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The Researching Paralegal

~ Articles and Research for Legal Professionals

The Researching Paralegal

Category Archives: Computer Virus

“Smart” Cars and Hackers – We Should Have Seen This One Coming.

06 Wednesday Apr 2016

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Computer Forensics, Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, Cybersecurity, Identity Theft

≈ Comments Off on “Smart” Cars and Hackers – We Should Have Seen This One Coming.

Tags

Automobile Security, beSpacific Blog., Hackers, Priivacy, Sabrina I. Pacifici

Markey Report Reveals Automobile Security and Privacy Vulnerabilities, by Sabrina I. Pacifici, BeSpacific Blog

http://www.bespacific.com/markey-report-reveals-automobile-security-privacy-vulnerabilities/

New standards are needed to plug security and privacy gaps in our cars and trucks, according to a report released today by Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.). The report, called Tracking & Hacking: Security & Privacy Gaps Put American Drivers at Risk and first reported on by CBS News’ 60 Minutes, reveals how sixteen major automobile manufacturers responded to questions from Senator Markey in 2014 about how vehicles may be vulnerable to hackers, and how driver information is collected and protected. . . .

Continue reading →

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E-Filing Your Tax Return? Read This Before You Hit “Send.”

13 Saturday Feb 2016

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Cybersecurity, E-Filing, Encryption, Identity Theft, Internal Revenue Service, Legal Technology, Tax Law

≈ Comments Off on E-Filing Your Tax Return? Read This Before You Hit “Send.”

Tags

Angela Moscaritolo, E-Filing Taxes, Hackers, IRS, PC World, Turbo Tax

Hackers Trying to Steal Your Tax Refund With Stolen SSNs, by Angela Moscaritolo, PC World

http://bit.ly/1O8kgVv

[T]he IRS on Tuesday announced that hackers recently attempted to use some 464,000 stolen Social Security numbers and an automated bot to generate E-file PINs, which can be used to electronically file a tax return. The incident occurred last month, and the hackers were able to successfully access an E-file PIN with 101,000 of the SSNs.

*     *     *

Last year, Turbo Tax temporarily halted e-filing for state returns across the U.S. after it found ‘an increase in suspicious filings and attempts by criminals to use stolen identity information to file fraudulent state tax returns and claim tax refunds.’

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Seventh Circuit Denies Neiman Marcus’ Rehearing of Data Breach Class Action.

29 Tuesday Sep 2015

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, Appellate Law, Computer Forensics, Computer Virus, Cybersecurity, Identity Theft, Malware

≈ Comments Off on Seventh Circuit Denies Neiman Marcus’ Rehearing of Data Breach Class Action.

Tags

Data Breach, Hackers, Hunton and Williams, Identity Theft, Privacy, Privacy & Information Security Law Blog, Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals

Seventh Circuit Denies En Banc Review For Data Breach Class Action, Privacy & Information Security Law Blog posted by Hunton and Williams

https://www.huntonprivacyblog.com/2015/09/29/seventh-circuit-denies-en-banc-review-for-data-breach-class-action/

Plaintiffs, Neiman Marcus cardholders, brought a class action against the store for damages caused by a 2013 data breach. Hackers accessed customers’ credit and debit cards, as well as other personal information. The Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, ruled that the individual Plaintiffs and the class action against Neiman Marcus lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution.

Plaintiffs appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The link takes you to the Seventh Circuit’s opinion explaining how Plaintiffs prevailed and why it reversed and remanded the case. Neiman Marcus filed for rehearing. The Seventh Circuit followed its usual habit, and denied it.

The Seventh Circuit’s analysis of its reasons ruling that Plaintiffs had met the three requirements for Article III standing is well worth the read. An added bonus is the link to the 2014 edition of The Practitioner’s Handbook for Appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, -CCE

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All Types Of 2015 Internet Privacy Protection Sites.

14 Sunday Dec 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Clouds, Computer Forensics, Computer Virus, Cybersecurity, Document Retention, Health Law, HIPAA, Law Office Management, Legal Ethics, Legal Technology, Technology, Technology

≈ Comments Off on All Types Of 2015 Internet Privacy Protection Sites.

