McAfee anti-fraud researcher charged with fraud

By Robert McMillan, IDG News Service |  Business Add a new comment

One of the researchers behind ScanAlert,
the "Hacker Safe" certification company McAfee
recently acquired, is facing fraud charges in Indiana.

Brett Oliphant, whose title had been vice president of security services before
the Napa, California, company was acquired by McAfee in January, is facing 11
counts of securities fraud in transactions that allegedly brought in more than
US$1.215 million.

Oliphant and his brother Bryan were charged
in December. Their trial is set for Nov. 18 at the Elkhart County Superior Court
in Indiana.

ScanAlert built technology for auditing and then certifying Web sites as "Hacker
Safe." McAfee paid $54.9 million for the company in January and has since
renamed the certification service "McAfee Safe."

The Hacker Safe and McAfee Safe marks are designed to reassure potential customers
that the Web site they are visiting has been tested for vulnerabilities and
is unlikely to have been hacked by online fraudsters.

Oliphant's arrest was not widely known until blogger Ronald van den Heetkamp
posted news of
it on Monday. Van den Heetkamp has been critical
of McAfee's certification service in the past.

The ScanAlert vice president had led the development of his company's vulnerability
scanning technology and managed the company's research division.

A McAfee spokesman declined to comment on the matter or confirm whether Oliphant
was still with the company. "McAfee does not comment on the private affairs
of others, legal or otherwise," he said in an instant message.

    Add a comment

    Post a comment using one of these accounts
    Or join now
    At least 6 characters

    Note: Comment will appear soon after you have activated your account.
    Obscene/spam comments will be removed and accounts suspended.
    The information you submit is subject to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

    ITworld LIVE

    BusinessWhite Papers & Webcasts

    White Paper

    Insiders Can Ruin Your Company. Take Action.

    Did you know that 80 percent of threats to an organization come from the inside? The threat from insiders is often overlooked in organizations worldwide. This white paper from NetIQ, discusses key technology solutions that help to prevent and detect insider threats.

    White Paper

    Ten Steps to an Enterprise Mobility Strategy

    Enterprise employees are more mobile, relishing the ability to work productively anywhere, at any time. They may use any means to get connected, often creating financial and security risks for your company. Discover how to get control of your enterprise mobility strategy and ensure mobile worker productivity with these ten steps.

    White Paper

    What You Need to Know About the Costs of Mobility

    Mobile workers want to get connected anywhere, at any time, often at any cost. Enterprise mobility is often a hidden "black" budget in your company. Ensure that your traveling employees are productive everywhere, even while you control cost and security, through an enterprise mobility strategy.

    White Paper

    The 2011 iPass Mobile Enterprise Report

    This industry survey covers trends, recommendations and a policy guide on managing Enterprise Mobility for IT management and CIOs. Get data on employee device liability, as well as smartphone/tablet penetration, budget control and provisioning. Find out how your organization compares, how to ensure mobile worker productivity, and control costs.

    White Paper

    Smarter Commerce is redefining value chain visibility

    Smarter Commerce is redefining the value chain in the age of the customer. It starts with putting the customer at the center of your operations - which of itself is not a new idea - however, truly operationalizing this strategy is not easy.

    See more White Papers | Webcasts

    Ask a question

    Ask a Question