A little malware here, a proxy server there … Albert Gonzalez and his Russian conspirators weren’t screwing around when they hacked the Gibson of a number of corporations, most notably 7-Eleven, and stole millions of credit card numbers. By targeting potential victims, learning the companies’ point of sale systems, and launching SQL-injection attacks to install malware, they were able to steal 130 million credit card numbers. They exploited bad security using crude methods for positive gain. source
I think we’re OK for the next six months. We are getting a recovery in (housing) starts and motor vehicles, but the process doesn’t have legs to it.
Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan • Giving his prognosis for the economy. Greenspan spent 18 years chairing the reserve, and he knows what he’s talking about. Greenspan’s tenure has been attacked by some critics who say that the housing bubble burst on his dime, but he defends what he did during the time there. One interesting factoid that came out of this: Greenspan says the auto market is oversaturated, with 20 percent more vehicles on the road than licensed drivers. What’s wrong with that? Everyone needs a car AND a truck! • source
Whether I have jurisdiction to decide his compensation or not, we will take a look and decide over the next few weeks.
Obama pay czar Kenneth Feinberg • On what he’s considering doing to companies that have been slow to pay back money from the TARP program. Those companies include some of the government’s favorite targets: Citi, AIG, Bank of America, Chrysler Financial, Chrysler, General Motors and GMAC. Basically, two of the country’s biggest banks and the two auto companies that we bailed out. • source
Comcast made a $54 billion bid for Disney out of the blue. Everyone laughed at them because it was so unexpected. Their shareholders didn’t like it. source
Comcast has spent years saving up massive amounts of cash in their coffers. They’re glancing around. Investors are concerned they may do a repeat. source
$1.92 million? Pssh, that’s fine! The Department of Justice put their two cents into the most anti-consumer case of our time, one in which regular person Jammie Thomas-Rasset was ordered to pay a huge sum to the RIAA. What did they say? Here’s what they submitted to court: “Defendant’s suggestion that the actual harm can be measured to the ‘tune of $1.29 for each of the 24 songs’ … ignores the potential multiplying effect of peer-to-peer file-sharing.” Wait, what? source