The researchers came to these results by asking participants to walk to a point eight feet away, and then having them to do the same while texting. Those who were texting while talking “veered off course, demonstrating a 61 percent increase in lateral deviation and 13 percent increase in distance traveled,” the media outlet reports.

“We want to raise awareness that a real disruption occurs because of texting,” co-author of the study Eric Lamberg told the news source. “Texting disrupts your ability much more than does talking.”

One New Jersey town is taking this one step further by banning texting and walking altogether. According to the New Jersey Record, pedestrians of Fort Lee will be given tickets each time they are caught texting while walking. In addition, they will get fined if they jaywalk. This is all in an effort to diminish the increasing number of pedestrians hurt and killed in accidents.

The news outlet reports that in March the police enforcement decided to crack down on texting, after three deaths occurred this year. They have given out 117 $85 tickets since March, and the numbers continue to rise.

“If you give a pedestrian a ticket, he looks at you like you have two heads,” Fair Lawn Patrolman Tim Franco, who heads the New Jersey Police Traffic Officers Association, told the news source. “But when you have a serious public safety situation, as in Fort Lee, I’m glad they’re doing this.”

As new laws develop surrounding texting while walking or driving, some individuals may be curious about ways to protect their phones. Smartphone thefts are quite common, and a number of people have valuable personal information on their mobile devices. Those who want avoid identity theft if their phone is stolen or lost can opt for cell phone tracking software. This can not only tell a person where their phone is, but what was accessed on the device.

Text message scams are on the rise

According to the Los Angeles Times, text message scams have been growing in popularity as of late. A new report issued by Ferris Research, which tracks mobile spam, found that American cell phone owners received 4.5 billion spam texts last year – more than double the number of spam in 2009.

This may be driving some a little crazy. The Federal Communications Commission reports that these unwanted calls and texts were in the top three consumer complaint categories in 2011, the media outlet reports.

How these scams can affect a person’s bill

There are a few different versions of these texts. However, the majority involves an unknown number texting a person saying the person won an iPad or vacation and it shows a link. In many cases, if the person does click on the link, they will be brought to a website that states if they fill out this survey they will get their prize, according to Naked Security.

Individuals cannot just reply “STOP” either, as a reply can signal it is an active number and make scammers or telemarketers continue to send messages.

How people can protect themselves from the scammers

The Times reports that it is currently against the law under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The Federal Trade Commission is battling with some of these text spammers in the courts. In addition, mobile carriers are setting up spam-fighting technology.

Until then, cell phone owners can make sure they are listed in the FTC’s Do Not Call list, which makes it against the law for telemarketer to call or text a person. Those who have contracts with AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint or Bell can report a spam text to the carrier by simply copying the message and forwarding to 7726 (SPAM), and this is free of charge, the media outlet reports.

In addition, individuals can set up a cell phone tracking software, which will allow them to track the activity on their phone and account.

Free speech vs. cyberbullying

As a result of Facebook’s online-privacy policies and lack of state regulations against cyberbullying, a high school in Arizona is at a loss. According to Arizona Central, a Facebook page commenting on administrators’, students’ and teachers’ social status, appearance and other personal factors took two weeks to take down. Another page wasn’t removed due to Facebook rules.

The news source reports that free speech is the argument, allowing for these pages to remain up. This has teachers and students stunned across the country.

Court cases arise across the country

Parents are more than frustrated with laws and regulations in their towns, as their teens are victims of cyberbullying, but there are no charges to be filed. According to the Chicago Post-Tribune, Regina Webb and Tim Tinsley are more than irritated after they found out there was nothing they can do after their child was mentioned in a Facebook post about three students who wanted to kill them.

However, 14-year-old Alex Boston of Acworth, Georgia, is making sure the students who bullied her will be punished. According to ABC News, a few students started a Facebook page in Boston’s name and wrote cruel things about her and her friends. When she reported it to the school, they said there was little they could do.

However, Boston and her parents sought out legal help, and are now suing the two students as well as their parents for providing the internet service and computers, the media outlet reports.

Tips for parents to battle cyberbullying

Parents across the country are well aware of cyberbullying going on, but are not sure how to combat it in their own home. According to the Denver Post, parents need to be informed of what their child is posting and what other kids are posting on their child’s social media pages.

These parents should also get their own pages and accounts. If their child has Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook and is posting YouTube videos, the parents should do the same. Also, installing parental control software can help parents keep on top of what their child is doing while they are not in the room or at home.

Payments on the move never been easier

Even though mobile payments are not as popular yet in the U.S., residents in the U.K. can’t get enough. The new O2 Wallet is out this week for U.K. users, and this online platform not only lets people making mobile payments, but also allows for people to transfer money with ease, according to The Independent.

There is also the Barclays PingIt application, which allows users to send and receive money by using a mobile number. The app also supports contactless card payments, enabling a user to tap their phone on a payment device in various stores to pay.

