The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "software" ...
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Photocopiers Hidden Danger
Many Americans are unaware that digital office copiers have hard drives in them. CBS News proves how easy it is to read the hard drives using software downloaded from the internet. Security experts say that criminal groups and foreign intelligence services are buying the machines for the documents they may hold.
Tags: technology; hard drive; copy; machine; foreign intelligence; domestic
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Cell Phone Hacking
A hacker shows a reporter how vulnerable cell phones are to viruses, malware and theft. Phone security can be increased when users take precautions such as downloading security software, being aware of scams and password protecting their phones.
Tags: cell phones; cell; phone; malware; virus
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Protect Yourself Online
Package of stories: "Protect Yourself Online", "7 Online Blunders", "ID Leaks", and "Security Software." These stories investigate the current state of Internet safety, including its impact on the public, as well as highlighting the newest threats and what is being done to fight them. The package of articles found that American consumers lose about $8.5 billion to e-mail scams, that such scams remain a serious threat, and analyzed recent ID breaches.
Tags: online security; ID breaches; e-mail scams; consumer affairs; consumer advocacy
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City Aide Clenas Up After Storm
New Orleans' city chief techonology officer Greg Meffert was provided a driver/bodyguard/gofer to do his work at the expense of the city's taxpayers. The city had enough expenses to cover after Hurricane Katrina, and Meffert added to the list by hiring a guard who is paid more than the highest police officer.
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Corruption in Community College System
This story reveals “patronage, corruption and waste in Alabama's two-year college system. Major findings include: everyone in Chancellor Roy Johnson's immediate family was on the system payroll; campuses gave jobs to relatives of systems officials, often bypassing hiring practices; nearly a third of Alabama's legislators or their relatives received pay from the system; system contractors paid for or performed work on homes owned by Johnson and others; software company received millions of dollars in system officials and lobbying firms, despite a ban on such payments; state attorney general asked Johnson for favors while his prosecutors investigated the system.â€
Tags: nepotism; college; community college
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Wize Guys
"An investigation of a company selling get-rish-quick stock market software. Findings included a gross misrepresentation of the 'experts' licensing and qualifications; depositions where at least one principal said he lost money using the product; and principals' ties to financial companies cited for fraud."
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The Dark Side of the Internet
Sparked by a report that U.S. companies were "supplying cops (in China) with databases, software and hardware needed to track criminals and dissidents", Business Week looks into the many "dark corners of Internet commerce." Click fraud, spyware, online advertising, identity thieves using "virtual currency" are all covered in this series of stories.
Tags: Yahoo.com; Direct Revenue; identity theft; online advertising; click fraud; spyware
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Net Threat Rising
Consumer Reports looked at how computer users' behavior makes them more vulnerable to internet scams and viruses. The writers found that although Americans have invested more than $2.6 billion in protection software, they are spending over three times that much for repairs and to solve problems caused by viruses and spyware.
Tags: viruses; phishing; computers; internet; online scams; spyware; internet scams
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Spyware Cures May Cause More Harm Than Good
The CNET News.com investigation found that spyware programs sometimes cause the same problems they say they are erasing. Spyware or adware can weave itself into computers, cause problems and be extremely difficult to remove.
Tags: On-line; spyware; computer; software; web; spam; advertising; The Center for Democracy & Technology; Federal Trade Commission; privacy; adware; SpyBan; Trojan horse; NicTech; PC; internet
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City Slackers
WHEC-TV's two-month investigation finds a city worker spending many of his work days sitting at home and using the city van and gas for personal use. From this investigation, the worker was fired and the city began changing the software that they used to track work orders.
Tags: city government; Rochester; work ethics; employee; workers; electrician