By Staff Writer –

Facebook has been having some trust issues lately. Once you spend a few minutes on FacebookSearch, you might feel slightly violated.

For instance, type in “playing hooky” and you will get:

planning on playing hooky today – going to Iron Man at IMAX and then supper with my sweetie.

and

Totally playing hooky tomorrow to spend time with my girl. Ah, sometimes being a mom is just the best thing ever!

This could be potentially damaging and embarrassing.

Facebook has been raising a lot of eyebrows about privacy lately. Business Insiders’ story claimed Facebook CEO called his Harvard users “dumb fucks” for trusting him with their email addresses and phone numbers.

In response to that post, Facebook issued a statement saying that privacy and security of user data are important to them, including:

Everyone within the company understands our success is inextricably linked with people’s trust in the company and the service we provide. We are grateful people continue to place their trust in us. We strive to earn that trust by trying to be open and direct about the evolution of the service and sharing information on how the 400 million people on the service can use the available settings to control where their information appears.

Worried? Facebook updates are now searchable with FacebookSearch is a post from: TechStartups.com

By Staff Writer –

I use Skype for conference calls and for casual chatting. It owns a large chunk of the international calling market.

Now the Internet calling service is rolling out with a “beta” program that will let up to five people video chat with each other at the same time.

While the service will be free at first, Skype will begin charging for it as well as other features. Mac users will have to wait, as the initial product will be available for PC users.

In other unrelated news in case you missed it yesterday: Facebook’s friendship flaw. If you were quick to act after seeing TechCrunch’s coverage of the fact that you could see your friend’s live chats, then you would be very worried about your privacy. At least, Facebook disabled chat as soon as it was aware of the glitch.

Skype gets 5 way video chat is a post from: TechStartups.com

By Staff Writer –

A mobile infection could be really horrible, especially when it turns your phone into a spy machine. The only thing the Rutgers researchers offered up as advice was treating your phone like you would your computer.

Everything the scientists presented was hypothetical and not infiltrating the mobiles yet. So whatever they said didn’t worry me too much.

But it did have me thinking about the state of computer security and had me brainstorming ways to protect my computer from hackers and malware. After all, everything they mentioned happens to computers (not phones yet).

If you ought to think of your phone as your computer, perhaps it is time to figure out some proper security procedures for your computer. To brush up on some password habits, NorthJersey.com gives some tips:

• Don’t use typical passwords like 123456.
• Don’t use dictionary words or common names. Make up your own set of letters. Using meaningful ones will help you remember what your password actually is.
• Change the passwords regularly.

Oh and don’t ever click on the ads that pop-up and tell you to update your computer immediately with an anti-virus program. Those programs steal your credit card information, rather than help protect you. Don’t get fooled. You’d be safe with programs from McAfee, Synantec, and PC Tools, for instance.

Image: flickr/ maddito

In the future, smart phones could be hacked too is a post from: TechStartups.com

By Staff Writer – Boonsri Dickinson (@boonspoon)

Cloud computing. Get familiar with those words. You probably already use a cloud computing service. If you use Gmail, you know what it is. And programs like Salesforce.com operate on a cloud.

In general,  cloud computing is any program or service that is run on an Internet connection. The servers and software are taken care of externally, so small business owners don’t have to worry about storage issues in their headquarters.

There are choices. Some businesses pay a company like Verizon — so they are basically buying power from a utility. Or companies can purchase computing power on a cloud service to cut down on some costs. The Wall Street Journal reports:

Two years ago, HotSchedules Inc., of Austin, Texas, a privately held provider of online work-force-management software for restaurants, moved to sales-force software provided over the Internet by NetSuite Inc. President Ray Pawlikowski estimated that it would reduce costs by roughly 20% over the next five years after factoring in software, hardware, personnel and training expenses. The result was steady costs despite the company tripling its business, according to Mr. Pawlikowski. “For a small business where every penny counts, you have to look at this seriously,” he says.

But cloud computing isn’t for everyone. Some companies prefer to keep their information behind their own internal firewall.

Still, storage systems are the most expensive IT problem and when starting a business, one must consider all their options.

