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On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
Articles from Robert Siciliano | Selfgrowth.com
- Don't Be Lazy With Your Passwords - by Submitted on Oct 27, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIt can be tough being a responsible adult sometimes, and managing these responsibilities isn’t always a chore that I want to deal with. Can you relate? Managing life takes focus and effort, and managing your online life is no different. Most of us are lazy with our online accounts, ...
Views: 910(1 vote) - Karate Woman breaks Assailant's Nose - by Submitted on Oct 18, 2016 from Robert Siciliano“I had my earphones in and didn’t know he was there until he threw me to the ground,” says Taela Davis, 25, of Australia in a heraldsun.com article. Big Mistake: Wearing earbuds while walking about in public. Even if you’re a big bruiser MMA fighter, you should not ...
Views: 910 - How Employers or Parents Spy - by Submitted on May 12, 2015 from Robert SicilianoDisgruntled employees act out in lots of ways. A guy I knew who hated his boss “played” on his work computer all day. The computer was strictly for constructing company graphics. But he installed all kinds of games and wasted lots of time. His boss never knew he blew off half the ...
Views: 909 - Are you Mentally Prepared for a Predator - by Submitted on Feb 12, 2015 from Robert SicilianoA bear in the wild that wants to protect its young from another predator isn’t worried about manners. This is how people should feel when in circumstances that don’t feel right. The bear has a gut instinct not to let its young near a predator. A woman who feels funny about getting ...
Views: 908 - Cheating Website hacked hard - by Submitted on Sep 23, 2015 from Robert SicilianoBad guys hacked bad guys. Hmmm, whose side should we take? Ashleymadison.com got hacked. This site helps and suggests married people cheat. The hack threatens millions of users, potentially revealing their credit card information, addresses, real names, pictures and content of their chat ...
Views: 908 - Eight security tips for travelers with laptop - by Submitted on Nov 12, 2015 from Robert SicilianoThese days, who doesn’t travel with their laptop? But commonality doesn’t make it inherently safe for your sensitive information that’s stored in the device. In fact, traveling with your laptop is inherently unsecure. Whether you’re traveling for business or to visit ...
Views: 908 - Don't's and Do's when using Public Wi-Fi - by Submitted on Aug 31, 2015 from Robert SicilianoCurl up in a chair at your favorite coffee house, the aroma of premium coffee filling the air, take a few sips of your 700 calorie latte, and then enter cyberspace. Little do you know that you could have a stalker. Or two. Or 3,000. Because public Wi-Fi is there for the picking for hackers. ...
Views: 907 - It's a Security System and More - by Submitted on Apr 16, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWARNING: Removing this video surveillance camera to kill evidence of your robbery will do you chickenfeed because the video of you is being stored in the cloud! Today’s security systems are so much more evolved than they were 20 years ago, even 10 years ago. We’ve all heard of ...
Views: 907 - Spy on your Kids yes or no - by Submitted on Jan 29, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIt’s one thing to bust into your kid’s diary and read it, but if your kids want the privilege of engaging in the cyber world, they need to understand that parents are justified in “spying” on them. Or are they? Depends on whom you ask and how far they go at “spying” on their kids. Frankly ...
Views: 907 - Trolls get Dose of Reality - by Submitted on Apr 28, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWell, you know that old saying: The viciousness of an online bully’s attack is inversely proportional to the size of his (you fill in the blank), I was thinking ego. Many online bullies are female, but in the case of former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling’s daughter, the trolls are ...
Views: 907 - What are Bug Bounties? - by Submitted on Nov 20, 2015 from Robert SicilianoA bug bounty refers to the reward a bad-guy hacker gets upon discovering a vulnerability, weakness or flaw in a company’s system. This is akin to giving a reward to a burglar for pointing out weaknesses in your home’s security. But whom better to ask than a burglar, right? Same ...
Views: 907 - How to identify Tax Scams - by Submitted on Apr 14, 2015 from Robert SicilianoThe IRS isn’t your biggest enemy during tax season. It’s the criminals who pretend to be IRS reps and then con people out of their money. They contact potential victims chiefly through phone calls and text messages. Typically, the message is threatening in tone and/or content, ...
Views: 906 - Is It Fraud or are You just Crazy? - by Submitted on Jun 09, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWhat would you rather have happen to you? A Russian ring of hackers has infiltrated your computer and smartphone and is hell-bent on taking control of your finances, social media life, even the smart gadgets in your house…OR…you’ve just been diagnosed with paranoid psychosis, ...
