The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), also known as H.R. 3261, is a bill that was introduced in the United States House of Representatives on October 26, 2011, by Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX) and a bipartisan group of 12 initial co-sponsors. The bill expands the ability of U.S. law enforcement and copyright holders to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods. Now before the House Judiciary Committee, it builds on the similar PRO-IP Act of 2008 and the corresponding Senate bill, the Protect IP Act.

By just loading a PDF file on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, you could be handing over complete access to your device in what could quickly become a major security breach.

As a recent Apple convert, I’m as guilty as the next geek in thinking that by using Apple products I’m immune to the exploits and hacks that seem synonymous with Windows. I work each day knee deep in Microsoft and I see more than my share of trojans, viruses and spyware. Despite our best efforts, we’re cleaning this crud off of our computers multiple times each week.

When I acquired my first Apple computer (the iMac) in June of 2009 I was giddy as a school girl, not only at the prospect of having new technology, but also in having something I was sure would be free of the pitfalls of the average Microsoft system.

To this day I don’t run anti-virus or security software on my iMac because I know that it is just not as vulnerable as the Windows computers I deal with every day.

But in my heart of hearts, I know that is changing. The Mashable story above is a testament to this fact.

Apple computers and other devices like the iPhone and the iPad are becoming less and less of a novelty and more the mainstream each and every day. Long time hold outs for Microsoft like myself have switched to Apple. And more are adopting every day. Add to the mix the growing number of Blackberry and Windows Mobile users who are ditching these devices in favor of the the iPhone to connect to corporate resources and it’s not hard to imagine that the hackers and sploiters will have no choice but to turn their dark skills to this platform with greater and greater zeal.

I have long recognized that Apple products are not immune to being exploited because they are flawless and so very secure. They have simply enjoyed what is commonly referred to as “security through obscurity.” Hunting hackers in the Windows world enjoyed a target rich environment where identities and banking info was theirs for the taking.

To Apple’s credit, they seem to be very responsive when vulnerabilities in their platform are identified. This is in stark contrast to Microsoft who seem slow to acknowledge and address security issues in a timely fashion.

Every time I see a story like the one above it reminds me that “vigilance” is still the watchword. One simply cannot assume they are invulnerable just because they use one particular product. Digital predators are everywhere and as Apple becomes a juicier target, there’s no reason to suspect the hackers won’t want to add their own “bite” to the popular product logo, metaphorically speaking.

I for one and going to install anti-virus software immediately and keep an eye on sites like Mashable/Apple and Cult Of Mac to make sure I stay informed.

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Jay Lee is the co-creator and host of Technology Bytes Radio. Lee is also author of Helpline for the Houston Chronicle.

From About.com

In essence, jailbreaking your iPhone means freeing it from the limitations imposed on it by AT&T and Apple. You install a software application on your computer, and then transfer it to your iPhone, where it “breaks open” the iPhone’s file system to allow you to modify it.

Something we want to make abundantly clear is that taking action to jailbreak your iPhone can have dire consequences. Not only could it damage or destroy your iPhone if done incorrectly, it can also void your warranty. You should also know that there are abundant scams on the Internet that specifically target those who might want to explore the jailbreaking option.

One of our callers mentioned a web site that will provide you with the code to do this for a fee. We responded to the caller that you have no real assurance that the code provided isn’t malicious. To make our point for us, MacDailyNews published this article today called The Microsoft Tax: DNS Windows PC Trojan poses as iPhone unlock utility; Mac and iPhone unaffected

An application that offers to unlock iPhones is actually designed to hijack Internet connections on compromised Windows PCs, security watchers warn,” John Leyden reports for The Register.

While this malicious code only seems to affect Windows computers, who’s to say what the modification to the iPhone REALLY are in ANY of these applications? If you’re going to let someone you don’t know make modifications that could potentially destroy your device or compromise your personal data you are simply playing with fire.

At Technology Bytes we’re fully aware that users of technology like to tinker and we’re neither anti nor pro jailbreak. We just want our listeners to have all the facts.

Users could face fines of up to £500k if they cause a data security breach!

London, 20th January 2010 – A survey released today reveals that in the last year, 4,500 memory sticks have been forgotten in people’s pockets as they take their clothes to be washed at the local dry cleaners. From 6th April onwards if data is lost and it causes a major security breach, this could now cost a company up to £500k with new powers given to the Information Commissioner’s office (ICO) to fine companies who have not sufficiently protected customers details under the Data Protection Act[1].

However, when compared with the same study twelve months ago, the number of these devices languishing forgotten in people’s pockets has halved, and yet it’s still a staggering number of possible data breaches and a potential money spinner for the ICO.

However, the study sponsor – data security experts CREDANT Technologies, has a theory that this decline is likely to be a change in users’ habits as opposed to a significant breakthrough in people’s vigilance. In fact, its experience on the frontline of this battle is that users are now downloading information onto smartphones and netbooks, which have boomed in popularity in the last year, so although on the surface the decline looks promising in reality the situation has just been spread across a multitude of other devices.

Sean Glynn – vice president and chief marketing officer at Credant Technologies said “Although this study shows a positive drop in the number of lost memory sticks we would urge users to take more care than ever not to download unprotected customer details and other sensitive information that if lost could lead to a security breach, especially now there are harsh fines afoot. ”

The survey was carried out in the UK to gauge the frequency and ease with which mobile devices, such as memory sticks, are lost or forgotten in strange places such as dry cleaners and should warn people across the globe to demonstrate prudence when downloading information to carry around with them as it does frequently get lost. In previous studies conducted by Credant Technologies amongst taxi drivers in London and New York over 12,500 handheld devices such as laptops, iPods and memory sticks are forgotten at the back of taxis every 6 months!

Concluding Sean Glynn said “This survey is just one illustration of the stark truth that device losses are happening everywhere, everyday, worldwide. Organisations want to leverage the business benefits of mobile computing and provide their employees the flexibility to work wherever and whenever they want to. However, this must be balanced with the requirement of protecting the organisations data, especially to avoid penalties – such as that promised by the ICO, brand damage or even embarrassing press headlines. If sensitive or valuable data is being carried then people should protect it with encryption to prevent unauthorised access at any point – as it could easily end up in the wrong hands.”

Not just USB sticks left at the dry cleaners……but wedding rings, lipstick and ……….
When asked to recall what the strangest objects were that they’d found in customers pockets most had found pens, lipstick, stockings and a wedding ring, however one unfortunate dry cleaner had found a pair of false teeth!

From the press release:

Former CIA Tech Director Robert Wallace and Intelligence expert J. Keith Melton share the amazing gadgetry used by the CIA, from Communism to Al-Qaeda

What is an invisible photograph used for? What does it take to build a quiet helicopter? This may sound like a James Bond film, but these are actually technologies employed by CIA to gather information and insure national security. Now in paperback, SPYCRAFT: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE CIA’S SPYTECHS, FROM COMMUNISM TO AL-QAEDA (Plume/June 2009) by Robert Wallace and J. Keith Melton, shares the CIA’s secret and amazing technology behind the art of espionage, including never before seen photographs of government gadgets.

Spy technology exploded during the Second World War, and in the decades-long standoff with the Soviets, cameras, microphones, and encryption systems were clandestinely developed years before the public had access to them. And since, the CIA has transitioned from the Cold War to the digital age, and spycraft skills have developed alongside technology in prosecuting the long war against terrorism.

In the interview we will discuss the history and development of some of these amazingly inventive devices, created and employed against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions—including the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and continuing terrorist threats. Some of these devices include: