Online 911
All the news lately is surrounding one particular internet security company’s new “free” monitoring tool. First of all, even the press release says that only this initial release (as in 1-step above beta) is free, but next year there will be monthly charges. No one is mentioning that in the reporting. Second, this is the same company that called us malware/spyware, but, oh lookee here, is now trying to be like us… except for the fact that their monitoring tool is nothing more than an online tracker of sorts. Every feature it contains is a serious degree lesser than PC Pandora AND there is a LOT it doesn’t do… so fuhgetaboutit!
Some real good news, however, comes from the McAfee camp. They have launched a new Web site designed to help cybercrime victims recover from hacker attacks.
This “online 911″ is a place for consumers and small-business owners can figure out whether they’ve been hacked, and to take the first steps to connect with law enforcement once they know a crime has been committed.
While this doesn’t necessarily have to do with monitoring per se, there is a connection. Parents can use the monitoring technology in PC Pandora to help pinpoint the time and place (virtual, of course) of infection/breech. Having that knowledge will greatly help the “authorities.”
Kind of the same way that if you have PC Pandora on your machine and a crime is committed against your daughter from someone she met online, you will have all rrecords of correspondence to turn over to the cops.
So, check out the new McAfee site and remember, smart criminals prey on your stupid actions… the “your” all-too-often is followed by “kid’s” when it comes to online crime…
April 27, 2009
McAfee Launches ‘online 911′ for Cybercrime Victims
Robert McMillan, IDG News ServiceMcAfee has launched a new Web site designed to help cybercrime victims recover from hacker attacks.
The company bills its Cybercrime Response Unit as a kind of “online 911″ where consumers and small-business owners can figure out whether they’ve been hacked, and to take the first steps to connect with law enforcement once they know a crime has been committed.
The site helps victims triage any common computer problems. For example, it can tell them what to do if they’ve opened an attachment that they now think may have been malicious, or if they’re worried that their child may be talking to a predator online.
Complaints about Internet-related crime spiked 33 percent last year, according to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI’s) Internet Crime Complaint Center.
In the U.S., online crimes can be prosecuted by state, local and federal authorities, including the FBI or the U.S. Secret Service, and victims are often unsure what to do after they’ve been victimized.
In fact, people who have been hacked often don’t even know it, said Pamela Warren, a cybercrime strategist with McAfee.
To help with that problem, a visitor can try out an online scanning program that will check their computer for any signs that it has been misused by criminals. (It is available only for Internet Explorer on Windows.)
“If you’re a victim and you just don’t know where to go, this is really meant to consolidate [that information],” Warren said. The site includes resources for victims of cyber bullying, identity theft and online scams, she said. “Regardless of what the cybercrime is, you can come here and get help.”
