December 26, 2002 ID thief turns to extorting victim Pay $400 or Ill make your digital life miserable, hacker says. Now its getting personal. A criminal trying to turn stolen personal data into cash has apparently seized on a new, low-tech method direct threats. A California teacher who had her identity stolen in early December managed to foil most of the bank account transfers attempted by the thief. So the criminal turned to personal extortion instead, saying he would leave her alone if she paid $400. When she ignored the demand, the threats escalated: Im very angry, he wrote. Now, you have one big trouble - me! Ill hack all your passwords, all your accounts! Ill spend all your money! http://www.msnbc.com/news/851175.asp - - - - - - - - FBI sets up a cybercrime center in South Carolina The FBI, the Secret Service and state law enforcement agencies last week opened a joint South Carolina Computer Crime Center, which will analyze electronic evidence of high-tech crimes and train forensic specialists. Tom ONeill, FBI spokesman for the Columbia field office, said in a statement that there are similar centers in New York City, San Diego and Texas, and the bureau is working to establish other state and federal partnerships in Los Angeles and Minneapolis. http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/20736-1.html - - - - - - - - The Cybersecurity Industrial Complex The Feds have a massive, multiagency plan to protect the national information infrastructure. Get ready for IT police and network smart bombs. Since the dawn of the information age, computer security commandos have battled the Four Horsemen of the Infocalypse: child pornographers, drug lords, mafiosi, and terrorists. A noble struggle, to be sure, but mostly vaporwar. Computer cops have long predicted that a massive cyberdisaster would transform their field from an underfunded annex into a law enforcement cornerstone. http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.01/view.html?pg=4 - - - - - - - - Report: FBI IT falls short The FBI is not effectively managing the costs, schedules and performance of its information technology investments, including its multimillion- dollar Trilogy program, according to the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General. In a report released Dec. 19, auditors found that the bureau does not have the management processes necessary to support successful IT programs. http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2002/1223/web-fbi-12-26-02.asp - - - - - - - - DOD purchases fingerprint scanners The Defense Department has ordered 450 new fingerprint readers that will help the Defense Manpower Data Center, DODs human resources arm, double-check the identities of newly hired employees. The department expects delivery of the units, called DFR 2080 single fingerprint readers, by Tuesday. Developed by Identix Inc. of Minnetonka, Minn., and released about two months ago, the scanners house new fingerprint imaging technology with a 500 dot-per-inch resolution. http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/20739-1.html - - - - - - - - Kroger lets shoppers pay via fingerprint Suppose you endured the checkout line at the grocery store only to find that you were short on cash, or you'd forgotten your wallet. What if you could settle the bill with just the touch of your finger? Kroger Co., the largest U.S. supermarket chain, is offering some customers just that opportunity, testing finger imaging as a method of payment in three of its Texas stores. A machine scans the index finger, matching the customer's unique fingerprint with the individual's account. http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/ptech/12/26/kroger.fingerprint.reut/index.html *********************************************************** Search the NewsBits.net Archive at: http://www.newsbits.net/search.html *********************************************************** The source material may be copyrighted and all rights are retained by the original author/publisher. The information is provided to you for non-profit research and educational purposes. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however copies may not be sold, and NewsBits (www.newsbits.net) should be cited as the source of the information. Copyright 2000-2002, NewsBits.net, Campbell, CA.