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FBI Takes Down a Massive Advertising Fraud Ring

Schneier on Security

The charges include wire fraud, computer intrusion, aggravated identity theft and money laundering. Ovsyannikov was arrested last month in Malaysia; Zhukov was arrested earlier this month in Bulgaria; and Timchenko was arrested earlier this month in Estonia, all pursuant to provisional arrest warrants issued at the request of the United States.

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The Internet Enabled Mass Surveillance. AI Will Enable Mass Spying.

Schneier on Security

Before the internet, putting someone under surveillance was expensive and time-consuming. Surveillance has become the business model of the internet, and there’s no reasonable way for us to opt out of it. Mass surveillance ushered in the era of personalized advertisements; mass spying will supercharge that industry.

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Ford seeks patent for conversation-based advertising

Malwarebytes

Car manufacturer Ford Motor Company has filed a patent application for an in-vehicle advertisement presentation system based on information derived from several trip and driver characteristics. Based on this info, the controller can decrease or increase the number of advertisements. Among those characteristics—human conversations.

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The great Google Ads heist: criminals ransack advertiser accounts via fake Google ads

Malwarebytes

Fuel for other malware and scam campaigns Indicators of Compromise Overview Online criminals are targeting individuals and businesses that advertise via Google Ads by phishing them for their credentials ironically via fraudulent Google ads. This earned Google a whopping $175 billion in search-based ad revenues in 2023.

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GUEST ESSAY: What everyone should know about the pros and cons of online fingerprinting

The Last Watchdog

When it was first introduced, device fingerprinting – or online fingerprinting in general – was meant to create a safer, more responsible internet. The idea was that by fingerprinting devices used to connect to the internet we could achieve better accountability. At the same time, the profile that advertisers can create reveals a lot.

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Be Very Sparing in Allowing Site Notifications

Krebs on Security

These so-called “push notifications” rely on an Internet standard designed to work similarly across different operating systems and web browsers. The company’s site currently is ranked by Alexa.com as among the top 2,000 sites in terms of Internet traffic globally. McAfee has not yet responded to requests for comment.

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Why You Should Opt Out of Sharing Data With Your Mobile Provider

Krebs on Security

” Is your mobile Internet usage covered by CPNI laws? . ” Is your mobile Internet usage covered by CPNI laws? That’s less clear, as the CPNI rules were established before mobile phones and wireless Internet access were common. TechTarget’s CPNI primer explains: “Under current U.S.

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