CID cyber tips: Protecting your online identity

Now more than ever, Soldiers, Army civilians, and family members rely on the Internet to work, study, stay connected with family and friends, pay their bills or simply unwind. For criminals, the Internet provides an endless stream of potential targets to be victimized.

The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, commonly known as CID, continually receives various reports ranging from identity theft to Internet scams, perpetrated by cyber criminals operating throughout the world. Law enforcement’s ability to identify these perpetrators is difficult and limited, so individuals must stay on the alert and be personally responsible for their online presence to protect both themselves and their loved ones.

As such, CID is providing the following information to help the greater Army community protect themselves online and significantly reduce the chance of becoming a victim of cyber crime.

How to protect yourself

ONLINE

• – Know the terms on social networking websites. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social networking sites privacy settings default to everyone. This means anyone, can view your profile, not just people you know. Users can and should change this by accessing the Privacy Settings/Profile Information usually found under the respective Account tab.
• – Sample social networking safely. Never disclose private information when using social networking websites. Be very selective about who you invite or accept invitations from as cyber criminals use false profiles to gain access to personal and private information, such as birthdates, marital status, and personal photographs. Posts containing personal identifying information (PII), including pictures containing metadata can be used against you and your family.
• – Click with caution. Always use caution when clicking on links in an email or a social networking post, even from someone you know. Reports of personal social networking accounts being hacked and taken over by criminals have increased in recent years. Clicking on a link that appears to be benign in nature may in fact contain embedded malware that can compromise your computer. Once compromised, the data on your computer can be exploited and even your computer can be remotely operated as a surrogate in online attacks against others.
• – Hide your profile from search engines. This can be accomplished by going to the Account/Privacy Settings/ Search and unchecking the “Public Search Results” box. This will remove your public preview from Google, Bing, and Yahoo search returns.
• – Prevent people from “tagging” you in photos and videos. To do this, go to the Account/Privacy Settings/Profile Information/Photos and Videos of Me and deselect the everyone default.
• – Keep your personal information safe. Don’t provide personal or financial information, user names, or passwords in response to an email, because legitimate companies generally don’t seek such information in this manner.
• – Install/update your anti-virus/firewall software. Antivirus and firewall software is a must for anyone to safely navigate online. Always keep your security software up to date in order to provide the most complete protection from malicious programs as thousands of new viruses are detected every year. Also, ensure your antivirus software program updates automatically and scans your computer on a recurring schedule.

Free antivirus support from ACERT. Current Department of Defense employees (excluding contractors, retirees, and family members) with an active AKO account can download antivirus software for free by logging in to the United States Army Computer Emergency Response Team website and selecting the Antivirus link.

SMARTPHONES/MOBILE DEVICES

• Know your Apps. When signing up with an app store or downloading individual apps, you may be asked for permission to let them access information on your device. Some apps may be able to access your phone and email contacts, call logs, Internet data, calendar data, data about the device’s location, the device’s unique ID, and information about how you use the app itself. If you’re providing information when you’re using the device, someone may be collecting it.
• Passwords protect all devices. The time to safeguard the information on your portable electronic device is not after it has been lost or stolen. Ensure all portable electronic devices are properly password protected, especially any device with personal communications account information (email, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.).
• “Brick” a stolen device. In recent years, roughly 40 percent of all robberies now involve smart phones and/or tablet computers (iPad, Kindle Fire, etc.). Thus endangering the security of the personal information on the stolen devices. If a person’s smart phone is lost or stolen, they may now contact the carrier and ask to have that device remotely disabled. These “Bricked” phones are of little or no use to thieves because they can’t be reactivated after being sold on the black market.

Where to go for help
If you are a victim of an online scam where the likeness of a U.S. Soldier was utilized (false social media/dating profiles, photographs, etc.) with no further Personally Identifiable Information disclosed, the following actions should be completed as soon as possible to assist law enforcement:

Report the theft to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, which is an FBI-NW3C Partnership. They are available online at http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx.

If you suspect you are a victim of identity theft, you should report the crime to the FBI IC3, as well as report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission. Your report helps law enforcement officials across the United States in their investigations.

They are available online at http://www.ftc.gov/idtheft

You can also call them at 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338) or TTY, 1-866-653-4261

You can mail in a complaint at: Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20580

CID strongly recommends that Soldiers, civilians and family members who have information of any known crime committed by a Soldier or a crime that occurred on their respective post, camp or station to report the incident to their local CID office or email CID at Army.CID.Crime.Tips@mail.mil.

CID Lookout is a U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, or USACIDC, initiative to partner with the Army community by providing a conduit for members of the Army family, to help prevent, reduce and report felony-level crime.

The USACIDC, commonly known as CID, is an independent criminal investigative organization that investigates serious, felony-level crime such as murder, rape, sexual assault, robbery, arson, fraud, and even cyber crime or intrusions into the Army networks (see CID Cyber Lookout).

Solving and preventing these types of crime cannot be achieved solely by CID Special Agents and the Military Police. Together, professional law enforcement officers and the Army community must work hand-in-hand to fight serious crime. As such, CID is On Point for the Army and depends heavily on Soldiers, family members and civilian employees to Be On The Lookout and provide assistance in keeping the Army Strong and safe.

CID Lookout provides the latest information to the Army community aimed at helping Soldiers protect themselves, their families and to reduce their chances of becoming crime victims.

For more information on CID or to report a felony-level crime or provide information concerning a crime, contact your local CID Office or the Military Police, or visit http://www.cid.army.mil.

Related Topic Tags

Related Defense, Military & Aerospace Forum Discussions

View the Original article

China, Indonesia lead sources of online attacks: study

China and Indonesia headed the list of 177 countries named as sources of Internet attacks, a security survey said Tuesday.

The survey from US security firm Akamai found China remained at the top of the list in the first quarter of 2013, but its share of all attacks dropped to 34 percent from 41 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012.

“This decline is likely related to Indonesia making a sudden appearance in the second place slot,” said Akamai’s Bill Brenner, noting that Indonesia’s share of cyber attacks surged to 21 percent from just 0.7 percent in the prior quarter.

The United States was the third largest source, but its share dropped to 8.3 percent from 10 percent earlier.

The next largest sources of cyber attacks were Turkey (4.5 percent), Russia (2.7 percent), India (2.6 percent), Taiwan (2.5 percent), Brazil (2.2 percent), Romania (2.0 percent) and Hong Kong (1.6 percent).

“We find that nearly 68 percent originated in the Asia Pacific/Oceania region, up from 56 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012, likely due to the massive increase seen in Indonesia,” Brenner said.

“Europe accounted for just under 19 percent, while North and South America originated just over 13 percent combined.”

Akamai also noted a four percent increase in the global average connection speed — to 3.1 megabits per second.

South Korea had the highest average connection speed at 14.2 Mbps and remained the country with the highest level of “high broadband” adoption, growing to 50 percent, the report said.

The report estimated more than 733 million unique Internet addresses from 243 countries or regions connected to the Akamai platform, an increase of 3.1 percent over the previous quarter and 10 percent year over year.

Since a single IP address can represent multiple individuals in some cases, Akamai estimated the total number of unique Web users connecting to its platform during the quarter to be well over one billion.

Related Topic Tags

Related Defense, Military & Aerospace Forum Discussions

View the Original article

German spy service plans more online surveillance: report

By Agence France-Presse on Tuesday, June 18th, 2013

Germany’s foreign intelligence service plans a major expansion of Internet surveillance despite deep unease over revelations of US online spying, Der Spiegel news weekly reported Sunday.

Spiegel said that the BND planned a 100 million euro ($130 million) program over the next five years to expand web monitoring with up to 100 new staff members on a “technical reconnaissance” team.

The report came ahead of a state visit to Berlin by US President Barack Obama during which the German government has pledged to take up the controversy over the US phone and Internet surveillance programs.

Spiegel said the BND aimed to monitor international data traffic “as closely as possible”, noting that it currently kept tabs on about five percent of emails, Internet calls and online chats while German law allowed up to 20 percent.

Unlike the US National Security Agency (NSA), Germany’s BND is not allowed to store the data but must filter it immediately.

“Of course our intelligence services must have an Internet presence,” Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich told Der Spiegel, without confirming the details of the report.

The state must ensure “that we balance the loss of control over communication by criminals with new legal and technological means,” he added.

Under the so-called PRISM program that was exposed this month, the NSA can issue directives to Internet firms such as Google and Facebook to gain access to emails, online chats, pictures, files and videos uploaded by foreign users.

Germany, where sensitivity over government surveillance is particularly heightened due to widespread spying on citizens by communist East Germany’s despised Stasi, said last week it was sending a list of questions to the Obama administration about the program.

The European Union has also expressed disquiet over the scheme and warned of “grave adverse consequences” to the rights of European citizens.

Related Topic Tags

Related Defense, Military & Aerospace Forum Discussions

View the Original article

New online game trains kids against cyber attacks

By Army News Service on Wednesday, November 7th, 2012

Worms, viruses, Trojan horses, and spyware: BEWARE!

The National Science Center, or NSC, is now training kids to stay safe from cyber attack malware when they’re surfing the web or using email and cell phones. A new online game called Cyber Swarm Defenders is targeted to 6th-8th grade students and is also appropriate for younger students.

The game is part of the NSC’s newest Cyber Ops education outreach program. The NSC is a public-private partnership between the U.S. Army and NSC, Inc., that uses its resources to stimulate and increase science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, known as STEM, proficiency in U.S. students, especially those in grades 4-9.

“Anything we can do to make the young students of our country understand the cyber threat and get them excited about STEM technologies has a big payoff,” said Ron Ross, chairman of the NSC.

“Educating students about cyber security threats and how to counteract them is imperative,” said Mike Krieger, the Army deputy chief information officer, who serves as the secretary of the Army’s proponent for the NSC. He also serves as the co-chairperson for the NSC’s Partnership Executive Committee, which provides overall direction and oversight for the NSC.

Cyber Swarm Defenders is deployed through the social networking site jabbersmack.com, which was built for children ages 13 and under. Kid-safe requirements are built in, including a parental control feature. This tower-defense strategy game integrates cyber security education and “learn to earn” mini-exercises. Students earn points, badges and game coins as they strengthen their defenses to advance through the game levels.

“Installing the game on a social network site allows us to reach a variety of students and an existing community of users,” said Krieger.

To access the game from the NSC’s website, go to http://www.NationalScienceCenter.org and click on the Cyber Swarm banner button. Or, go directly to http://www.jabbersmack.com/#/brands/view/VQYE. To play, participants must first register on jabbersmack–which is not accessible on some older versions of browsers.

“Our additional focus on cyber threats also significantly enhances the value proposition of the NSC Partnership,” Ross said.

Created by Congress in 1985, the NSC ‘s outreach programs include online teacher tools, two 18-wheeler Mobile Discovery Center vans, Junior ROTC STEM Outreach activities, and Cyber Ops. In addition to the new game, the Cyber Ops program links to a Malware Comic Book and Malware Mystery game that are also appropriate for older students.

Related Topic Tags

Related Defense, Military & Aerospace Forum Discussions

View the Original article