Tough on cyber crime, tough on the causes of cyber crime

So the Shadow Home Secretary, David Davis, has today unveiled his plans for the appointment of a Cyber Security Minister to tackle cybercrime, and at the same time rather predictably and totally deservedly fired a broadside at the government over its handling of data security. today while blasting the Government’s handling of data security. Speaking at the e-crime congress in London Davis accused the government of displaying “naïve reliance on massively centralised data systems” and a “recklessness towards personal data” which has left us all vulnerable as individuals and society as whole. In fact the exact words he used were that the way the government has handled data security has created systems that are, at the same time, “valuable, vulnerable and attractive to attack.”

The average Brit is worth 10,000 quid online

According to a YouGov survey published today by VeriSign the average UK consumer is worth £10,077 ($20,000) online in terms of banking, gaming and shopping accounts. The pan-European survey on consumer attitudes to online security concludes that UK Internet users are putting as much as £361 billion ($720 billion) at risk by sharing data on poorly protected web sites.

Scareware scammer makes 10 million bucks in 3 years

A hearty slap on the back must go to authorities in South Korea who have arrested and charged the 41 year old ex-CEO of an antivirus software company with distributing fake security scareware. Lee Shin-ja was formerly CEO with security outfit Media Port, and stands accused of distributing the 'free' bogus software to an astonishing 3.96 million users since 2005, with 1.26 million of them going on to buy the full product. Of course, they only reached for the wallet after being presented by fake security warnings in the free product which directed them to upgrade in order to clean the non-existent infection from their PC.

Are Auntie Ethel's legs the future of security?

Veins are the news fingerprints.

Well that’s what the biometric boffins at Snowflake Technologies are hoping at any rate, with the release of a prototype Vein Pattern Recognition system. Just as no two fingerprints are the same so, say Snowflake, all of our vein patterns are just as unique. Which is quite handy, as anyone who has ever seen my Auntie Ethel’s legs will be relieved to know. Luckily, the VPR machines that Snowflake has developed does not require you to insert a varicose vein overloaded leg, but rather just your hand. A simple subcutaneous scan of vein patterns is made in about the same time as it takes to scan a fingerprint or eyeball, and recognition is just as quick and easy as well.

22 thousand dollars for four episodes of Friends

According to the Sunday Times one couple got more than they bargained for courtesy of the almost extortionate charges that mobile phone companies are allowed to levy in Europe when it comes to sending text or data while 'roaming' away from your home country. Although the case in question might be a little out of the ordinary, it does serve to highlight just how ridiculous the situation has been allowed to become. Mrs X decided to download no less than four episodes of the sitcom Friends via the unlimited broadband service on the mobile phone belonging to Mr X. Not as daft as it may sound, the episodes had been made available for free download and if Mr X had not needed to travel to Germany from the UK on business before the downloads had completed there would have been no additional charges made.