Federal Trade Commission – Page 4 – Computer Security Articles

Shopping for W2s, Tax Data on the Dark Web

January 31, 2017 admin Federal Trade Commission, Kirai Restaurant Group, Kirsta Grauberger, Other, seagate technology, Sunrun, tax refund fraud, The Payroll Professionals, W-2 fraud

The 2016 tax season is now in full swing in the United States, which means scammers are once again assembling vast dossiers of personal data and preparing to file fraudulent tax refund requests on behalf of millions of Americans. But for those lazy identity thieves who can’t be bothered to phish or steal the needed data, there is now another option: Buying stolen W-2 tax forms from other crooks who have phished the documents wholesale from corporations.

Independent Krebs

The FTC’s Internet of Things (IoT) Challenge

January 23, 2017 admin Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Gartner Inc., Internet of Things, IoT, IoT Home Inspector Challenge, LG, Other

One of the biggest cybersecurity stories of 2016 was the surge in online attacks caused by poorly-secured “Internet of Things” (IoT) devices such as Internet routers, security cameras, digital video recorders (DVRs) and smart appliances. Many readers here have commented with ideas about how to counter vulnerabilities caused by out-of-date software in IoT devices, so why not pitch your idea for money? Who knows, you could win up to $25,000 in a new contest put on by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC).