Officer Ward

Officer Ward
Cyber Defender & Detention Center Security Officer

Officer Ward believes that most people who disrespect the privelages of Cyberspace are more ignorant than criminal, and that most cyber criminals can be rehabilitated into faithful cyber citizens through education about the dangers of delinquency in Cyberspace.

Working closely with Commander Omni and the Cyber Defense Academy, Officer Ward hopes to secure Cyberspace for everyone.

Favorite Quote:

It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do
- John Baptiste Moliere

Favorite Food:

Cupcakes

Interests:

Coaching softball, fishing, catching cyber criminals

July 21 2008

Cyber Crimes: Cyberwoozling

Similar to Spyware, Cyberwoozling is gathering data from someone's computer without their knowledge or permission when they visit a Web site. This is usually done through Web browser cookies, user-installed plug-ins, and add-in code sent to the person's computer from the site. Cyberwoozling can steal information such as email addresses, Web sites you have visited, and how long you spent at them, and add-in code can be used to control what pop-ups are displayed in your browser.

Cyberwoozling is a tactic used by spyware, but spyware also performs other malicious behaviors that can damage or alter your computer, like changing your Web browser's home page and opening random Web pages. Cyberwoozling is usually used to get reports of people's browsing trends and does not involve any other activities. To protect your computer from cyberwoozling, be very careful about installing any cookies or Web browser plug-ins on your computer. Only allow cookies from trusted sites, and check with a trusted adult before installing any plug-ins.

Refer to Scout's Cyber Defense Threat: Cookies post for more information about how manage your Web browser's cookies.

posted by Officer Ward
topic: Cyber Crimes

July 7 2008

Cyber Criminal Profile: The Phisherman

Knowledge is the best weapon against cyber crime. It's important to know as much as you can about cyber criminals so you can learn how to defeat them.

Alias: The Phisherman
Real Name: Unknown
Location: Email, Web sites
Primary attack: Phishing
Weakness:Phishing filters, reporting to authorities, the cold shoulder

The Phisherman trained under M.C. Spammer but quickly grew tired of his ineffective spam attacks that most people just learned to ignore or blocked with a spam filter. Wanting to steal more money faster, he turned to Phishing attacks, using social engineering tactics to trick people into giving away their personal information.

His most common phishing scam is to send a victim an email claiming there is something wrong with their bank account. This email may include some of the victim’s personal information, like their name or social security number, to trick them into believing the email is truly from their bank. The email directs the victim to a Web site to enter their bank account information to “fix” the problem, but this fake Web site allows the Phisherman to steal their bank account information and their money.

His many other scams include pretending to be a network administrator, a PayPal or eBay employee, and even the IRS. He will use any Internet communication tool, including email, chat rooms, social networking sites, and instant messenger, to try and trick people into giving him their personal information or passwords.

Refer to Scout's Cyber Defense Threat: Phishing post for more information about how to protect yourself from Phishing attacks.

posted by Officer Ward
topic: Cyber Criminals