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computer privacy


Is Ransomware Holding Your PC Hostage?

Remember malware and scareware?

Malware, short for malicious software, is software designed to secretly access your computer system without your informed consent. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, crimeware, most rootkits, and other malicious and unwanted software.

Scareware is scam software of limited or no benefit, such as a message that convinces you that a virus has infected your computer and suggesting that you download (and pay for) fake antivirus software to remove it.

Well, just when you thought it was safe, now there’s something called ransomware, which PC security experts say just might be a much bigger problem that both malware and scareware combined.

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The Petraeus Affair and the Dangerous Link between Our Online and Offline Privacy

By now, most of us have heard about the ever-widening scandal that began with the revelation of an affair between General David Petraeus and Paula Broadwell, his biographer.

To recap, Broadwell and General Petraeus, both married, allegedly engaged in an affair that began last summer and ended a few months ago. General Petraeus was the director of the CIA and a highly decorated army commander, but he stepped down from his post late last week when the affair became public.

Keep reading to find out what laws are in place — if any — to curb law enforcement from finding out all the sordid details about our lives.

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Last Chance to Erase Your Google Search Results For Good

Attention, privacy seekers!

IT World says this is your last chance to tell Google to forget about you.

Until March 1, when the search giant’s new single privacy policy goes into effect, there are some simple steps to take to erase your past history. Read More

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Slate: Government Suspicious Of Internet Cafe Users Who Favor Privacy Settings

If you have ever cared about privacy while using the Internet in public, check out what the FBI and Justice Department have to say. Read More

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Judge Orders Woman to Decrypt Laptop, Civil-Liberties Groups Cry Foul

A federal judge has ordered a woman to provide an unencrypted version of her laptop’s hard drive in a ruling that raises several Internet privacy worries. Read More

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Is the Webcam Hacker Watching?

The more ubiquitous cameras become, the less we’re aware they’re even there, according to a new article from GQ.

The web cameras “stare out at us blankly from our phones and laptops, our Xboxes and iPads, a billion eyes and ears just waiting to be turned on. But what if they were switched on–by someone else–when you least expected it? How would you feel, how would you behave, if the devices that surround your life were suddenly turned against you?” Read More

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Cyber Crime In 2025: Online Privacy Predictions and More

Everything and everyone will be networked in 2025 — including you, your kids, and your grocery list. In fact, it will be so common that “most people won’t even understand the term privacy invasion.”

That’s just one of the predictions in this InfoWorld security article.

What else is expected in the technology of tomorrow? Read More

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While ‘In the Process’ of Encrypting, Health Network Computer Theft Exposes Data On 4 Million Patients

A physician network computer has been stolen in California — while the health network says it was in the process of encrypting their computers. This theft compromised the personal information on more than 4 million patients dating back to 1995. Read More

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Are Your Shared Files At Risk on a Hotel Wifi Network?

One of the things we’re always told to do when using public wifi in a hotel (or any other place) is to turn off file sharing. Okay, that sounds like a smart thing to do, but what exactly does it entail? And can someone on the same wifi network we are on actually access our files? Click the headline above to find out what you need to do before your next hotel stay! Read More

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Wi-Fi Alliance Strongly Recommends Personal VPNs When Using Wifi Hotspots

In a recent press release, the Wi-Fi Alliance, the leading global industry association devoted to WiFi connectivity, noted that 82% of WiFi hotspot users do not protect their communications. These users are vulnerable to having their private information intercepted by anyone in the same hotspot with an ordinary laptop and some simple software, readily available for download from the web. The Wi-Fi Alliance is urging consumers to realize that protecting their data when accessing a public WiFi hotspot is their own responsibility, and that they should not rely on the hotspot or website they are accessing. Read More

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