Information Week reports that more than half of social network users post private information online, exposing themselves to malware and identity theft.

A new study by Consumer Reports reveals that two-thirds of online households in the United States use Facebook or MySpace — almost double the number in 2009 — and 40% posted their full date of birth.

About one-quarter of Facebook users with children posted their kids’ names and pictures, which could expose them to predators. Seven percent of those polled include their home address. This, coupled with users’ frequent postings of vacation or travel plans.
Almost one-tenth of respondents had experienced problems such as malware, identity theft, harassment or scams as a result of their participation in a social network.

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ConsumerAffairs.com reports that digital photocopiers that retain copied information on a hard drive could pose a threat to your identity, if the copied information includes your personal data.

Hard drives have become routine for the midsize to large photocopiers found in many small and large businesses, especially those built since 2005, and all images scanned on the machines are stored in the hard drive, including documents with personal data such as medical history, Social Security numbers and bank account numbers.

Many of these photocopiers are often connected to an office network and businesses that are accessible to many people. This provides hackers with many opportunities to gain access to the network and steal stored data.

Many businesses fail to consider their copiers when putting a security system in place, putting customers at risk.Businesses should consider purchasing software that scrubs the disk or removes all the data from hard drives. They can also put a password on the copier that cannot be easily guessed, such as a numerical password similar to a PIN. The copier would then require the password to gain access to the stored data.

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KIMA CBS reports the top 10 mistakes people make that put them at risk of identity theft:

1. Not locking your mailbox.

2. Exposing your computer by not using a firewall, not running software updates, or not having enough protection against viruses.

3. Using the same password for every site. Once thieves learn it — they can access everything.

4. Using a simple password — like something with your name or birth date. Easy to hack means easy to abuse.

5. Using old passwords. Change them regularly because you probably won’t know it’s been compromised until it’s too late.

6. Using a debit card tied to your life savings. Instead, use a credit card with a small limit.

7. Giving away your own identity on social networking sites.

8. Treating your personal information like you do cash. Don’t give it to anyone who asks for it over the phone or email.

9. Letting thieves get their hands on your information.

10. Not keeping track of your money and credit.

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The New York Times reports that bogus and stolen accounts on Facebook are being sold in high volume on the black market.

During several weeks in February, VeriSign’s iDefense division tracked an effort to sell log-in data for 1.5 million Facebook accounts on several online criminal marketplaces, including one called Carder.su.

That hacker, who used the screen name “kirllos” tried to sell bundles of 1,000 accounts with 10 or fewer friends for $25 and with more than 10 friends for $45. This shows a significant expansion in the illicit market for social networking accounts, according to VeriSign.

Criminals steal log-in data for Facebook accounts, usually by using “phishing” techniques that trick users into disclosing their passwords or with malware that logs keystrokes. They then use the accounts to send spam, distribute malicious programs and run identity and other fraud.

Popularity: 2% [?]