网络金融风险：技术 业务 操作 市场 交易 信息 信誉 法律

网络金融包括网上银行 证券 保险 期货 支付 结算等金融业务，安全性和便捷性是矛盾，相互制约，面临不同于传统金融的风险。必要认识风险的原因和特点，建立管理机制，防范网络金融风险：技术 业务 操作 市场 交易 信息 信誉 法律。
国内大多网站没盈利模式，因为网站与客户都面对信誉风险：任一方不能如约履行其义务。创业者都依赖其他有信誉的平台收钱：阿里 腾讯等。[委屈]请去Webplus.com活动中心报名沙龙//@快递宝科技:如何报名沪京沙龙？//@想过轻松的生活太累了:目前商业银行破产赔偿最高只有50万好像，网络金融可能还没这么高
由于网络金融虚拟性的特点，与传统金融相比，金融机构的物理结构和建筑的重要性大大降低。交易双方互不见面，只是通过网络发生联系，这使对交易者的身份、交易的真实性验证的难度加大，增大了交易者之间在身份确认、信用评价方面的信息不对称，从而增大了信用风险。对我国而言，网络金融中的信用风险不仅来自服务方式的虚拟性，还有社会信用体系的不完善而导致的违约可能性。信誉风险可能来自网络金融出现巨额损失时，或者出现在网络金融的支付系统发生安全问题时，社会公众难以恢复对网络金融交易能力的信心。一旦网络金融提供的虚拟金融服务产品不能满足公众所预期的水平，且在社会上产生广泛的不良反应时，就形成了网络金融的信誉风险。或者，如果网络金融的安全系统曾经遭到破坏，无论这种破坏的原因是来自内部还是来自外部，都会影响社会公众对网络金融的商业信心。

【央行叫停二维码支付业务和虚拟信用卡】周三四晚刚与~30位朋友在广深沙龙讨论#如何控制互联网金融的风险#，周五早中国人民银行支付结算司确认#暂停#支付宝和财付通的二维码支付和虚拟信用卡，央行此举意在规范相关业务发展和保护消费者权益，而并非针对某家企业。毕竟这是利益之争，国内还是要拼爹！

央行叫停二维码支付+虚拟信用卡后，很多用户银行打款支付宝时都显示交易失败。银行扣款转账后,支付宝显示没到账,回复:系统显示处理失败，可能银行卡数据传支付宝时掉单？央行规定个人支付转账单笔/每年<1千/1万元；个人消费单笔/每月<5千/1万元。明后晚沪京沙龙见//@Goo99:明晚在上海有活动吗？//@高级定制-sparke:唐哥，啥时候来杭州开个沙龙啥的！期待哈~

周三四晚广深 再下周二三沪京沙龙Webplus.com活动。最近热门话题：比特币最大交易所破产,京东要上市,阿里随后,微信支付红包袭击支付宝,理财通pk余额宝,嘀嘀pk快的打车,等都与互联网金融息息相关，互联网金融风险是什么？没吃过亏的创业者,投资者,消费者是没避险意识！
北上广深#创业成长退出上市沙龙#主题:【如何控制互联网金融的风险】：
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《天使投资》英文版第一卷#Angel Investment#Vol 1电子书Beta版 刚在亚马逊Kindle发布 http://smarturl.it/Angv1！粉丝特价0.99美元，Webplus会员买后去三月北上广深沙龙凭收据报销。书价格很快会涨>10美元。
书不完美，请去en.Webplus.com给我意见或反馈！多谢捧场，将中国创业+天使的本色发扬光大去美国！


网络金融风险（Network Financial Risks）

网络金融风险的概述
　　网络金融是金融与网络技术全面结合的产物，其内容包括网上银行、网上证券、网上保险、网络期货、网上支付、网上结算等金融业务。在网络金融的发展过程中，安全性和便捷性始终是一对矛盾，两者相互制约，这使我们面临着不同于传统金融的新的金融风险。认识网络金融风险产生的原因和特点，对于健全和完善网络金融风险的防范和管理机制，发挥金融对经济发展的良性促进作用是十分必要的。

网络金融风险的的类别
　　网络金融风险可分为两类：基于网络信息技术导致的技术风险和基于网络金融业务特征导致的业务风险。

1．技术风险

　　(1)安全风险。网络金融的业务及大量风险控制工作均是由电脑程序和软件系统完成，所以，电子信息系统的技术性和管理性安全就成为网络金融运行的最为重要的技术风险。这种风险既来自计算机系统停机、磁盘列阵破坏等不确定因素，也来自网络外部的数字攻击，以及计算机病毒破坏等因素。根据对发达国家不同行业的调查，系统停机对金融业造成的损失最大。网上黑客的攻击活动能量正以每年10倍的速度增长，其可利用网上的任何漏洞和缺陷非法进入主机、窃取信息、发送假冒电子邮件等。计算机网络病毒可通过网络进行扩散与传染，传播速度是单机的几十倍，一旦某个程序被感染，则整台机器、整个网络也很快被感染，破坏力极大。在传统金融中，安全风险可能只带来局部损失，但在网络金融中，安全风险会导致整个网络的瘫痪，是一种系统性风险。

　　(2)技术选择风险。网络金融业务的开展必须选择一种成熟的技术解决方案来支撑。在技术选择上存在着技术选择失误的风险。这种风险既来自于选择的技术系统与客户终端软件的兼容性差导致的信息传输中断或速度降低的可能，也来自于选择了被技术变革所淘汰的技术方案，造成技术相对落后、网络过时的状况，导致巨大的技术和商业机会的损失。对于传统金融而言，技术选择失误，只是导致业务流程趋缓，业务处理成本上升，但对网络金融机构而言，则可能失去全部的市场，甚至失去生存的基础。

2.业务风险

　　(1)信用风险。这是指网络金融交易者在合约到期日不完全履行其义务的风险。网络金融服务方式具有虚拟性的特点，即网络金融业务和服务机构都具有显著的虚拟性。网络信息技术在金融业中的应用可以实现在互联网上设立网络银行等网络金融机构，如美国安全第一网络银行就是一个典型的网络银行。虚拟化的金融机构可以利用虚拟现实信息技术增设虚拟分支机构或营业网点，从事虚拟化的金融服务。网络金融中的一切业务活动，如交易信息的传递、支付结算等都在由电子信息构成的虚拟世界中进行。

　　与传统金融相比，金融机构的物理结构和建筑的重要性大大降低。网络金融服务方式的虚拟性使交易、支付的双方互不见面，只是通过网络发生联系，这使对交易者的身份、交易的真实性验证的难度加大，增大了交易者之间在身份确认、信用评价方面的信息不对称，从而增大了信用风险。对我国而言，网络金融中的信用风险不仅来自服务方式的虚拟性，还有社会信用体系的不完善而导致的违约可能性。因此，在我国网络金融发展中的信用风险不仅有技术层面的因素，还有制度层面的因素。我国目前的社会信用状况是大多数个人、企业客户对网络银行、电子商务采取观望态度的一个重要原因。

　　(2)流动性风险。这是指网络金融机构没有足够的资金满足客户兑现电子货币的风险。风险的大小与电子货币的发行规模和余额有关。发行的规模越大，用于结算的余额越大，发行者不能等值赎回其发行的电子货币或清算资金不足的可能性越大。因为目前的电子货币是发行者以既有货币(现行纸币等信用货币)所代表的现有价值为前提发行出去的，是电子化、信息化了的交易媒介，尚不是一种独立的货币。交易者收取电子货币后，并未最终完成支付，还需从发行电子货币的机构收取实际货币，相应地，电子货币发行者就需要满足这种流动性要求。当发行者实际货币储备不足时，就会引发流动性危机。流动性风险也可由网络系统的安全因素引起。当计算机系统及网络通信发生故障，或病毒破坏造成支付系统不能正常运转，必然会影响正常的支付行为，降低货币的流动性。

　　(3)支付和结算风险。由于网络金融服务方式的虚拟性，金融机构的经营活动可突破时空局限，打破传统金融的分支机构及业务网点的地域限制；只需开通网络金融业务就可能吸引相当大的客户群体，并且能够向客户提供全天候、全方位的实时服务，因此，网络金融有3A金融(即能在任何时间、任何地点，以任何方式向客户提供服务)之称。网络金融的经营者或客户通过各自的电脑终端就能随时与世界任何一家客户或金融机构办理证券投资、保险、信贷、期货交易等金融业务。这使网络金融业务环境具有很大的地域开放性，并导致网络金融中支付、结算系统的国际化，从而大大提高了结算风险。基于电子化支付系统的跨国跨地区的各类金融交易数量巨大。这样，一个地区金融网络的故障会影响全国乃至全球金融网络的正常运行和支付结算，并会造成经济损失。20世纪80年代美国财政证券交易系统曾发生只能买入、不能卖出的情况，一夜就形成200多亿美元的债务。我国也曾发生类似情况。

