http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/bg-p/askmarian Ask Marian Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:34:01 GMT askmarian 2009-11-20T22:34:01Z http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/IPhoto-Users-Beware-Some-Photo-Sites-Make-Finding-You-from-Your/ba-p/174421 If you are, like my friend Adrian, an iPhone user, you enjoy taking and uploading photos with this device. He recently found that some of his Tumblr photos were appearing on another Tumblr website with links to the geotagging information in the image. What this means is when you take a digital photo using the Apple software, it records your physical location on the planet as part of the data in the file. And using this data, a third party could map your location (when the photo was taken) and find you. Or at least get awfully close to where you were at that time. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:06:21 GMT http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/IPhoto-Users-Beware-Some-Photo-Sites-Make-Finding-You-from-Your/ba-p/174421 marianmerritt 2009-11-19T19:06:21Z http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Symantec-s-End-of-Year-Security-Outlook/ba-p/173680 As we move into the holiday season, it's our practice to take a look at security threats over the last year and give some thought to the year to come. I had the privilege of hosting a webcast roundtable today with panelists Dr. Zulfikar Ramzan of Symantec's Security Technology and Response team and Paul Wood from MessageLabs' Intelligence. You've often heard Zulfikar quoted in stories about emerging new threats such as the latest viruses, malware and online fraud and Paul authors our monthly MessageLabs reports in addition to providing security intelligence to the public. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:55:26 GMT http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Symantec-s-End-of-Year-Security-Outlook/ba-p/173680 marianmerritt 2009-11-17T20:55:26Z http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Digital-Natives-and-Digital-Immigrants-At-Risk-to-become-Digital/ba-p/172218 In the late 1800's, a young teenage boy from Eastern Europe stepped off a boat onto the wharf of the bustling port of a major East Coast American city. He didn't speak the language as well as he wished he did. He was unfamiliar with the people, the city, and the correct way to get things done. But he knew he had a task to complete - he had to purchase a ticket on a train to another, nearby city where relatives were waiting for him. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:09:01 GMT http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Digital-Natives-and-Digital-Immigrants-At-Risk-to-become-Digital/ba-p/172218 marianmerritt 2009-11-13T23:09:01Z http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Free-Holiday-Wifi-in-Airports-from-Santa-Google/ba-p/170864 Google announces a program to offer travelers free high speed wireless web access in airports across America and on Virgin Air flights through the holiday season. Names of the secure Google wireless networks will vary so be sure to check with airport officials in the terminal before logging on. Turn off Bluetooth and file and printer sharing so you can enjoy Google’s gift without any hacker side effects. Now that the wifi is free, can I get some more power outlets in the terminal? Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:04:40 GMT http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Free-Holiday-Wifi-in-Airports-from-Santa-Google/ba-p/170864 marianmerritt 2009-11-10T19:04:40Z http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Recap-of-This-Year-s-Family-Online-Safety-Institute-Annual/ba-p/170617 Two days spent in Washington DC with the leaders of the Internet Safety movement. Some think we've turned a corner, away from focusing on the issue of online predation and children as victims, and now able to move on to other, more complex issues. I'm not quite convinced. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:51:16 GMT http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Recap-of-This-Year-s-Family-Online-Safety-Institute-Annual/ba-p/170617 marianmerritt 2009-11-09T23:51:16Z http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Waving-Bye-Bye-to-the-Punch-The-Monkey-Ad/ba-p/165813 When I get on the computer each day I have a number of standard websites I check before I get into email, projects or meetings. You likely have your own, perhaps one set for the work day and others for leisure time. My prime targets include news, technology, government and parenting sites. Most of them are managed by large corporations with IT departments and staff dedicated to securing the site and designing a positive user experience. Still, I find it jarring how often the edges of any webpage are littered with junk advertising. The ones that bug me most are the dancing girls of mortgage ads, the anti-aging skin care fright mask images, or anything strobing or flashing at me. Dan Neil of The Los Angeles Times calls them "punch the monkey" ads. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:49:12 GMT http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Waving-Bye-Bye-to-the-Punch-The-Monkey-Ad/ba-p/165813 marianmerritt 2009-10-27T18:49:12Z http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Diagnosing-Medical-ID-Theft/ba-p/164325 The issue of medical identity theft is not entirely new and can take several forms. A stolen name and insurance number can allow a crook to pose as you to receive medical benefits. Or an employee of a medical provider can steal private information and resell to criminal rings. Or a physician or other medical provider might fraudulently charge your insurance for services never received or drugs resold to others. You might never discover you are a victim or find you owe hundreds of thousands of dollars for care that went to others. How to protect yourself? What is available to assist victims? Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:19:58 GMT http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Diagnosing-Medical-ID-Theft/ba-p/164325 marianmerritt 2009-10-23T21:19:58Z http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/California-State-Jobs-Site-Riddled-With-Security-Holes/ba-p/164236 Imagine this common scenario: you’ve been laid off and you need to register with the state to receive unemployment benefits. Part of the requirement today in California is to post your résumé to a state-run CalJobs website. An investigation into the security of that website has uncovered numerous security risks that could easily lead to identity theft for the hundreds of thousands of users. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:35:15 GMT http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/California-State-Jobs-Site-Riddled-With-Security-Holes/ba-p/164236 marianmerritt 2009-10-23T16:35:15Z http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Social-Network-Members-Increasingly-Vulnerable-to-Phishing/ba-p/162749 Among my social networking friends, I know of at least two whose accounts have been hacked and many more who have experienced attempts. One of these exploits turned painful when his friend fell for the pleas of the criminals and wired money to help out his stranded “friend”. The other friend managed to notify many of her online friends to be wary of any social networking messages she might appear to send. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:08:44 GMT http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Social-Network-Members-Increasingly-Vulnerable-to-Phishing/ba-p/162749 marianmerritt 2009-10-19T20:08:44Z http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Operation-quot-Phish-Phry-quot-Nets-100-Cybercriminals-in-Global/ba-p/158894 A two-year FBI investigation into phishing, or cybercrime efforts to gain access to bank accounts via fraudulent emails, has resulted in a sting operation against 100 people in the US and Egypt. The phishing scam stole approximately $1.5 million from at least 5,000 customers of at least two U.S. banks (Bank of America and Wells Fargo) according to news reports. Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:23:42 GMT http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Operation-quot-Phish-Phry-quot-Nets-100-Cybercriminals-in-Global/ba-p/158894 marianmerritt 2009-10-08T16:23:42Z http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/National-Cyber-Security-Month-new-Breach-Data-from-Identity/ba-p/158538 October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. You can learn more about cyber security from the National Cyber Security Alliance, a public/private organization that brings together the minds and resources of companies like Symantec and Microsoft along with government agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security. Their website at http://www.staysafeonline.org/ has a deep and wide array of resources for individuals and organizations to up their safety education. One of my favorites is their lesson plans for teachers that help incorporate important online safety lessons into their curriculum. And these lesson plans are FREE! Here is a link. Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:04:44 GMT http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/National-Cyber-Security-Month-new-Breach-Data-from-Identity/ba-p/158538 marianmerritt 2009-10-07T17:04:44Z http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Norton-Cyber-Safe-Challenge-Your-Child-s-School-Could-Win-20-000/ba-p/156849 It's easy to imagine how your child's school might use an extra $20,000. Maybe new math books that crack when you first open them or band uniforms with an extra gold braid down the leg; field trips where you order the "good buses" or even a few SMART boards for the classrooms. $20,000 might even mean the return of a beloved teacher! Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:18:21 GMT http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Norton-Cyber-Safe-Challenge-Your-Child-s-School-Could-Win-20-000/ba-p/156849 marianmerritt 2009-10-02T21:18:21Z http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Consumers-Fall-for-Fake-AV-After-Getting-Fake-Alert/ba-p/153857 This is a very common story. You are toodling along, reading your email, surfing the web, updating your Facebook status when you get an alert on your screen. It says, "Your computer is infected" or something similar. The alert looks very official, like it came from your operating system. There's a button to click, so you do. Suddenly, a cool looking scan appears on your screen, showing you progress as it searches your system and finds several viruses and other malware. You think, "How can this be happening? I have security software on my computer?? Did it fail me?" Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:44:32 GMT http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Consumers-Fall-for-Fake-AV-After-Getting-Fake-Alert/ba-p/153857 marianmerritt 2009-09-24T17:44:32Z http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Student-Discounts-in-Tech-Abound/ba-p/152618 Did you know if you or one of your children are now in college many technology manufacturers offer deep discounts on their products? Often, all that is needed to qualify is an email address ending in .edu, the standard extension used by colleges and universities. Small print on the offer pages may provide other ways of validating your identity if you lack the email address or you attend a technical college. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:20:59 GMT http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Student-Discounts-in-Tech-Abound/ba-p/152618 marianmerritt 2009-09-22T11:20:59Z http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Every-Click-Matters/ba-p/146257 Every ¼ of a second, a new cybercrime is committed. One in five consumers is a cybercrime victim. Global cybercrime revenues exceed that of the international drug trade. What's going on here? While many of us were worrying about old-school viruses getting on our computers, the world of cybercrime took it to a whole new level. Not only ramping up the speed with which they toss new threats out into the marketplace (we've seen logarithmic growth in new malware over the last 2 years), cybercriminals are far more sophisticated in their efforts, buying and trading your private information in a vast, underground black market. Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:36:15 GMT http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Every-Click-Matters/ba-p/146257 marianmerritt 2009-09-10T03:36:15Z http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Could-Your-Child-Be-A-Victim-of-Cyberbullying-Checklist-of-Risk/ba-p/142729 A new study on predictive elements of cyberbullying is published in the current edition of CyberPsychology & Behavior magazine. The study, from Dr. Gustavo S. Mesch of University of Haifa, Israel, measures risks of online victimization among a sampling of American teens and their parents. What increases your child's risk for being a victim of cyberbullying? Joining social networks, sharing personal information, participating in chat rooms and even watching YouTube videos will increase your child's risk factors. Lots of e-communication like sending text messages, Instant messages and emails also puts the child at higher risk. Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:28:54 GMT http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Could-Your-Child-Be-A-Victim-of-Cyberbullying-Checklist-of-Risk/ba-p/142729 marianmerritt 2009-09-03T21:28:54Z http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/The-internet-is-40-Historic-Online-Threats-You-May-Remember/ba-p/142195 Today is the 40th anniversary of the Internet. To mark this important milestone Symantec - the global leader in online security - took a look back at some of the most notorious threats ever seen online: Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:53:54 GMT http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/The-internet-is-40-Historic-Online-Threats-You-May-Remember/ba-p/142195 marianmerritt 2009-09-02T21:53:54Z http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Searching-for-Information-on-California-Wildfires-Can-Lead-to/ba-p/142168 I tried to avoid the obvious puns of “online search can get you burned” or “only you can prevent cybercrime.” Out of respect to my old friends at the US Forest Service and Smokey Bear, I’ll demonstrate my editorial restraint. The most important news to report is that, as predictably as smoke will indicate fire, big tragedies attract malicious cybercriminals to take advantage of consumer curiosity and generosity. In the case of the current California wildfires, an innocent web search for news or an attempt to donate to the victims can lead you into some serious hotspots. Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:06:10 GMT http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Searching-for-Information-on-California-Wildfires-Can-Lead-to/ba-p/142168 marianmerritt 2009-09-02T21:06:10Z http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Social-Network-and-SMS-Scam-to-Watch-Out-For-And-Tell-Your-Teens/ba-p/139178 Our recent cell phone bill revealed a new cybercrime to me. First, my husband noticed a mysterious $9.99 "premium services" charge on the bill for my oldest child's line. He asked her if she'd signed up for any text services or paid for a ringtone. When she proclaimed her innocence, he left the bill for me to follow up with the cell provider, since the line is in my name. You'll never guess what I uncovered. SMS scams that begin with innocent social networking fun. Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:42:50 GMT http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Social-Network-and-SMS-Scam-to-Watch-Out-For-And-Tell-Your-Teens/ba-p/139178 marianmerritt 2009-08-28T00:42:50Z http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Internet-Dangers-A-Week-s-Roundup/ba-p/137216 Filthy, dirty websites to avoid; Cyberbullying leads to jailtime for one UK girl and legal trouble for a Missouri woman; Freedom of speech versus internet slander; Hotelier data breach, and first US center for web addictions. These are some of the topics in our headlines across a variety of Internet safety topics. Let's break it down: Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:33:08 GMT http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/Internet-Dangers-A-Week-s-Roundup/ba-p/137216 marianmerritt 2009-08-24T21:33:08Z