Phishing is defined by Dictionary.com as – To request confidential information over the Internet under false pretenses in order to fraudulently obtain credit card numbers, passwords, or other personal data.

phishing. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved June 19, 2009, from Dictionary.com website:http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/phishing

On the Wachovia website, after searching Phishing, this is what I found:

In recent years, the Internet has become an appealing place for criminals to obtain consumers’ identifying data (such as passwords or banking information), then use them to gain unauthorized access to financial accounts, for identity theft, or to engage in other illegal acts.

We want you to be aware of some of the more prevalent ways criminals are attempting to obtain your information and how to prevent yourself from becoming a victim. Click a topic below to learn more.

Below that is a list of links you can click on that tell you all the different ways you can be scammed and what you are to do if this is to happen to you. The banks are very aware of the Phishing issue and they have a lot of information on how to prevent this from happening to you, and how to fix it if it does happen.

Phishing. Wachovia.com. © 2009 Wachovia Corporation.      https://www.wachovia.com/foundation/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=d2dc9f2fc60aa110VgnVCM1000004b0d1872RCRD

On the Bank Of America website there are several things posted on ways to prevent fraud. Such as:

Monitor your accounts regularly

Learn how to recognize fraud

Check your credit report annually

Alert a credit bureau with your concerns

Protect your credit and identity

Under each of these are links and more thorough instructions. This section of the website is very into fraud prevention. It definitely talks more about the ways to prevent it as oppose to what to do if it happens.

BankOfAmerica.com. Phishing.© 2009 Bank of America Corporation. https://www.bankofamerica.com/privacy/Control.do?body=privacysecur_detect_fraud

Two places near my home that offer wireless internet access are Starbucks and Barnes and Noble. I assume owners want to gain customers from having internet access. A lot of students go to both of these places for study groups, or independent study. At Starbucks people go and hook up their computers and drink and eat while they work. The longer they are able to sit and work, the more they may eat or drink. It provides a good work environment and allows people to relax and get their stuff done. This is the same for Barnes and Noble. They offer wireless internet and have a variety of things to offer from the store itself. There are tons of books, magazines, and of course, the cafe area. You can stay as long as you want, with the comfort of chairs, couches, food, drinks, and tons of books and helpers if you need anything else. Internet has changed the atmosphere because it makes it a more relaxing environment. People aren’t just coming and going, they are staying, hanging out, and relaxing. It draws in more business and more sales by allowing customers to stay longer. Internet in these places is absolutely perfect for workers, students, or anyone who may need it.

*The Mojave experiment, as described by Windows:

“What do people think of Windows Vista when they don’t know it’s Windows Vista? To find out, we disguised it as “the next Microsoft Operating System” codenamed, “Mojave” so regular people who’ve never used Windows Vista could see what it can do – and decide for themselves.”

Primary Results

94% of respondents rated the “new operating system” codenamed Windows “Mojave” higher than they initially rated Windows Vista before the demo.

0% of the respondents rated the “new operating system” codenamed Windows “Mojave” lower than they initially rated Windows Vista before
the demo.

Of the 140* respondents polled (on a scale of 1-10 where 10 was the highest rating):

• The average pre-demo score for Windows Vista was 4.4
• The average post-demo score for the “new operating system” codenamed Windows “Mojave” was 8.5

(http://www.microsoft.com/windows/mojave-experiment/#)

**This shows that people usually go by what they are told, not by what they know. They make the assumption that they don’t like it when they may be unknowledgeable about the product or are just going with what they have been told. When tricked into thinking it is something knew and they are actually informed about it, then their minds are changed. 

*Not everybody agrees with the experiment and the product, as shown on these cites of commentary. Some say it was a failed attempt to pull attention to the product. If people aren’t used to the product or still can’t figure it out after as long as it’s been out, then the problem stems further than from the users but from the creators. 

(http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/marketing/viral_vista_the_mojave_experiment.html)

(http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/29/mojave-experiment-goes-live-doesnt-fail-to-annoy/)

5:30 a.m. I wake up to my daughter coming into the bedroom. The sound of the garage door has woken her up. My boyfriend is still sleeping (it is his day off from one of his jobs) so I take her downstairs to give her breakfast and try to wake myself up. (this is the morning after we arrive in Arizona and our internal clock is a little off) I go and get my daughter a bowl of cereal and turn on some cartoons for her on t.v. 

5:45 a.m. My boyfriends mother is at the house to see us and is making coffee at the coffee pot.

6:50 a.m. My boyfriends alarm clock goes off upstairs. He gets up, we all shower and get ourselves ready for the day. We both spend some time on our laptops, him doing real estate work online, me doing homework for my online courses.

10:00 a.m. We open the garage with the opener, he unlocks truck car with the key remote, and we’re off. We head to his bike shop to drop off his bike to get new wheels etc. and the man uses the cash register and computer to check him out. 

11:00 a.m. We head to lunch at Mimi’s Cafe, where again a cash register is used.

12:00 p.m. We walk over to Toys R Us in the same parking lot and play around in there for a while.

12:30 p.m. We head to Wal Mart where my boyfriend checks out some electronics. I buy some things for my daughters party this weekend.

1:30 p.m. We get into the truck and are going to look at some houses. He uses the GPS to take us around Glendale looking at houses for people. (he is a real estate agent) 

3:00 p.m. We head back to the house and my daughter goes down for a nap. Derek and I spend some time looking at houses, for ourselves, on his laptop. 

All throughout the day I am using my cell phone for text messaging and phone calls back at home in VA. Honestly, the rest of the day didn’t involve much more than the occasional lap top, television, and cell phone use. 

I am a little surprised with how little was used today. Granted, nothing really would have gotten done today without them, but we did not use as much as I had expected. I know the day is different and things change, from using an atm, getting gas, work, etc. 

I guess the easiest thing is the cell phone, just because that is what I use all day, every day. Hardest would be… well nothing was hard. It was a pretty simple electronic day

Elizabeth