Views: 906 - Online Shopping and Counterfeit Goods – The Facts Don't Lie - by Submitted on Dec 09, 2015 from Robert SicilianoAs the holiday season creeps upon us, research shows that an astonishing 24% people who are buying online have been duped by scammers. Whether you are buying shoes, electronics or the latest fashions and accessories, research companies are showing that you are at risk of being duped. When you ...
Views: 906 - Town sees Big Spike in Burglaries - by Submitted on Apr 24, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWhy are so many burglaries hounding the town of Los Altos in California? There were 79 reported in 2013, but 118 for 2014. This past January and February there were 36. At that rate, by Christmas 2015, it’s unthinkable what the total number of burglaries will be. In a report on ...
Views: 906 - Distracted Teen Drivers a Mess - by Submitted on May 09, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWorried about your teen causing a car accident from drinking too much? How about from being distracted too much? According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, distracted driving accounted for 58 percent of medium to severe wrecks involving teenagers, based on analysis of about 1,700 ...
Views: 905 - Private Investigator faces Jail for Hacking - by Submitted on Aug 05, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWhat a disgrace: A private investigator, Eric Saldarriaga, 41, got nailed for hacking into peoples’ e-mails. He may get six months in the can. Is six months reasonable for this, though? A recent online New York Times article quotes a prosecutor who points out that hackers could be ...
Views: 905 - Protect your Identity when saying "I Do" - by Submitted on Oct 18, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWho has time to think about identity protection when planning a wedding? And why, for that matter? Well, there’s good reason: Marriage begets a change in identities. The months preceding the big day should be when the couple starts taking action to avoid identity theft. If ...
Views: 903 - What is Spam? - by Submitted on May 01, 2015 from Robert SicilianoEveryone’s heard of spam as it pertains to emails. Spam isn’t necessarily a malicious message designed to trick you into revealing your credit card number or PayPal login information. But spam is an unsolicited message, sometimes referred to as junk mail. Spam can be ...
Views: 903 - Your Hacked Mobile Phone Number is Like Your Social Security Number - by Submitted on Jan 24, 2017 from Robert SicilianoIf you have a cell phone, and you use it in any way associated with accessing online accounts (and many do), you are putting yourself at risk of getting hacked. With only a phone number and a bit of information, which is easy to get through social engineering, a hacker can break into your ...
Views: 903 - Protect your Home post Holidays - by Submitted on Jan 09, 2015 from Robert SicilianoAfter Santa has gone back to the North Pole to take a long rest, don’t think for a second that burglars too will be resting in January. True, the holidays are a prime time for many burglaries, knowing that underneath that gargantuan Christmas tree in the picture window is surely a pile ...
Views: 902 - An ode to Angry Drivers - by Submitted on Jul 02, 2015 from Robert Siciliano“Wes” is a professional man who, if you saw walking on the street, you‘d easily imagine being jumped by a few teen punks and getting beaten up for his wallet. Wes is nearing retirement age, has a potbelly, doesn‘t work out, has grey hair—hardly an imposing figure. But ...
Views: 900 - Equifax Exposed: Major Breach of Data from Major Credit Bureau - by Submitted on Sep 08, 2017 from Robert SicilianoIf you haven’t yet heard, Equifax, one of the three major credit bureaus in the United States, has been hacked. What does this mean for you? It means that your Social Security number, and possibly even your driver’s license information, could be in the hands of hackers. Some are ...
Views: 899 - How Passwords Get Hacked - by Submitted on Oct 26, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIf I wanted to crack one of your passwords, I could probably make a series of educated guesses and get pretty close. Why? Because people tend to stick with simple, easy to remember passwords, but these are the passwords that are easy to hack. According to Bill Carey, VP Marketing for ...
Views: 899 - Zeus Malware Gang take-down - by Submitted on Aug 25, 2015 from Robert SicilianoZeus is no longer a god of malware; he’s been taken down by law enforcement agencies spanning six European nations. Five people were recently arrested—believed to have infected tens of thousands of computers across the globe. There have been 60 total arrests pertaining to this ...
Views: 899 - Phishing works and here's why - by Submitted on Nov 26, 2015 from Robert SicilianoA phishing e-mail is sent by a cyberthief to trick its recipient into revealing sensitive information so that the crook could steal money from the recipient or gain access to a business’s classified information. One way to lure an employee is for the crook to make the e-mail appear like it ...
