Tag: phishing

Technology #interop matters

Posted on by Russ DeVeau

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My communications experience in the digital identity management and technology sectors includes five years of managing global proactive industry analyst, media and social media relations for the Liberty Interoperable testing program.

This includes working with leading deployers of identity solutions such as the US GSA and governments around the world, as well as with top vendors in the identity sector such as Entrust, IBM, Microsoft, Novell, Ping Identity, SAP and Siemens to position and promote the program and vendor products in global markets.

Select positioning and media and industry analyst placements follow. – Russ DeVeau

Internet News – Liberty Alliance Unveils Improved SAML Certification
Government Computer News – SAML-compliant products named
eWeek – Federated Identity: More Security Products Take Home Passing Grades
ZDNet – Liberty Alliance endorses new ID products
TechTarget – SAML gains momentum
InfoWorld – Seven pass latest Liberty Alliance conformance tests
GCN – Single sign-on protocol gains steam as more products are certified 
Network World – Microsoft passes its first SAML 2.0 interoperability test 
Dark Reading – Seven Big-Name Vendors Pass SAML 2.0 Interoperability Testing 
Gartner – New Identity Federation Moves Should Help Increase Adoption 
 
 

OneID – The New Kid on the Block

Posted on by Russ DeVeau

I’ve worked in the digital identity space for quite a while supporting the global positioning of organizations, standards and a variety of security and privacy initiatives from both the technology and policy perspectives. This is why I’m keeping an eye on OneID, the newest kid on the block in the identity space. With $7 million in new funding, will OneID be the one to bring the need for multiple passwords to an end? – Russ DeVeau

Online identity theft and your mother’s maiden name

Posted on by Russ DeVeau

I’ve worked for many years with leading industry influencers and organizations working to advance a more secure, trusted and privacy-respecting internet.

This includes the launch of the Liberty Alliance Identity Theft Special Interest Group – the world’s first initiative to bring people and organizations together to collaboratively address identity theft issues on a global scale.

I have first-hand knowledge of some of the great organizations and some of the remarkable people working to combat the identity theft problem.

But even with all of the great work that has taken place to date, the risks – due in part to the incredibly rapid growth in social networking – remain high.

A survey released today by Faronics finds that an amazing 32% of respondents would send a password, banking info, or their mother’s maiden name via email or a social networking site.

As was the case ten years ago when the identity theft awareness issue was just beginning to explode, it would seem that educating on how to reduce risks that could lead to identity theft needs to remain a top industry priority. – Russ DeVeau

Intel: What happens in an Internet minute?

Posted on by Russ DeVeau

Intel has released a very cool piece highlighting what happens on the Internet every minute. Did you know that in just one minute…

…more than 204 million emails are sent

…approximately 20 million photos are viewed on Flickr

…at least 6 million Facebook pages are viewed around the world

…more than 61,000 hours of music are played on Pandora

…more than 1.3 million video clips are watched on YouTube

Given my focus areas, I’d also be interested in looking at the energy consumed in an Internet minute and at the security and privacy risks involved in the continuously growing social networking world.

Check out the Intel Inside Scoop blog for more highlights. – Russ DeVeau

Threat predictions 2012, scams and phishing on the rise

Posted on by Russ DeVeau

M86 Security Labs recently released Threat Predictions 2012, a paper that gives an overview of some of the security risk trends of 2011, and describes a number of potential risks organizations should be on the lookout for in 2012, including increased threats to public and private clouds.

Of course, risks associated with social networks such as Facebook and Twitter remain on the 2012 list as these sites continue to grow. The paper is timely as Pinterest – one of the newest and fastest growing social networking platforms – begins to see scams and phishing on the rise. – Russ DeVeau

Online privacy concerns continue

Posted on by Russ DeVeau

It was early 1999 when Scott McNealy was working at Sun Microsystems and made public remarks about having zero privacy online.

McNealy was generally referring to consumers engaging in online e-commerce transactions, a phenomenon that was still relatively new at the time.

McNealy’s comments generated headlines as businesses and privacy organizations – including organizations I have partnered with – were targeting an increasing number of online privacy issues.

Fast forward to today and it appears privacy remains a huge concern among consumers. Findings from a TRUSTe report published in Direct Marketing News show that 90% of consumers worry about privacy online.

It’s a timely read as businesses, Google and social networking sites have privacy policies that continue to evolve. – Russ DeVeau

A Big Day for Online Privacy?

Posted on by Russ DeVeau

As Google implements its new privacy policies, AP provides an overview of what these changes mean to Google’s over one billion users. This comes as ZDNet reports that Facebook is facing a nationwide class action lawsuit for tracking users even after they are logged out of the social network. – Russ DeVeau

500 million Twitter users

Posted on by Russ DeVeau

Twitter has hit 500 million users and is growing at over 1 million accounts per day.

While some analysts are questioning how many accounts are actually active, on average 13 new Twitter accounts are created every second.

I’m readying a new research project where nearly every Twitter feed I’m monitoring is filled with spam. I’m wondering how many of the 500 million Twitter accounts have been developed specifically for spamming purposes.

I’ll address Twitter spam in a best practices document I expect to release later this year. – Russ DeVeau

RSA Conference 2012 Features Keynotes by Tony Blair and Robert Mueller

Posted on by Russ DeVeau

One of the most important security events of the year begins next week in San Francisco. RSA USA 2012 features keynotes by Tony Blair, Former Prime Minister, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Robert S. Mueller, III, Director, U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. A big theme this year is protecting yourself and your company against cyber attacks and those who launch them.

I plan on attending this event. There’s still time to register. – Russ DeVeau

Fighting phishing with standards

Posted on by Russ DeVeau

A while back I worked on a program that brought the FBI, the U.S. Department of Justice and industry leaders in the digital identity management sector together to collaboratively address the growing online identity theft issue.

Yet as time passes the identity theft problem continues to grow. This is why it’s good to see the launch of a new organization made up of industry leaders working together to address phishing issues with industry standards. – Russ DeVeau