| MasterCard scandal: Worst data theft ever?
In what could be the largest data security breach to date, MasterCard International on Friday said information on more than 40 million credit cards may have been stolen. Of those exposed accounts, about 13.9 million are for MasterCard-branded cards, the company said in a statement. Some 20 million Visa-branded cards may have been affected and the remaining accounts were other brands, including American Express and Discover. MasterCard and Visa both say they have notified their member banks of the specific accounts involved so the banks can take action to protect cardholders. James Van Dyke, principal analyst at Javelin Strategy & Research in Pleasanton, California, said: "In sheer numbers, this is probably one of the largest data security breaches." The breach occurred at CardSystems Solutions in Tucson, Arizona, a third-party processor of payment data, according to a MasterCard statement.
HORSEBLEEP
THE GIOVANNI & PILEGGI hairdresser didn't want to offend her Center City walk-in client, Morgan Greenhouse, who had come in for a hair-extension consultation. " 'Please don't take this question as insulting, [but] do you have any idea the costs of these extensions?' " the hairdresser recalls asking her. Her high-fashion client cut to the chase, telling the hairdresser: " 'Don't worry about the money. Money is not an issue.' " The $2,200 quote seemed reasonable, she told the stylist. On Nov. 29, Morgan came in for her all-day appointment, dressed in True Religion jeans, with violet-colored eye contacts. Her doting boyfriend came in to chat with her and even brought her a falafel sandwich. By the end of the day, Morgan, "who was really social, really sweet," was really happy with her flowing auburn brown locks, said the hairdresser, who spoke to the Daily News on condition of anonymity.
Patent watch
Senior officials of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will be available live online from 1 to 2 p.m. Tuesday to answer questions and offer tips for independent inventors. Instructions will be posted on the home page of the USPTO website at 9 a.m. .
Man on Arizona's 'Most Wanted" list caught near Chehalis
Man on Arizona's 'Most Wanted" list caught near Chehalis THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CHEHALIS, Wash. -- A man on Arizonas "Most Wanted" list has been caught near Chehalis. State Trooper Michael D. Kesler says 39-year-old Larry A. Hayes gave a false Washington driver's license when he was stopped early Friday for speeding. He was clocked at 74 mph in a 50 mph zone in a Mercedes on southbound Interstate 5. Kesler says Hayes claimed to be David Wayne Matthews. He was jailed when that could not be confirmed, and fingerprints revealed his true identity on Saturday. A passenger, 24-year-old Kyndale Ogara of Tacoma, was arrested on a forgery warrant from Pierce County. Hayes had been sought in more than 900 cases of possession of stolen property, identity theft and fraud-related crimes - including 800 in Pierce County.
Why Data Security for Non-Production Computer Systems Is Important
Most business enterprises are well aware of the need to protect their production computers from unauthorized access. Data security procedures are now routinely required by governmental regulation, such as Sarbanes-Oxley or HIPAA, or by industry self-regulation, such as through the PCI Security Standards Council. Even with such requirements, reports of data breaches are regularly reported in the press, exposing businesses to fallout ranging from unwanted media attention as the most basic response to potential legal exposure and costs as the most severe. While the industry has moved to deal with the most egregious aspects of data theft, many computer systems still remain vulnerable to attack at some level. But there is yet another tier of computer data that remains practically untouched and unprotected by today's new data security procedures – non-production systems used for in-house development, testing and training purposes.
US elections 2004
For supporters of John Kerry, who have seen allegations about the Democratic candidate's military record sap his campaign, it must have seemed like a case of just deserts.
The president, George Bush, was last week looking vulnerable on the same grounds after CBS's flagship current affairs show, 60 Minutes, broadcast a report claiming he had been suspended from pilot duties for failing to meet the required standards. It was also claimed that a commanding officer had been put under pressure to "sugar coat" Mr Bush's performance reviews.
But while CBS stands by its story, allegations have now surfaced that 60 Minutes based a large part of the report on forged documents.
Although what one man - even a presidential candidate - did more than 30 years ago can seem rather trivial, the US election is being fought between a self-declared "war president" and a man who, in stump speeches, claims he would defend his country as president in the way he had defended it as a young man.
Customer service
These companies were quick to answer their calls, and we found their interactive voice response systems easy to navigate. The results may go against the conventional thinking that a telephone-based customer service experience is usually a bad experience. Got your own story about customer service, from either side of the phone line — good or bad? We want to know about it as well as your thoughts on our survey results. « Previous Topic | Main | Next Topic » This discussion is now Closed. View the Comments. .
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