“Take precautions when using shared computers, wired hot spots while ... - Macomb Daily” plus 4 more

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• Take precautions when using shared computers, wired hot spots while ... - Macomb Daily
• Bergen County authorities search for man who fled scene of burning car - Newark Star-Ledger
• Motorcyclist hurt on Hwy. 33 - La Crosse Tribune
• Whatever care we get, so should leaders - Las Vegas Sun
• Forget traffic; travel around L.A. on horseback - Mydesert.com

Take precautions when using shared computers, wired hot spots while ... - Macomb Daily Posted: 09 Aug 2009 03:13 AM PDT By Fritz Faerber, The Associated Press When Daniel Carter logged on to a shared computer at a hostel in Rome to check e-mail, he had no idea he was in a hacker's sights. After his trip was over, he discovered someone had hijacked his e-mail account and sent a message to hundreds of his contacts asking for money. "Sorry i did not get you informed about my short trip to london ... i was attacked on my way to the hotel by some hoodlums and they took away all my belongings," the e-mail said, ending with a plea for money "so i can sort out my hotel bills and fly back home" and a promise of repayment. Most of Carter's contacts recognized the scam from the poor grammar and lack of upper-case letters. Unfortunately, one older friend fell for it, sending some $2,000 to the scammers. Carter eventually regained control of his e-mail account and cleaned up the mess. But the money his friend sent was lost. "This was a big wake-up call. I thought, 'Who's going to hack me, I'm not important or of large means,'" said Carter, a songwriter and composer who lives in Salt Lake City. But, as he found out, a hacker can make a quick profit off an ordinary traveler. What happened to Carter is a relatively rare phenomenon. But travelers are especially vulnerable to hackers because they often use computers and Wi-Fi networks in hotel lobbies, cafes and airports. "If you are using an open Wi-Fi network, you are extremely vulnerable," said computer security consultant Kevin Mitnick. He should know: Mitnick served five years in prison for computer capers that gained him notoriety and prompted an FBI manhunt. Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Create a strong password. Carter says his e-mail was easier to hack because he had a weak password. Password advice can be found at: www.microsoft.com/protect/yourself/password/checker.mspx. You might also create a dedicated e-mail account for use on the road, with a password that is different from passwords you use for bank and credit card information. Let your contacts know you'll be using that account while on vacation. You can stay in touch, but if someone does hack into your account, they only get your vacation pictures. If using a shared computer, try to cover your tracks. On Apple's Safari browser, under the Safari menu, toggle "Private Browsing." On Microsoft's Explorer, when you log off, go to "Tools" and "Delete Browsing History" to remove traces of your passwords and the Web sites you've visited. But experts say clearing the history offers weak protection at best. A shared computer, even one that's hard-wired as opposed to one with a wireless network, can harbor keyloggers or other malware that grab passwords and other information. That's why Mitnick said he'd only use a shared computer to check e-mail as a last resort — and then he'd immediately change all his passwords when he gets to a secure computer. Wireless hotspots can also be dangerous — with the hackers monitoring communication from your laptop or other electronic device. And a wired hotel network can also be dangerous, since a hacker could be in the room next door and access your computer through the network. "Sniffing a wireless network is really easy to do — any teen in junior high can do it," Mitnick said of a strategy that amounts to eavesdropping on computer communications in an open network in, say, a cafe or airport. Such vulnerabilities can yield mayhem with attacks known as "Packet Sniffing," "Man in the Middle" attacks and "MAC Spoofing." That's not to say every hotspot is dangerous. But when using your laptop in a public place, you obviously want up-to-date security programs, said Dave Marcus, McAfee's Director of Security Research and Communication. You should also disable file-sharing on your laptop, Marcus said. It's also a good idea to turn off Bluetooth, printer-sharing and disable ad hoc network connections. Each Windows and Mac operating system has a slightly different procedure to do this. Information for your computer can be found at: support.microsoft.com/ or www.apple.com/support/. Many experts say you should not send any sensitive data while in a hotspot. That's because many e-mail services and browser connections essentially broadcast in the clear, meaning someone can eavesdrop on information sent to and from your computer. If you want to be careful, that means avoiding banking, shopping and checking credit card accounts. Even though these sites usually encrypt your data, there are some workarounds a determined hacker could use. Even passwords for seemingly innocuous services could potentially lead to more sensitive personal data. If you want to take your computer security a step up, consider a VPN, or Virtual Private Network. "The best way to protect yourself is a VPN," said Mitnick. "It's a tunnel, where all your communication is encrypted. A passive attacker can't intercept." Bill Bullock, co-founder of the VPN service WiTopia, calls such networks "the next weapon in the arsenal" after firewalls and antivirus software. His company offers plans starting at $39.99 a year, but there are plenty of competitors. And, if you are computer-savvy, you can even create your own