Technology

Military must watch social media use for fear of phishing

Learn more in today\'s cybersecurity update.

Federal News Network Staff

August 30, 2010 6:16 pm

2 min read

Cybersecurity Update – Tune in weekdays at 30 minutes past the hour for the latest cybersecurity news on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Amy Morris (6-10 a.m.) and the DorobekINSIDER with Chris Dorobek (3-7 p.m.). loss of sensitive information at “an alarming rate.” The FBI has issued warnings about con artists hijacking accounts and spreading malicious software. And the Air Force says Airmen in particular need to be careful in their use of Web 2.0 — in particularly, sharing sensitive or personal information. That includes any information about an individual maintained by an agency, including their education, financial information, medical history, criminal or employment history. It also includes any information that could be used to trace your identity, like your name, social security number, your birthday, or even where you were born. Phishing scams are among the greater concerns. They point to one that entices users to download an application, or to look at a video, that appears to be sent from users’ “friends”, giving the perception of being legitimate. Once the user responds to the phishing site, downloads the application, or clicks on the video link, their computer can become infected. The warning applies to active-duty military, Dod civilians, military family members, contractors, National Guard and the Reserve members. Among the restricted items are biographies, rosters, telephone directories, and organizational lists or charts that reflect personnel.

Cyber workers… the SANS Institute wants to hear from you. The cybersecurity research and training company is conducting a survey to assess the salaries of cyber-workers — both feds and contractors. Next Gov reports, there’s really no good account of how much such workers make. SANS says they’ll put a special focus on learning whether or not certifications and special training is helping to boost salaries. The survey could also could shed some light on the differences in compensation between the public and private sectors.

Check out all of Federal News Radio’s coverage of cybersecurity issues here.