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 Replies: 11 / Views: 2,714 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
648 Posts |
In the first Bitcoin theft of its size, a user has lost 25,000 BTC -- or nearly $487,749 at today's market rates -- to an unknown thief. While the Bitcoin community has always been quick to point out that it's harder to forge a Bitcoin than to forge a dollar, it's quite easy to take someone else's Bitcoins: all you have to do is gain access to their computer's hard drive. Once you're in, stealing Bitcoins is easier than taking a wallet in the real world, and there's no recourse for getting them back. As a decentralized network with no authority and no identities attached to the addresses used to send and receive Bitcoins, once Bitcoins are stolen they're as good as gone. http://thenextweb.com/industry/2011...tcoin-theft/Edited by tripncoins
06/16/2011 11:36 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3670 Posts |
Edited by Silverhawk74
06/16/2011 11:46 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
648 Posts |
 That is so 2012  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
931 Posts |
I had never heard of Bitcoins. Things like this really make you wonder about any security on the web. Does anyone know anyone personally that has been hit with identity theft? I've always felt fairly safe because no one that I know personally has ever been hit by it.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
648 Posts |
hi junior e well yeah|| had checks stolen from unlocked mailbox ,lots of time to fix bad checks all over state. DMV renewed driver license for them   watch yourself out there.better now  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1150 Posts |
SilverHawk,
Yup. We were just discussing bitcoins the other day. I forgot to mention that, while I know what they are and what they are used for, I won't be owning any.
I wouldn't be surprised if it was a governmental agency that stole these bitcoins, since the government would like nothing more than for these things to go away permanently.
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Valued Member
Poland
114 Posts |
Ooh, bitcoins. Its a strange phenomenon. Transactions in bitcoins are protected by heavy algorithms and massive computing powers while the files containing them on computer hard disks are totally unprotected.
By the way I cannot even imagine a numismatic enthusiast collecting bitcoins! I prefer metal coins...
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1733 Posts |
You mean you don't encrypt your disks with software and keep key backups? I'd rather take that approach than depend on an application that doesn't specialize in this to do it for me. Once the physical file is in my hands, I'm quite sure I can keep the files safe... from the sounds of it though someone didn't.
;)
Edit typos
Edited by Ugly
06/17/2011 3:15 pm
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Valued Member
Poland
114 Posts |
Surely I keep my crucial data encrypted.
Yet from a system that is based on very strong cryptography I'd expect much more than keeping unprotected (even not password protected!) file on a disk. In fact it should be more specialized in self-protection than anything else.
All of that resembles building a stronghold and leaving a message "KEY UNDER DOORMAT" on the gate.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
I have had people take money out of my bank account before. They used my credit card number to purchase some pay as you go credit cards a few years ago. Not sure how they got the information but they did, probably some company I had ordered something from was either careless with their files or they had the cc information stored somewhere and it got hacked. I did get the bank to refund the money but it was still a big mess considering they had taken out 300.00 about 5 times in 2 days before it ever showed up on my online banking so I would know about it. Not really identity theft but still something I try hard to avoid and even then tried but when you order something you are at the mercy of the company you are ordering from that they will take the steps to stop this type of thing from happening. You say you do not know anyone that has ever had this happen but I am willing to bet you do know someone they just haven't told you or they may not even know yet, this is HUGE and happens allot more than you would ever imagine There is a new trojan that was developed just to steal these online wallets called infostealer.coinbit here is symantecs blog about it http://www.symantec.com/connect/blo...ins-are-ours |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4008 Posts |
Quote:
In the first Bitcoin theft of its size, a user has lost 25,000 BTC -- or nearly $487,749 at today's market rates -- to an unknown thief. Is anyone on here surprised at this? :-/ |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
648 Posts |
Quote:
There is a new trojan that was developed just to steal these online wallets Quote:
Bryan1315 That is some scary stuff. the trade in bits of info that hackers put together to steal, and do mean things.  also very 2012 but not so funny  |
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Replies: 11 / Views: 2,714 |
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, pretty much in that order I suspect....
Posted 06/17/2011 09:48 am
