Protect yourself the hackers are comming.

Hi It's The Mad Hatter.
Well It's not funny any more am lost for words check this out. I was one of the users that got hit with Playstation network problem. Not funny at all.....

So keep you security tight and the door locked at all times, otherwise these hackers will empty your pockets and damage your street cred
I have some Tips to help you as well so check it out so just follow "That Man" The Mad Hatter

Big thank to the Beeb http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17596394

A data breach that may have exposed as many as 1.5 million credit card accounts has been "absolutely contained", according to the firm behind the leak.

Global Payments processes payments for firms such as Visa, Mastercard and American Express.

It admitted that thieves had accessed card account numbers, expiration data and security codes.

This prompted Visa to drop the US firm from its list of approved vendors.

The firm's share price also fell.

Website help
Over the weekend, Global Payments said the thieves had exported the stolen information but stressed that they did not have customer names, addresses or Social Security numbers.

The company said it would work with regulators, industry third parties and law enforcement agencies to help minimise any impact to credit cardholders.

It has set up a website to help cardholders although it has not provided the names of stores or banks that were affected by the breach. The company's share price fell more than 3% on Monday, following a 9% drop on Friday.

Besides processing cards in the US, Global Payments provides its services to government agencies, businesses and others in Canada, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Global Payments Chief Executive Paul Garcia has pledged to spend more on security.

However, he told the Wall Street Journal that he was not surprised that Visa had struck his firm off its list of approved payment processors.

"It wouldn't be unexpected for Mastercard to take similar action," he added.

Spear phishing
Security firms warned that hackers could use the information they took to mine more personal data.

This is used in so-called spear phishing attacks, in which highly targeted fake emails are sent to people mimicking a message from their real bank and asking them to hand over personal information.

A number of security breaches have taken place in the last couple of years.

Last June, hackers stole information for 360,000 credit card accounts at Citigroup. In the past year, there have been high-profile data attacks against the International Monetary Fund, Google and Sony's PlayStation Network.

TIPS

Cardholders

Unauthorized credit card activity and other criminal acts of fraud are an unfortunate reality today. Despite the numerous
technology safeguards, rigorous monitoring and advanced tracking systems, credit card holders need to be vigilant. There are
helpful measures cardholders can take and resources available to help individuals protect themselves and minimize the effects
of fraud.
What should I do if I think my card numbers have been compromised?
Significantly, our investigation to date has revealed that no names, addresses or social security numbers were taken in this
incident. Nevertheless, if you believe your credit card information is at risk, immediately contact your card issuing institution or
bank and all other relevant financial institutions. Many companies have toll-free numbers and 24-hour service to assist those
who believe they are at risk. This number can be found on the back of your credit/debit card. By law, once you report the loss
or theft, you have no further responsibility for unauthorized charges.

In addition, you can place a Fraud Alert on your credit report. In order to do this, you’ll need to contact all three credit bureaus
individually:

TransUnion: (www.transunion.com)
Equifax:  (www.equifax.com)
Experian: (www.experian.com)

Best practices for keeping your card safe
Monitor your accounts regularly, checking for unauthorized transactions.
Be conscious of all information you share online. Even non-financial information can be enough to allow thieves to steal
your identity.

If certain bills do not arrive on time, this may be a sign your information is at risk. Go paperless whenever possible.
Keep an eye out for credit cards you didn’t apply for, denials of credit for no apparent reason, or calls/letters from debt
collectors or businesses for goods or services you did not receive.
Never provide sensitive information to unsolicited requests. Most financial institutions will not proactively solicit any
personal information or card information.

Get a credit report - You are entitled to a free credit report once every 12 months.
Periodically contact your bank to inquire about possible fraudulent activity to be aware of.
Consider using identity theft protection, including services that include fraud alerts and credit freezes.