Treasure Department Notes Increase ID Theft, Computer Hacking
The United States Treasury Department Financial Crimes Enforcement Network released its latest Suspicious Activities Report on Monday.
According to the report, criminals are increasingly targeting American financial institutions through identity theft and computer intrusion.
During the first four months of 2001, there were 332 identity theft cases filed, more than half the number filed during all of last year. Last year's 637 ID theft cases nearly tripled that of 1999, when only 267 cases were filed.
Monday's report also shows that financial institutions reported 147 computer hackings between June 2000 and June 2001. This is the first time these types of criminal activities have been tracked as part of the SAR.
ISPs Facing Consolidation
The top 10 American Internet service providers, generated more than 65 percent of all access fees generated during 2000, market research firm Cahners In-Stat said recently.
Its report, "2001 Business ISPs - Service, Size and Share" also shows that continued economic challenges and decreased market capitalization will lead other service providers to either merge or go out of business. There are about 6,000 ISPs in all.
"While new services will continue to emerge and grow, access services will still account for over half of all business service revenues followed by Web hosting, non-hosting value added services, and hardware resell/leasing," said Daryl Schoolar, a senior analyst with In-Stat. "Access service revenue dominance will continue because ISPs use this service as a platform upon which to build other services."
"However, all ISPs need to beef up access service by offering a service level agreement," he said. "The SLA must not only offer customer retribution for service shortfalls, but also needs to be pro-actively monitored by the ISP."
In its study, In-Stat reported that the largest ISP, in terms of access revenue for 2000, was WorldCom/UUNet. In second place was AT&T, followed by PSINet, Cable & Wireless, Sprint, Genuity, InterNap, XO Communications, Verio and Qwest.
Online Shopping Costs Britons
Too much e-shopping is leading British consumers into debt, according to researchers at Continental Research.
The company has tracked U.K. Internet access among British Netizens during the past six years and has seen a harmless pastime turn into a habit, especially among women. Continental Research found that there's been a 10 percent increase in credit cards this year alone. It attributes that to a growing online shopping fixation.
A psychologist and addictions specialist with Promis counseling center, Samantha Haylett, told online news site Ananova that e-shopping is highly addictive.
"It's compulsive in the same way as alcohol and gambling, and addicts find themselves completely unable to stop themselves, despite debt mounting and relationships disintegrating," she said. "It's the thrill and the buzz of purchasing that overrides all the negative."
The Best Bet for Wireless Carriers
Arena Intelligence Group has determined that the best way for wireless carriers to satisfy their customers' needs for high speed data services is through the adoption of 802.11-based networks.
The demand for mobile connectivity to the Internet and corporate networks has skyrocketed over the last two years, AIG researchers said, and there hasn't been a service or technology to fill that void. Even when 3G wireless services are finally available, AIG researchers believe it could be a long time before 3G services could attain the same high speeds capable through 802.11 networks. Add its low deployment cost to the mix,
however, and 802.11 is an attractive option for wireless carriers to use when meeting their customers' needs, AIG said.
"Without carrier involvement, revenue from mobile connectivity through public 802.11-based networks will exceed $300 million by 2003, " said Ted Theologis, a managing partner and lead analyst for AIG. "That revenue could exceed $1 billion by 2004 if carriers decided to get seriously involved."