New Security Issues

Greetings, Fellow IT Professionals!

I'm a little behind on the information I want to get out to you. The holidays are upon us, and I have been caught up in the moment... That means... SHOPPING! Not the kind where you camp out in front of the Best Buy for 2 days and miss Thanksgiving dinner. No, no, I do my shopping online. There are some very good deals to be had out there, but a word of caution.

KNOW YOUR SOURCE.

Be sure that you buy only from a trusted source. The 52" DPL HDTV you've been drooling over might seem like a steal at $1,000 - maybe becuase it is a steal - literally. Or, perhaps a scam to get you money and you get no product! Just remember...

CAVEAT EMPTOR! BUYER BEWARE!

On to some security news.

You may be excited to get that brand-new computer for your home or office. If it comes preloaded (or you are installing) Windows XP, be aware of the Trojan that had taken over the registration process. You could fall victim to a credit card scam.

We have all heard of a certain powerful sector of Americana, popularized mainly in political circles. Call them what you will - Soccer Moms, Hockey Moms, or whatever - the middle class mom who is trying to make ends meet and care for her kids carries a very powerful voice. Indeed, the past few elections seemed to focus on these hard-working moms as the key to winning elections.

Well, these women have the ability to travel in cyber-social circles on social networking sites, such as this one. Mommy Bloggers have the ability to share information, write product reviews and, perhaps most influentially, COMPLAIN. If there is something that a MommyBlogger doesn't like, in an instant, that complaint can be on the internet.

This is not a bad thing... From the days of Ralph Nader to Consumer Reports, the public has a need to know what products are good, which are bad, and which are harmful. Now, these product reviews can be updated instantaneously and read by literally millions of hockey moms around the world.

That's all for this edition. Until next time, enjoy some time with your family - and stay safe out there in cyberspace!

Dr. G.