FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
How to Avoid Being A Target of
Identity Theft, Fraud and Scams
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“I don’t think parents would allow their children to
download free music or movies if they knew who their kids were sharing files
with,” said Safwat Fahmy, CEO & president, SafeMedia Corp.
“I don’t
think parents would allow their children to download free music or movies if
they
Knew who
their kids were sharing files with,” said Safwat Fahmy, CEO & president,
SafeMedia Corp.,
The USPTO report “Filesharing Programs and Technological Features to Induce Users to Share”
found that “home computers are often used by multiple people and
the person who best understands which files are sensitive and where they are
stored may not be the person who installs and runs a filesharing program.”
The report
reveals that at least four of the (P-2-P filesharing) programs analyzed have
deployed partial-uninstall features: If users uninstall one of these programs
from their computers, the process will leave behind a file that will cause
any subsequent installation of any version of the same program to share all
folders shared by the “uninstalled” copy of the program. Whenever a computer
is used by more than one person, this feature ensures that users cannot know
which files and folders these programs will share by default.
Federal prosecutors are now requiring social websites to reveal the emails
of registered sex offenders. “If teenagers
are filesharing music, who knows how many criminals might be sharing personal
information, credit cards, bank passwords and social security numbers with
scheme operators who buy them,” said Fahmy, who created Clouseau®, a practical
and inexpensive technology to stop illegal downloading of copyrighted materials
To avoid
becoming a victim, Safwat offers this advice when parents allow their children
to surf the internet. 1-visit legitimate websites that have secured seals. 2-do
not offer personal information on any websites. 3-Report any suspicious
websites that offer items that seem too good to be true.
The
damage being caused by P-2-P networks goes unnoticed, because its free, and
most often it is an illegal transfer of copyright protected files,” explained
Fahmy. The USPTO report “Technological Features to Induce Users to
Share”, published in November, 2006 disclosed five user-dangerous features
hidden or disguised in P2P programs. The programs included everything from
allowing hackers to exploit computer networks to stealing sensitive data to infecting
computers or networks with malicious code.
“Unknowing Internet users are duped into breaking the law and jeopardizing
their standing and their futures as law-abiding citizens,” explained Fahmy.
Meantime,
social website MySpace is being pressured by the attorney general of eight
states to hand over information on sex offenders using the site by May 29,
although the company is declining to do so. It claims both federal and state
laws prohibit the release of such information.
Those
states requesting the release of data were:
Congress
is also sending an ultimatum and survey to universities to respond by the end
of the month to a laundry list of questions of Internet piracy on campus (using
taxpayer facilities.)
The strong letters were sent to the presidents of 19 Universities, including University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Boston University, Columbia University, Duke University, Howard University and Michigan State University to name a few.
And nearly two dozen California Universities
received an order to enforce copyright infringement laws from state Chancellor
Charles B. Reed.
“Even when parents know that their
children are using popular sites like LimeWire,
eMule, uTorrent and dozens of others, most of them are not techies enough
to understand these illegal P-2-P networks features,” explained Fahmy. “The
problem is, on the surface they appear to be so easy to use; parents believe
that they are safe.”
And finally, the USPTO study, which
reviewed half dozen programs, found that “The damage being caused by P2P goes
well beyond the knowing, illegal transfer of copyright protected files and
a disregard for intellectual property. As you would expect, when files often
come from anonymous and uncertified sources, the risk of that file containing
a virus greatly increases. Research by the security company TruSecure
found that 45 percent of popular downloaded files concealed malicious code.”
For more about SafeMedia Corp.’s Technology and the Clouseau® visit: www.SafeMedia.com. Visit their Blog at: http://SafeMediaCorp.Blogspot.com.
The USPTO
report is posted at:
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