Headline News Archive

2010

July

09

• Feds propose rules to strengthen patient privacy rights. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed a new federal healthcare information privacy rule that would let patients restrict access to…

08

• Facebook challenged on data it keeps on non-users. A German data protection official is challenging how Facebook Inc. handles data from people who have not signed up for its service without their explicit…

04

• ATM skimmer scams can empty your account. Thieves are using high-tech skimmers to steal account information at automatic teller machines — and victims don't know they have a problem until they see…

• Parents can hire a hall monitor for the Web. Fear can be good for business. Just ask the multibillion-dollar insurance industry, for example. Or companies like LifeLock and TrustedID, which monitor people’s credit reports…

• Easy to hack into a smartphone. Security researchers Nick DePetrillo and Don Bailey have discovered a seven-digit numerical code that can unlock all kinds of secrets about you. It's your phone…

03

• Taking the mystery out of web anonymity. The Obama Administration is trying to fix the Internet’s dog problem. The Internet affords anonymity to its users — a boon to privacy and freedom…

02

• Government creates more smartphone apps. Smartphone addicts, rejoice: Are you counting calories? Concerned about unsafe toys? Worried about tan lines or airport security lines? There's a (government) app for that.…

June

28

• Broadband availability to expand. The Obama administration is seeking to nearly double the wireless communications spectrum available for commercial use over the next 10 years, an effort that could…

• Online bullies pull schools into the fray. The girl’s parents, wild with outrage and fear, showed the principal the text messages: a dozen shocking, sexually explicit threats, sent to their daughter the…

27

• Mobile coupons help retailers track customers. Last month, Tara Kuczykowski walked into a Target store in Columbus, Ohio, pulled out her mobile phone and handed it to the cashier. The cashier…

• Caring for seniors' financial health. When we talk about the aging population in the United States, the conversation is often focused on who will take care of the physical needs…

• Are dating websites past their prime?. How many marriages a day do Internet dating sites generate? Last year, the Wall Street Journal tried to cut through the hype and found that…

26

• Wave of new rules to protect consumers. The financial overhaul bill that has taken final shape would give the government a larger role in guarding the wallets of consumers — many of…

• Overhaul adds consumer help. The massive financial overhaul approved by key lawmakers early Friday was hailed by many reform advocates as offering landmark protections for consumers, even as others…

25

• Petition signers should not expect their names to be kept secret. Those who sign referendum petitions should generally not expect to keep their names secret, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday, rejecting the argument of an anti-gay-rights…

21

• Wanted: Young cyberexperts to defend against cybercrooks. Nationwide campaigns to steer youthful techies into careers defending the Internet are gaining steam. The federal government, education officials and giant military contractors are collaborating…

20

• Look for signs of fraud against the elderly. When we talk about the aging population in the United States, the conversation is often focused on who will take care of the physical needs…

19

• Debt relief peddlers put consumers in bigger hole. For the companies that promise relief to Americans confronting swelling credit card balances, these are days of lucrative opportunity. So lucrative, that an industry trade…

• Reverse mortgage holders could lose homes if taxes aren't paid. Here's a sobering message for anyone who has a federally insured reverse mortgage or plans to apply for one: If you don't pay your local…

18

• Microsoft opens center for reports of stolen identities, data. In a major step to slow cybercrime, Microsoft on Thursday launched a coalition that will serve as a clearinghouse for reports about caches of stolen…

17

• Facebook urged to strengthen privacy protections. Facebook continues to face criticism over privacy protections at its social networking website. Privacy and civil liberties groups on Wednesday urged Facebook to address issues…

14

• 4G wireless technology: A look at what's ahead. The first cellphone in the U.S. to use fourth-generation wireless technology — better known as 4G — debuted this month with the promise of super-fast…

13

• Vigilance is key to protecting your credit. If you're even slightly concerned about the privacy of your personal information, Jim Stickley is your worst nightmare. The chief technology officer of TraceSecurity, a…

• Scam artists are as slick as the oil spill. The magnitude of the BP spill really hit me once I starting seeing front-page photos of oil- soaked birds. One poor thing looked like a…

12

• Tech goes mobile and so do the hackers. Mobile devices are slick, powerful and convenient, but the news this week that AT&T suffered a data breach on thousands of iPads highlighted another quality:…