Is an Open Internet a Secure Internet? Open Internet's growing security problem -- Part VIII

High profile Internet security/safety/privacy problems continue to spotlight the Open Internet's growing security problem.

"Computer hacking attacks soar as gangs focus on financial data" -- FT

• "Computer hackers stole more sensitive records last year than in the previous four combined, with ATM cards and Pin information growing in popularity as targets, according to a study..."

"Computer Attackers target popular sites in quest for profit" IBD

• Symantec...  "found new varieties of malware rose 265% last year vs. 2007."
• "This is about fraud and theft — I don't think there's any doubt in anyone's mind," said Dean Turner, director of Symantec's global intelligence network unit. "Where this is headed is not good for anybody."

"Computer Spies Breach Fighter Jet Project" WSJ

• "...He spoke of his concerns about the vulnerability of U.S. air traffic control systems to cyber infiltration, adding "our networks are being mapped." He went on to warn of a potential situation where "a fighter pilot can't trust his radar."

"New Military Comand to Focus on Cybersecurity" WSJ

• "The move comes amid growing evidence that sophisticated cyberspies are attacking the U.S. electric grid and key defense programs."

"Online fraud is flying high at many airline web sites" IBD

• "A tough problem to detect. Crooks using stolen credit card numbers buy tickets; carriers lost $1.3bil in '08"

"False Security: Scareware spreads" WSJ

• "What started out as a small-scale racket to defraud computer users is becoming big business. Rogue antivirus programs -- also known as "scareware" -- had a banner year in 2008."

"Cyber gangs blamed for data breaches"  Washington Post

• "Roughly 100 confirmed data breaches last year affected about 285 million consumer records worldwide..."

"The mobile high tech threat; smishing" Yahoo Tech

• "Smishing" is the name being given to the not-entirely-new but growing practice of sending phishing come-ons and scams via SMS message. And spammers are apparently finding it an increasingly easier proposition to text a phishing message to you rather than to email it traditionally."

"Businesses warn of rising risk of counterfeiting on Internet" The Independent

• "Popular brands have called for stricter policing of the internet, as they fear fraud will soar during the first "digital recession". "Marks & Clerk, an intellectual property group, will today reveal that 80 per cent of businesses surveyed believe their brands are at a "much greater risk" of counterfeiting than in previous recessions because of the rise of the internet."

"Web 2.0" Internet too dangerous for normal people" Information Week

• "The computer security industry has failed computer users, and the Internet has become so unsafe that average users can't protect themselves... The Internet cannot be safely used by normal people," he said. "Most people are not prepared to make the technical decisions necessary to safely use the Internet."

"Social Hackers on the rise" The Escapist

• "According to Trend Micro, an internet security firm, more than 40% of teens are "social hackers"... The "new" idea of "social hacking" is that many social details are on view via social networking sites such as Facebook. A competent social hacker can find information which tends to give away security question answers. So that rather than rummaging through dustbins for passwords, social hackers simply rely on their Google-Fu."

Is Facebook an unsafe environment for business? ZDNet

• "Zuckerberg’s vision for Facebook is to become the web-based platform of the future. But has it become tainted with so many changes that it has become an unsafe environment for building a business? According to Nick O’Neill, yes."

"FBI warns of high tech cyber ID theft" CBS5.com

• "When criminals manipulate voice mail systems they can make calls appear to be coming from anyone. Imagine your phone rings: the caller ID reads FBI and the caller identifies himself as an agent and asks for your social security number. "Scammers have found ways to utilize this technology and circumvent the caller ID systems to make it look like they're from a legitimate business," Pavelites said. With those most in need becoming the biggest targets. "We see mortgage fraud and debt elimination schemes work at home," Pavelites said."

Why do internet security/safety/privacy problems continue to garner so little relative public policy attention?

Previous parts of the series on: "The Open Internet's Growing Security Problem" can be found here: Parts:  I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII.