Two thirds of consumers rarely back up data
by David MastersTwo in five PC users in the UK have lost valuable files from their computers, a new survey revealed this week. A poll by security specialist Symantec found 38% of consumers have lost data from their PCs, yet two thirds (66%) rarely back up their data. Only one in five (22%) of those surveyed regularly backs up all the data on their PC; a higher percentage regularly checks the oil and water ...
May 11, 2009
US missile defence details bought on eBay
by David MastersTop secret details of America's missile defence system were found last week on the hard drive of a computer purchased on eBay. Information on the hard drive included a document outlining test launch procedures, blueprints of government facilities, and photographs of employees together with their personal details, including social security numbers. The leak was discovered by an international research team led by BT's Security Research Centre. University researchers from the UK, Australia, and ...
February 24, 2009
Popular passwords include ‘1234′ and ‘password’
by David MastersWhen 28,000 log-in details stolen from a well-known website were posted online recently, security firms discovered that a sizable minority of internet users are incredibly naive at setting their own password. Security analysts Cyber-Ark found that 14% of users choose sequential combinations such as 1234, QWERTY, or ABCD whilst 16% use their first name as a password. Four percent of users, meanwhile, opted for 'password' or a similar derivative as their password, ...