npr--2020-01-23--Tech Companies Take A Leading Role In Warning Of Foreign Cyber Threats

Tech Companies Take A Leading Role In Warning Of Foreign Cyber Threats The U.S. government says it 's on high alert for cyberattacks from foreign countries in this election year .
Yet private cybersecurity firms have often been the ones sounding the alarm , and in some cases , they are selling their services to the U.S. intelligence community .
`` We 've seen Iran impersonating political candidates , '' said Sandra Joyce , the head of global intelligence at FireEye , a leading cybersecurity company .
`` They 've even fabricated letters that look like they 're coming from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in newspapers .
Well-known newspapers .
But they 're influence operators from Iran .
They 're not concerned citizens from Texas , '' she added .
Whether it 's Iran , Russia or other foreign actors , cybersecurity companies and research groups have been often been more public than the government in identifying potential foreign threats .
`` The government does n't have a monopoly on tracking , identifying or exposing some of these vulnerabilities , '' said Graham Brookie , who runs the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and threats are becoming more diffuse , more complex and in some ways more open . ''
The U.S. government says it welcomes help from tech companies , according to Shelby Pierson , who works for the acting director of national intelligence , Joseph Maguire .
She was appointed last year to a newly created position that puts her in charge of coordinating election security across the intelligence community .
`` There is a whole consortium of players in this landscape which include private security firms , '' Pierson told NPR in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have deeper and technical insight into those networks before the intelligence community will .
`` Pierson said the government sometimes buys services from cybersecurity companies , and she cited a couple of the biggest players in the industry .
`` FireEye and CrowdStrike , for example , have done really good work , where based on the analysis , expertise and information analysis that they do , those are products and services that they can sell to the U.S .
government . ''
The cyber firm Area 1 Security said it recently detected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems of Burisa .
That 's the Ukranian gas company where Hunter Biden , the son of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden , used to be on the board .
This raised suspicions that the Russians are looking for dirt on the Bidens .
Area 1 has received a lot of media attention for this report — which is good for a private company .
However , the tight-lipped U.S. intelligence community has n't offered its own assessment .
So what 's the government 's position on the report — does it agree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain silent ?
`` Of course , these topics are news and newsworthy , '' said Brookie , of the Atlantic Council .
But he warned that we 're going to see a wide range of opinions on how much public attention a potential threat should receive .
Tech companies have incentives to publicize threats they 've uncovered .
The media is looking for scoops .
Yet the government might be inclined to say little or nothing .
`` And we , collectively between government and media and tech have not shown that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Brookie said .
The government is wrestling with the issue , said Pierson .
`` Some of my [ government ] colleagues have said , 'Maybe we should n't necessarily spook the herd and share all this information , ' '' she said .
`` Maybe people go , 'You know what , this is all rigged .
That 's so much disinformation .
I 'm not going to vote . '
That would be worst case scenario .
And frankly , doing the work of our adversaries for them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ agencies have pledged to be more open than in the past .
The FBI , for example , recently expanded its policy for issuing notifications when it detects a cyberattack .
Private cybersecurity firms say they often hire people who have worked in the intelligence community .
And the companies stress that they cultivate close relationships with the government .
`` We definitely work in lockstep with law enforcement and the intelligence community , '' said Karim Hijazi , the head of Prevailion , a cybersecurity company in Houston .
`` We want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misstepping . ''
His firm put out a report earlier this month saying Iran is probing the computer systems at oil and gas companies .
As all this plays out , many Americans say they 're concerned about election security .
A poll by NPR , the PBS NewsHour and Marist found 41 percent of those surveyed believe the U.S. is not well prepared , or not prepared at all , to protect the November ballot from interference .
Greg Myre is an NPR national security correspondent .
Follow him @ gregmyre1 .

Tech Companies Take A Leading Role In Warning Of Foreign Cyber Threats
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of FireEye Courtesy of FireEye
The U.S. government says it's on high alert for cyberattacks from foreign countries in this election year. Yet private cybersecurity firms have often been the ones sounding the alarm, and in some cases, they are selling their services to the U.S. intelligence community.
"We've seen Iran impersonating political candidates," said Sandra Joyce, the head of global intelligence at FireEye, a leading cybersecurity company.
"They've even fabricated letters that look like they're coming from concerned citizens. They get themselves published in newspapers. Well-known newspapers. But they're influence operators from Iran. They're not concerned citizens from Texas," she added.
Whether it's Iran, Russia or other foreign actors, cybersecurity companies and research groups have been often been more public than the government in identifying potential foreign threats.
"The government doesn't have a monopoly on tracking, identifying or exposing some of these vulnerabilities," said Graham Brookie, who runs the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council in Washington. "The threat is evolving and threats are becoming more diffuse, more complex and in some ways more open."
The U.S. government says it welcomes help from tech companies, according to Shelby Pierson, who works for the acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire. She was appointed last year to a newly created position that puts her in charge of coordinating election security across the intelligence community.
"There is a whole consortium of players in this landscape which include private security firms," Pierson told NPR in an interview. "Those organizations will actually have deeper and technical insight into those networks before the intelligence community will.
"Pierson said the government sometimes buys services from cybersecurity companies, and she cited a couple of the biggest players in the industry.
"FireEye and CrowdStrike, for example, have done really good work, where based on the analysis, expertise and information analysis that they do, those are products and services that they can sell to the U.S. government."
The cyber firm Area 1 Security said it recently detected Russian military intelligence breaking into the computer systems of Burisa. That's the Ukranian gas company where Hunter Biden, the son of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, used to be on the board.
This raised suspicions that the Russians are looking for dirt on the Bidens.
Area 1 has received a lot of media attention for this report — which is good for a private company. However, the tight-lipped U.S. intelligence community hasn't offered its own assessment.
So what's the government's position on the report — does it agree, disagree, or just prefer to remain silent?
"Of course, these topics are news and newsworthy," said Brookie, of the Atlantic Council. But he warned that we're going to see a wide range of opinions on how much public attention a potential threat should receive.
Tech companies have incentives to publicize threats they've uncovered. The media is looking for scoops. Yet the government might be inclined to say little or nothing.
"And we, collectively between government and media and tech have not shown that we know what to do with that," Brookie said.
The government is wrestling with the issue, said Pierson.
"Some of my [government] colleagues have said, 'Maybe we shouldn't necessarily spook the herd and share all this information,'" she said. "Maybe people go, 'You know what, this is all rigged. That's so much disinformation. I'm not going to vote.' That would be worst case scenario. And frankly, doing the work of our adversaries for them."
However, a number of government agencies have pledged to be more open than in the past. The FBI, for example, recently expanded its policy for issuing notifications when it detects a cyberattack.
Private cybersecurity firms say they often hire people who have worked in the intelligence community. And the companies stress that they cultivate close relationships with the government.
National Security As Americans Fear Foreign Interference, Federal Agencies Work To Secure Elections As Americans Fear Foreign Interference, Federal Agencies Work To Secure Elections Listen · 4:56 4:56
"We definitely work in lockstep with law enforcement and the intelligence community," said Karim Hijazi, the head of Prevailion, a cybersecurity company in Houston. "We want to make sure that we're not misstepping."
His firm put out a report earlier this month saying Iran is probing the computer systems at oil and gas companies.
As all this plays out, many Americans say they're concerned about election security. A poll by NPR, the PBS NewsHour and Marist found 41 percent of those surveyed believe the U.S. is not well prepared, or not prepared at all, to protect the November ballot from interference.
Greg Myre is an NPR national security correspondent. Follow him @gregmyre1.