Questions about the safety of these on-the-go payments arise

Mobile payments are on the rise, and some may feel more at ease when they discover that these payments are quite secure. In fact, it may be even safer than a credit card, due to the GPS on the phone and people rarely let their cell phones out of their sights, according to U.S. News and World Report.

All an individual has to do is put their debit or credit card information on the phone and the device is scanned at checkout. This convenience will undoubtedly cause more people to opt for mobile payments.

Tips to keep mobile accounts secure

Even though these mobile payments are generally safe, there are a few tips users can take into account. The news source reports it’s always wise to have a PIN on the cell phone, as it gives just a little added protection. The individual can also get an application that gives automatic electronic receipts, so if their account has been tampered with, the user will know right off the bat.

In addition, choosing a method that gives two passwords to access the information is a good idea. Checking statements on a regular basis can help stop criminals as well, the media outlet reports.

Those who still feel uneasy about having everything on their mobile device can opt for cell phone tracking software, which will let the owner see exactly what people access if it was lost or stolen.

Due to the fact that these businesses are not fully prepared, many are scrambling to find solutions before their company’s data gets in the wrong hands.

“Another interesting note is that organizations are reaching for everything at their disposal to manage this risk,” said Deb Radcliff, executive editor of SANS Analyst Program. “Among them are user education, MDM [mobile device management], logging and monitoring, NAC and guest networking and configuration controls.”

The survey also showed that heightened concern isn’t stopping employers from allowing these devices into the workplace.

“More than 60 percent of organizations today allow staff to bring their own devices,” said SANS Senior Instructor and survey author Kevin Johnson. “With this type of permissiveness, policies and controls are even more important to help secure our environments.”

Mobile phones, tablets and laptops that do not have employee monitoring software installed can serve as a threat to a company. It is expected in the next few years, programs will be put in place and policies will be drawn up to avoid any compromises that negatively affect a company.

The news source reports that the White House is also jumping on board and developing a federal BYOD policy. These personal devices can be a threat to foreign agents, as employees can create nodes on networks without knowledge or expose internal information if devices are lost.

Even though a number of companies and the government are making moves to limit BYOD policies, there is a chance some may be slightly too late, and this issue is not going away anytime soon.

“We think the cyber issues for BYOD are a huge legal area and will be very tough and challenging for corporations and government agencies,” Rob Burton, partner at the Venable LLP law firm, told the news source.

Teens are known to go absolutely nuts over Samsung products. And Samsung Galaxy S2 is at the forefront of the entire hullabaloo. This is because of its elegant design, an absolute humdinger of a battery life and a classy interface; with the added bonanza of having features that aren’t really available elsewhere.

Now, with your teen hooked to the Samsung devices, you need to ensure that they don’t use it for conjuring up something that they shouldn’t be involved in. Cell phone menaces nowadays range from time wastage to involvement in crime and uncalled-for activities. By keeping an eye on your teen courtesy of samsung galaxy spy software you could keep tabs on their activities and discern any ill doings on their part.

If you’re generous and your employees reap the benefits of your generosity on the first of every month, there is a decent probability some of the share of that particular pie goes to purchasing Samsung devices. They are quite popular with working people, statisticians have found out.

Now, your employees are the spine of your company. Once the spine goes out of place, or out of shape, the chances are that the entire body would collapse. If you fear the worst – or even merely bad – with regards to your workplace and with special reference to the activities of your employees you could track their Samsung phones and make life incredibly easy for your own self. Mobistealth would allow you to monitor the activities of your employees and it will help you ascertain whether or not the employees are wasting their time or worse; whether or not they are involved leaking out the company secrets.

If your target – and that could mean anyone – has a Samsung device, Mobistealth can cover your bases as far as keeping an eye on your targeted phone is concerned. The addiction to cell phones that has surfaced in the recent past has meant that people are now hooked to their cell phones 24/7. This connotes that if one were able to monitor the activities on a particular cell phone, one would be able to find out everything they want about their target. This would give you a clear picture of whether or not they deserve to be trusted, and whether or not they’ve trespassed over the line that you’ve drawn over them.

Samsung has a myriad of options like galaxy s2, nexus and galaxy tab that cater to all kinds of people, which is why Samsung’s popularity is constantly on the up. You can make sure that your target’s Samsung device becomes your hub of information, by using Mobistealth.

According to the news channel KATV-TV, seniors are becoming big targets for hackers, as seniors may not be as adept at adding security to protect the personal information stored on their computers.

However, scams involving the elderly don’t always happen through the computer. One elderly man was sought out through his phone, as a stranger called asking about his computer behavior.

“They had reason to believe that I had inappropriate material on my computer,” victim Richard Denson told the news source. “And I said ‘Well I have no idea what inappropriate would be.’ They said ‘Well, illicit material.’ I said ‘Pornography? I don’t indulge in that. And if you are telling me this, I said we’ve got a big argument.’”

The person on the phone was attempting to find any information to give them access to Denson’s technology. Once they do so, they can implement a virus, allowing them to find any information they want on the senior’s computer.

