X

CBS video: Cybersecurity at the Olympics

Joel Brenner, the U.S. national counterintelligence executive, talks with Bob Orr of CBS News about the threats that travelers to China could be facing and offers advice on how travelers can protect themselves.

Jon Skillings Editorial director
Jon Skillings is an editorial director at CNET, where he's worked since 2000. A born browser of dictionaries, he honed his language skills as a US Army linguist (Polish and German) before diving into editing for tech publications -- including at PC Week and the IDG News Service -- back when the web was just getting under way, and even a little before. For CNET, he's written on topics from GPS, AI and 5G to James Bond, aircraft, astronauts, brass instruments and music streaming services.
Expertise AI, tech, language, grammar, writing, editing Credentials
  • 30 years experience at tech and consumer publications, print and online. Five years in the US Army as a translator (German and Polish).
See full bio
Jon Skillings

At the Beijing Olympics, which officially got under way Friday, athletes from around the world will be striving to run faster, jump higher, and score more goals than their opponents. At the same time, warns the U.S. government, cybercriminals will be on the prowl for credit card information to steal, and security forces could well direct snooping efforts at unsuspecting travelers.

Just ahead of the games, Joel Brenner, the U.S. national counterintelligence executive, talked with Bob Orr of CBS News about the threats that travelers to China could be facing and offered advice on how travelers can protect themselves. The worrisome backdrop, according to Brenner, is a pattern of "relentless and ongoing" identity theft.

"Somebody with a wireless device in China should expect it to be compromised," Brenner said. For more of the interview, see the video here from the CBS Evening News. (And watch for us to be bringing you more such video on CNET News, which is now published by CBS Interactive.)

U.S. officials are offering a blunt reminder that any electronic transmission--from PDA, fax, computer, or phone--can be intercepted. Their travel tips include the following: change your passwords frequently; update antivirus and spyware programs; and avoid wireless networks whenever possible.

Click here for more stories on tech and the Beijing Olympics.