Smart TV Maker Fined $2.2 Million For Spying on Its 11 Million Users

Your government is spying on you! Businesses are spying on you! Your phone and browser are constantly spying on you! Even your TV is spying on you! Yes, you should also worry about your "smart" TV, as one of the world's biggest smart TV makers Vizio has been caught secretly collecting its...

FTC Sues D-Link Over Failure to Secure Its Routers and IP Cameras from Hackers

--- Image Source: Book - Protect Your Windows Network from Perimeter to Data The United States' trade watchdog has sued Taiwan-based D-link, alleging that the lax security left its products vulnerable to hackers. The Federal Trade Commission FTC filed a lawsuit pdf against D-Link on Thursday,...

Netgear launches Bug Bounty Program for Hacker; Offering up to $15,000 in Rewards

It might be the easiest bug bounty program ever. Netgear launched on Thursday a bug bounty program to offer up to $15,000 in rewards to hackers who will find security flaws in its products. Since criminals have taken aim at a rapidly growing threat surface created by millions of new Internet of...

FTC: D-Link Failed to Secure Routers, IP Cameras

The Federal Trade Commission acknowledged on Thursday that it takes the security of the so-called internet of things seriously when it leveraged a complaint against one of the more popular router manufacturers. The lawsuit, filed at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California,...

FTC Issues Public Challenge to Improve IoT Patching

Admittedly, patching existing connected devices in the wild is easier said than done. But that’s not deterring the Federal Trade Commission from soliciting help in finding a solution. The U.S. government agency today announced the kickoff of the FTC IoT Home Inspector Challenge, a prize contest...

FTC sets $25,000 Prize for Automatic IoT Patch Management Solution

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has announced a "prize competition" for creating a software or hardware-based solution with the ability to auto-patch vulnerable Internet of Things IoT devices. Today we are surrounded by a number of Internet-connected devices. Our homes are filled with tiny...

FTC Releases Alert on Fake Apps for Mobile Devices

The Federal Trade Commission FTC has released an alert on fraudulent mobile apps designed to exploit consumers. Some fake apps may steal personal information such as credit card numbers. By taking precautions, users can protect themselves and their private data. US-CERT encourages users and...

Ashley Madison Dating Site Agrees to Pay $1.6 Million Fine Over Massive Breach

Ashley Madison, an American most prominent dating website that helps married people cheat on their spouses has been hacked, has agreed to pay a hefty fine of $1.6 Million for failing to protect account information of 36 Million users, after a massive data breach last year. Yes, the parent company...

Lawmakers Asking What ISPs Can Do About DDoS Attacks

IoT botnets and DDoS attacks have prominent lawmakers asking government agencies some probing questions about what can be done. Sen. Mark Warner D-VA on Tuesday sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission—as well as the Federal Trade Commission and Homeland Security—querying among othe...

Potential Hurricane Matthew Phishing Scams

US-CERT warns users to remain vigilant for malicious cyber activity seeking to capitalize on interest in Hurricane Matthew. Users are advised to exercise caution in handling any email with subject line, attachments, or hyperlinks related to Hurricane Matthew, even if it appears to originate from ...

Germany Orders Facebook to Stop Collecting Data on WhatsApp Users

A German privacy regulator issued an order this week prohibiting Facebook from collecting user data on German WhatsApp users, calling the company’s actions misleading and in violation of the nation’s data protection law. The move comes a few weeks after a recent WhatsApp policy change that said t...

FTC Releases Data Breach Recovery and Prevention Video

The Federal Trade Commission FTC has released a step-by-step video to users whose personal information may have been exposed in a data breach. This video provides instruction on how to report an incident and develop a personal recovery plan after a data breach has occurred. US-CERT encourages use...

Privacy Groups File FTC Complaint over WhatsApp Data Sharing with Facebook

Alleging a trail of broken promises, two privacy-focused advocacy groups yesterday filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission against a recent WhatsApp privacy policy change that states it will begin sharing user data with parent company Facebook. The Electronic Privacy Information Cente...

FTC Releases Alert on Securing Personal Information When Using Rental Vehicles

The Federal Trade Commission FTC has released recommendations for consumers to protect their personal data when using rental vehicles. Rental vehicles may contain infotainment systems that can connect with personal devices to stream music, allow hands-free calls and texts, or guide navigation...

FTC Releases Alert on Louisiana Flood Disaster Scams

The Federal Trade Commission FTC has released an alert on scams that cite the recent flood disaster in Louisiana. These charity scams take many forms, including emails containing links or attachments that direct users to phishing or malware-infected websites. Donation requests from fraudulent...

FTC Closes 70 Percent of Data Breach Investigations, Weighing PCI-DSS Standard

The Federal Trade Commission doesn’t investigate every reported breach, but when it comes to prosecuting data security cases it has an impressive 70 percent closure rate, according to agency officials. FTC Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen shed light on the agency’s approach to enforcing data securi...

Mobile Advertising Firm Found Tracking Users To Pay $950K

After settling charges with the Federal Trade Commission this week a mobile advertising company will pay nearly $1M after it was determined the company tracked customers – including children – without their consent. InMobi, an India-based firm with offices across the world, will pay $950,000 in...

FCC, FTC Investigate Mobile Security Update Practices

The glowing lack of public, real-world Stagefright exploits didn’t stop the U.S. government from using last summer’s blockbuster Android vulnerability as an illustration of the dangers facing mobile device users. Under the context of Stagefright exposing up to 1 billion devices to attack, the...

FCC takes initiative to Speed Up Mobile Security Updates

In Brief The Smartphone users are fed up with slow security updates, so two United States federal agencies have launched an official inquiry to know how manufacturers and carriers deal with mobile phone security updates and what they are doing to roll out patches as quickly as possible. The...

FTC Releases Alert on Earthquake Disaster Email Scams

The Federal Trade Commission FTC has released an alert on email scams that cite the recent earthquakes in Ecuador and Japan. The scam emails may contain links or attachments that direct users to phishing or malware-infected websites. Donation requests from fraudulent charitable organizations...