ATM Breach

Start off the day with something scary here. The four-digit Personal Identification Number or PIN you type into an ATM isn't as safe as you think. Hackers "broke into the ATM network through a server at a third-party processor, which means they probably didn't have to touch the ATMs at all to pull off the heist."

They didn't even touch the ATM! So much for the head-bob, the I-can't-believe-you're-watching-me stare, the body-block or the hand-guard people use when punching in those precious PINs at ATMs and grocery stores everywhere.

In previous PIN thefts, thieves generally took steps that might draw notice — sending "phishing" e-mails, for example, or installing false-front keypads or even tiny cameras on ATMs.

So we still have to watch for all those things, but now we can worry that a hacker is stealing our closely-guarded PINs while we sleep.

Of course one of the third-party processor company spokespersons is "confident in the integrity and security of our system."

Industry standards that call for protecting PINs with strong encryption — which means encoding them to cloak them to outsiders

And surprise, surprise, industry alone isn't doing its job.

Will states or Congress act? Should they? Is there something we can do in the meantime besides bite our nails?

If you have any ideas, please post them by hitting Comments below and to the right.

Business Travelers Beware: Free Wi-Fi Scam Strikes at Airports

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns that hackers are now taking advantage of this convenience and setting up fake Wi-Fi connections designed to steal your personal information and files without you even knowing.

The BBB offers the following advice on how to keep yourself safe when you go wireless:
Never connect to an unfamiliar ad-hoc network.
Make sure that your computer is not set up to automatically connect to non-preferred networks. Otherwise your computer could automatically connect to the hacker’s network without your knowledge.
Turn off file sharing when you’re on the road to prevent hackers from stealing entire documents, files and unencrypted e-mail from your computer.
Create a Virtual Private Network (VPN) for your business. A VPN establishes a private network across the public network by creating a tunnel between the two endpoints so that nobody in between can intercept the data. Many companies allow remote users to connect to corporate networks as long as they use VPN. This keeps the users' communications just as secure as if they were sitting at a desk in the building.

The BBB is here to help with advice you can trust. For more information on identity theft, fraud prevention, and keeping your company secure online, visit www.bbb.org.