the methods fraudsters use to target them.

To read more: http://bit.ly/y8qYIW

According to the BBC,  Iranian hackers targeted Persian services.

To read more: http://on.ft.com/wf8mi1

Now the corporation’s chief is taking things a step further by accusing Iran of masterminding a “sophisticated cyber-attack” that involved jamming satellite feeds in an effort to wreak havoc with broadcasts into the country.“It now looks as if those who seek to disrupt or block BBC Persian may be widening their tactics,” Mr Thompson is expected to say in a speech to the Royal Television Society on Wednesday.’”

To read more: http://on.ft.com/w7Rru1

Taken together, the three pieces of legislation will diminish the privacy rights of Ontarians, and indeed, of all Canadians.” –www.ipc.on.ca

Ann Cavoukian, is a leader in the issues surrounding privacy in Canada. She recognized that legislation and regulation would no longer be sufficient to safeguard privacy and that Canadian’s deserved their right to an effectively designed system.

“In my view, with the increasing complexity and interconnectedness of information technologies, nothing short of building privacy right into system design could suffice. So I developed the concept of Privacy by Design (PbD), to describe the philosophy of embedding privacy proactively into technology itself – making it the default.” (October 2008) – http://privacybydesign.ca

The 7 Foundational Principles of Privacy, designed by Cavoukian, ensures privacy and personal control for both individuals and organization:

1.     Proactive
2.     Be Default
3.     Embedded
4.     Positive-Sum
5.     Lifecycle Protection
6.     Visibility/Transparency
7.     Respect for Users

To learn more, please visit privacybydesign.ca, and educate yourself on the better ways to ensure the safety of your personal privacy, your business and your family.

What can you do to help ensure your privacy?

We have to be concerned! The proposed bills compromise our rights as Canadians,and our privacy is too valuable to be taken lightly.

Among the specific concerns raised by these proposed bills:
Bill C-50 would make it easier for the police to obtain judicial approval of multiple tracking warrants and production orders, to access and track e-communications.
Bill C-51 would give the police new powers to obtain court orders for remote live tracking, as well as weaker suspicion-based orders (rather than a “reasonableness” standard) requiring telecommunication service providers and other companies to preserve and turn over date of interest to the police.
Bill C-52 would require telecommunication service providers to build and maintain intercept capability into their networks for use by law enforcement, and would give the police warrantless power to access subscriber information – including IP addresses and personally-identifiable information, that goes far beyond address and phone number.

Sift through the below noted websites, and become aware and educated on the information regarding upcoming legislations, SOPA & PIPA, and privacy in Canada AND contact your MP to highlight your concerns.

Contact MP here: http://www.privacybydesign.ca/embedprivacy/

Websites to reference:
http://www.realprivacy.ca
http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cons/la-al/sum-res/faq.html

“One of the world’s most-wanted hackers secretly became an FBI informant last year, providing evidence that led to charges on Tuesday against five other suspected leaders of the Anonymous international hacking group.”

To read more: http://reut.rs/Ar9cYY

The privacy bill brought forward by John McCain may not be a positive for every party it affects.
“This is a privacy nightmare that will eventually result in the military substantially monitoring the domestic, civilian Internet,” said Ms Michelle Richardson of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

However, the types of information that could be shared are broad and the data is said to go to “cybersecurity centers” specifically the National Security Agency’s Threat Operations Center and the US Cyber Command Joint Operations Center.

“Senator McCain’s priority in crafting this bill has been to make sure it strengthens our security while continuing to safeguard the privacy of consumers,” Mr Rogers said. “He remains open to addressing legitimate concerns as this process moves forward.”

The bill says private companies such as Internet service providers could send the defense agencies evidence such as “network activity or protocols known to be associated with a malicious cyber actor or that may signify malicious intent”.

To read more: http://bit.ly/wsMXVg

ZDNet Australia explores whether cyber crime is actually replacing physical crime.

“The institute’s annual report (PDF), which was today released by the Minister for Home Affairs and Justice Jason Clare, showed that physical break-ins have halved since 1996, car theft has dropped by 61 per cent in the past 10 years and, overall, violent crimes decreased last year, with the exception of kidnappings and abductions.
However, on the online front, there has been a substantial increase in the number of compromised website notifications that the Australian Computer Emergency Response Team (AusCERT) received — up 255 per cent in 2010 from the previous year.”

To read more: http://bit.ly/yBMIZJ

That is what is in the headlines this week, did we miss something? Tweet to us @fednetworks and let us know!