　　(4)法律风险。这是针对目前网络金融立法相对落后和模糊而导致的交易风险。目前的金融立法框架主要基于传统金融业务，如银行法、证券法、财务披露制度等，缺少有关网络金融的配套法规，这是很多发展网络金融的国家普遍存在的情况，我国亦然。网络金融在我国还处于刚起步阶段，相应的法规还相当缺乏，如在网络金融市场准人、交易者的身份认证、电子合同的有效性确认等方面尚无明确而完备的法律规范。因此，利用网络提供或接受金融服务，签定经济合同就会面临在有关权利与义务等方面的相当大的法律风险，容易陷入不应有的纠纷之中，结果是使交易者面对着关于交易行为及其结果的更大的不确定性，增大了网络金融的交易费用，甚至影响网络金融的健康发展。

　　(5)其他风险。如市场风险，即利率、汇率等市场价格的变动对网络金融交易者的资产、负债项目损益变化的影响，以及金融衍生工具交易带来的风险等，在网络金融中同样存在。

网络金融中的主要风险分析
　　传统银行所面临的风险，比如信用风险、流动性风险、利率风险和市场风险，在网络银行的经营中仍然存在，只不过在表现形式上有所变化。这里将讨论的是网络银行所特有的风险：操作风险、市场风险、信息风险、信誉风险和法律风险。

　　（一）操作风险。操作风险指源于系统可靠性、稳定性和安全性的重大缺陷而导致的潜在损失的可能性。操作风险可能来自网络金融客户的疏忽，也可能来自网络金融安全系统及其产品的设计缺陷与操作失误。操作风险主要涉及网络金融账户的授权使用、网络金融的风险管理系统、网络金融他金融机构和客户间的信息交流、真假电子货币的识别等。目前，网络金融对进入金融机构账户的授权管理变得日益复杂起来，这一方面是由于计算机的处理能力得到日益增强，另一方面是客户的地理空间位置变得更加分散，也可能是由于采用多种通讯手段等因素造成的。

　　（二）交易风险。交易风险是指投机者利用利率、汇率等市场价格的变动进行关联交易，给金融资产的持有者带来损益变化的不利影响。由于网络信息传递的快捷和不受时空限制，网络金融会放大传统金融风险，导致市场价格波动风险、利率风险、汇率风险发生的突然性、传染性增强，危害也更大。金融网络化给投机者带来了机会，他们会在股市、汇市、期市进行大量关联交易，导致金融市场跌宕起伏，从而可能会在极短的时间内给一国经济予致命打击。在金融网络化、全球化不断加深的今天，国际游资对证券市场的冲击和股票投资者的非理性操作是证券市场动荡的根源，也是网络金融最大的潜在风险。

　　（三）信息风险。信息风险是指由于信息不对称或信息不完全导致网络银行面临的不利选择和道德风险引发的业务风险。由于网络金融的虚拟性，一切金融往来都是以数字化在网络上得以进行,网络市场上商业银行与客户间信息处于严重的不对称状态，客户将会比在传统市场上更多地利用信息优势，形成对网络银行不利的道德风险行动。

　　（四）信誉风险。信誉风险是指网络金融交易者的任何一方不能如约履行其义务的风险。由于网络金融虚拟性的特点，与传统金融相比，金融机构的物理结构和建筑的重要性大大降低。交易双方互不见面，只是通过网络发生联系，这使对交易者的身份、交易的真实性验证的难度加大，增大了交易者之间在身份确认、信用评价方面的信息不对称，从而增大了信用风险。对我国而言，网络金融中的信用风险不仅来自服务方式的虚拟性，还有社会信用体系的不完善而导致的违约可能性。信誉风险可能来自网络金融出现巨额损失时，或者出现在网络金融的支付系统发生安全问题时，社会公众难以恢复对网络金融交易能力的信心。一旦网络金融提供的虚拟金融服务产品不能满足公众所预期的水平，且在社会上产生广泛的不良反应时，就形成了网络金融的信誉风险。或者，如果网络金融的安全系统曾经遭到破坏，无论这种破坏的原因是来自内部还是来自外部，都会影响社会公众对网络金融的商业信心。

