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Home Depot spent US$43 million in its third quarter dealing with the fallout of one of the largest ever data breaches, highlighting the costly nature of security failures.

The retailer said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday that it expects $15 million of that cost will be reimbursed by a $100 million network security and privacy liability insurance policy.

The $43 million was spent on investigations, providing identity theft protection services to consumers, increased call center staffing and other legal and professional services.

Attackers stole 56 million payment card details and collected 53 million email addresses of people who shopped at Home Depots stores between April and September in the U.S. and Canada. They gained access to Home Depots network by using the login credentials of one of the retailers vendors.

The retailer warned that it expects to incur significant legal and other professional services expenses associated with the data breach in future periods.

Home Depot is also facing 44 actions filed in courts in the U.S. and Canada. It expects more claims may be filed on behalf of customers, payment card brands, payment card issuing banks and shareholders.

Payment card networks may make claims seeking to recover incremental counterfeit fraud losses and costs for reissuing cards, Home Depot wrote. Its liability will depend on whether it was noncompliant with data security standards, which contributed to the breach.

An independent auditor found that its network which handles payment card data was compliant with data security standards in the fall of 2013, Home Depot wrote. But it was undergoing certification for 2014 when the data breach occurred, it said.

The forensic investigator working on behalf of the payment card networks may claim the company was not in compliance with those standards at the time of the data breach, Home Depot wrote.

Retailers are required to follow the Payment Card Industrys Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS), which are a set of guidelines for securing card data. If found noncompliant, a business can face liability.

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Home Depot spent $43 million on data breach in just one quarter

Bitdefender BOX can replace or run alongside a home router to scan all network traffic for security threats

Bitdefender BOX is managed from an Android or an iOS application

Antivirus firm Bitdefender unveiled a hardware security appliance for home networks Tuesday that aims to protect devices by scanning network traffic to detect and block potential security threats.

The new Bitdefender BOX is a mix between a router, network firewall and intrusion prevention system. It can sit behind an existing router, connected to one of its Ethernet ports, it can be placed in front of a router, so that it also protects the router from Internet-based attacks, or can act itself as a router.

The device has a single-core 400 MHz MIPS microprocessor, 16 MB Flash memory, 64 MB DDR2 RAM, two 10/100 Ethernet ports and a wireless chipset that supports the 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi standards and is capable of speeds up to 150Mbps.

Despite these unimpressive technical specifications, Bitdefender BOX does not affect the network performance when positioned alongside a router to scan network traffic because it doesn't perform deep packet inspection, according to Bogdan Botezatu, a senior e-threat analyst at Bitdefender.

The device intercepts and scans only essential parts of the data packets that flow in and out of a network to identify known malicious patterns, Botezatu said. This is done with help from Bitdefender's cloud-based threat intelligence network, he said.

When used as a router itself, the device certainly cannot match the network performance and some of the functionality provided by high-end home routers. It does, however, provide a security layer that the vast majority of such devices lack and also has a smaller attack surface than most of them.

BOX costs $199, which includes the price of the hardware and a one-year subscription. Users will then have to pay $99 for every year after that, regardless of the number of devices protected by the appliance. Orders will open in mid-December and shipping will start in January, according to the company.

Network security appliances like intrusion detection and prevention systems are common on corporate networks. Preventing malware infections on end-point systems is increasingly difficult, so blocking malicious traffic at the network level, including attackers' attempts to control infected systems or to extract data from them, has become essential to limiting the impact of such security breaches.

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Bitdefender security appliance for home networks seeks to replace end-point antivirus

Nashville, TN (PRWEB) November 25, 2014

You pass the Stove Top Stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy to the right of the table, watch a few NFL football games, hug your loved ones, and count your blessings. Then you hear a thud at the door and (10 seconds later) three men are in your home robbing you and your family. Unfortunately, the holidays are a time when thieves look for easy targets.

Six Omaha roommates learned this lesson last week when they became victims of a home invasion. On November 18, three men kicked in the front door of an Omaha, Nebraska home, tied up six roommates, and stole a van and possibly guns before making their getaway and fleeing from the scene.

According to the FBI, approximately 3.7 million household robberies occur each year in the United States, and nearly one-third (28%) of all household burglaries involve a resident who is home at the time. Nearly 72,000 of these home invasions resulted in some form of assault, rape, or violent victimization. Being tied up is a common form of victimization for incoming thieves. One may assume that having more than one person in the home would prevent a home invasion, but that is not the case.

Security expert and Armor Concepts CEO Alan Young says that homeowners can take some simple steps to keep themselves safe when at home during the holidays with proper home security tips: By simply locking doors and windows and making sure that doors cannot be kicked-in, homeowners will turn away most intruders. Thieves are looking for easy targets. Make them work and they are likely to go elsewhere.