npr--2020-01-23--Jim Lehrer, Longtime PBS Anchor, Dies At 85

Jim Lehrer , the veteran journalist and writer known for his steady , low-key presence in the often noisy world of TV news , died Thursday .
He co-founded PBS ' NewsHour and won numerous honors — including Peabody and Emmy awards and a National Humanities Medal — in a career that spanned some 50 years .
Lehrer , who was 85 , died at his home in Washington .
His death was announced by PBS , where for years , Lehrer and his lifelong friend Robert MacNeil co-anchored The MacNeil/Lehrer Report , which later became The NewsHour With Jim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I 'm heartbroken at the loss of someone who was central to my professional life , a mentor to me and someone whose friendship I 've cherished for decades , '' said Judy Woodruff , NewsHour anchor and managing editor .
`` I 've looked up to him as the standard for fair , probing and thoughtful journalism , and I know countless others who feel the same way . ''
After serving in the Marines , Lehrer began his journalism career as a reporter , columnist and editor for Dallas newspapers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ KERA before joining PBS in the 1970s .
Lehrer chronicled such pivotal , weighty events as President John F. Kennedy 's assassination and the 1973 Senate Watergate hearings .
He interviewed prominent global figures including British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat .
Lehrer was born in Wichita , Kan. , and raised in Texas .
His mother was a bank clerk , and his father was a bus station manager .
Lehrer 's office at PBS was legendary for its collection of bus station memorabilia .
Once dubbed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNN 's Bernard Shaw , Lehrer moderated a dozen presidential debates , an experience he `` compared to walking down the blade of a knife '' in his book Tension City .
Lehrer was criticized by some for not challenging candidates enough , but that was n't his style .
He once told NPR that `` the best moderators are the moderators who are essentially invisible . ''
But Lehrer was anything but invisible .
He wrote some 20 novels , three memoirs and several plays .
Just last month , he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeachment .
ABC anchor Peter Jennings once said Lehrer was an `` impeccably fair man who listens . ''
According to an appreciation on the PBS website , Lehrer and MacNeil shared an approach to journalism that shaped public media reporting .
`` The nine tenets that governed his philosophy included the assumption that 'the viewer is as smart and caring and good a person as I am , ' that 'there is at least one other side or version to every story , ' that separating 'opinion and analysis from straight news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carefully , and last but not least : ' I am not in the entertainment business . '
``

Jim Lehrer, Longtime PBS Anchor, Dies At 85
Enlarge this image toggle caption PBS via AP PBS via AP
Jim Lehrer, the veteran journalist and writer known for his steady, low-key presence in the often noisy world of TV news, died Thursday. He co-founded PBS' NewsHour and won numerous honors — including Peabody and Emmy awards and a National Humanities Medal — in a career that spanned some 50 years.
Lehrer, who was 85, died at his home in Washington. His death was announced by PBS, where for years, Lehrer and his lifelong friend Robert MacNeil co-anchored The MacNeil/Lehrer Report, which later became The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer, and eventually PBS NewsHour.
"I'm heartbroken at the loss of someone who was central to my professional life, a mentor to me and someone whose friendship I've cherished for decades," said Judy Woodruff, NewsHour anchor and managing editor. "I've looked up to him as the standard for fair, probing and thoughtful journalism, and I know countless others who feel the same way."
After serving in the Marines, Lehrer began his journalism career as a reporter, columnist and editor for Dallas newspapers. He worked at public TV station KERA before joining PBS in the 1970s.
YouTube
Lehrer chronicled such pivotal, weighty events as President John F. Kennedy's assassination and the 1973 Senate Watergate hearings. He interviewed prominent global figures including British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat.
Lehrer was born in Wichita, Kan., and raised in Texas. His mother was a bank clerk, and his father was a bus station manager. Lehrer's office at PBS was legendary for its collection of bus station memorabilia.
Once dubbed "the dean of moderators" by CNN's Bernard Shaw, Lehrer moderated a dozen presidential debates, an experience he "compared to walking down the blade of a knife" in his book Tension City. Lehrer was criticized by some for not challenging candidates enough, but that wasn't his style. He once told NPR that "the best moderators are the moderators who are essentially invisible."
But Lehrer was anything but invisible. He wrote some 20 novels, three memoirs and several plays. Just last month, he was on CNN talking about President Trump's impeachment.
ABC anchor Peter Jennings once said Lehrer was an "impeccably fair man who listens." According to an appreciation on the PBS website, Lehrer and MacNeil shared an approach to journalism that shaped public media reporting.
"The nine tenets that governed his philosophy included the assumption that 'the viewer is as smart and caring and good a person as I am,' that 'there is at least one other side or version to every story,' that separating 'opinion and analysis from straight news stories' must be done clearly and carefully, and last but not least: 'I am not in the entertainment business.' "


npr--2020-01-23--Don't Be Like Jeff Bezos. Here's How To Keep Your Phone Safe From Hackers

Do n't Be Like Jeff Bezos .
Here 's How To Keep Your Phone Safe From Hackers If Jeff Bezos ca n't keep his phone safe , how can the rest of us hope to ?
The most obvious first step : Be careful about WhatsApp messaging with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia .
`` I think if a Saudi prince is after you , you have a lot of things to worry about , '' says Matthew Green , a computer science professor at Johns Hopkins University and an expert on cryptography and cybersecurity .
He says , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the owner of The Washington Post , is smart and presumably has good security people helping him .
But , Green says , `` the bad thing about being Jeff Bezos is that there are a lot of people with huge amounts of money who want to hack you . ''
But Green says that a targeted hack like the one the Saudis allegedly used against Bezos to get troves of information off his phone — which involved a video file allegedly sent by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Bezos over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pull off .
Green says that if you 're not very wealthy and not a celebrity , a politician or a top executive , `` you probably are not a target . ''
At least for that type of attack .
That 's the good news .
The not-so-good news : Research shows that more general-purpose malware aimed at phones that the rest of us use is also on the rise .
So here 's what you need to know to reduce your chances of getting hacked .
There is a whole netherworld @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supported app stores run by Apple , Google and Amazon .
Many people `` jailbreak , '' or alter , their phones so they can install apps from outside the mainstream app stores — apps that look like games or promise to let you watch a big Hollywood blockbuster before it 's officially released .
But `` that dramatically increases your risk for installing malicious apps , '' says Tim Erlin , a cybersecurity expert at Tripwire .
Overall , phones are getting much harder for hackers to break into , Green says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is compromised in some way by malicious code , that does n't mean the hackers can open all your apps , look inside them and get your bank account numbers , emails with your tax returns for your accountant or whatever else .
`` Every single app you have runs in what 's called a sandbox .
Basically , it 's isolated from all the other apps on the phone , '' Green says .
`` So even if there 's a bug in one app ... that could lead to something bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that app .
But generally speaking , it wo n't spread throughout your phone . ''
So that 's a crucial protection to make hacks much more difficult .
But if you jailbreak your phone , you 're throwing aside that digital security and leaving yourself much more vulnerable .
Green notes that if your phone is four or five years old , you also do n't have some of these important newer protections and are more at risk .
Hackers and the phone manufacturers are in an ongoing race .
The hackers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included in the software updates for your phone .
Social media and messaging companies are in this race against the hackers too .
Facebook , which owns WhatsApp , warned about and fixed a video file vulnerability last year , but it 's unclear whether it was the same one that allowed Bezos ' iPhone to be hacked in 2018 .
Where you play a role in all this is by installing the latest updates to your phone and the apps installed on it .
`` Keeping your phone updated is an important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Erlin says .
`` It 's important to install those updates when they 're available . ''
This is where having an old phone can be a problem .
`` It 's a choice you can make : If you do n't want to move to a newer phone , you want to accept that risk .
Lots of people do , but it does put you at greater risk , because you 're no longer receiving security updates , '' Erlin says .
In traditional phishing attempts , you might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you to click on a link or download a file that contains malware .
But for hackers targeting phones , the threat might not be in an email .
`` If you think about the apps that you use most commonly , maybe it 's Facebook , maybe it 's Instagram , maybe it 's some other app where you have the capability to send and receive messages , '' Erlin says .
`` An example would be that in Instagram , you receive a link .
Maybe it 's not a file @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone you know or you follow that says , 'Here , I made this for you . '
`` Just like with email phishing accounts , Erlin says , watch out for vague and general-sounding messages asking you to open a file or click on a link .
Even if the message comes from someone you know , the person 's account may have been compromised .
`` And so you click on that link and it compromises your phone , '' Erlin says .
Be careful about being tricked into giving away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information .
Erlin remembers a couple of years ago , an attacker was trying to get people to enter their credentials for their bank account so the hackers could steal them .
Erlin adds : `` And they had compromised the phone in such a way that they replaced the phone number for the bank account with a phone number that they controlled , so that when you tried to call your bank to say , 'Hey , I ca n't get into my bank account , ' you ended up with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That 's a fairly sophisticated type of operation , but it was possible at that time . ''
4 .
Protect yourself from SIM-swap attacks .
Do n't use your cellphone as a way to verify identity SIM-swap scams are some of the scariest phone hacks .
They 're more difficult and time intensive to pull off .
So they 're not that common , but they are on the rise .
Samy Tarazi , a criminal investigator with the Santa Clara County District Attorney 's Office in California , works on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He says he knows of about 4,000 cases nationally , `` but there are more than that . ''
With a SIM swap , fraudsters take control of a victim 's phone number .
Tarazi says there are multiple ways they can do this .
They might trick the phone company and claim they lost their phone and need to transfer the number .
Sometimes it 's an inside job where they bribe a phone company employee .
Once they get that number transferred over to a phone that the hackers control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone number is linked to all of the victim 's online accounts — their bank accounts . ''
Those accounts use the cellphone number to verify a customer 's identity when the customer wants to do something like change a password .
A bank might send you a text message with a temporary code that you then use to change your account 's password .
So without knowing any of your actual passwords , a hacker can take control of an email account and then have control of both your phone number and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he can reset passwords to any other service — banks , cryptocurrency ... social media , '' Tarazi says .
People have lost large sums of money this way , he says .
But Tarazi says there is a way to protect yourself : `` We highly recommend that people not use their cellphone number as a form of verification of identity . ''
Instead , he says , you should tell financial institutions and other services that you use that you want to use a password and security questions that only you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to verify your identity .
5 .
Be careful about public Wi-Fi when traveling abroad This is actually an area where phones are getting more secure .
Green says if you 're running a relatively new phone with the most updated operating system , you do n't have to worry that much about whether plugging into a public charging station or connecting to a public Wi-Fi network is going to let hackers break into your phone .
`` There 's still always a chance that somebody could look at the traffic going over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , '' Green says .
`` But really , hacking into your phone is getting much , much harder . ''
But Tarazi says you do want to be more careful when traveling abroad .
He says many people want to use Wi-Fi to avoid roaming charges , and that 's OK .
But , he says , be careful if you try to use a public network and it prompts you to do something suspicious .
`` Sometimes it 's download this app and then use it to log in , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever requires you to download something , definitely do not do that . ''
Even with the improved security for smartphones , often you do n't realize you 've been hacked until it 's too late .
And if somebody opens a credit card in your name or steals money from an account , you also do n't know how they got your personal information — from your phone , stealing your mail or the Equifax breach or some other massive hack of a corporation .
If the address book on your phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to email spam with malicious links to all your contacts .
If one of those contacts clicks on the link and then does some online banking , `` that lets the hackers steal credentials for their bank account and then they have access to that bank account , '' Erlin says .
Tarazi of the Santa Clara DA 's office says that with so many ways to have your personal financial information stolen , it 's a good idea to call the three major credit bureaus and tell them to put a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes it much harder for identity thieves to open a new bank account or credit card using your name .

Don't Be Like Jeff Bezos. Here's How To Keep Your Phone Safe From Hackers
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bandar Algaloud/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Bandar Algaloud/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Updated at 1:26 p.m. ET Friday
If Jeff Bezos can't keep his phone safe, how can the rest of us hope to?
Sure, Bezos, Amazon's CEO and the owner of The Washington Post, is smart and presumably has good security people helping him, says Matthew Green, a computer science professor at Johns Hopkins University. But, Green says, "the bad thing about being Jeff Bezos is that there are a lot of people with huge amounts of money who want to hack you."
Still, a targeted hack like the one the Saudis allegedly used against Bezos to get troves of information off his phone — which involved a video file allegedly sent by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Bezos over WhatsApp — is costly and hard to pull off, says Green, an expert on cryptography and cybersecurity.
Green says that if you're not very wealthy and not a celebrity, a politician or a top executive, "you probably are not a target." At least for that type of attack.
That's the good news. The not-so-good news: Research shows that more general-purpose malware aimed at phones that the rest of us use is also on the rise.
So here's what you need to know to reduce your chances of getting hacked.
1. Don't "jailbreak" your phone and install dubious apps
There is a whole netherworld of questionable apps that exists outside the supported app stores run by Apple, Google and Amazon.
Many people "jailbreak," or alter, their phones so they can install apps from outside the mainstream app stores — apps that look like games or promise to let you watch a big Hollywood blockbuster before it's officially released. But "that dramatically increases your risk for installing malicious apps," says Tim Erlin, a cybersecurity expert at Tripwire.
Overall, phones are getting much harder for hackers to break into, Green says. He says even if your phone is compromised in some way by malicious code, that doesn't mean the hackers can open all your apps, look inside them and get your bank account numbers, emails with your tax returns for your accountant or whatever else.
"Every single app you have runs in what's called a sandbox. Basically, it's isolated from all the other apps on the phone," Green says. "So even if there's a bug in one app ... that could lead to something bad — some malware being installed that affects that app. But generally speaking, it won't spread throughout your phone."
So that's a crucial protection to make hacks much more difficult. But if you jailbreak your phone, you're throwing aside that digital security and leaving yourself much more vulnerable.
Green notes that if your phone is four or five years old, you also don't have some of these important newer protections and are more at risk.
2. Install all operating system updates
Hackers and the phone manufacturers are in an ongoing race. The hackers find vulnerabilities, and then fixes are included in the software updates for your phone.
Social media and messaging companies are in this race against the hackers too. Facebook, which owns WhatsApp, warned about and fixed a video file vulnerability last year, but it's unclear whether it was the same one that allowed Bezos' iPhone to be hacked in 2018. Where you play a role in all this is by installing the latest updates to your phone and the apps installed on it.
"Keeping your phone updated is an important step in keeping it secure as well," Erlin says. "It's important to install those updates when they're available."
This is where having an old phone can be a problem. "It's a choice you can make: If you don't want to move to a newer phone, you want to accept that risk. Lots of people do, but it does put you at greater risk, because you're no longer receiving security updates," Erlin says.
3. Beware of questionable attachments and links
In traditional phishing attempts, you might get an email on your computer asking you to click on a link or download a file that contains malware. But for hackers targeting phones, the threat might not be in an email.
"If you think about the apps that you use most commonly, maybe it's Facebook, maybe it's Instagram, maybe it's some other app where you have the capability to send and receive messages," Erlin says. "An example would be that in Instagram, you receive a link. Maybe it's not a file — maybe it's a link from someone you know or you follow that says, 'Here, I made this for you.' "
Just like with email phishing accounts, Erlin says, watch out for vague and general-sounding messages asking you to open a file or click on a link. Even if the message comes from someone you know, the person's account may have been compromised. "And so you click on that link and it compromises your phone," Erlin says.
Be careful about being tricked into giving away passwords or other sensitive personal or financial information. Erlin remembers a couple of years ago, an attacker was trying to get people to enter their credentials for their bank account so the hackers could steal them.
Erlin adds: "And they had compromised the phone in such a way that they replaced the phone number for the bank account with a phone number that they controlled, so that when you tried to call your bank to say, 'Hey, I can't get into my bank account,' you ended up with a person who was associated with this attack. That's a fairly sophisticated type of operation, but it was possible at that time."
4. Protect yourself from SIM-swap attacks. Don't use your cellphone as a way to verify identity
SIM-swap scams are some of the scariest phone hacks. They're more difficult and time intensive to pull off. So they're not that common, but they are on the rise.
Samy Tarazi, a criminal investigator with the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office in California, works on a regional task force on the problem. He says he knows of about 4,000 cases nationally, "but there are more than that."
With a SIM swap, fraudsters take control of a victim's phone number. Tarazi says there are multiple ways they can do this. They might trick the phone company and claim they lost their phone and need to transfer the number. Sometimes it's an inside job where they bribe a phone company employee.
Once they get that number transferred over to a phone that the hackers control, Tarazi says, often "that phone number is linked to all of the victim's online accounts — their bank accounts."
Those accounts use the cellphone number to verify a customer's identity when the customer wants to do something like change a password. A bank might send you a text message with a temporary code that you then use to change your account's password.
So without knowing any of your actual passwords, a hacker can take control of an email account and then have control of both your phone number and your email. "From there, he can reset passwords to any other service — banks, cryptocurrency ... social media," Tarazi says. People have lost large sums of money this way, he says.
But Tarazi says there is a way to protect yourself: "We highly recommend that people not use their cellphone number as a form of verification of identity." Instead, he says, you should tell financial institutions and other services that you use that you want to use a password and some other form of two-step verification.
Tarazi says some companies may allow you to use a special authenticator app for this. Or he says you could use security questions that you know the answer to. But he says you should make up fictional answers if the security questions can be researched and figured out by others.
5. Be careful about public Wi-Fi when traveling abroad
This is actually an area where phones are getting more secure. Green says if you're running a relatively new phone with the most updated operating system, you don't have to worry that much about whether plugging into a public charging station or connecting to a public Wi-Fi network is going to let hackers break into your phone.
"There's still always a chance that somebody could look at the traffic going over the network. You should worry about that," Green says. "But really, hacking into your phone is getting much, much harder."
But Tarazi says you do want to be more careful when traveling abroad. He says many people want to use Wi-Fi to avoid roaming charges, and that's OK.
But, he says, be careful if you try to use a public network and it prompts you to do something suspicious. "Sometimes it's download this app and then use it to log in," Tarazi says. "If it ever requires you to download something, definitely do not do that."
Even with the improved security for smartphones, often you don't realize you've been hacked until it's too late. And if somebody opens a credit card in your name or steals money from an account, you also don't know how they got your personal information — from your phone, stealing your mail or the Equifax breach or some other massive hack of a corporation.
If the address book on your phone is compromised, an attacker would be able to email spam with malicious links to all your contacts. If one of those contacts clicks on the link and then does some online banking, "that lets the hackers steal credentials for their bank account and then they have access to that bank account," Erlin says.
Tarazi of the Santa Clara DA's office says that with so many ways to have your personal financial information stolen, it's a good idea to call the three major credit bureaus and tell them to put a freeze on your credit report. That makes it much harder for identity thieves to open a new bank account or credit card using your name.