VPN, connecting from the road to your secure computer at home and accessing the Internet through it. They can also work with iPhones and other personal data devices. But Kelly Davis-Felner of the Wi-Fi Alliance, a group that promotes growth of Wi-Fi networks, said a VPN is probably overkill for travelers who are just checking the latest sports scores or e-mailing Mom from a cafe on the Champs-Elysees. "It's a statistical possibility that you'll get hacked in a hotspot," she acknowledged, advising against banking, trading stocks or doing business-related work at an open network without VPN. But she added: "You are taking a much greater risk handing your credit card to a waiter than sitting in an airport sending e-mail." This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Bergen County authorities search for man who fled scene of burning car - Newark Star-Ledger Posted: 09 Aug 2009 08:42 AM PDT by Tanya Drobness/The Star-Ledger Authorities are searching for a man who fled the scene of a burning car that crashed into a metal guardrail early today on Route 3 in East Rutherford. Two people in the vehicle were taken to the hospital in critical condition. The man was the front-seat passenger in the 2000 Dodge Intrepid, traveling with another man and a woman, East Rutherford Police Capt. William Schanel said. The vehicle was traveling westbound on Route 3 around 5 a.m., when it crashed into the right guardrail and darted across the highway's four lanes, Schanel said. It then hit a cement divider, sending it back across the highway before it smashing into a metal guardrail and bursting into flames. The driver and another passenger are in critical condition at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Paterson, Schanel said. The cause of the accident has not been determined, Schanel said. The female in the vehicle suffered a lacerated liver, Schanel said. The male in the vehicle sustained a broken right leg and bruises, he said. Their names were not released pending the investigation. It is unclear who drove the vehicle. About two miles of Route 3 from Route 120 to Berry's Creek Bridge will remain closed for several hours, Schanel said. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Motorcyclist hurt on Hwy. 33 - La Crosse Tribune Posted: 09 Aug 2009 08:35 AM PDT PLEASE NOTE: Comments on stories that frequently update through the day disappear with each update. The comments above are from readers. In no way do they represent the views of the La Crosse Tribune. Click here to report offensive or inappropriate comments. Please identify the comment you're concerned about, the story to which the comment was attached, the date of the comment and the person who made the post. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Whatever care we get, so should leaders - Las Vegas Sun Posted: 09 Aug 2009 08:49 AM PDT [fivefilters.org: unable to retrieve full-text content] Makes complete sense but we all know that the royal family in DC is entitled to much more than us regular people. Unbelieveably they are going to spend $550 million on 8 new gulfstreams for their own use a year after making a big deal about auto ... This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Forget traffic; travel around L.A. on horseback - Mydesert.com Posted: 09 Aug 2009 01:11 AM PDT For most tourists, visiting Los Angeles includes stopping in Hollywood and making a side trip to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Getting around means dealing with traffic and freeways. But in historic Griffith Park, known for the famous "Hollywood" sign that overlooks the city, you can hop on a horse for a sunset ride and leave the clogged streets and smog behind. The ride includes a panoramic view of the San Fernando Valley and dinner at a Mexican restaurant with your horse hitched to a nearby post. "It's like being out in the country in the city," Griffith Park Horse Rentals owner Julie Schad said. "It's a change of pace. A lot of people come from out of town and they want something different. It's a popular ride." The horseback tour, led by a guide, starts with a 90-minute ride up one of the hills in Griffith Park, where you'll also find hiking trails and Griffith Observatory, which houses science exhibits and a planetarium. The observatory has been the setting for numerous movies, including the James Dean classic "Rebel Without a Cause," and a bust of the actor welcomes visitors. The horses pause atop a peak for a romantic view of the sunset over the valley. Couples have jumped off their horses here and proposed marriage looking out at the picturesque landscape — something Schad and her staff sometimes conspire to set up. The ride stops along another trail at Viva Fresh Mexican Restaurant, where you can tie your horse up at a hitching post and enjoy dinner and a margarita. "It's kind of a classic sit-down Mexican restaurant and bar — not fancy, not expensive, but it's a quaint location with good prices," Schad said. Then it's a 20-minute ride on flat ground back to the stables. The Griffith Park stable also offers daily horse rentals by the hour, but the sunset dinner ride is an old tradition. A version of it has been around for nearly 50 years, something Schad continued when she bought the rental location six years ago. Horses for hire include two brown and white Belgian draft horses, brothers Rocky and Rollin, who stand 18 hands high, or about 6 feet at the shoulders. They've been working in Griffith Park for the last six months and have become popular even though Schad charges more to ride them than any of the other horses — $95 instead of $65. The breed is known for pulling power and size, typically weighing in around 2,000 pounds. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

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