Young referenced EZ Armor, a $69 door security product sold through Lowes and other retailers, as an inexpensive way to make sure intruders cant break down doors.

Home alarm systems are often the first place frightened homeowners look to protect themselves, but Young warns that homeowners should understand the following differences about home alarms and door security: 1). Home alarms do not stop anyone from coming into your home. They simply tell the homeowner that someone is inside. 2). Homeowners almost never arm alarms until they leave their home or go to bed. 3). Police response to a home alarm is often greater than 20 minutes. It takes about 10 seconds for an intruder to kick in a door and be inside of your home.

Armor Concepts is a Nashville, Tennessee based company that specializes in the manufacture and distribution of security solutions. Founded in 2004, the Companys EZ Armor, Door Jamb Armor and FIX-A-JAMB products are sold nationally through Lowes, Menards, ACE and Do-It-Best hardware, among other retailers. The Company has been featured nationally on Bloomberg, Fox News, the CBS Early Show, NBCs TODAY show, The OMG Insider and countless local television and radio news broadcasts. For more information about Armor Concepts, visit armorconcepts.com or email them at pr(at)armorconcepts(dot)com.

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Home (Invasions) For the Holiday Keeping Safe While Giving Thanks

Surveillance cameras bring with them a certain peace of mind they make it easykeep an eye on whats happening at your house while youre on vacation, or ensure yourchild is doing okay with the new baby sitter. Unfortunately, many are still under the impressionthat you have to have a full-on smart home to enjoy those benefits, but thats no longer the case.There are now dozens of home surveillance cameras that you can set up independently, including this one fromStem Innovations called Izon.

We first took a look at the Izon back in 2011, but the home camera has evolved a lot since then. The company has two new home surveillance cameras, both of which support iOS and Android devices. The Izon View is the more expensive of the two, but it costs only $100. The View has night vision, thanks to IR LEDs on the front of the device, and can tilt and swivel to look into every corner of the room. You can mount it on almost any flat surface, including the ceiling. All you need is a Wi-Fi network and the companion app.

Related: Quirky unveils a bunch of new Wink products

For those of you who want a less fancy, but still effective home surveillance camera, Izon offers the Izon 2.0 for just $80. It doesnt have night vision, but it has most of the same features and syncs with the app.

Izon says the Android app will hit the Google Play Store just in time for Black Friday. To promote its new cameras and Android app, Izon will offer a Black Friday and Cyber Monday deal that lets Android users buy one Izon camera and get a second one free. That way, you can monitor multiple rooms at the same time. Both cameras are available on the companys website.

Original post:
Izon celebrates Android compatibility for its home security cams with Black Friday deal

Antivirus firm Bitdefender unveiled a hardware security appliance for home networks Tuesday that aims to protect devices by scanning network traffic to detect and block potential security threats.

The new Bitdefender BOX is a mix between a router, network firewall and intrusion prevention system. It can sit behind an existing router, connected to one of its ethernet ports, it can be placed in front of a router, so that it also protects the router from Internet-based attacks, or can act itself as a router.

The device has a single-core 400 MHz MIPS microprocessor, 16 MB Flash memory, 64 MB DDR2 RAM, two 10/100 ethernet ports and a wireless chipset that supports the 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi standards and is capable of speeds up to 150Mbps.

Despite these unimpressive technical specifications, Bitdefender BOX does not affect the network performance when positioned alongside a router to scan network traffic because it doesnt perform deep packet inspection, according to Bogdan Botezatu, a senior e-threat analyst at Bitdefender.

The device intercepts and scans only essential parts of the data packets that flow in and out of a network to identify known malicious patterns, Botezatu said. This is done with help from Bitdefenders cloud-based threat intelligence network, he said.

When used as a router itself, the device certainly cannot match the network performance and some of the functionality provided by high-end home routers. It does, however, provide a security layer that the vast majority of such devices lack and also has a smaller attack surface than most of them.

Bitdefender BOX is managed from an Android or an iOS application

BOX costs $199, which includes the price of the hardware and a one-year subscription. Users will then have to pay $99 for every year after that, regardless of the number of devices protected by the appliance. Orders will open in mid-December and shipping will start in January, according to the company.

Network security appliances like intrusion detection and prevention systems are common on corporate networks. Preventing malware infections on end-point systems is increasingly difficult, so blocking malicious traffic at the network level, including attackers attempts to control infected systems or to extract data from them, has become essential to limiting the impact of such security breaches.

Through BOX, Bitdefender seeks to bring similar protection to home networks, where the ever increasing number of Internet-connected devices has raised new security challenges.

Continue reading here:
Bitdefender's BOX hardware protects your entire home network, not just your PC

Best Central A/C Repair Services in Houston, TX - (713) 875-1917
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4 Best Furnace Repair Glendale (800) 215-8151 Climate Control
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Mesa, Arizona (PRWEB) November 25, 2014

Mason Mechanical, one of Mesas leading heating and cooling service companies, is working to grow their commercial division. Mason Mechanical is striving to be the only choice for commercial services that Arizona businesses will rely on for assistance in determining the right HVAC system for their business, warehouse, or commercial spaces. Mason Mechanicals team of HVAC experts is well versed in the different aspects of residential service versus commercial service in the industry, and what each field of service entails.

Winter weather and cold temperatures are rapidly approaching. In Arizona, November offers fairly mild temperatures and that is why November is the best time for businesses to call for heater service. If businesses wait and experience a problem requiring emergency repair in the middle of winter, the availability of HVAC repair and service companies is much more limited. Mason Mechanical urges businesses and commercial clients to consider scheduling an inspection and maintenance visit now to avoid any emergencies over the next few winter months.

Mason Mechanical feels there is no job too big for them to handle, and can service equipment ranging from light commercial to large applications. Repairing, maintaining, and installation commercial air conditioning and HVAC systems is Mason Mechanicals specialty. They offer the following commercial products:

Mason Mechanical focuses on customer satisfaction and employs only the most highly trained staff. Mason Mechanical continually trains their staff, including technicians, field supervisors, and office staff, to ensure that their team is at the forefront of the industry. Another part of Mason Mechanicals dedication to customer satisfaction is the quality products and heating and cooling systems they offer. To learn more about Mason Mechanicals commercial services, visit http://masonmechanical.com/commercial-air-conditioning-repair-mesa/. To contact Mason Mechanical, visit http://masonmechanical.com/contact-us/.

About Mason Mechanical Started in 1993, Mason Mechanical provides reliable heating and cooling services to commercial and residential customers in Mesa and the surrounding areas. As a Trane Comfort Specialist with NATE and Building Performance Institute (BPI) certified service technicians, Mason Mechanical offers a range of services including maintenance, repair, indoor air quality, and duct sealing. Mason Mechanical Heating and Cooling also proudly installs high quality Trane systems with financing and rebates available to those who qualify.

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Mesa HVAC Service Company Now Specializes in Commercial Services and Encourages Businesses Across Arizona to Schedule ...

Santa Rosa, CA (PRWEB) November 26, 2014

Cold Craft, Inc. is thrilled to announce its latest achievement the installation of a cutting-edge geothermal heating and cooling system for a net zero house built in Campbell, CA. The go-to company for geothermal installation in the San Francisco Bay area, Cold Craft offers customers the knowledge and expertise in non-carbon, low-noise and low-energy heating and cooling solutions.

Geothermal technology is one of the latest advancements used to promote energy efficiency in residential housing and commercial buildings. The geothermal system harnesses the earths steady temperatures by using a water sourced heat pump attached to underground ground geothermal loops. When in heating mode the system moves heat from the ground and the heat is transferred through a ground sourced heat pump and used to warm the home. When in cooling mode it does the reverse and takes the heat from the home and moves it deep into the ground.

The drilling is what I find to be the most remarkable aspect of geothermal, commented Cold Crafts CEO, Susan Nichol. The soil serves as an excellent conductor of temperatureboth for heating and cooling homes. Its really an impressive process.

Most any structureno matter the locationis a good candidate for geothermal heating and cooling. An environment-savvy consumer with a mission to go green, the owner of the net zero house located just outside of San Jose, CA in Silicon Valley had the geothermal unit installed to reduce the amount of energy wasted on heating and cooling the space.

Cold Crafts President and Founder, Kent Penning, described the project, The homeowner is going all out; hes focused on making his home to be as green as possible. Its not only an honorable and forward-thinking initiative; its really incredible what hes been able to accomplish with the help of new technologies like geothermal heating and air conditioning.

In addition to installing a geothermal system, the owner is working towards the net zero infrastructure by implementing solar electric power and laying down reclaimed lumber flooring to improve insulation.

Cold Craft is renowned for taking on challenging projects that focus on reducing customers energy costs, as well as providing property owners and managers of multiple unit dwellings (e.g. apartment complexes) with the tools and resources to properly maintain the heating, air conditioning, ventilation, and replacement aspects of their system.

Now with its geothermal heating and air conditioning systems, Cold Craft is doing its part to reduce the carbon footprint and homeowners utility bills at the same time. The ground-based heating system uses a free, renewable energy source that saves owners up to 70% on their heating, cooling, and hot water bills. Furthermore, users can receive a 30% Federal tax credit on geothermal installations.

For more information about Cold Crafts geothermal installation systems, or any of its other heating and cooling solutions, please visit ColdCraft.com, or contact Susan Nichol to address any additional inquiries.

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Cold Crafts Geothermal Heating and AC System Helps CA Homeowner Construct a Net Zero Energy Building