banking

Several U.S. banks were hit with online attacks over the past few months, but it's been unclear who was responsible. Now, government officials and security researchers are saying Iran was waging these cyberattacks, according to a report by the New York Times.

"There is no doubt within the U.S. government that Iran is behind these attacks," James A. Lewis, a former official in the State and Commerce departments and a computer security expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told the Times.

The attacks were aimed at several major banks, including … Read more

Sprint Nextel took another step toward securing its future by coming to an agreement with Clearwire to buy all of the remaining shares it doesn't already own.

The deal gives Sprint full control of Clearwire's impressive swath of spectrum, as well as its existing 4G WiMax network, which the company was planning to upgrade to 4G LTE next year. It also ends years of drama between the two companies, with Clearwire getting absorbed into Sprint.

So why does this matter? This deal has ramifications for consumers of both Sprint and Clearwire, and could have an impact on the … Read more

The wave of distributed denial of service attacks that hit U.S. banks in October was next-to-nothing compared to what could happen if cybercriminals actually carry through with their plans for next year.

According to a report (PDF) released today by McAfee Labs, an impending attack on U.S. financial institutions -- dubbed Project Blitzkrieg -- isn't only a possibility, it's a "credible threat."

"McAfee Labs believes that Project Blitzkrieg is a credible threat to the financial industry and appears to be moving forward as planned," the report reads. "Although Project Blitzkrieg hasn'… Read more

Have you ever seen billions of dollars in gold bars? A video -- made in the name of science -- gives a glimpse into the massive gold reserves at the Bank of England.

University of Nottingham professor Martyn Poliakoff loves the elements. The eccentric science wizard works with others on a popular Web site and YouTube channel known as The Periodic Table of Videos; one latest video focuses on one of the most valuable elements in existence -- gold. … Read more

A new version of the Zeus botnet was used to steal about $47 million from European banking customers in the past year, security researchers report.

Dubbed "Eurograbber" by security vendors Versafe and Check Point Software Technologies in a report (PDF) released today, the malware is designed to defeat the two-factor authentication process banks use for transactions by intercepting bank messages sent to victims' phones.

A variant of the Zeus malware used to steal more than $100 million, Eurograbber typically launched its attack when a victim clicked on a malicious link most likely included in a phishing attempt. After … Read more

Windows 8 got pummeled today by analysts, who cited it as a major factor in tepid PC growth.

The launch of a new Microsoft operating system rarely, if ever, goes smoothly. But Windows 8 is having an especially bumpy takeoff.

The first reason Deutsche Bank listed today for cutting its PC estimates this quarter was a "lackluster initial uptake of Windows 8," in a research note from analyst Chris Whitmore.

After citing the impact of amorphous factors like "macro weakness" and the "fiscal cliff," Whitmore continues.

Bank of America is the latest company to take on Square in the mobile-payments market.

The banking giant today announced a new service for merchants, called Mobile Pay on Demand. The offering includes a card reader that attaches to a smartphone, and allows merchants to handle transactions from the device. According to Bank of America, its service works with Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. The service will charge merchants 2.7 percent per swipe.

Square popularized mobile payments with its own card-reader-and-software combination. Square charges 2.75 percent on all transactions.

Bank of America has entered an already-competitive market … Read more

Congrats to Tami M. of North Mankato, Minn., for winning a Zooka speaker bar in last week's Crave giveaway.

Ever found yourself with several gadgets that need recharging when you aren't in a position to juice them all up? This week's giveaway's got the power to help.

The MyCharge Portable Power Bank 6000 is a high-capacity 6000mAh rechargeable battery pack that can simultaneously fuel products including smartphones, iPads, e-readers, and Bluetooth headsets. It comes with Micro- and Mini-USB plugs, plus an Apple dock connector and a full-size USB port, meaning it can power a whole lot of different devices. Handy when the gang's on a camping trip and all the working tree outlets are taken. … Read more

Next time you get a new card from your bank, don't be surprised if it has a keypad and an LCD on it.

Meet MasterCard's new "Display Card," which basically combines the usual credit/debit or ATM card with an authentication token. The authentication portion features a touch-sensitive keypad and LCD display -- hence the name "Display Card" -- for reflecting a one-time password (OTP).

Yet, according to MasterCard, the Display Card looks and functions almost exactly like a regular credit, debit, or ATM card. … Read more