npr--2020-01-23--Trump Administration Targets 'Birth Tourism' With New Visa Rule

The State Department plans to deny tourist visas to pregnant women if officials believe they are traveling here to secure American citizenship for their child by giving birth on U.S. soil .
The Trump administration says it is targeting the practice known as `` birth tourism . ''
The State Department says that traveling to deliver a child in the U.S. is not `` a legitimate activity for pleasure or of a recreational nature . ''
The State Department 's rule , which was unveiled Thursday , states , `` birth tourism poses risks to national security . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an industry `` rife with criminal activity , including international criminal schemes . ''
Under the new rule , consular officials will have the authority to deny a visitor visa if they have reason to believe the applicant intends to travel to the U.S. for the `` primary purpose '' of giving birth .
Moreover , if a consular officer has reason to believe a visa applicant will give birth during her stay in the U.S. , the rule states that the officer should conclude that the main reason for the trip is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The change to U.S. visa policy will take effect on Friday , Jan. 24 , when it 's scheduled to be published in the Federal Register .
The State Department did not specifically say how many babies are born in the U.S. due to birth tourism , saying that it 's a challenge to derive a precise number .
But the department estimates that `` thousands of children '' are born in the U.S. each year to people who are either visiting or conducting business on nonimmigrant visas .
In 2018 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were registered in the U.S. , according to the National Center for Health Statistics .
The 14th Amendment holds that `` All persons born or naturalized in the United States , and subject to the jurisdiction thereof , are citizens of the United States . ''
Most legal scholars take that as an explicit protection of birthright citizenship , or jus soli — `` right of the soil '' — which has long meant that children born in the U.S. have a claim to citizenship , even if their parents lack legal documentation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new U.S. rule adds restrictions to people who want to enter the country under a category B nonimmigrant visa , which covers temporary visits for pleasure .
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham issued a statement after the rule was published , calling birth tourism a burden on hospital resources .
Saying that the rule closes an `` immigration loophole , '' Grisham added : `` It will also defend American taxpayers from having their hard-earned dollars siphoned away to finance the direct and downstream costs associated with birth tourism . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must acquire a visa before visiting the U.S. ; it does not affect the 39 countries whose citizens can visit the U.S. for up to 90 days without a visa .
Those countries are in the Visa Waiver Program , which the Department of Homeland Security operates .
The State Department policy is not expected to affect DHS admissions standards at ports of entry .
President Trump has been a frequent critic of birthright citizenship .
It became a hot topic in 2015 , when reports of elaborate birth tourism operations in California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eliminating birthright citizenship outright .
Trump revived the discussion just before the 2018 midterm elections — and his administration is taking it up again now , ahead of the 2020 presidential vote .
Birth tourism has been linked to several countries , including Russia , China and Nigeria , as The Associated Press reported last year .
The State Department says some of the countries that have been publicly linked to the practice `` have very sensitive relationships with the United States . ''
And without going into detail , it warns that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practice `` for purposes that would threaten the security of the United States . ''
The U.S. announced the first-ever federal charges related to birth tourism last January , based on cases that were rooted in the Obama administration .
In early 2015 , U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided groups in Southern California that charged Chinese women up to $ 60,000 , promising to help with their visas , travel and lodging at `` maternity hotels '' so their children could become U.S. citizens .
The State Department 's new rule also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the medical care they receive in the United States .
The B-2 visa category for tourism allows foreign citizens to visit the U.S. for a number of reasons , including tourism , seeing friends or family or receiving medical treatment .
The new rule says visa applicants who are coming to the U.S. for medical care must prove that they have the ability to pay for all the costs of their treatment .