Tags

LLRX.com, Marcus P. Zillman, Privacy Protection

Guide To Privacy Resources 2015, by Marcus P. Zillman, LLRX.com

http://www.llrx.com/features/privacyresources2015.htm

The Guide to Privacy Resources 2015 is a comprehensive listing of privacy resources currently available on the Internet. These include associations, indexes, search engines as well as individual websites and sources that supply the latest technology and information about privacy and how it relates to you and the Internet. These resources and sources will help you to discover the many pathways available to you through the Internet to find the latest privacy sources and sites. . . .

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Westlaw Public Records Database Breached. Who Is Affected?

16 Sunday Nov 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Cybersecurity, Encryption, Identity Theft, Legal Technology, Privacy, References, Research, Westlaw

≈ Comments Off on Westlaw Public Records Database Breached. Who Is Affected?

Tags

Credit Monitoring, Data Breach, Identity Theft, New Hampshire, Privacy, Westlaw

Westlaw Discloses Breach Of Public Records Database, by Sabrina I. Pacifici, BeSpacific Blog

http://tinyurl.com/pffqhny

News release: ‘West Publishing Corporation, a unit of Thomson Reuters, has notified the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office of a breach involving their Westlaw subscription-only public records database. In a letter dated November 4th to those affected, Senior Vice President Andy Martens explained that on October 14, they detected unusual search activity. Investigation revealed that some subscribers’ passwords had been compromised and used to access the database. The types of information involved included addresses, date of birth, and in some cases, driver’s license numbers and Social Security numbers. No bank account or credit card information was involved. In response to the breach, West removed external access to full sensitive identifiers in public records, forced a password reset on all public user accounts, and implemented  additional technological controls to detect and respond to searches of more limited public records that also appeared unauthorized. Federal law enforcement was also contacted. West offered those affected two years of free credit monitoring with Experian ProtectMyID Elite. Nine NH residents were notified. The total number of individuals notified was not indicated in their report to New Hampshire.’

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Huge Cyberattack on JPMorgan Chase and Wall Street – How Far Does It Go?

05 Sunday Oct 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Computer Forensics, Cybersecurity, Encryption, Identity Theft, Legal Technology

≈ Comments Off on Huge Cyberattack on JPMorgan Chase and Wall Street – How Far Does It Go?

Tags

Banks, beSpacific Blog., Cyberattack, Finance, Hackers, JPMorgan Chase, New York Times, Russia, Sabrina Pacifici, Wall Street

Hackers’ Attack Cracked 10 Companies in Major Assault – NYT, by Matthew Goldstein, Nicole Perlroth, and David E. Sanger, New York Times, posted by Sabrina Pacifici, BeSpacific Blog

http://tinyurl.com/o3vf8fq

We have heard of other hacks on that stole information from credit/debit cards and other financial and personal data. This is far more serious. It was first discovered in July, and the investigation is ongoing.  Initial reports of the damage and who caused it have changed as the investigation progresses. -CCE  

‘The huge cyberattack on JPMorgan Chase that touched more than 83 million households and businesses was one of the most serious computer intrusions into an American corporation. But it could have been much worse. Questions over who the hackers are and the approach of their attack concern government and industry officials. Also troubling is that about nine other financial institutions — a number that has not been previously reported — were also infiltrated by the same group of overseas hackers, according to people briefed on the matter. The hackers are thought to be operating from Russia and appear to have at least loose connections with officials of the Russian government, the people briefed on the matter said. It is unclear whether the other intrusions, at banks and brokerage firms, were as deep as the one that JPMorgan disclosed on Thursday. The identities of the other institutions could not be immediately learned. The breadth of the attacks — and the lack of clarity about whether it was an effort to steal from accounts or to demonstrate that the hackers could penetrate even the best-protected American financial institutions — has left Washington intelligence officials and policy makers far more concerned than they have let on publicly. Some American officials speculate that the breach was intended to send a message to Wall Street and the United States about the vulnerability of the digital network of one of the world’s most important banking institutions.’ . .  .

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Wait! Don’t Click On That Link!

16 Tuesday Sep 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Computer Virus, Cybersecurity, Emails, Legal Technology, Malware, Trojans

≈ Comments Off on Wait! Don’t Click On That Link!

Tags

Email, Ian Paul, Mail Merge, Malware, PC World, Spam

Three Warning Signs That Email Is Malicious, by Ian Paul, PC World

http://tinyurl.com/lsjgxv7

Email spam filtering is far better than it used to be. There was a time when nearly every scam email would land in your inbox. Thankfully that’s not the case anymore—especially if you’re a Gmail user.

But no system is perfect. Every now and then a scam message will manage to slip into your inbox. But how do you know when you’re looking at a scam or not?

Here are three basic tip-offs you can look for to figure out whether you’re looking at an email with dishonest intentions. They’re hardly an exhaustive list, but more often than not one of these tips will save you from getting suckered. . . .

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Canvas Fingerprinting – The Online Computer Tracking Device Almost Impossible To Block.

23 Wednesday Jul 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Computer Forensics, Cybersecurity, Identity Theft, Legal Technology

≈ Comments Off on Canvas Fingerprinting – The Online Computer Tracking Device Almost Impossible To Block.

Tags

AdBlock Plus, AddThis, Canvas Fingerprints, Computer Code, Computer Forensics, Computer Tracking, Julia Angwin, Mashable, Privacy, ProPublica, User Profiles

Meet the Online Tracking Device That is Virtually Impossible to Block, by Julia Angwin, ProPublica

(This story was co-published with Mashable.)

http://tinyurl.com/mbqqrw

Update: After this article was published, YouPorn contacted us to say it had removed AddThis technology from its website, saying that the website was ‘completely unaware that AddThis contained a tracking software that had the potential to jeopardize the privacy of our users.’  A spokeswoman for the German digital marketer Ligatus also said that is no longer running its test of canvas fingerprinting, and that it has no plans to use it in the future.

A new, extremely persistent type of online tracking is shadowing visitors to thousands of top websites, from WhiteHouse.gov to YouPorn.com.

First documented in a forthcoming paper by researchers at Princeton University and KU Leuven University in Belgium, this type of tracking, called canvas fingerprinting, works by instructing the visitor’s Web browser to draw a hidden image. Because each computer draws the image slightly differently, the images can be used to assign each user’s device a number that uniquely identifies it.

*      *     *

Like other tracking tools, canvas fingerprints are used to build profiles of users based on the websites they visit — profiles that shape which ads, news articles, or other types of content are displayed to them.

But fingerprints are unusually hard to block: They can’t be prevented by using standard Web browser privacy settings or using anti-tracking tools such as AdBlock Plus.

The researchers found canvas fingerprinting computer code, primarily written by a company called AddThis, on 5 percent of the top 100,000 websites. . . .

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10 Top Law-Related TED Videos.

20 Sunday Jul 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Bad Legal Writing, Computer Forensics, Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, Computer Virus, Copyright, Criminal Law, Cybersecurity, Digital Millenium Copyright Act, Discovery, Encryption, Evidence, Finance and Banking Law, Fraud, Google, Government, Identity Theft, Intellectual Property, Law Office Management, Legal Technology, Legal Writing, Legalese, Malware, Management, Patent Law, PC Computers, Plain Language, Presentations, Search Engines, Trial Tips and Techniques, Trojans, Video

≈ Comments Off on 10 Top Law-Related TED Videos.

Tags

Copyright, Crime, Eyewitness, Fashion Industry, Government, Internet, Legal Productivity Blog, Legalese, Patent Troll, Plain Language, TED, Tim Baran

Top 10 Legal TED Talks, by Tim Baran, Legal Productivity Blog

http://www.legalproductivity.com/op-ed/top-10-legal-ted-talks/

Have you heard of TED? It began in 1984 as a conference and now covers a wide range of topics in more than 100 languages.  Think of it as a massive brain trust that shares great ideas and information.

Each of the law-related TED talks listed in this article are worthwhile on their own: (1) four ways to fix a broken legal system; (2) eliminate legalese by using plain English; (3) how to beat a patent troll; (4) how the Internet will change government; (5) laws that choke creativity; (6) copyright law; (7) why eyewitnesses get it wrong; (8) how technology could make crime worse; (9) the Internet and anonymity online; and (10) how great leaders inspire. -CCE

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The Hole In Mobile Security Making Your Phone An Easy Target.

15 Sunday Jun 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Android Phones, Cell Phones, Cybersecurity, Encryption, Fraud, Identity Theft, iPad, iPhones, Legal Technology, Malware, Tablets

≈ Comments Off on The Hole In Mobile Security Making Your Phone An Easy Target.

Tags

All Tech Considered, Apple, AT&T, Comcast, Dave Porcello, Encryption, Facebook, Google, Hackers, Internet, Mobile Phones, NPR, Pwn Plug, Sean Gallagher, Security, Starbucks, Steve Henn, Twitter, Wi-Fi, Yahoo

Here’s One Big Way Your Mobile Phone Could Be Open To Hackers, by Steve Henn, All Tech Considered, NPR

http://tinyurl.com/l2re8ll

Despite the fact that every major Internet provider has added some kind of encryption to its services over the past year, tracking your online traffic is easier than you think.

And you don’t have to be the target of the hacker or the NSA for your traffic to be intercepted. There is a hole in mobile security that could make tens of millions of Americans vulnerable.

Unsecure Wi-Fi networks have been a well-known vulnerability in the tech industry for years. They can let even the most unsophisticated hacker capture your traffic and possibly steal your identity. . . .

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Why Are U.S. Employees The Weakest Link In America’s Cybersecurity?

27 Tuesday May 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Cybersecurity, Law Office Management, Legal Technology, Malware, Office Procedures, Technology, Trojans, Using Social Media

≈ Comments Off on Why Are U.S. Employees The Weakest Link In America’s Cybersecurity?

Tags

Chinese, Comment Crew, Cybersecurity, e-Discovery Team®, Hackers, Ralph Loosey, Unit 61398

U.S. Employees Are Weakest Link In America’s Cybersecurity – Part One, by Ralph Loosey, e-Discovery Team®

http://tinyurl.com/kkltm9p

The Chinese army knows this vulnerability and attacks American employees every day to steal trade secrets and gain commercial advantage for Chinese businesses.

Criminal hackers can cause tremendous damage, whether trained in China or not. If a high level expert, such as any member of China’s elite Unit 61398, aka Comment Crew, gets into your system, they can seize root control, and own it. They can then plant virtually undetectable back doors into your systems. This allows them to later come and go as they please. . . .

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A Double Treat – Two-Part Posts On Cybersecurity and Outsourcing From Ralph Losey.

19 Monday May 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, Computer Virus, Confidentiality, Document Retention, Emails, Encryption, Heartbleed, Law Office Management, Legal Ethics, Legal Technology, Malpractice, Malware, Technology, Technology, Trojans

≈ Comments Off on A Double Treat – Two-Part Posts On Cybersecurity and Outsourcing From Ralph Losey.

Tags

Cybersecurity, Data Breach, e-Discovery Team®, ESI, Legal Ethics, Legal Technology, Outsourcing, Ralph Losey

The Importance of Cybersecurity to the Legal Profession and Outsourcing as a Best Practice – Part One, by Ralph Losey, e-Discovery Team®

http://tinyurl.com/oalblet

and,

The Importance of Cybersecurity to the Legal Profession and Outsourcing as a Best Practice – Part Two, by Ralph Losey, e-Discovery Team®

http://tinyurl.com/mjek896

It is worth taking the time to read the Comments for both Part One and Part Two. -CCE

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PC World’s Answer Line — Solutions to Various Computer Problems.

11 Sunday May 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Computer Virus, Legal Technology, Malware, Microsoft Office, PC Computers

≈ Comments Off on PC World’s Answer Line — Solutions to Various Computer Problems.

Tags

Answer Line Solutions, Gmail, Hard Drives, IP Address, Lincoln Spector, Malware, Microsoft Office, PC Computers, PC World, Wi-Fi

Answer Line Solutions, Tips and Answers for PC Problems from Lincoln Spector, PC World

http://www.pcworld.com/column/answer-line/

You may not want or have the skills to build or fix your PC computer. But no doubt there are a few things you would like to do for yourself, such as, recovering a deleted file? What about setting — and keeping — a preferred default font in Word or recovering files after a malware attack? Even if you are tech-challenged, this site answers all types of questions in a language anyone can understand. Browse a while. You may find something that interests you. -CCE

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Fixing the Internet Explorer Bug.

30 Wednesday Apr 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Computer Virus, Law Office Management, Legal Technology, Search Enginges

≈ Comments Off on Fixing the Internet Explorer Bug.

Tags

Compujurist Blog, Internet Explorer, Nerino Petro, Search Engines, Steve Gibson, Terry Cole, Windows XP

FIXED – Internet Explorer Bug-Of-The-Day, by Nerino Petro, Compujurist Blog

http://bit.ly/1hUNhbI

Here is a great video and post with steps on how to protect yourself from the IE monster affecting ALL versions of IE  that has been making news this week. Steve Gibson created the initial steps but left out a few things. Terry Cole from Cole Informatics added these and created the video and post. If you’re running Windows XP, you especially need to check this out. See it here.

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The Mashable Hit List.

13 Sunday Apr 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Android Phones, Apps, Cell Phones, Clouds, Computer Virus, Disaster Preparedness, Dropbox, Emails, Encryption, Google, Heartbleed, Identity Theft, Law Firm Web Sites, Law Office Management, Legal Blogs, Legal Technology, Malware, Office Procedures, Passwords, PC Computers, Search Enginges, Technology, Using Social Media

≈ Comments Off on The Mashable Hit List.

Tags

Computer Bugs, Computer Fraud, Heartbleed, Identity Theft, Law Office Management, Password Managers, Passwords, Social media, The Mashable Team

The Heartbleed Hit List: The Passwords You Need to Change Right Now, The Mashable Team

http://mashable.com/2014/04/09/heartbleed-bug-websites-affected/

If you wondered whether any main specific websites are affected, such as Yahoo, this list will help you.  It will also help explain the Heartbleed bug,  and why you should pay attention to what it is. If you want to know whether your specific bank was compromised, this list may not answer all your questions. So, if you’re not sure whether you should change your password, go ahead and do it.

Even better, find a password manager in this list of the best of the best from PC Magazine by Neil J. Rubenking — http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2407168,00.asp. If you use one password for more than one website — and lots of people do — this is a good solution and a wise move regardless of the Heartbleed bug. -CCE

 

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More on Heartbleed.

12 Saturday Apr 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Android Phones, Apple, Apps, Cell Phones, Chrome, Clouds, Heartbleed, Malware

≈ Comments Off on More on Heartbleed.

Tags

Computer Virus, Computers, Divorce Discourse, Hackers, Heartbleed, Lee Rosen, Malware, Passwords

Heartbleed Security Flaw Got You Worried? Good., by Lee Rosen, Divorce Discourse

http://www.divorcediscourse.com/heartblead-security-flaw-worried-good/

If I haven’t gotten your attention yet, more on Heartbleed. -CCE

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The Heartbleed Bug – What Is It And What To Do About It.

12 Saturday Apr 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Android Phones, Apps, Cell Phones, Chrome, Clouds, Computer Virus, Legal Technology, Malware

≈ Comments Off on The Heartbleed Bug – What Is It And What To Do About It.

Tags

Computer Security, Fraud Alert, Hackers, Heartbeat Bug, Identity Theft, Passwords, PC Magazine, PCMag, Scammers

Heartbleed: The Complete Rundown, by PCMag Staff http://tinyurl.com/muscrx5 The Heartbeat Bug was THE news this week.  Knowing that it is here, and cannot be avoided is one thing.  Knowing about to do about it is critical. Change your passwords, especially to to online banking, e-mail, apps, and other things we’ve taken for granted. -CCE

The Heartbleed bug is the big news in tech this week, an exploit that has been in the wild since 2012 and has left countless Internet users open to scammers. PCMag and the SecurityWatch team have been keeping tabs on all the news, so check out our coverage below, and check back for updates. . . .

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How Target Missed Malware Alarms and Blew It.

14 Friday Mar 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, Consumer Law, Credit Repair, Criminal Law, Finance and Banking Law, Identity Theft

≈ Comments Off on How Target Missed Malware Alarms and Blew It.

Tags

Bangalore, Bloomberg Businessweek, FireEye, Gregg Steinhafel, Hackers, Internet Security, Jim Walter. McAfee, Malware, Nieman Marcus, Target, Technology, U.S. Department of Justice, Verizon Enterprise Solutions

Missed Alarms and 40 Million Stolen Credit Card Numbers: How Target Blew It, by Michael Riley, Ben Elgin, Dune Lawrence, and Carol Matlack, Bloomberg  Businessweek Technology

http://tinyurl.com/njsy4rm

The biggest retail hack in U.S. history wasn’t particularly inventive, nor did it appear destined for success. In the days prior to Thanksgiving 2013, someone installed malware in Target’s (TGT) security and payments system designed to steal every credit card used at the company’s 1,797 U.S. stores. At the critical moment—when the Christmas gifts had been scanned and bagged and the cashier asked for a swipe—the malware would step in, capture the shopper’s credit card number, and store it on a Target server commandeered by the hackers.

It’s a measure of how common these crimes have become, and how conventional the hackers’ approach in this case, that Target was prepared for such an attack. . . .

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Federal Government Is On Board The Eight Pending Lawsuits Against Health Management Associates Inc.

03 Monday Feb 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in False Claims Act, Fraud, Health Law

≈ Comments Off on Federal Government Is On Board The Eight Pending Lawsuits Against Health Management Associates Inc.

Tags

Alabama, Arkansas, Emergency Room, ER, False Claims Act, Federal Health Care, Florida, Fraud, Gary Newsome, Georgia, Health Management Associates Inc., HMA, Hospitals, Inpatient Admissions, Kentucky, Kickbacks, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina Supreme Court, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas Supreme Court, Washington, West Virginia

Government Intervenes in Lawsuits Against Health Management Associates Inc. Hospital Chain Alleging Unnecessary Inpatient Admissions and Payment of Kickbacks, by Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/January/14-civ-037.html

The government has intervened in eight False Claims Act lawsuits against Health Management Associates Inc. (HMA) alleging that HMA billed federal health care programs for medically unnecessary inpatient admissions from the emergency departments at HMA hospitals and paid remuneration to physicians in exchange for patient referrals, the Justice Department announced today.  The government also has joined in the allegations in one of these lawsuits that Gary Newsome, HMA’s former CEO, directed HMA’s corporate practice of pressuring emergency department physicians and hospital administrators to raise inpatient admission rates, regardless of medical necessity.  HMA operates 71 hospitals in 15 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and West Virginia.

*     *     *

The lawsuits allege that HMA’s corporate officers, at the direction of Newsome, exerted significant pressure on doctors in the emergency department to admit patients who could have been placed in observation, treated as outpatients or discharged, and that this resulted in the submission of inflated or false claims to federal health care programs.  One lawsuit also alleges that patients were improperly admitted for scheduled surgical procedures that should have been done on an outpatient basis.  The complaints further allege that HMA paid kickbacks, either in the form of bonuses or awarded contracts, to physician groups staffing HMA emergency rooms to induce the physicians to admit patients unnecessarily. . . .  [Emphasis added.]

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IRS Service Is Going From Bad To Worse.

20 Monday Jan 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Fraud, Government, Identity Theft, Internal Revenue Service

≈ Comments Off on IRS Service Is Going From Bad To Worse.

Tags

Allison Linn, CNBC, Fraud Alert, Identity Theft, Identity theft fraud alert, Internal Revenue Service, IRS, National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson, Taxpayer

Why IRS Customer Service Is Bad (And May Get Worse), by Allison Linn, CNBC

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101339980

[G]iven its limited resources, the IRS said that in 2014 it will stop preparing tax returns for people who need help, such as those who are elderly or disabled. The agency also plans to answer only “basic” tax law questions, and only during the normal filing season through April 15. Instead, it will direct people to the website and other automated sources of information.  . . .

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LinkedIn’s Lawsuit Alerts Users To Be Pickier Accepting Invitations.

18 Saturday Jan 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, Digital Millenium Copyright Act

≈ Comments Off on LinkedIn’s Lawsuit Alerts Users To Be Pickier Accepting Invitations.

