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GovTech's Top 10 Cybersecurity Stories of 2012

Stories about privacy violation, network security threats and changing malware were among the hottest cybersecurity Web items for 2012.

Stories about privacy violation, network security threats and changing malware were among the top 10 hottest Government Technology cybersecurity Web items for 2012. Many of these articles were published in previous years, but readers in 2012 still found them interesting enough to read in droves.

We ranked the top 10 most viewed cybersecurity stories in order from the greatest to the least. Let’s take a look at these popular stories and see why they struck a chord. 

1. Site Reveals Salaries of New York State Employees, Other State Financial Data 

In 2008, the Empire Center for New York State Policy posted the salaries of public employees online, which raised privacy concerns. 

2. Top 10 Network Security Threats 

In 2010, we listed the year’s top 10 network security threats that were compiled by Fortinet.

3. Deposit System Sends Money to Prison Inmate Accounts

A Florida county allowed citizens to deposit funds into accounts prisoners used to purchase food.

4. ‘Anonymous’ Didn’t Take Down Our Site, Chicago Police Say

Hacktivist group Anonymous claimed it took down the Chicago Police department’s website, but the police denied the accusations. 

5. Utah Health Data Breach Blamed on Configuration Error

Hackers stole 280,000 Social Security numbers and 500,000 records from Utah government. The information included names, addresses and phone numbers of several state residents. 

6. South Carolina Breach Compromises Millions of Records

A data breach in South Carolina compromised millions of records, which put citizens’ debit and credit card information in the hands of criminals.

7. Stealthy 'Frankenstein' Malware Developed

Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas created “metamorphic” malware that mutates to avoid detection. Their goal was to study their own malware’s activity so they’d be prepared to combat the malware unleashed by cyber criminals. 

8. 7 Characteristics of Weak Passwords (Infographic)

This story showed readers what not to do when they set up network passwords.

9. Ex-Hacker Mafiaboy Discusses Local Government Web Security

Michael “Mafiaboy” Calce, a reformed hacker who shutdown Yahoo! when he was 15, talked to Government Technology about cybersecurity in local government.

10. Top 10 States for Internet Crime 

This article ranked states according to the numbers of cyber crime complaints their residents filed in 2011.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock