Posts Tagged ‘user’
Thursday, April 28th, 2011
On Friday April 22, 2011 the Sony PlayStation Network stated that as of April 19 th they had become aware that PlayStation and Qriocity user accounts had been hacked. Prior to this notification they have made several announcements, none of which providing the exact details for the disruption in network services.
During the time leading up to the official  public disclosure Sony had disabled their system which left many PlayStation Network users in the dark about the true circumstances surrounding the event. It wasn’t until April 26, 2011 that Sony offered the full explanation that user account information and potentially their financial information had been unlawfully acquired during an intrusion. The unauthorized intrusion of the network accounts left over 70 million users as well as their personal and financial information at risk. For a full timeline visit PlayStation Network Hack Timeline.
Because Sony had waited a full 6 days after the time of discovery to present a fully detailed announcement most people are wondering why the delay with informing the public. Typically when a breach does occur it is not uncommon for some amount of time to pass before the public is fully informed, this is usually to confirm the facts, consider solutions and prevent public panic. However during this time users could have been taking their own preventative measures by informing their credit card companies, monitoring credit reports, and avoiding phishing scams. For a great article concerning the legality of informing the public in the event of a security breach visit PlayStation Network hacked, data stolen: how badly is Sony hurt?
The PlayStation Networks Official Website released a statement detailing what efforts are being made to rectify this unfortunate situation and promises that it is a temporary issue that will be cleared up as soon as possible. Currently the network connection is still deactivated. An outside security investigation company has also been contracted to investigate the security breach and Sony is currently developing new security features. With these new features they hope resolve the system’s vulnerability and provide more safety precautions to protect a user’s personal information in the event of future occurrences.
It is PlayStations fear that the unlawful invasion into user information exposed user names, addresses, email address, birthdays, passwords, logins, purchase history, and even billing information. The official statement goes on to state that even though there is no evidence that credit card information was obtained they are not ruling out the possibility. Although many Sony officials believe that the hack was to gain notoriety as opposed to financial information they cannot be certain. As Sony continues to work around the clock to regain the confidence of its customer’s users should be taking the following actions to ensure the security and protection of their information.
What you should do!
- It is advised that if you have provided any credit card information that you contact the card company and inform them that your information may have been obtained during this event.
- It is also urged that users be mindful of email, phone, and postal scams. Sony has said that they will never contact a user to acquire credit card numbers, social security numbers, or any personal identifiable information. Often hackers will take the portions of useless information and contact you pretending to be the organization in order to obtain the rest of the information that they require.
- Monitor financial activities and credit reports. Sony has provided several links on their customer notice page that can be used to check your credit report and place alerts on your accounts. Placing alerts on your account is a great security precaution and will help protect you from other users accessing your accounts.
- Sony also advises that once the network is secure and user connection is reestablished that a user should change their login information immediately.
It’s important to remember that these kinds of incidents happen all the time and unfortunately they are the reason why we need implement more and more secure practices every day. Any fraudulent charges that do result from this incident will of course be handled by Sony. One issue left un-answered is why Sony chose to wait so long to inform its users about the potential security threat?
What do you think? Should Sony have disclosed the full details and given customers the opportunity to protect themselves sooner, or were they right to gather all the information before causing panic?
Thanks for Reading and Have a Great Day!
Dustin
ComputerFitness.com
Providing Tech Support for Businesses in Maryland
Tags: Information Security, network attack, PlayStation, PlayStation Network, Sony, user, user accounts, user protection
Posted in Information Security, Web Tips | No Comments »
Friday, March 25th, 2011
Monday March 14, 2011 marked the release of the 9th version of Internet Explorer (IE). This time around Microsoft stated that they have placed more of an emphasis on user feedback. During the IE 9 Beta testing period the company had received a lot of suggestions that they really took to heart and implemented. With these suggestions and implementation their goal was to make Internet Explorer 9 the best version possible.
from www.microsoft.com March 2011
The number of people using the Internet Explorer web browser is not as solid as it once was because users now have the options of other browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Causing the number of IE users to slowly decline over the past couple years, each of the other browsers offers its users certain benefits and has elements that customers gravitate toward. For example Firefox has an enormous collection of add-ons that allows a user to customize their browser environment and web experience.
Although the new release of Internet Explorer offers some pretty cool and exciting features it’s unlikely that the users that have already jumped ship will return. However the elements of IE9 may prevent future users from switching browsers which could be crucial since Firefox 4 was released on March 22, 2011. Regardless of the advantages and disadvantages of the other available browsers it is safe to say that this new version of Internet Explorer is better than any of its predecessors.
So, what are the new features of Internet Explorer 9?
Increased performance, enhanced design, better usability, and stronger safety are just a few of the features that the new version has to offer. The following is a closer look at some of the key elements that make IE9 the best version of Internet Explorer thus far.
Power and Performance:
Internet Explorer 9 offers a faster installation process that requires fewer customer based decisions during the process. The browser launches faster than ever and with the improved JavaScript engine web pages load much faster than before and still maintain rich smooth graphics. This version incorporates better graphic capabilities and when combined with Windows 7 it is said to provide the best web experience for viewers.
Design and Usability:
- Initially the new stripped down design may require some time to get acquainted with.
- The layout is similar to earlier versions of IE but much of the unnecessary distractions have been relocated or completely removed.
- The new tab page allows you to manage your favorite sites and gives you the option to open one of your most visited sites or continue with a site that has not yet been stored.
- The color coded customizable tabs create a quick identification and navigation process.
- The ability to pin your favorite sites to the Windows 7 task bar just like Windows 7 programs adds an easier method of accessing your favorite sites and makes them a convenient fixture to your desktop.
- The new notification bar consolidate your messages, displays them at the bottom of the screen, and no longer interrupts your browsing experience until you decide when it is time to acknowledge them.
- The message that a user encounters within the notification bar is clearer, incorporates more information, and makes the notifications easier to address.
- The Navigation buttons and tasks are clearly visible due to the minimal yet efficient interface. The back button is not emphasized and even displays the icon for the last visited web page.
- The search and navigation are all located in the same box. The one box is located at the top of your browser and allows you to navigate to a webpage or perform a search just as you would in an actual search engine. The Address bar accepts URL’s as well as keywords or phrase. Uses can change which search engine they want their results to appear from by selecting the drop down arrow in the search box.
- The simple and clean design emphasizes the website rather than the web browser. Most of the screen space is devoted to view a website with only the search bar and tabs located at the very top of the browser.
Maintenance and Security:
- The ActiveX Filtering guide enables you to block all sites requiring it and allows you to grant permission as you see fit.
- The add-on performance advisor monitors and identifies and alerts you to any add-ons that may be slowing down your user experience.
- The Compatibility View option enables the browser to view pages as an older version. If a page is not compatible or displays incorrectly the broken page button by the search box gives users the option to view the page in the IE older format. Once viewed in the older format the browser will remember this action and always display the page correctly from then on.
- The Cross Site Scripting Filter prevents cross-site scripting attacks which are the leading online threat.
- The Domain Highlighting feature alerts you to malicious sites by highlighting the sites URL in red.
- The new Download Manager lets you monitor and interact with all of your current downloads. In addition it also acts as a SmartScreen filter to protect your computer from harmful downloads.
- The SmartScreen Filter alerts you to any possible threats and provides Anti-Phishing protection, Application reputation, and Anti-Malware protection.
- The In-Private browsing feature allows you to avoid leaving a trail of your search history.
- In the event of a lost connection your browser will automatically restore itself with the previous sessions in tacked. In addition if an individual website crashes the incident will only affect that isolated tab and will not interfere with any of the other open tabs.
Although some of these features have been seen before in the other browsers like Firefox and Chrome, Internet Explorer 9 has still managed to introduce a few elements that the others don’t offer. To see a full list of comparisons visit Chrome vs. Firefox vs. IE9. Whether this version is better than the competition depends on the preferences of the individual user but there is no denying that this version of IE is a major improvement over the past Internet Explorers. Check back with us next week as we review the new features of Firefox 4 and see how it measures up to the latest IE9.
