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Online Security

Hudson Valley School District Vulnerable To Online Security Disruptions: Report Hudson Valley School District Vulnerable To Online Security Disruptions: Report
Hudson Valley School District Vulnerable To Online Security Disruptions: Report A new report from the Office of the New York State Comptroller has discovered a Hudson Valley school district is particularly vulnerable to online security disruptions.  The report, issued earlier in January by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli following an audit performed by his office, found that the Garrison Union Free School District in Putnam County did not adequately secure its online network user accounts and has sensitive information technology control weaknesses.  Additionally, the report found that the district's staff did not have sufficient guidance or plans i…
NY Post Fires Employee For False, Racist, Violent Content Targeting Politicians NY Post Fires Employee For False, Racist, Violent Content Targeting Politicians
NY Post Fires Employee For False, Racist, Violent Content Targeting Politicians A series of racist, violent headlines that were posted on the website and Twitter account of the New York Post on Thursday, Oct. 27, were carried out by an employee, Variety reports.  In a statement to the outlet, a spokesperson for the Post said an investigation had revealed that the “unauthorized conduct” was an inside job and the employee responsible has been fired. “This morning, we immediately removed the vile and reprehensible content from our website and social media accounts,” the spokesperson said. The news organization did not reveal the employee’s name. The New York Post ha…
1.1M Accounts Compromised In Cyberattacks Of 17 Companies, NY AG Investigation Finds 1.1M Accounts Compromised In Cyberattacks Of 17 Companies, NY AG Investigation Finds
1.1M Accounts Compromised In Cyberattacks Of 17 Companies, NY AG Investigation Finds An investigation by the New York Attorney General's Office found that more than 1.1 million accounts were compromised in cyberattacks of 17 companies. Attorney General Letitia James said in an announcement on Wednesday, Jan. 5, that the "Credential Stuffing Attacks" involve repeated, automated attempts to access accounts by using information stolen from other websites. James said often people reuse the same passwords on different sites, which allows cybercriminals to use stolen passwords on other websites.  “Right now, there are more than 15 billion stolen credentials being circu…
Alert Issued For Phony Amazon Callers, Emails Seeking Info Alert Issued For Phony Amazon Callers, Emails Seeking Info
Alert Issued For Phony Amazon Callers, Emails Seeking Info Con artists are calling and emailing Amazon users and attempting to obtain their log in information and credit card number by posing as Amazon employees.  According to the Better Business Bureau, victims are met with a recorded message claiming to be from Amazon, notifying them of problems with their Amazon account ranging from supposed fraudulent charges on Amazon Prime cards to damaged packages to unfulfilled orders that the victim never placed.  The callers are reportedly using phone numbers of reputable organizations--like the Better Business Bureau--to lend them credibility. …
Alert Issued For Netflix 'Update Your Payment' Email Scam Alert Issued For Netflix 'Update Your Payment' Email Scam
Alert Issued For Netflix 'Update Your Payment' Email Scam A phishing scam is taking on new life as many use streaming services more frequently during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Forbes, the legitimate-looking email prompting users to update their Netflix payment information comes complete with Netflix logos and bypasses most email spam filters. The scam email, titled "Notice of Verification Failure", reportedly takes Netflix users that are fooled into clicking to a convincing CAPTCHA page, which also has Netflix branding.  From there, victims of the scam are taken to a Netflix lookalike page, where they are prompted to enter their Ne…
Police Issue Alert To Area Residents For Screen-Sharing Scam Police Issue Alert To Area Residents For Screen-Sharing Scam
Police Issue Alert To Area Residents For Screen-Sharing Scam Police are warning of a new scam involving instances of fraud stemming from screen-sharing software that gives scammers access to personal computers and smartphones. The scams that involve remote access software being used to target devices, one of which was recently used on an area resident. Police said that a fraudster posing as a customer care executive from Amazon advised the victim that a “fraud alert” has been placed on their account. The victim acknowledged that they had an Amazon account but did not have the Amazon app on their phone. The fraudster took this opportunity to direct…
Don't Fall For It: Victim Loses $1.6K In Facebook COVID-19 Scam, Police Say Don't Fall For It: Victim Loses $1.6K In Facebook COVID-19 Scam, Police Say
