Homepage for Mathew Schwartz

www.PenandCamera.com: Mathew Schwartz's Web site

Mathew J. Schwartz
FREELANCE WRITING, EDITING & PHOTOGRAPHY

Near Black Butte Oregon Near Black Butte, Oregon | United States (2011)

CONTACT ME
Editors looking for a freelance writer, editor or editorial photographer, please contact me via e-mail:

Mathew J. Schwartz
E-mail: Mat@PenandCamera.com

QUICK LINKS
— About
— Photo galleries
— Recent stories
— Story archive
— Travel writing
— Writing overview
— Updates

*SELECTED WRITING:*
Breaking Security News	Selected Stories
New FBI Surveillance Backdoors? 6 Key Points Will Congress require social networks, VoIP, and Webmail providers build in backdoors that FBI could tap for electronic surveillance purposes? Explore the main issues at stake. InformationWeek (May 18, 2012) Twitter Adds Do Not Track Capability FTC and Mozilla applaud as Twitter gives consumers tools to opt out of tracking. InformationWeek (May 18, 2012) Fake Google Chrome Installer Steals Banking Details New polymorphic Android malware, meanwhile, disguises itself as a free virus scanner. InformationWeek (May 17, 2012) Forensic Tool Grabs iPhone, iPad Data Remotely Commercial forensic software from ElcomSoft lets investigators download someone's iPhone or iPad data without physically accessing the device; technique works via iOS device backups on iCloud. InformationWeek (May 17, 2012) Zeus Malware Seeks Facebook Users' Debit Card Data Latest Botnet-backed fraud compaign also has variations targeting Google Mail, Hotmail, and Yahoo users. InformationWeek (May 16, 2012) Google Chrome 19 Debuts, With 20 Bug Patches Latest release of browser also adds the ability to synchronize open tabs across devices. outdated Java and Flash functionality. InformationWeek (May 16, 2012) Apple Inoculates OS X Leopard Against Flashback Apple security update for older OS 10.5 Leopard nukes Flashback variants and disables outdated Java and Flash functionality. InformationWeek (May 15, 2012) Accused LulzSec Member Pleads Not Guilty Alleged LulzSec lieutenant accused of masterminding Stratfor hack, along with numerous other charges. Jeremy Hammond, a.k.a. Anarchaos, served prison time for previous hacking incident. InformationWeek (May 15, 2012) Half Of Computer Users Admit To Pirating Software Software pirates typically are young and male and live in emerging economies, where obtaining legal copies of software isn't always easy, finds Business Software Alliance study. InformationWeek (May 15, 2012) As Facebook Preps For IPO, Privacy Tweaks Irish and U.S. privacy audits prompt social network to make changes ahead of its IPO. InformationWeek (May 14, 2012) More: Archive	TeamPoison Hacker Suspect Has Anonymous Ties British police arrest alleged spokesman of hacktivist group that gained notoriety for exposing Tony Blair's address book and working with Anonymous as part of Operation Robin Hood. InformationWeek (May 11, 2012) 9 Tips To Block Hotel Wi-Fi Malware FBI issues warning to people traveling abroad that free Wi-Fi systems can pose a threat. Learn how to keep systems locked down and safe while traveling. InformationWeek (May 11, 2012) Google Street View May Face Fresh European Sanctions European investigators consider reopening previous Google Street View investigations in the wake of an FCC report detailing Google's wardriving practices. InformationWeek (May 2, 2012) Mac Flashback Malware Bags Big Bucks Analysis of the Flashback malware code estimates that botnet operators are earning $10,000 per day. Users of older Mac operating systems remain at risk. InformationWeek (May 1, 2012) Anonymous Hackers Not Smart On Anonymity, Feds Say For second time recently, authorities arrest an alleged Anonymous member after he shared too many details via social media. InformationWeek (April 18, 2012) Feds Bust 'Farmer's Market' For Online Drugs Eight people arrested on charges of running The Farmer's Market, an online bazaar offering a range of narcotics, including LSD and marijuana, to customers in 34 countries. InformationWeek (April 17, 2012) Anonymous Hacker Girlfriend Pictures Revealed Much, Police Say Alleged member of hacktivist group Anonymous busted after GPS coordinates in an iPhone image led authorities to his Australian girlfriend. InformationWeek (April 16, 2012) Should Consumers Control Their Own Data? Here's a novel concept, via Doc Searls: Allow customers to control who gets to buy or sell their personal information. Inside 1to1: Privacy (April 13, 2012) Security Fail: Apple iOS Password Managers Claims of military-grade encryption on smartphones are vastly overstated by almost every maker of Apple iOS password safes, say researchers at Black Hat Europe. InformationWeek (March 16, 2012) Internet Crime Focus Of Black Hat Europe Security and cryptography experts at Amsterdam conference consider the enormity of securing a world where everything--from smartphones to power plants to cars--is connected to the Internet. InformationWeek (March 14, 2012) Hacker Sabu Worked Nonstop As Government Informer Fascinating details continue to emerge about Hector Xavier Monsegur, aka LulzSec and Anonymous leader Sabu. Court documents show he worked around the clock to help investigators. InformationWeek (March 9, 2012) More: Archive
See my archive of all stories written by year: 2012 \| 2011 \| 2010 \| 2009 \| 2008 \| 2007 \| 2006 \| 2005 \| 2004 \| 2003

