New technology could increase rather than solve the problem of identity theft and fraud, a British criminologist said Monday.

In a glum statement, Emily Finch of the University of East Anglia in England comments on  how new identify cards, chip and pin technology for credit cards would actually force fraudsters to become more creative and technologically-savvy and would make the identity theft problem even worse, rather than alleviate it.

Interesting point - although, if we accept it as true, that would mean that we don’t innovate in protection technologies, which in turn would make it easier for fraudsters to steal identities now, with their (arguably) poor technology skills, instead of having to innovate, and then breach personal data. Which one is worse - a highly skilled fraudsters in the future, or illiterate fraudsters now?

[Via CNET News.com, United States -]

Oops. Microsoft executives ought to use Microsoft software, correct? A report on how Microsoft UK’s chief security advisor Ed Gibson’s PC became infected with a rogue dialler which then dialed long-distance numbers for a bill of £450.

Rogue diallers are programs, similar to trojans, that somehow (usually via spyware or via trickery) become installed on a victim’s computer and which then use the PC’s modem to dial premium rate long-distance (or international) numbers.

"I’m so perturbed about the whole area of rogue diallers… If we don’t
make a concerted effort to make the internet more secure, it will be a
very different place in the future," said Gibson, the MS UK executive at a security conference.

How about making Windows more secure, Mr. Gibson, so that the diallers don’t end up on people’s machines at first place, that would make the Internet a more secure place?

[Via Silicon.com, UK -]

Iowa police and FBI arrested a suspect who allegedly "phished" Microsoft (MSN) customers out of their personal information. The indictment lists 75 counts of wire fraud for allegedly stealing credit card numbers and user personal information.

What is interesting in this case is that although the arrest was made by FBI, the information was supplied by Microsoft’s Internet Safety Enforcement Team who tracked down the activities and obtained the necessary information to allow the FBI to act upon it. It is a sad fact that state and federal law enforcement agencies often do not have the resources and expertise to conduct these investigations on their own, so they have to rely on ISPs’ security teams to identify and track suspects.

Often the "digital pursuit" of cyber-criminals is so quick that only an agency with large resources can afford to conduct a successful and thorough cyber-surveillance of a criminal’s activities and track him down.

"What you essentially need to do is follow the money, but the links disappear so quickly that law enforcement needs to be really jumping on it as the attack is happening," Cranton [from Microsoft’s Internet Safety Enfrorcement Team] said.

[Via InternetNews.com -]