Don't Fall For It: Victim Loses $1.6K In Facebook Covid-19 Scam, Police Say Local law enforcement agencies are warning area residents to be wary of a Facebook scam as fraudsters continue exploiting the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. On Sunday, June 14, police investigators in New York received a complaint from a local resident who claimed she was scammed through Facebook. According to police, the victim alleged that she received a private message from a contact on her “friends list” that stated she was stranded out of the country due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The scammer then asked for money to get back to the country. Police said that the victim delivered …
COVID-19: Beware Of Scammers Posing As Contact Tracers, FTC Says COVID-19: Beware Of Scammers Posing As Contact Tracers, FTC Says
Covid-19: Beware Of Scammers Posing As Contact Tracers, FTC Says Some opportunistic fraudsters are taking advantage of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis by posing as contact tracers hired by the state to obtain personal information and money. Since the outbreak began, state officials have stressed the importance of ramping up COVID-19 testing, then tracing the people they’ve come into contact with, and isolating those people. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “contact tracing, a core disease control measure employed by local and state health department personnel for decades, is a key strategy for preventing further spread…
Scam Alert: Don't Fall For This Amazon Hoax Scam Alert: Don't Fall For This Amazon Hoax
Scam Alert: Don't Fall For This Amazon Hoax With the holiday seasons fast approaching, officials are warning of a “new phone scam that has been making the rounds targeting Amazon users. According to police, area residents have reported receiving an automated phone call from a fraudster claiming to be from Amazon in need of discussing a recent order. Officials said that the largest are instructed to press “1” to cancel the order or “2” to speak with a representative. No matter what button is pressed, the message states that the order is canceled and in order to fix it, the target must call an 800 number to speak with someone directly.…
Scam Warning: New Alert Issued For Unsolicited Apple Phishing Calls Scam Warning: New Alert Issued For Unsolicited Apple Phishing Calls
Scam Warning: New Alert Issued For Unsolicited Apple Phishing Calls Police agencies are issuing warnings of a new Apple scam that has been making the rounds targeting iPhone users. A new alert has been issued cautioning that users have been receiving phone calls from fraudsters who make the call from a spoofed number that comes across the screen as “Apple.” According to police, you’re told that your account has been compromised or some other issue exists with your iPhone, laptop or other devices. The purported remedy is to purchase gift cards, and provide the serial numbers of said gift cards to the scammer on the other end of the phone. In Westchest…
Don't Be A Victim Of Credit Card Fraud: Here Are Steps To Take From FBI Don't Be A Victim Of Credit Card Fraud: Here Are Steps To Take From FBI
Don't Be A Victim Of Credit Card Fraud: Here Are Steps To Take From FBI The FBI is warning consumers in the area to be wary of falling victim to scammers involved in credit card fraud schemes. The Bureau issued an alert this week, offering a series of tips to avoid becoming the latest victim of credit card fraud. According to the FBI, "credit card fraud is the unauthorized use of a credit or debit card, or similar payment tool (ACH, EFT, recurring charge, etc.), to fraudulently obtain money or property. Credit and debit card numbers can be stolen from unsecured websites or can be obtained in an identity theft scheme." Tips provided by the FBI include: Don’t …
Scam Alert: 'Spoofing' Calls Being Made By Scammers Pretending To Be Cops, Municipal Officials Scam Alert: 'Spoofing' Calls Being Made By Scammers Pretending To Be Cops, Municipal Officials
Scam Alert: 'Spoofing' Calls Being Made By Scammers Pretending To Be Cops, Municipal Officials Police are alerting residents to a "spoofing" scam in which the callers pretend to be police officers or other municipal officers in an attempt to solicit money and sensitive personal information. On Friday, Jan. 25, a town resident reported receiving a suspicious phone call that appeared to originate from the Greenburgh Police Department, Chief Chris McNerney said on Saturday, Jan. 26.  The caller claimed to be a Greenburgh police officer and wanted to discuss the woman's credit report.  "Fortunately, the resident became suspicious and hung up the phone," McNerney said. "We…
Cybercriminals Targeting Online Payroll Accounts Of Employees, FBI Says Cybercriminals Targeting Online Payroll Accounts Of Employees, FBI Says
Cybercriminals Targeting Online Payroll Accounts Of Employees, FBI Says Cybercriminals are targeting online payroll accounts of employees in order to change bank account info and redirect direct deposits, according to the FBI. The federal government has received complaints reporting cybercriminals are targeting the online payroll accounts of employees in a variety of industries. Institutions most affected are education, healthcare and commercial airlines. Cybercriminals reportedly target employees through phishing emails designed to capture an employee’s login credentials, according to the FBI.  Once the cybercriminal has obtained an employee’s credentials, th…