Cloud computing is becoming the preferred choice. However, the technology used for storage is like a dinosaur. Kevin Brown, the CEO of Coraid wants his start-up to change that. Brown wants to do for storage, what Dell did for servers.

Still confused? Watch the black and white video below:

Coraid is even storing our DNA. Our appetite for data will only grow.

Should You Use Cloud Computing For Your Start-up? is a post from: TechStartups.com

With threats that beyond borders like the attack that occurred at Google last month and many other corporations it is no surprise that Google would seek outside help to secure its networks

The byproduct of that byproduct of that being trust from users.

So who did Google turn to? Leading defense contractors or a multi-national security firm? Nope. The NSA.

I had no idea that the NSA was in the consulting business or that private sector companies could engage with federal security entities.

Ellen Nakashima of the Washinton Post reported earlier today:

The pact would be aimed at allowing the NSA help Google understand whether it is putting in place the right defenses by evaluating vulnerabilities in hardware and software and to calibrate how sophisticated the adversary is. The agency’s expertise is based in part on its analysis of cyber-”signatures” that have been documented in previous attacks and can be used to block future intrusions.

The NSA would also be able to help the firm understand what methods are being used to penetrate its system, the sources said. Google, for its part, may share information on the types of malicious code seen in the attacks — without disclosing proprietary data about what was taken, which would concern shareholders, sources said.

I’m sure relationships like this are commonplace  or will become so with the rise of always on societies that are creating mountains of data. Someplace in all of it there are gatekeepers, like Google that need to protect their users to stay in business.

What I do find funny though is that I didn’t think there was anyone else that had more information than Google. I guess there is.

Google Deals with the NSA is a post from: TechStartups.com

I was a happy user of Microsoft’s Windows Live OneCare service for many years. I was an early beta tester of the product before it was released to the public. I’d regularly read reviews of people who weren’t happy with the product and would compare it to McAfee and Norton products.

Microsoft OneCare always worked for me without problems. I’d install it on other client’s machines and most of my family member’s desktops and laptops system. It always just worked, no headaches and no real hang-ups.

I can’t say the same for my experiences with McAfee and Norton. Both of those system applications seemed to always bog down my system and make it annoying to work within the configuration tools for each product.

Microsoft took OneCare off the market, leading to their new introduction of the Microsoft Security Essentials system. The Security Essentials is a completely free product from Microsoft that can be installed on Windows XP, Windows Vista and the new Windows 7 operating systems.

I’m installing the software now and it’s running its first scan. I’ll update with my experiences if there’s anything out of the ordinary that takes place. I’m planning on more of the same of what my use and enjoyment was with Windows Live OneCare.

Microsoft Releases New Security Essentials Software is a post from: TechStartups.com

Social networking is getting extremely popular. It’s already at the top of the list of the things people do most online, it’s already spreading like wildfire through just about every single age group, and now, it seems, it’s getting even more popular with people who want to do a lot of damage to your computer.

That’s right, Facebook is getting dark and dirty, and MySpace might be changing their name from “A Place for Friends” to “A Place for Viruses.” Yep, hackers have found a way to manipulate people and their connections to Other people and spread viruses the old fashion way: through friendly contact. Yikes. The question is, should we be surprised by this? Should the influx of dangerous attacks taking place inside Facebook’s walls be shocking? No.

According to a recent article in the Washington Post, Facebook is inherently vulnerable, here’s why:

“That’s because the most basic feature of these sites can be useful for anonymous enemies as well as known friends. Social networking sites provide their core value — no, not accelerating the distribution of gossip — by delivering a component missing from the Internet’s own architecture: trust.”

Using the trust of friendship to break down the doors. No more spam email messages from people we’ve never heard of, no more IM’s from people whose names we do not know. Now, it’s our Friends sending us the viruses, only they don’t know they’re doing it.

So, bottom line is, until Facebook steps in and cleans things up to prevent this from ever happening in the future: Keep your friends close and your enemies, well, closer?

Social Networking: Easy Access to Viruses? is a post from: TechStartups.com