RichieFarmer
07-13-2009, 06:12 PM
some background on web series i'm working with mcafee on, called H*Commerce: The Business of Hacking you, via ChannelWeb (http://www.crn.com/security/217600377;jsessionid=WSK35XM2VHZ2GQSNDLPSKHSCJUNN2JVN):
McAfee is tackling the seemingly insurmountable task of educating the public about the human complexities and the tragic aftermath of cybercrime -- Hollywood-style.
On Wednesday, the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company is kicking off the first of a six-part online series of film shorts titled "H*Commerce: The Business of Hacking You," which will be posted every two weeks at www.StopHCommerce.
The McAfee-commissioned documentary was directed by Hollywood's Seth Gordon, director of the 2008 holiday film "Four Christmases" and the documentary "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters."
And true to form, the trailer contained all the expected melodrama about cybercrime, complete with dramatic scene cuts, screenshots of data theft, victims crying and reformed hackers warning us that the sky is falling, in so many words. Yes, cybercrime is bad. And scary. We've established that.
However, instead of looking at the problem macroscopically, the film series takes an in-depth narrative approach that focuses tightly on one victim, Janella Spears, who lost more than $440,000 in a complex cyberscam over the course of months.
The series shows how Spears, of Sweet Home, Ore., east of Portland, fell for a sophisticated and targeted phishing attack while doing genealogical research that enticed her to send money to Africa hand over fist by claiming she could be a possible heir to a $20 million fortune left by a deceased relative.
The gravity of Spears' situation was compounded with a young granddaughter suffering from cancer as well as her need to reconnect her deaf husband, who was orphaned as a child, with his biological family.
During the course of the film, forensic expert Chris Roberts is introduced to Spears and pledges to help her rid her system of malware and handle the hackers. But perhaps most compelling was that the film delved into Roberts' multifaceted role of both counselor and tech support as Spears worked her way through emotional challenges brought about by her family's mounting debt and her husband's increasing distrust and anger toward her.
As promised, Roberts cleans up Spears' systems, closes her old e-mail account and disconnects her from the scam artists. The film series concludes on an open-ended note, showing a mending but tenuous relationship between Spears and her husband, and the increasing anxiety about the family's financial future.
you can find the series at http://stophcommerce.com. thoughts? what do you guys think?
McAfee is tackling the seemingly insurmountable task of educating the public about the human complexities and the tragic aftermath of cybercrime -- Hollywood-style.
On Wednesday, the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company is kicking off the first of a six-part online series of film shorts titled "H*Commerce: The Business of Hacking You," which will be posted every two weeks at www.StopHCommerce.
The McAfee-commissioned documentary was directed by Hollywood's Seth Gordon, director of the 2008 holiday film "Four Christmases" and the documentary "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters."
And true to form, the trailer contained all the expected melodrama about cybercrime, complete with dramatic scene cuts, screenshots of data theft, victims crying and reformed hackers warning us that the sky is falling, in so many words. Yes, cybercrime is bad. And scary. We've established that.
However, instead of looking at the problem macroscopically, the film series takes an in-depth narrative approach that focuses tightly on one victim, Janella Spears, who lost more than $440,000 in a complex cyberscam over the course of months.
The series shows how Spears, of Sweet Home, Ore., east of Portland, fell for a sophisticated and targeted phishing attack while doing genealogical research that enticed her to send money to Africa hand over fist by claiming she could be a possible heir to a $20 million fortune left by a deceased relative.
The gravity of Spears' situation was compounded with a young granddaughter suffering from cancer as well as her need to reconnect her deaf husband, who was orphaned as a child, with his biological family.
During the course of the film, forensic expert Chris Roberts is introduced to Spears and pledges to help her rid her system of malware and handle the hackers. But perhaps most compelling was that the film delved into Roberts' multifaceted role of both counselor and tech support as Spears worked her way through emotional challenges brought about by her family's mounting debt and her husband's increasing distrust and anger toward her.
As promised, Roberts cleans up Spears' systems, closes her old e-mail account and disconnects her from the scam artists. The film series concludes on an open-ended note, showing a mending but tenuous relationship between Spears and her husband, and the increasing anxiety about the family's financial future.
you can find the series at http://stophcommerce.com. thoughts? what do you guys think?