Trump Administration Targets 'Birth Tourism' With New Visa Rule
Enlarge this image toggle caption Benny Snyder/AP Benny Snyder/AP
The State Department plans to deny tourist visas to pregnant women if officials believe they are traveling here to secure American citizenship for their child by giving birth on U.S. soil.
The Trump administration says it is targeting the practice known as "birth tourism." The State Department says that traveling to deliver a child in the U.S. is not "a legitimate activity for pleasure or of a recreational nature."
The State Department's rule, which was unveiled Thursday, states, "birth tourism poses risks to national security." The department contends that birth tourism has created an industry "rife with criminal activity, including international criminal schemes."
Under the new rule, consular officials will have the authority to deny a visitor visa if they have reason to believe the applicant intends to travel to the U.S. for the "primary purpose" of giving birth.
Moreover, if a consular officer has reason to believe a visa applicant will give birth during her stay in the U.S., the rule states that the officer should conclude that the main reason for the trip is to secure U.S. citizenship for the child.
The change to U.S. visa policy will take effect on Friday, Jan. 24, when it's scheduled to be published in the Federal Register.
The State Department did not specifically say how many babies are born in the U.S. due to birth tourism, saying that it's a challenge to derive a precise number. But the department estimates that "thousands of children" are born in the U.S. each year to people who are either visiting or conducting business on nonimmigrant visas.
In 2018, a total of about 3.8 million births were registered in the U.S., according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
The 14th Amendment holds that "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States." Most legal scholars take that as an explicit protection of birthright citizenship, or jus soli — "right of the soil" — which has long meant that children born in the U.S. have a claim to citizenship, even if their parents lack legal documentation to be in the country.
The new U.S. rule adds restrictions to people who want to enter the country under a category B nonimmigrant visa, which covers temporary visits for pleasure.
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham issued a statement after the rule was published, calling birth tourism a burden on hospital resources. Saying that the rule closes an "immigration loophole," Grisham added: "It will also defend American taxpayers from having their hard-earned dollars siphoned away to finance the direct and downstream costs associated with birth tourism."
The rule applies only to countries whose citizens must acquire a visa before visiting the U.S.; it does not affect the 39 countries whose citizens can visit the U.S. for up to 90 days without a visa. Those countries are in the Visa Waiver Program, which the Department of Homeland Security operates. The State Department policy is not expected to affect DHS admissions standards at ports of entry.
President Trump has been a frequent critic of birthright citizenship. It became a hot topic in 2015, when reports of elaborate birth tourism operations in California prompted then-candidate Donald Trump to call for eliminating birthright citizenship outright. Trump revived the discussion just before the 2018 midterm elections — and his administration is taking it up again now, ahead of the 2020 presidential vote.
Birth tourism has been linked to several countries, including Russia, China and Nigeria, as The Associated Press reported last year.
The State Department says some of the countries that have been publicly linked to the practice "have very sensitive relationships with the United States." And without going into detail, it warns that foreign entities might seek to use the practice "for purposes that would threaten the security of the United States."
The U.S. announced the first-ever federal charges related to birth tourism last January, based on cases that were rooted in the Obama administration. In early 2015, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided groups in Southern California that charged Chinese women up to $60,000, promising to help with their visas, travel and lodging at "maternity hotels" so their children could become U.S. citizens.
The State Department's new rule also aims to ensure that foreign travelers pay for the medical care they receive in the United States. The B-2 visa category for tourism allows foreign citizens to visit the U.S. for a number of reasons, including tourism, seeing friends or family or receiving medical treatment. The new rule says visa applicants who are coming to the U.S. for medical care must prove that they have the ability to pay for all the costs of their treatment.


npr--2020-01-23--Africa's Richest Woman Now Formally A Suspect In Angolan Corruption Probe

