Posted by: Collin Eli in Untagged on
Nov 19, 2008
Social engineering is an old term that computer hackers have been using since at least the 1980s. It can be reduced to a simple adage: “If you can’t hack the computer, hack the user.” In other words, social engineering is the art of stealing electronic information through non-technical means, using deception to gain access to the desired data.
The big news right now is the current US financial crisis. It all started when lenders loosened the requirements and incentives for mortgages. New mortgages featured cash up front and minimal required qualifications. Sure enough, when payments came due a large number of borrowers couldn’t afford them, but by this time institutions had combined them with legitimate investments, shopped them around and presented them as safe to buy – and now, we’re all paying the price.
In our last article about wireless identity theft we covered wardriving: the practice of finding and exploiting open wireless connections. Identity fraud via wardriving is unnerving, to say the least, but RFID-enabled fraud is downright spooky. Security experts fear that this may allow fraudsters to steal personal information from your
wallet at a distance.
We want you to protect your good name, but we don't want you to get paranoid about it! Nevertheless, some recent developments in identity theft are pretty frightening. What if we told you a criminal could steal your personal information out of thin air? Scary? Yes - and absolutely possible. New technology lets fraudsters steal your identity through wireless communications channels
Your mailbox is a valuable resource for identity thieves. Remember that ID thieves get a lot of their information through plain old physical theft. Your mailbox is no exception. It's often the easiest way for an identity thief to acquire personal information and access to your credit. Fortunately, there are a few easy things you can do to greatly reduce the risk.
Blog