　　（五）法律风险。法律风险来源于违反法律、规章的可能性，或者有关交易各方的法律权利和业务的不明确性。银行通过互联网在其他国家开展业务，对于当地的法规可能不甚了解，从而加剧了法律风险。有关网络的法律仍不完善，如电子合同和数字签名的有效性，而且各国情况也不一样，这也加大了网络银行的法律风险。当前，电子商务和网络金融在许多国家尚处于起步阶段，缺乏相应的网络消费者权益保护管理规则及试行条例。因此，利用网络及其他电子媒体签订的经济合同中存在着相当大的法律风险。

控制网络金融风险的对策建议
　　我国的网络银行必须有足够强的安全措施，否则将会影响到金融业的可持续发展。网络安全保障是一个综合集成的系统，它的规划、管理要求国家有关部门和金融机构、IT界通力合作，进行科学的、强有力的干预和导向，同时还应开展国际合作，共同打击网络金融犯罪。

　　（一）加快电子商务和网络银行的立法进程。一般来说，网络系统安全问题和网络金融立法的滞后与模糊是造成法律风险的原因之一。针对目前网络金融活动中出现的问题，加快法制建设步伐，尽快出台有关网上交易和网上银行的法律法规，降低银行的法律风险，规范网络金融参与者的行为。电子商务立法首先要解决电子交易的合法性、如怎样取用交易的电子证据，法律是否认可这样的证据，以及电子货币、电子银行的行为规范，跨国银行的法律问题。其次，对电子商务的安全保密也必须有法律保障，对计算机犯罪、计算机泄密、窃取商业和金融机密等也都要有相应的法律制裁，以逐步形成有法律许可、法律保障和法律约束的电子商务环境。再次，充分运用政策手段，鼓励网上银行按健康的发展方向开展业务。最后，提升整个社会的信用水平，建立和完善我国的信用制度。

　　（二）银监会应提高对网络银行的监管水平。由银监会牵头，其他银行参加，统一制定一套关于网上银行业务结算、电子设备使用等的规范标准，以便实现与国际金融业的接轨；要建立一套完整的网上银行业务审批和监管机制，结合我国国情，借鉴国外发展经验，成立专门机构对网上银行的设立、管理、具体业务功能的实现及硬件和软件系统的应用等进行研究，为网上银行的发展提供技术服务、支持和指导，并利用网络等先进计算机技术进行非现场监管；针对网络银行的安全问题，选择安全标准，建立安全认证体系；针对黑客程序和病毒分别着手建立一套行之有效的程序免疫体系；建立金融信息管理分析系统和金融科技风险监测、预警体系；制定有关数字化电子货币的发行、支付与管理的规章制度。

　　（三）大力发展先进的、具有自主知识产权的信息技术，建立网络安全防护体系。网络金融的安全，最终是通过网络技术的应用来实现和支撑的，其关键技术有防火墙技术、数据加密技术和智能卡技术等，主要是通过采取物理安全策略、访问控制策略、构筑防火墙、安全接口、数字签名等高新网络技术来实现。从硬件方面来说，目前我国在金融电子化业务中使用的计算机、路由器等软、硬件系统大部分由国外引进，而且信息技术相对落后；从软件方面来说，我国目前的加密技术、密钥管理技术及数字签名技术都落后于网络金融发展的要求，增大了我国网络金融发展的安全风险和技术选择风险。因此，迅速缩小在硬件设备方面与发达国家之间的差距，并开发拥有自主知识产权的信息技术，是防范减少安全风险和技术选择风险，提高网络安全性能的根本性措施。

　　（四）建立大型共享型网络银行数据库。要保障网络银行的资产安全，必须要解决信息不对称以及信息透明度的问题。依靠数据库技术储存、管理和分析处理数据，这是现代化管理必须要完成的基础性工作。网络银行数据库的设计应该采用社会化大协作的思路，以客户为中心进行资产、负债和中间业务的科学管理，不同银行可实行借款人信用信息共享制度，建立不良借款入的预警名单和“黑名单”制度。对有一定比例的资产控制关系、业务控制关系、人事关联关系的企业或企业集团，通过数据库进行归类整理、分析、统计，统一授信的监控。