There is also “The Grandparent Scam,” which the FBI has been warning aging adults across the country about, according to the Aiken Standard. In this scenario, the scammer emails a senior citizen claiming to be their grandchild. They explain that they are in Mexico and lost their cell phone along with their belongings. Then, the hacker asks for personal information including credit card numbers and bank accounts.

Seniors who need a few lessons on how to be tech-savvy can seek out classes or possibly set up a computer monitoring system to ensure no one is accessing the personal information on their device.

According to the Standard-Examiner, middle schoolers from Utah are helping out senior citizens in the area by giving them lessons on how to use a computer. These teens are leading computer classes, so aging adults can be a little more prepared to protect themselves as well as learn how to use basic sites. These aging adults can also learn how to use social media sites, so they can keep in touch with their family and friends who live far away.

The breach occurred when a configuration error weakened the password authentication level.

“The server was a test server and when it was put into production there was a misconfiguration. Processes were not followed and the password was very weak,” Stephanie Weiss, spokesperson for DTS, told the news source.

According to Reuters, the original report said that around 24,000 people were affected by the breach. Now, the Eastern Europeans who hacked the system have reportedly gained personal information of approximately 780,000 patients. Among that group, around 280,000 individuals had their social security numbers compromised. The majority of these patient have Medicaid.

According to the New York Times, experts are pointing out how this reveals a much greater problem – how personal and medical information is stored in bulk.

“Why do we continue to see these large aggregate databases?” Eddie Schwartz, chief information security officer at the computer security firm RSA, told the news source in an interview on Tuesday. “Why should hackers be able to steal 10 million credit card numbers or 700,000 personal records at once? We need to think about distributing that information so that when networks do get penetrated, we’re not looking an all-or-nothing situation.”

Since the breach occurred, the company has reportedly shut down the server and installed new security measures to strengthen the system. As of late, banks have beefed up their security measures, leaving health providers and retailers the main target for hackers. The experts also told the Times that these medical records would sell more on the black market compared to credit card numbers, which is why there has been an increase in incidences.

No matter how small or big a business or organization, it may be advisable to install computer monitoring software to ensure the company’s important information is secure.

The top cyber cop, Shawn Henry, recently reported that the war on computer hackers is not going well, as these criminals are too smart and talented. Furthermore, the FBI doesn’t have enough practices in place to stop them from hacking into certain systems. Henry, who is leaving the FBI for another cyber security job in Washington, believes a great deal needs to change to ensure that national security and the economy are not affected, according to the Journal.

Henry added that it isn’t just the big corporations that have been affected, but even the small start-ups. It may be important for companies to install computer monitoring software to ensure their information and data is not being leaked, the media outlet reports.

“I don’t see how we ever come out of this without changes in technology or changes in behavior, because with the status quo, it’s an unsustainable model. Unsustainable in that you never get ahead, never become secure, never have a reasonable expectation of privacy or security,” Henry told the news source.

In addition, he admitted that the FBI has been playing the defense for quite some time, and there needs to be some efforts made to ensure the hacker’s offense does not overcome the defense the U.S. has put in place, the news outlet reports.

It isn’t just the U.S. that is trying to combat this growing issue. According to PC Advisor, the EU recently passed a new proposal that would require all European countries to have the same penalties for hackers, including a two-year jail sentence if found guilty.

“In an effort to combat cyberattacks, security researchers and ethical hackers are continuously seeking these [hacking] tools to demonstrate weaknesses within an organisation’s network and as a way to reverse engineer solutions to combat hacks. The spotlight should be on the crimes committed with the hacking tools rather the tools themselves,” Andrew Miller, CEO of the security company Corero Network Security, told the news source.

A Swedish company, Micro Systemation, has developed a software that can easily break that four-digit code on iPhones as well as on some Android devices. The company’s application is sold to police departments and military personnel, as it can access a lot of information about the phone’s user including call history, GPS logs, text messages and even keystrokes. The company is able to gather this information by taking advantage of weakness in the phone manufacturer’s software system. However, these cell phone companies are aware, and are constantly changing their software, according to the news source.

“Every week a new phone comes out with a different operating system and we have to reverse engineer them,” Micro Systemation marketing director Mike Dickinson told Forbes Magazine. “We’re constantly chasing the market.”

The software is sold to approximately 60 different countries, but its biggest client is the U.S. military. As smartphones continue to grow in popularity, so will the business and software, as it can lead police and military to certain criminals, the media outlet reports.

“It’s a massive boom industry, the growth in evidence from mobile phones,” Dickinson added. “After twenty years or so, people understand they shouldn’t do naughty things on their personal computers, but they still don’t understand that about phones. From an evidential point of view, it’s of tremendous value… if they’ve done something wrong.”

According to CNET, the longer the passcode or password, the better, as individuals and software companies will have a tougher time accessing information with a harder-to-crack passcode.

Those who are worried the information they have on their phone could be compromised may want to install cell phone tracking software, which can notify the user of the location of their phone and if a person tried to open various files in the phone.