Tags

Bots, Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, Digital Millenium Copyright Act, GigaOM, Jeff John Roberts, LinkedIn, Profiles, Scraping

Linkedin Sues To Stop Bots That Are Stealing Its User Profiles, by Jeff John Roberts, Gigaom

http://tinyurl.com/kqrmr9h

LinkedIn has filed a lawsuit to stop competitors that are scraping its servers and gathering hundreds of thousands of LinkedIn’s users’ profiles. The competitors use bots that use the information stolen from LinkedIn to create false profiles that attempt to interact with LinkedIn’s users. LinkedIn’s Complaint is included in Mr. Roberts’ post. -CCE

[I]t’s not immediately clear if LinkedIn has a clear-cut legal case since it is not necessarily illegal to copy information from a website. In its complaint, the company is relying on its own terms of services that forbid scraping as well as the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and the Digital Millenium Copyright Act.

In the meantime, LinkedIn users may wish to be wary about which invitations to connect they accept.

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How To Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft.

13 Monday Jan 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Fraud, Identity Theft

≈ Comments Off on How To Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft.

Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week, Consumer Information, Federal Trade Commission

http://tinyurl.com/o4wt6c9

As more news about the personal information stolen from Target, identity theft is a valid concern. -CCE

Tax identity theft happens when someone uses your Social Security number to get a tax refund or a job. Find out what you can do about it, and how you can help others during Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week.

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Phony Court Cases Carry Computer Virus.

13 Monday Jan 2014

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Computer Virus, Research

≈ Comments Off on Phony Court Cases Carry Computer Virus.

Tags

Computer Virus, Email Virus, The Third Branch

Public Alert: Scam Emails About Phony Court Cases Carry Computer Virus, The Third Branch News

http://tinyurl.com/o9pvqp8

The federal judiciary has learned of an email scam, in which emails purporting to come from federal and state courts are infecting recipients with computer viruses.

 

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Billionaire Hedge Fund Titan Stumbles Over Questions About Insider Trading in Video Deposition

06 Wednesday Nov 2013

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Corporate Law, Depositions, Discovery, Evidence, Fraud, SEC, Trial Tips and Techniques

≈ Comments Off on Billionaire Hedge Fund Titan Stumbles Over Questions About Insider Trading in Video Deposition

Tags

FRONTLINE, Hedge Funds, Insider trading, Securities and Exchange Commission, Steven Cohen

Seal of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commi...

Exclusive: Watch Billionaire Steven Cohen Stumble Over Insider Trading Rules, by Nick Verbitsky, Martin Smith, and Dan Sugarman, FRONTLINE

http://to.pbs.org/188ekb9

In a never-before-published video, hedge fund titan Steven A. Cohen, whose firm this week agreed to plead guilty to securities fraud, describes federal securities laws as “vague,” and asks for an explanation of the basic Securities and Exchange Commission rule that prohibits insider trading.

*         *        *

The video offers a rare glimpse of the secretive billionaire investor at the center of the biggest insider trading prosecution in U.S. history talking about the very issues that have put him and his firm under such intense scrutiny.

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Resources from the Offices of the United States Attorney . . . and more.

02 Saturday Nov 2013

Posted by Celia C. Elwell, RP in Criminal Law, Discovery, Federal Law, Fraud, References, Research, Trial Tips and Techniques

≈ Comments Off on Resources from the Offices of the United States Attorney . . . and more.

Tags

Bullying, DOJ, FOIA, Fraud, Freedom of Information Act, National Security, Prescription Drug Abuse, United States Attorney, United States Department of Justice, Victim's Rights

Resources, Offices of the United States Attorney
http://perma.cc/0pU5ocUruhw

FOIA/Privacy Act Requests – “How to” submit FOIA requests
http://perma.cc/0xyPEK7KcCN

FOIA Library – Available to public about office’s operations
http://perma.cc/07JeT6GjPPp

Annual Statistical Reports – Accomplishments for each fiscal year
http://perma.cc/09vkJheop6X

Victim’s Rights Ombudsman – Complaints filed against DOJ employees
http://perma.cc/07fbNaXZcka

United States Attorney’s Bulletin – Legal or technical topics
http://perma.cc/0QdV5c8XtUK

United States Attorney’s Manual – The official handbook
http://perma.cc/0djGLTsgpwy

This is a sample of the great information at this website. See more at Priority Areas (http://perma.cc/0ssbcTres9kl) and Justice 101 (http://perma.cc/0B27rPGVtMV). CCE

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