Isabel dos Santos , the billionaire former first daughter of Angola who is said to be one of Africa 's wealthiest people , has been accused of rampant financial misconduct in order to line her own pockets .
The allegations , announced Wednesday by Angola 's top prosecutor , come just days after a major media investigation released more than 700,000 documents related to dos Santos ' business empire — and the questionable conduct that built it — in what has become known as the Luanda Leaks .
`` Isabel dos Santos is accused of mismanagement and embezzlement of funds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Attorney General Hélder Pitta Grós told a news conference Wednesday evening in the country 's capital , Luanda , according to the BBC .
Sonangol is Angola 's state-owned oil firm .
Dos Santos , who is among a handful of formal suspects in the probe , is also suspected of `` money laundering , influence peddling , harmful management ... [ and ] forgery of documents , among other economic crimes . ''
The prosecutor did not rule out requesting the support of international police agencies Interpol and Europol , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dos Santos ' return from the U.K. , where she currently resides .
Dos Santos attained prominence as the eldest daughter of former Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos , who led the country for nearly four decades before ceding power to a handpicked successor in 2017 .
During her father 's long tenure , Isabel dos Santos accrued her riches through stakes in Angolan banks and companies in Portugal , the African nation 's former colonial ruler .
All told , Forbes estimates her personal wealth at about $ 2.1 billion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But that does n't tell the whole story of dos Santos ' career .
In 2016 , she was appointed by her father to the top job at Sonangol — only to be fired the very next year by his successor , President João Lourenço , as part of an anti-corruption campaign .
And the Angolan accusations suggest that might have just scraped the surface of her alleged misconduct .
On Sunday , the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists — the group responsible for releasing the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trove of Luanda Leaks documents .
The investigation made the extensive case that dos Santos exploited her relationship with her powerful father to obtain public contracts , tax breaks , stakes in a raft of international businesses — and her position at Sonangol , which she allegedly used to pay tens of millions to a business partner .
The result , according to the ICIJ : `` two decades of unscrupulous deals that made dos Santos Africa 's wealthiest woman and left oil- and diamond-rich Angola one of the poorest countries on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her part , has forcefully rejected the accusations .
`` Angolan authorities have embarked on a very , very selective witch hunt , '' she told the BBC this week , saying that she has been singled out for her relationship to her father .
`` I regret that Angola has chosen this path .
I think that we all stand a lot to lose . ''
`` All my businesses have extremely good management boards , '' she added .
`` We have the best CEOs , the best COOs , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are professional , who have experience , who have worked in other companies . ''
Her objections thus far have failed to mitigate the fallout , however .
EuroBic , the Portuguese bank in which dos Santos held a 42.5 % stake , and which she is alleged to have used in corrupt financial transactions , announced earlier this week that it is parting ways with her companies and her business partners `` to safeguard trust in the institution . ''
And it is embarking on an immediate audit .
The Associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports that the head of EuroBic 's private banking division , Nuno Ribeiro da Cunha , who was also named as a suspect by Angolan prosecutors , apparently took his own life late Wednesday in Lisbon .

Africa's Richest Woman Now Formally A Suspect In Angolan Corruption Probe
Enlarge this image toggle caption Emma McIntyre/Getty Images Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Isabel dos Santos, the billionaire former first daughter of Angola who is said to be one of Africa's wealthiest people, has been accused of rampant financial misconduct in order to line her own pockets.
The allegations, announced Wednesday by Angola's top prosecutor, come just days after a major media investigation released more than 700,000 documents related to dos Santos' business empire — and the questionable conduct that built it — in what has become known as the Luanda Leaks.
"Isabel dos Santos is accused of mismanagement and embezzlement of funds during her tenure at Sonangol," Attorney General Hélder Pitta Grós told a news conference Wednesday evening in the country's capital, Luanda, according to the BBC. Sonangol is Angola's state-owned oil firm.
Dos Santos, who is among a handful of formal suspects in the probe, is also suspected of "money laundering, influence peddling, harmful management ... [and] forgery of documents, among other economic crimes."
The prosecutor did not rule out requesting the support of international police agencies Interpol and Europol, according to the Angola Press Agency, to force dos Santos' return from the U.K., where she currently resides.
Dos Santos attained prominence as the eldest daughter of former Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos, who led the country for nearly four decades before ceding power to a handpicked successor in 2017. During her father's long tenure, Isabel dos Santos accrued her riches through stakes in Angolan banks and companies in Portugal, the African nation's former colonial ruler.
All told, Forbes estimates her personal wealth at about $2.1 billion, making her Africa's richest woman.
But that doesn't tell the whole story of dos Santos' career.
In 2016, she was appointed by her father to the top job at Sonangol — only to be fired the very next year by his successor, President João Lourenço, as part of an anti-corruption campaign. And the Angolan accusations suggest that might have just scraped the surface of her alleged misconduct.
On Sunday, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists — the group responsible for releasing the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers — and its partners at other media outlets released the trove of Luanda Leaks documents. The investigation made the extensive case that dos Santos exploited her relationship with her powerful father to obtain public contracts, tax breaks, stakes in a raft of international businesses — and her position at Sonangol, which she allegedly used to pay tens of millions to a business partner.
The result, according to the ICIJ: "two decades of unscrupulous deals that made dos Santos Africa's wealthiest woman and left oil- and diamond-rich Angola one of the poorest countries on Earth."
Dos Santos, for her part, has forcefully rejected the accusations.
"Angolan authorities have embarked on a very, very selective witch hunt," she told the BBC this week, saying that she has been singled out for her relationship to her father. "I regret that Angola has chosen this path. I think that we all stand a lot to lose."
"All my businesses have extremely good management boards," she added. "We have the best CEOs, the best COOs, the best legal officers. We have people who are professional, who have experience, who have worked in other companies."
Her objections thus far have failed to mitigate the fallout, however.
EuroBic, the Portuguese bank in which dos Santos held a 42.5% stake, and which she is alleged to have used in corrupt financial transactions, announced earlier this week that it is parting ways with her companies and her business partners "to safeguard trust in the institution." And it is embarking on an immediate audit.
The Associated Press, citing a police statement, reports that the head of EuroBic's private banking division, Nuno Ribeiro da Cunha, who was also named as a suspect by Angolan prosecutors, apparently took his own life late Wednesday in Lisbon.


npr--2020-01-23--Can Airport Screening Help Stop The Spread Of Wuhan Coronavirus?

