Cybercrime wave sweeping Britain

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Cybercrime in the UK rose by more than 9% in 2007, according to a new report.

Online identity firm Garlik’s cybercrime report claims that more than 3.5 million online crimes were committed in the UK last year.

The majority of crimes related to fraud and abusive or threatening e-mails. There was an 8% drop in online identity theft and sexual offences fell 2%.

Tom Ilube, of Garlick, said he expected to see a growth in online financial fraud due to the credit crunch.

In 2007, the sharpest rise was in online financial fraud, with more than 250,000 incidents reported in 2007; a 20% rise on the previous year.

The report highlighted a growing professionalism among online criminals, with personal and credit details being traded online.

Garlik said that the information black market had doubled, with more than 19,000 illicit traders identified.

Abuse and blackmail

Online harassment also increased. More than two million people were the victim of an abusive email, false accusation or blackmail attempt.

It is thought the growing popularity of social networking sites helped drive this, providing a new widespread medium for online harassment.

However, there was a drop in cases of online identity theft, which fell 8% to just over 80,000 reported cases.

The number of online sexual offences also fell by 2% to 830,000.

The report warned that a rise in overall cybercrime was to be expected, with people resorting to illegal activities as the economic climate worsens.

Cybercrime is one of the fastest-growing criminal activities and covers a wide range of offences, including financial scams, hacking, harassment and identity theft.

But some people think the report is just the tip of the iceberg.

Andrew Goodwill, from fraud prevention specialists The 3rd Man, said cybercrime was mushrooming out of proportion.

“Cybercrime costs the country hundreds of millions every year,” he said.

“Retailers alone lost more than £270m in 2007 from internet fraud. And that’s just the figures reported by banks.

“These numbers are a shadow of the real figure. Pretty much everyone who goes online will be the subject of some kind of internet crime, be it phishing e-mails, virus attacks or malware,” he said.

According to the FBI, the UK is home to many of the perpetrators.

In a 2007 report by its Internet Crime Complaint Center, Britain came second after the United States (and before Nigeria) as the source of online crime.

Garlik’s chief executive Tom Ilube sounded a warning for the future.

“It’s critical in this time of financial crisis that individuals are vigilant with their personal information, because as long as the credit crunch continues, we can expect to see a real growth in online financial fraud,” he said.

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reference:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7697704.stm

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Internet use ‘good for the brain’

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For middle-aged and older people at least, using the internet helps boost brain power, research suggests.

A University of California Los Angeles team found searching the web stimulated centres in the brain that controlled decision-making and complex reasoning.

The researchers say this might even help to counteract the age-related physiological changes that cause the brain to slow down.

The study features in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

As the brain ages, a number of changes occur, including shrinkage and reductions in cell activity, which can affect performance.

It has long been thought that activities which keep the brain active, such as crossword puzzles, may help minimise that impact – and the latest study suggests that surfing the web can be added to the list.

Lead researcher Professor Gary Small said: “The study results are encouraging, that emerging computerised technologies may have physiological effects and potential benefits for middle-aged and older adults.

“Internet searching engages complicated brain activity, which may help exercise and improve brain function.”

The latest study was based on 24 volunteers aged between 55 and 76. Half were experienced internet users, the rest were not.

Compared with reading

Each volunteer underwent a brain scan while performing web searches and book-reading tasks.

Both types of task produced evidence of significant activity in regions of the brain controlling language, reading, memory and visual abilities.

However, the web search task produced significant additional activity in separate areas of the brain which control decision-making and complex reasoning – but only in those who were experienced web users.

The researchers said that, compared to simple reading, the internet’s wealth of choices required people to make decisions about what to click on in order to get the relevant information.

However, they suggested that newcomers to the web had not quite grasped the strategies needed to successfully carry out a web search.

Professor Smith said: “A simple, everyday task like searching the web appears to enhance brain circuitry in older adults, demonstrating that our brains are sensitive and can continue to learn as we grow older.”

Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said: “These fascinating findings add to previous research suggesting that middle-aged and older people can reduce their risk of dementia by taking part in regular mentally stimulating activities.

“Older web users – ’silver surfers’ – are doing precisely this.

“Frequent social interactions, regular exercise and maintaining a balanced diet can also reduce dementia risk.”

Dr Susanne Sorensen, head of research at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Use it or lose it may well be a positive message to keep people active but there is very little real evidence that keeping the brain exercised with puzzles, games or other activities can promote cognitive health and reduce the risk of dementia.”

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reference:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7667610.stm

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Who is HACKER ?!

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Do you think hacker is a negative word? Or that a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and compromises security? You are not to be blamed if you think so, especially when there are news about militaries hacking into computer systems of others. Probably this will answer why people prepend the adjective ethical when they are talking about good hackers.

So yes, the popular perception about a hacker is negative. However, it intended to be something else, a hacker is someone who is on the right side of the law. Read Brian Harvey’s paper to understand the origin and meaning of the term hacker.

The definition I like is the one given by Eric Raymond. I also like the statement in there, which introduces a term called cracker, which is what we call a hacker today, unfortunately. A hacker is ethical, a cracker is not.

The basic difference is this: hackers build things, crackers break them.

If you read the whole thin on how to become a hacker you will realize there is a close association between hackers and open source.

There is a community, a shared culture, of expert programmers and networking wizards that traces its history back through decades to the first time-sharing minicomputers and the earliest ARPAnet experiments. The members of this culture originated the term ‘hacker’. Hackers built the Internet. Hackers made the Unix operating system what it is today. Hackers run Usenet. Hackers make the World Wide Web work. If you are part of this culture, if you have contributed to it and other people in it know who you are and call you a hacker, you’re a hacker.

Do you see a close association between hackers and open source? Hackers like to understand how systems work and improve on it, to make it solve solutions its makers had not even thought of. Open source enables it. Hackers started open source and open source feeds them enough to get better at it. It is a symbiotic relationship. Open source would not be possible without the spirit of hacker.

Brajeshwar mentions:

Linus Torvalds (the Linux operating system creator) said that Linux hackers work on it because they feel it’s interesting and attractive.

I think a hacker is a dilettante and an amateur, who does whatever he/she does for love and interest. A hacker goes against the norms, not to break, but to innovate. I have met hackers who get a kick out of developing tools to enable others do what they love to do. In software, I believe every professional will benefit by carrying spirit of the hacker. I truly wish that most of my team members are hackers. Paul Graham says:

I know a handful of super-hackers, so I sat down and thought about what they have in common. Their defining quality is probably that they really love to program. Ordinary programmers write code to pay the bills. Great hackers think of it as something they do for fun, and which they’re delighted to find people will pay them for.

Next time you read something about a hacker, do not jump to the conclusion that he/she is evil. He/She might be the one behind the tools that let you do what you love to do.

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