　　（五）建立网络金融统一的技术标准。目前我国金融系统电子化建设存在规划不统一、商业银行技术标准不统一、技术规范不统一、商业银行之间使用的安全协议各不相同的问题。应制定金融业统一的技术标准。中国金融认证中心的成立为此奠定了基础。确立统一的发展规划和技术标准，才有利于统一监管，增强网络金融系统内的协调性，减少支付结算风险，并有利于其它风险的监测。我们要尽快熟悉和掌握国际上有关计算机网络安全的标准和规范，如掌握和应用国际ISO对银行业务交易系统的安全体系结构等，制定一套较为完整的国际标准，以便我国网络银行在风险防范上与国际接轨。

　　（六）加强对金融创新的研究、开发和利用。我国对金融创新的研究，特别是其应用目前还处于比较低的水平，许多金融衍生工具尚没有得到利用，学术界和实务界应联合攻关，不断创造、设计、开发出各种新的组合金融工具，使我国金融衍生工具创新和风险控制能得以加强，以期在一定风险度内获得最佳收益。


Financial Cyber Threat Map of Online Banking
http://usa.kaspersky.com/internet-security-center
In a time where E-money is on the rise and many of us are doing are banking and shopping online, risks become more commonplace. This infographic shows a map of financial transactions and the types of cyber threats that internet users can expect to encounter. When 95% of internet users shop online, we are bound to hit some roughs seas. Let this infographic on online financial threats help navigate you through the internet security risks and prepare you and your family.


Hacks and Security Stats
http://advisorwebsites.com/blog/ ... and-security-stats/
by Guest Author (50 articles) June 29, 2011
This  infograph and post from Richard Sharp, a writer over at gadgetsandgizmos.org, serves as a good reminder of how vulnerable our information can be online.

This year has seen the rise of hackers in the public eye, groups such as Anonymous and Lulz Security (Lulzsec) have breached the security of some of the biggest brands on the planet. Yesterday, Lulzsec announced their retirement from hacking, but encouraged their fans and other groups to continue their work. We have created an info graphic, entitled ‘Hack Attack’ to draw together some vital statistics of hackers and online security on the whole.

Lulzsec Section

It was difficult to quantify the extent of Lulzsec’s hacks, some have been claimed by the group whilst other remain a mystery.

We have taken a look at their biggest hacks, including their alleged involvement in the Sony Playstation Network hack (PSN) which resulted in 77 million user accounts being taken from Sony. A UK teenager was arrested last week and has been accused of working with Lulzsec to breach the PSN, it has also been revealed that the group comprised of six members – love them or hate them, you can’t deny the impact these six people have had over the past months.

The info-graphic looks at various attacks, including a hack on the CIA website in which Lulzsec gained access to the site to prove a point that it wasn’t secure enough. The top section of our infographic illustrates just four of the hacks Lulzsec where involved in, you must also be aware that they hacked two other Sony services and releasing 3.5 million Sony music coupon codes and 75,000 music codes to the general public.

Hacking statistics

This section makes for some alarming reading, we discovered that almost one third of people in the US and UK have been a victim of hacking to some extent. This could be a direct hack, or as a result of their details being taken by hackers from a third party. This opened up a whole can of worms as we had to separate out hacking affects with general cyber crime, the statistic showed that 73% of US citizens have been a victim of cybercrime!

We’ve no idea what the recent upscaling in hacking has cost, but in 2008 total losses where $1 trillion. We’d predict 2011 will easily surpass the 2008 mark.

Hackers

There are a lot of hackers around, we have chosen the ones that either got jailed for a long time (top black hatters) or the ones you wouldn’t necessarily consider hackers in today’s criminal sense (white hat). Interestingly a lot of top hackers, whether imprisoned or not often end up with high paying jobs, both Adrian Lamo and Kevin Mitnik fall into this category – don’t care for either of them? Well, George Hotz, AKA Geohot has just bagged a top end job at Facebook after hacking the PS3 and iPhone.

How strong is your password?

People often pick short passwords that are easy to remember, that makes a lot of sense but isn’t all that safe. Research has shown that a lowercase, 6 letter password can be hacked in 10 minutes! At the other end of the scale, a 9 character password which uses upper/lowercase with a mixture of numbers and symbols would take 44,530 years to hack.


