New York Paralegal Blog

OnGuardOnline.gov – the federal government’s online security site, managed by the Federal Trade Commission – is offering information to help PlayStation Network and Qriocity users avoid the risk of identity theft following Sony Corporation’s disclosure that those services were hacked and user data may be compromised. It’s not clear at this time what user data was stolen, but the services held user IDs and passwords, e-mail and street addresses, birth dates, credit card numbers and expiration dates, and payment histories. OnGuardOnline.gov advises PlayStation Network and Qriocity users to take these steps to reduce the risk of identity theft: If you used your PlayStation ID or password to log in to other accounts, change them – and, since hackers could have your security questions and answers from Sony, use different questions for other accounts. When you open your e-mail, consider whether any of the messages could be a phishing scam. Having stolen information could mak...

Data Related to More Than 130 Million Credit and Debit Cards Allegedly Stolen WASHINGTON – Albert Gonzales, 28, of Miami, Fla., was indicted today for conspiring to hack into computer networks supporting major American retail and financial organizations, and stealing data relating to more than 130 million credit and debit cards, announced Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division Lanny A. Breuer, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Ralph J. Marra Jr. and U.S. Secret Service Assistant Director for Investigations Michael Merritt. In a two-count indictment alleging conspiracy and conspiracy to engage in wire fraud, Gonzales, AKA "segvec," "soupnazi" and "j4guar17," is charged, along with two unnamed co-conspirators, with using a sophisticated hacking technique called an "SQL injection attack," which seeks to exploit computer networks by finding a way around the network’s firewall to steal credit and debit card informati...

WASHINGTON – David C. Kernell, 20, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Knoxville, Tenn., for intentionally accessing without authorization the e-mail account of Alaska governor Sarah Palin, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney James R. Dedrick for the Eastern District of Tennessee announced today. Kernell turned himself into federal authorities for arrest and will be arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge C. Clifford Shirley. The single count indictment, returned on Oct. 7, 2008, and unsealed today, alleges that on approximately Sept. 16, 2008, Kernell, a resident of Knoxville, obtained unauthorized access to Gov. Palin’s personal e-mail account by allegedly resetting the account password. According to the indictment, after answering a series of security questions that allowed him to reset the password and gain access to the e-mail account, Kernell allegedly read the contents of the account and made screenshots of the ...