Download and experience all of these great features at Microsoft IE 9 Download.
Explore the links below to learn more about IE9
IE9 compared to previous versions
Internet Explorer 9 -Features
Have a Great Day!
Dustin
ComputerFitness.com
Providing Tech Support for Businesses in Maryland
Tags: browser, explorer, improved features, internet, internet explorer 9, site, user, version
Posted in Browser Modifications, Internet | No Comments »
Friday, January 14th, 2011
When using Facebook or any other social networking site, take full advantage of the provided Privacy Settings. Sites such as Facebook allow users to create profiles that contain private information and protect the posting personal comments. Now although the purpose of these sites is to network, communicate, and share your thoughts, that doesn’t mean everyone on the planet needs to know about them. Sure you might not mind if friends, family, and co-workers view the information that you supply to Facebook but what about complete strangers or employers? One of the best features of Facebook is that it lets you choose who you communicate with and who can see your information.
Following are recommendations on how to be protected using Facebooks privacy settings. Any of the following settings can be adjusted by logging into your Facebook account, navigating to the “Account” tab located in the upper right corner, and selecting the “privacy settings” option. Once the privacy settings page opens there are two main menus the “Connecting on Facebook” and “Sharing on Facebook” which can be customized to a users privacy preference.
- Connecting on Facebook:
It is important to decide what people see before being friended. Facebook gives you the option to choose what information people see when searching for you and also gives you the choice to remove yourself completely from the search. A user can choose to share everything or nothing depending on their preference. Even if a user chooses to remain hidden from Facebook searches, they can still possibly be found by friends of friends, meaning when an individual sees you on one of their friend’s Friend Lists, they can still send you a friend request.
For safety reasons it is recommended that we customize our “Connecting on Facebook Settings” to share only the details we want to. On this menu a Facebook user can adjust whether anyone, friends, or friends of friends can see their location, pictures, friends, activities, and message posts before you accept the friend request. For example if you want to keep your location hidden, but you want to share your activities you would select friends for the location and everyone for activities.
- Sharing on Facebook:
There are users out there that choose to share their Facebook with everyone. Most likely these users don’t care if anyone sees their information or are unaware of the possible bad effects that not protecting their information could lead to. It’s recommended that users select to share with only friends or select the Facebook recommended setting. Other users can still view what you have allowed them to in the “Connecting to Facebook” settings menu, but can only view your full profile when they send a friend request or accept one from you. It is on this menu, that users can customize who can view their status, posts, bios, favorite quotations, family, relationships, photos and videos you’re tagged in, religious and political views, places you like, your birthday, your contact information and also allows you to decide who has permission to comment on your posts.
- Controlling The Flow of Information and Avoiding Embarrassing Wall Postings:
The third and final recommendation takes your account customization even further and allows you to pick and choose exactly which friends can or cannot view your information, posts, and pictures. In addition to determining who can view your “Wall” you can also determine the people who are allowed to post on it. For example if you use your Facebook account for work then some of your or your friend’s postings may be inappropriate so this selection feature comes in handy. To access these features you will need to open the “Customize Settings Link” on the “Sharing on Facebook” menu. Once on the customization page you can determine the exact users who have permission to view and submit specific information. On this screen you can also modify who can see the pages, pictures, and videos that you’re tagged on.
Additional privacy and security settings include blocking users and controlling which websites and apps your information is sent to. These options can be adjusted in the same privacy menu previously mentioned. Regardless of what you do online to protect your privacy and reputation the best way to avoid any embarrassing situations is to make good judgments. But for the times when good judgment isn’t enough the privacy and security settings that Facebook provides can make a big difference. After all Facebook is used to have fun, connect with people, and is established for you to be yourself.
Additional Information on protecting yourself on Facebook is available at:
The Holy Grail of Facebook Privacy
How to Protect Your Privacy on Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn
Please make sure you customize your Facebook privacy account
Have a safe and Great Day!
Dustin
ComputerFitness.com
Providing Tech Support to Businesses in Maryland
Tags: Facebook, facebook settings, friend, post, privacy, privacy settings, settings, user
Posted in Social Networking | No Comments »
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