Top 5 Internet Security Facts
http://www.browserredirectfix.in ... security-facts.html

When it comes to Internet or computer security, we are in need of help. Words are bored and have lost their impact, and we must learn the story of our collective safety ignorance in fairy-tale panels until we obtain it. The below infographics provide interesting data like a landscape we are able to come across with our eyes. Hopefully after seeing the pretty images of our peril, we’ll maintain a better position to aware of the importance of computer security in our modern life.

1. Space invaders of the 1st virus

It’s been more than 25 years considering that the first PC related virus, Brain, stole our hearts via the storage ancestor, floppy disks. We have passed a long way after this first invasion, and this delightfully nostalgic rendering from F-Secure shows us precisely how far we’ve come.

2. Cap’n Crunch, the hacker

Hacking is now far more when compared to a word that moved from the pseudo-urban dictionary to our “real” dictionary; it is part of employment description which could screw up your world very quickly. Additionally, it has some interesting history. Did you know, like that Cap’n Crunch himself was involved in one of the first technology hacks in 1972? This visual story picture also quantifies the damage and will be offering 15 reasons to obtain additionally interested in your router firewall.

3. Sharp teeth and poison computers

A mélange of piranha-esque computer screens & skulls and crossbones can get across precisely how nasty some viruses may be? This vignette photo intersperses evil computer icons with rather interesting and handy pie and bar graphs. It’s an infographic illustration of doom with tasty data on virus such as malware, Trojans, worms and spyware.

4. It’s exactly about the Benjamin

You should do a reality check on the economic hardship of the computer threat might smack you silly. This woeful and well-designed photo does not have any problem demonstrating you exactly why you need to be worried about identity theft. If these nicely displayed facts and figures don’t warn you, the pathetic images of the maligned and depressed people who have no identities will definitely make you concern about protecting your personal details.

5. Having a better password

You may not believe “Computer” or “123456″ are amazing passwords however they are also amazingly easy to guess. This detailed photo was designed only for you and the rest of the 79% of individuals who still use “simple password construction methods.” Straightforward but pleasingly orange and an easy way to follow, this journey to the blunders of password creation is both entertaining and educational for every computer user. For coming articles, we will discuss about web browser redirect viruses that are common malware hijacking our Internet browsers.


Where You'll Get Hacked
http://dailyinfographic.com/where-youll-get-hacked-infographic
AUGUST 16, 2013 |  BY LENA LONG  |  CRIME, TECH

People complain that they want privacy, and then they put all their information up on Facebook. Thus, hacking is ultra-easy. I have seen teenagers post pictures of their first credit card, then a month later their new college student I.D. These kids are so excited to have signs of growing up, but as we grow up our lives need to be more private to guard from hackers. Now I am a culprit of being very relaxed about my online privacy, meaning, I have the same password for multiple sites, I use my high school name as my clue, and the name of my high school is on Facebook somewhere. So hack away, I look forward to meeting the person who decides to take up my identity!

We may not worry about identity theft as much as physical property theft because it isn’t as scary and face to face as an actual robbery, but it is a digital robbery, identity theft can be life damaging. I have a friend whose family had been saving up for years to go to Disney World. This seemed to have all of the proper precautions needed to avoid identity theft or hackers. But somehow a hole was found and $6,000 was taken out of their savings. No Disney World for their family. But maybe the hacker had a nice trip instead? We can only hope.


The State of IT Security: Hackers and Malware Go for the Breach
http://www.biztechmagazine.com/a ... -breach-infographic
Data shows that 97 percent of breaches could have been prevented through simple or intermediate controls.
by Ricky Ribeiro posted Apr 23, 2012

As businesses make the move to a more digitized marketplace, protecting intellectual and financial property becomes an increasingly important priority.

Verizon has been dutifully tracking breaches worldwide with its annual data breach report, and this year’s numbers revealed some startling facts about the state of IT security.

For starters, 2011 saw the second-highest number of compromised records lost. Even more shocking, 97 percent of breaches could have been prevented through simple or intermediate controls. That means that data theft isn’t necessarily rising due to increased actions by digital bandits, but possibly due to the inaction of too many businesses with regard to the most basic tenets of information security.

Backgroundcheck.org has put together an infographic highlighting the state of IT security, based on Verizon’s report. Here are a few important facts and stats from the infographic:

85 percent of breaches took two weeks to discover
96 percent of attacks were not highly difficult
98 percent of breaches came from external agents
67 percent of the external agents causing these breaches were from Eastern Europe
54 percent of breaches happened to accommodation and food service businesses
Check out the State of IT Security infographic from Backgroundcheck.org below.


