Security

Privacy Topic Center

News, trends, in-depth analysis and more about privacy and data privacy

Twitter jumps on Do Not Track bandwagon

Twitter has announced support for "Do Not Track," immediately implementing it to halt online tracking of users who trigger a setting in their browsers.
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Wireless tech makes healthcare security a 'major concern'

The use of wireless technology in the latest medical devices found in hospitals, health clinics and doctor offices has become a major concern of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Privacy advocates fear CISPA

Privacy advocates are riled up after the recent passing of the controversial Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act by the House, which occurred despite opposition from privacy advocates, lawmakers and the White House. Insider (registration required)

California moves to stop employers demanding Facebook passwords

The California assembly passed a bill on Thursday that prevents employers from demanding job applicants' passwords for accounts on Facebook or other social networking sites.

Twitter resists subpoena to release user's data without warrant

Twitter is contesting a court order requiring it to turn over private data on a user charged with disorderly conduct during the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York last year.

Cisco offers API to fight call fraud

Cisco this week at Interop 2012 released an API for its branch routers designed to enable third-party developers to write applications to enhance the security of phone calls over the router network.

Less than half of Facebook, Google users understand sites' privacy policies

Most users of Facebook and Google had fundamental gaps in understanding, even after reading privacy policies, about how the websites handled their information and how other Web users could discover it, according to a study released by the digital branding firm Siegel+Gale.

Mobile experts disagree on who should protect privacy

Users of mobile apps need more information about the ways those apps use their personal information, a group of experts agreed Thursday, but they didn't agree on who is most responsible for protecting user privacy.

Hackers blackmail Belgian bank with threats to publish customer data

Hackers claimed to have breached the systems of the Belgian credit provider Elantis and threatened to publish confidential customer information if the bank does not pay $197,000 before Friday.

Privacy group calls for hearings on Google StreetView snooping

U.S. lawmakers should reopen an investigation into the snooping on Wi-Fi networks by Google's Street View cars because of information in a U.S. Federal Communications Commission report that suggests several people at Google knew of the spying, a privacy group said Monday.

How Secure Are Your Facebook Apps?

How well do Facebook apps protect your privacy? Before you download something new and agree to share information, check out how Privacyscore rates its first.

Why Google should be allowed to 'harvest' your Wi-Fi data

The FCC cleared Google of wrongdoing in the so-called 'WiSpy' case. It was the right call, says columnist Mike Elgan, because Google did nothing wrong.

Anonymizer Universal Shields You From Content-Targeting

When you browse the Web, you are constantly being tracked. It's not personal: It's marketing. Website owners and ad networks want to learn as much as they can about you, so they can target their content and ads effectively. After all, there's not much use in showing ads for anti-aging products to a sixteen-year-old. That said, not all users appreciate being tracked so meticulously, and this is where Anonymizer Universal and other VPN applications come in.

Grading the Tech Policy Makers: A First Quarter Recap

It's been a busy 2012 on the Hill. As legislators and policymakers grapple with an array of issues central to the policy agendas of companies in the technology industry, CIO.com takes stock of how Washington has moved on intellectual property, cybersecurity, privacy and spectrum in the first quarter of 2012.

FCC's Ruling that Google's WiFi Snooping is Legal Sets Horrible Precedent

Anyone looking for assurance that the privacy of their home wireless networks would be protected from snoopers by government regulators won't find it in the Federal Communication Commission's recent action against Google.

How to tell if you're caught in the giant Global Payments credit card fraud

Fallout from the Global Payments fiasco that could affect potentially millions of credit cardholders continues. First, Visa over the weekend dropped the Atlanta-based credit card processor from its ranks as a partner "compliant" in accepted industry data security standards.

8 realities about location-based apps

Use your common sense before buying into the hype of location-based apps.

Google and the privacy Richter scale

Google's consolidation of its many privacy policies hasn't shaken the foundations of individuals' privacy rights enough to bring them tumbling down.

You are the product for The Google

As of March 1, if you hadn't erased your Google Web History and switched the feature off, you will have made a big mistake because Google has set itself on a course that will allow the company to find out way too much about you ... at least, way too much about you if you have any interest in maintaining your privacy.

Cool cop tech: 5 new technologies helping police fight crime

Not without controversy, police departments are turning to an array of tech devices including gunshot detection systems and eye-in-the-sky drones to investigate and solve cases.