Travel Writing & Photography
Istanbul in 5... Istanbul, a Turkish port city on the Bosporus, has long been celebrated as a place where east meets west. Geographically, at least, that’s true, since the bicoastal city spans two European coasts and one in Asia, with each offering something different.
Tenerife in 5... Find a different beach -- sandy, south-facing, and sunny -- for every day of your vacation on Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, an autonomous part of Spain located near the northwest coast of Africa.
Croatian Beaches in 5... Never mind that the beaches are mostly made of pebbles and rocks, Croatia’s islands, off the coast of Dalmatia, make for a singular beach getaway that won’t wreck your budget.
Paris in 5... Whether it’s your first visit to Paris or your tenth, you ought to try something that may seem fiendishly simple, because it is: Living like a Parisian.
Fodor's Guide to The Da Vinci Code Full-color guide ("on the trail of the bestselling novel") profiles the locations, people, historic events, and symbols featured in the novel. Also included: relevant travel information, plus hotel and food recommendations. The guide opens with three of my essays, including profiles of the Paris Ritz (where the novel begins) and the Police Judiciaire, the real-life French law enforcement agency which employs Bezu Fache, the novel's fictional inspector. See my updates page for more information, or read more travel writing.

Research Reports

*Selected:*
Intranet Information Architecture (IA) This two-volume, 1,293-page report details numerous IA best practices, and profiles the actual information architecture of 56 organizations' intranets — from BT Global Services and McDonald's, to Vodafone and Zeiss. (Co-authored.) Nielsen Norman Group (November 2007)	Usability of Intranet Portals: A Report from the Trenches—Experiences From Real-Life Portal Projects This 188-page report on intranet portal usability uses case studies and lessons learned from portal projects in numerous companies, as well as government agencies, to determine best practices for creating intranet portals. (Co-authored.) Nielsen Norman Group (October 2005)

Photography
	Ireland From Clonmacnoise, to Dingle, to Dublin.	Portraits Headshots + friends
	Rome Springtime in Italy.	Publicity Singing ensemble, yoga instructors, and more.
Travel photo galleries: Budapest Chicago Cornwall Ireland Istanbul Massachusetts Panoramics Paris Rome

Other

About Me
I'm a freelance journalist, writer, editor, and photographer. See the About section for more information about me, including my resume, and general information about the site.

Updates/What's new?
A log of changes to the site, with the latest magazine articles, photographs, and redesigns to the PenandCamera site.

Writing Samples
Even more writing samples on topics ranging from the business of creating effective incentives for workers, to the hiring of skilled computer security personnel, to the design and philosophy behind successful Web site makeovers.

About the photos & writing
All images on this site are © Mathew Schwartz (2012), as are all articles and written material, and may not be reproduced in any format without my express, written permission.

For questions/comments, contact me.

This page last updated: 18-May-2012

Mathew J. Schwartz
Mat@PenandCamera.com