Are You Practicing Safe Coding?
http://www.cssreflex.com/2012/07 ... g-safe-coding.html/
Today, it is easier for any internet user to buy a domain, set up hosting, and publish a website than it ever has been before. While this is great news for anyone wanting to establish an online presence for their business or even for their own personal use, this, on the otherhand, is also serious cause for alarm for those privy to online security and privacy concerns. In short, there are more ways for hackers to get to your personal information than there ever has been before due to these great online developments. So how do you protect yourself?
The number one and most effective way to prevent yourself from being a victim to online hacking through your personal or professional website is through proper and safe coding. While some people might want to just leave all the software coding jargon to the software developers, anyone who uses the internet with any amount of seriousness or frequency should at least know the basics about proper coding so that they could at least have a general understanding of what it entails. This infographic gives all of the basics that you need to know to prevent yourself from being a victim to website hacking.


How to Become a Hacker
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2421925,00.asp
BY STEPHANIE MLOT JULY 17, 2013 05:25PM EST3 COMMENTS
Hackers are people, too. People like information security analysts and computer programmers, who make a living out of professionally hacking.
Most people jeer at the word "hacker," assuming some angry geek is holed up in his parents' basement, plotting against the government and stealing eHarmony user passwords.
The term has earned a bad rap over the years, with the help of groups like Anonymous. But hackers are people, too.
People like information security analysts and computer programmers, who make a living out of professionally hacking. And a fairly decent living, according to an infographic from Schools.com, which breaks down the negative connotations and provides a guide on how to become a hacker.
Before you go jumping into the hack-o-sphere, take a moment to consider whether it's the right career path for you. Do you claim to be multilingual — fluent in C++, HTML 5, and Ruby? Do you believe that something can only be strengthened by exposing its weaknesses? Are you a staunch supporter of a "free" Internet?
According to Schools.com, those are all good indications that the hacker life is for you. Still, leave that 12-pack of energy drinks at home as you ponder which hacker hat you want to put on each day.
Apple hires jailbreak app developer Microsoft, then Google grab Nintendo Wiimote hacker U.S. government grabs old-school hacker  Facebook hires Facebook worm creator  From iPhone worm creator to iPhone app developer Twitter worm creator becomes app developer Wired hires FBI hacker VIEW
Will you join the "good guys" in white — people who break into a computer system and inform the company they have done so, often concerned employees or security professionals paid to find vulnerabilities? Or perhaps cybercriminals, dressed in black, who infiltrate computer networks and use compromised data for personal gain?
As with anything in life, there is a grey area in between, where hackers with no malicious intent illegally breach a company's network, then notify the public about its security holes.
Only the first category really offers a life of steady paychecks and Friday night happy hours — white hat hackers are folks who work as information security analysts and computer programmers, safeguarding computer networks and monitoring them for breaches, or checking applications for bugs and rewriting code to fix them.
Both fields require a bachelor's degree in computer science, programming, information security or a similar discipline, and earn up to a six-figure annual income. Based on national earnings calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, pro hackers make a starting salary of around $43,000 to $50,000; most fall into the average $74,000 to $86,000 range. The top analysts and programmers, however, may walk away with up to $136,000 a year.
Those interested in simply dipping their toe into the world of professional hacking should keep an eye out for annual events like Facebook's Hacker Cup or visit the Blue Hat Microsoft Hacker Conference or Black Hat Briefings to learn more about information security.


Online Security Today SME
http://cloudtimes.org/2012/04/08/online-security-infographic/
For small business owners, security is the most important concern when it comes to cloud computing.  Here is an infographic by MegaPath Security Services that serves as a resource for small business owners looking to protect themselves from the hacker community that discusses the new security challenges that small businesses should be aware of when doing  business via cloud computing methods.  It also explains how mid- to small-sized businesses are targeted and the steps you should take to ensure that you are protected (such as implementing frequent password changes & filtering content).

Worst IT Security Breaches
http://www.businesscomputingworl ... riefed-infographic/
If you think your information is safe online, think again. Last year, it’s reported 174 million records were compromised. Some are saying it’s not “if” your company is going to get hacked, but “when”. A sobering thought


Hotel Credit Card Hacking
http://www.creditdonkey.com/hotel-credit-card-hacking.html
Why Are Hotel Guests More Likely to be Victims of Credit Card Scams?
Hotels are one of the top dangers facing credit card users this summer.