Can Airport Screening Help Stop The Spread Of Wuhan Coronavirus ?
Airports around the world are screening travelers from certain parts of China for symptoms of an illness that has sickened more than 600 people and killed at least 17 .
The illness , caused by a novel form of the coronavirus , originated in the city of Wuhan , China , and the bulk of the confirmed cases are in China .
On Jan. 17 , public health officials began conducting health screenings for passengers flying to the U.S. from Wuhan at three U.S. airports : San Francisco International @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City 's John F. Kennedy International .
On Tuesday , U.S. authorities announced the first domestic case , in Washington state .
On Wednesday , airport screening began at Chicago 's O'Hare International Airport and the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport .
The illness , which triggers coughing , fever , respiratory struggles and pneumonia , has spread to regions of China , South Korea , Japan , Thailand and Taiwan .
China has quarantined the city of Wuhan in an effort to stop the spread .
And airports in some other countries have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's unclear how much screening can help .
Dr. Martin Cetron , director for the Division of Global Migration and Quarantine for the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , says entry screening is a good precautionary measure to identify and target sick passengers potentially infected with the new virus .
But he acknowledges that `` no system is foolproof . ''
The World Health Organization recommends against testing travelers .
`` It is generally considered that entry screening offers little benefit , while requiring considerable resources , '' WHO officials said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michaud , associate director for global health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation , compares airport screening to seeking a needle in a haystack .
`` If the goal is to identify new cases of an emerging disease like the novel coronavirus , then airport screenings have been historically poor methods to identify new cases based off of studies , '' Michaud says .
He points to a report noting the failure of airport screenings in Canada to detect a single case of severe acute respiratory syndrome , or SARS .
In 2003 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including 43 Canadians .
Both SARS and the new Chinese bug are coronaviruses .
Michaud also referred to a study criticizing the effectiveness of using temperature scanners at U.S. airports to detect infectious disease .
The study 's authors say thermometers offer passengers emotional reassurance — a signal that government is doing something in response to the outbreak — even if it does n't provide medically sound information .
Detecting a rare disease among thousands — potentially millions — of passengers is very difficult , Michaud says .
For example , the screening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He would rather see more resources allocated to places like Taiwan or Thailand that are experiencing new cases .
`` Make sure that those systems are functioning well , '' Michaud says , `` that the providers are well-educated , that they know what to do and how to report those cases . ''
This view has not dissuaded authorities from checking people where they can .
Bei Bei Tong , a young woman wearing gold spectacles and bright red lipstick , arrived recently at SFO from Wuhan .
Like most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bay Area for the Lunar New Year celebrations that begin this weekend .
Tong says Chinese health officials checked her temperature before she boarded the plane in Wuhan .
When she landed , U.S. health officials checked her temperature again and scanned a health questionnaire that asked whether she had coughed , felt feverish or experienced other signs of illness .
If a passenger 's temperature is above 100 F , screeners will pull that person aside for extra tests like a chest X-ray beyond the airport .
As of Wednesday evening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not flagged any passengers for more testing .
Despite multiple screenings before she cleared U.S. customs , Tong said she 's too excited to worry about getting sick .
She was on her first trip outside of China , and she believes her home country has its citizens ' best interests in mind .
`` I believe my government , '' Tong said .
`` They do many things to protect ourselves . ''

Can Airport Screening Help Stop The Spread Of Wuhan Coronavirus?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Emily Wang/AP Emily Wang/AP
Updated at 9:50 p.m. ET
Airports around the world are screening travelers from certain parts of China for symptoms of an illness that has sickened 830 people and killed 25. The illness, caused by a novel form of the coronavirus, originated in the city of Wuhan, China, and the bulk of the confirmed cases are in China.
On Jan. 17, public health officials began conducting health screenings for passengers flying to the U.S. from Wuhan at three U.S. airports: San Francisco International, Los Angeles International and New York City's John F. Kennedy International. On Tuesday, U.S. authorities announced the first domestic case, in Washington state. On Wednesday, airport screening began at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The illness, which triggers coughing, fever, respiratory struggles and pneumonia, has spread to regions of China, South Korea, Japan, Thailand and Taiwan. China has quarantined Wuhan and several other cities in an effort to stop the spread. And airports in some other countries have also initiated screening protocols.
But it's unclear how much screening can help. Dr. Martin Cetron, director for the Division of Global Migration and Quarantine for the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says entry screening is a good precautionary measure to identify and target sick passengers potentially infected with the new virus. But he acknowledges that "no system is foolproof."
The World Health Organization recommends against testing travelers. "It is generally considered that entry screening offers little benefit, while requiring considerable resources," WHO officials said in a Jan. 10 release.
Josh Michaud, associate director for global health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, compares airport screening to seeking a needle in a haystack.
"If the goal is to identify new cases of an emerging disease like the novel coronavirus, then airport screenings have been historically poor methods to identify new cases based off of studies," Michaud says.
He points to a report noting the failure of airport screenings in Canada to detect a single case of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. In 2003, that disease killed 774 people, including 43 Canadians. Both SARS and the new Chinese bug are coronaviruses.
Michaud also referred to a study criticizing the effectiveness of using temperature scanners at U.S. airports to detect infectious disease. The study's authors say thermometers offer passengers emotional reassurance — a signal that government is doing something in response to the outbreak — even if it doesn't provide medically sound information.
Detecting a rare disease among thousands — potentially millions — of passengers is very difficult, Michaud says. For example, the screening could easily miss infected people without symptoms. He would rather see more resources allocated to places like Taiwan or Thailand that are experiencing new cases.
"Make sure that those systems are functioning well," Michaud says, "that the providers are well-educated, that they know what to do and how to report those cases."
This view has not dissuaded authorities from checking people where they can. Bei Bei Tong, a young woman wearing gold spectacles and bright red lipstick, arrived recently at SFO from Wuhan. Like most of the arriving passengers, she's visiting the Bay Area for the Lunar New Year celebrations that begin this weekend.
Tong says Chinese health officials checked her temperature before she boarded the plane in Wuhan. When she landed, U.S. health officials checked her temperature again and scanned a health questionnaire that asked whether she had coughed, felt feverish or experienced other signs of illness. If a passenger's temperature is above 100 F, screeners will pull that person aside for extra tests like a chest X-ray beyond the airport. As of Wednesday evening, public health screeners at SFO had not flagged any passengers for more testing.
Despite multiple screenings before she cleared U.S. customs, Tong said she's too excited to worry about getting sick. She was on her first trip outside of China, and she believes her home country has its citizens' best interests in mind.
"I believe my government," Tong said. "They do many things to protect ourselves."