[antimedia] antimedia: This is a bit off topic for me....

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Posted by antimedia:
This is a bit off topic for me....
http://www.antimedia.us/posts/1161914038.shtml


   ....but it's [1]big news in my opinion.

     Two American brokerage houses have written off $22 million in fraud
     losses on their third quarter financials, citing spyware, stolen
     identities and hacker fraud as the cause.
     In a recent Reuters news article, two online discount brokerages
     have admitted to major losses from hackers stealing their
     customer's identities and then committing fraud. TD Ameritrade has
     said that it cost $4M in their third quarter from customers whose
     accounts had been hacked. E*Trade Financial also reported losses,
     but said that online identity theft by hackers cost them $18
     million in the same period. Both brokerages offer guarantees to
     their customers to replay clients who've lost money through this
     kind of fraud.

   Criminal activity on the internet is moving into the big leagues. If
   you're an investor, you might want to check your broker to see what
   protections they provide should your account be hacked. And make sure
   you're taking proper precautions to protect your computers.

References

   1. http://www.securityfocus.com/brief/339?ref=rss