Hackers are at it again...

August 2, 1:18 PMPhoenix Internet ExaminerMichelle R Meissner

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Be on the alert for the following - A powerful new type of Internet attack works like a telephone tap, except operates between computers and Web sites they trust.

"Hackers at the Black Hat and DefCon security conferences have revealed a serious flaw in the way Web browsers weed out untrustworthy sites and block anybody from seeing them. If a criminal infiltrates a network, he can set up a secret eavesdropping post and capture credit card numbers, passwords and other sensitive data flowing between computers on that network and sites their browsers have deemed safe".

'"The presence of an SSL certificate on a site is designated by a padlock in the address bar. But many people don't pay attention to whether a padlock is present or not."

'"The trick in the latest type of attack is that all a criminal would need to do is put the name of a legitimate Web site before that character, and the browser will believe that the site it's visiting — which is under the criminal's control — is legitimate.''"

"The criminal could then forward the traffic onto the legitimate site and spy on everything the victim does on that site. It's a complicated attack, but it highlights a significant weakness in the very technology widely used to assure people it's safe to navigate sensitive sites."(By JORDAN ROBERTSON, AP Technology Writer - Sat Aug 1, 2009)

So, in summary... watch your browser bar! Make sure secure is secure, and if it isn't, contact the company and ask them to make it that way. No where on this earth does it say we have to take crime lying down. Even if it is on the www.

Questions or comments? Email me : michellemeissner@ymail.com