A few weeks ago I posted an article about password vigilance and why it's important to maintain a healthy portfolio of different and complex passwords for your various accounts. That way if one system was hacked and usernames/passwords were stolen then only that system's data would be at risk. In the event of a compromised password you can easily change it and not worry about other accounts that perhaps share that same username. Simply update the account and your password manager. Case closed. Move on. I also mentioned that you should use two factor authentication if an application offers it.…
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Once again, there is a battle between security and convenience. Unfortunately this time it affects anyone who enjoys the simplicity of buying a latté with their smartphone. Bob Sullivan, an investigative journalist, reported that Starbucks consumers are being victimized by criminals who transfer funds leveraging the auto-reload capability of the mobile app. The theft starts with a username and password change outside of business hours, followed by a series of increasing account fund reloads - all within a matter of minutes. Criminals can steal hundreds of dollars without the victim realizing that it's already too late. This was a relatively…
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