October 2014

Car owners are being encouraged to check the airbags in their vehicles for their own safety.  Over 7.8 million cars are being recalled by manufacturers after it was discovered that Takata airbags could explode in the event of a collision.

The recall was ordered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after the airbags were linked to four collision related deaths.  Over 50 car models are cited in the recall, with models manufactured between 2000 and 2011 included in the announcement.

The US midterm elections are scheduled for November 4 when voters will elect new representatives to the federal and state legislatures.  Many issues are becoming the ballot box question in certain states but for voters in Florida, the ballot may come down to who has the best plan to lower car insurance rates.

This Friday, U.S. bank regulators proposed a new plan for collecting flood insurance premiums from property owners. Under the proposed regulations, those who have flood insurance to protect their homes would be required to have their premiums set aside in escrow accounts.

According to regulators, having residence’ premiums automatically sent to these accounts would help ensure that those living in flood-prone zones keep up with their flood insurance payments.

Staples may be the next victim in a long line of retailers to be attacked by cyber criminals.  The company is working with law enforcement in the northeastern US to identify a “potential issue” with shoppers’ credit card data.

Cyber security reporter Brian Krebs, who has consulted with officials on other data breaches, discovered patterns of potentially fraudulent charges reported from “multiple banks.” According to the reports, Staples cash registers were infected by similar malware that compromised security at Target, Home Depot, and other retailers over the past year.