Studies show that 38 percent of all credit card hacking involves hotels, outnumbering the incidents of credit card fraud that happens in other environments, including restaurants, bars, retail stores and the financial sector. This fact surprises many consumers and makes them wonder if it’s safe to use their credit cards at hotels.

Why hotels Share "Why hotels: Hotel Credit Card Hacking" on Facebook Tweet " on TwitterWhy hotels: Hotel Credit Card Hacking"

Travelers are most likely to use credit cards to pay for their stay in hotels, making the industry a hot spot for would-be thieves. The sheer volume of credit card data stored on hotel computers, coupled with the likelihood of out-of-date security software (when hotels were hit by the economic downturn, IT professionals were laid off or technology upgrades were placed last on the list of expenses) make hotels a likely target of fraud.

Luxury hotels are often targeted because the credit cards in their databases are more likely to have higher spending limits. These credit card holders also tend to have more activity, so fraudulent activity is more likely to be missed by the cardholder and their credit card issuers.

Protect your cards Share "Protect your cards: Hotel Credit Card Hacking" on Facebook Tweet " on TwitterProtect your cards: Hotel Credit Card Hacking"

Thankfully, there are easy steps you can take to keep your credit card and finances safe when you travel. You will want to follow these practices on a regular basis for a couple of reasons. First, it will become a habit that you automatically complete while on vacation. Second, your credit card data can be stored in a hotel’s computer system for months after your stay; this means that the risk of credit card fraud lasts beyond the duration of your hotel stay.

Check your credit card activity. Enroll in online banking for your credit card so you can check your credit card activity throughout the month. The sooner you catch fraud, the less damage that is done and easier it will be for your bank to correct. Keep in mind that to begin with, fraudulent activity will likely be small, maybe even less than $10 so the thief can verify the credit card is still open and active.
Review your statements. Make sure to look through your statement details each and every month. This gives you a second chance to review all of the purchases in case you missed something fishy the first time you looked at the activity.
Maintain more than one credit card account. If you detect fraud, the purchases in question will tie up your credit limit until the issue has been resolved. This could leave you without purchasing power if the fraud is a significant amount of money. You may also choose to keep a credit card that you only use at hotels so your everyday card is not affected by hackers.
Be observant while at hotels. When you use your credit card in a hotel, keep an eye on your card. An employee may be using their job to steal credit card information. Watch out for suspicious cell phone activity (the employee could be taking a picture of your credit card) or for your credit card being taken out of your sight (they could be running the card through a device that will store your data).
Reaching beyond the credit cards Share "Reaching beyond the credit cards" on Facebook Tweet " on TwitterReaching beyond the credit cards"

Hotels are also cracking down on guests who steal amenities like toiletries, towels, ashtrays and bathrobes. One way they are recouping the losses incurred by these missing items (they cost the industry $100 million annually) is by charging guests credit cards for the missing amenities.

Unfortunately, employees are just as capable as guests when it comes to taking items. Make sure to review your room bills and keep a copy for your records. When you get home, compare the amount on the receipt to the amount charged to your credit card. If there is a discrepancy, call the hotel immediately to ask about the extra charges.


5 Mistakes People Make that Leave Them Open to Hackers
http://graphs.net/5-mistakes-peo ... pen-to-hackers.html
Internet security has always been an issue and there is no assurance for the safety of data online. People using the internet for various purposes are aware of the threats and dangers that lurk around, but seem to care little about it.
Hacking and cracking happen all the time and yet no one is taking caution to be on the safe side. It has become so easy for the hackers to infiltrate even the most secure of the sites. It is not just the sites to be blamed for rampant internet crimes, but half the fault lies with the uses as well.
It is their responsibility to take appropriate measures to protect their data. Negligence can lead to great loss and irreparable damage. This infographic depicts the five ways in which people expose themselves to hackers.
1. Operating systems are assumed to be good and failure to update them on a regular basis increases the chances of attack.
2. Poor enforcement of access controls and no audits on admin access can leave you vulnerable for hacks and misuse.
3. Most people do not choose a secure enough password. Easily guessable passwords are another big reason for hacking.
4. Ignorance of the users about online behavior leaves them open to attacks.
5. Insecure storage of data and providing unauthorized access can result in data loss.