Views: 898 - Take a Women's Self-Defense Course - by Submitted on Feb 20, 2015 from Robert SicilianoCrimes against women are often “crimes of opportunity”. The predator doesn’t care if the opportunity presents itself in a major bustling city or in a tiny town with a population of only 400. If he sees prey and nobody else is around, he’ll strike—big town, medium town or small ...
Views: 897 - What happens when a Bank Account is hacked? - by Submitted on Feb 24, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWho’d ever think that 50 years ago, your money was safer in your bank account than it is today in this “modern” age: remote theft. If you bank with a large or small bank, your account may be at risk by hacking rings. However, most of the time, but not always, if your account ...
Views: 897 - Why You Should Use a Password Manager - by Submitted on Oct 10, 2015 from Robert SicilianoMost experts in cybersecurity suggest that computer users utilize a password manager, and I think they have a great point. These managers ensure that you can use a unique, strong password for all online account. On the flip side, there are naysayers that state a password manager isn’t as ...
Views: 897 - Password Security vulnerable to Trickery - by Submitted on Mar 24, 2015 from Robert SicilianoThere’s only one entrance to the house: a steel door two feet thick. If someone from the outside touched the door—even with a battering ram—they’ll get an electric shock. No bad guys could get through, right? Well, suppose the bad guy tricks the homeowner into opening ...
Views: 896 - Police offer 18 Burglary Prevention Tips - by Submitted on Jul 27, 2015 from Robert SicilianoTo help keep your home and property safe from crime, the New Castle County Police Department provides the following guidelines: Sounds like a no-brainer, but so many people do otherwise: Keep your doors locked at all times. People will actually go to sleep with the front door ...
Views: 896 - Is your Daughter chatting with a Pedophile? - by Submitted on Dec 22, 2015 from Robert SicilianoThat’s a horrible question to ask. There is a very alarming report on nbcsandiego.com, about a dad who regularly checked on his kids in the middle of the night, and one night at 2 a.m., upon checking his 12-year-old daughter’s room, saw that she was gone. The window was open. He ...
Views: 895 - Craigslist encounter ends very badly - by Submitted on Jul 14, 2015 from Robert SicilianoAt least one woman is happy that her driver drove like a drunk. That’s because his erratic driving caught the attention of troopers who pulled him over. They then heard a woman calling for help—from the backseat. She was bound and gagged with a bag over her head. The 41-year-old ...
Views: 894 - Infrastructures under attack - by Submitted on Nov 11, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIt’s been stated more than once that WWIII will most likely be cyber-based, such as dismantling a country’s entire infrastructure via cyber weapons. And don’t think for a moment this doesn’t mean murdering people. A report at bits.blogs.nytimes.com notes that foreign ...
Views: 894 - How to unsend or cancel an E-mail - by Submitted on Dec 28, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIf the person you are sending an e-mail to pretty much instantaneously receives it, how on earth can you unsend or cancel it? Well, you have several options. Criptext This is a browser plug-in that works for Chrome and Safari. Your message including attachments will be encrypted. You ...
Views: 893 - Beware of Vacation Rental Scams this Summer - by Submitted on Jul 10, 2015 from Robert SicilianoTalk about getting taken to the cleaners: Imagine you spot a great summer rental property advertised online. Looks wonderful. The deal sounds too good to be true, but the owner tells you (via e-mail or even phone) that the fee is correct. You apply for the rent and send in the required upfront ...
Views: 892 - 8 Ways to Ensure Safe and Secure Online Shopping this Holiday Season - by Submitted on Dec 01, 2015 from Robert SicilianoSo, who’s on your holiday gift list this year? That list is a lot longer than you think; consider all the names of hackers that have not yet appeared on it. Scammers will do whatever it takes to get on your holiday gift list! Here’s how to keep these cyber thieves out of your ...
Views: 891 - How a Wi-Fi Hacker Snoops on Your Laptop and Mobile - by Submitted on Jan 30, 2020 from Robert SicilianoYou have likely heard of the dangers of using unsecure public Wi-Fi, so you know that hackers are out there snooping. It is pretty easy to hack into a laptop or mobile device that is on a public Wi-Fi connection with no protection. Hackers can read your emails, steal passwords, and even hijack ...
Views: 890 - How to prevent your Pics from being lifted: Part 2 of 2 - by Submitted on Oct 25, 2015 from Robert SicilianoThere are many reasons someone might right-click on your image and “Save image as…” Porn, Sex and Dating Sites A woman might steal your blog headshot and use it for her dating site profile. A perv might take the picture of your child off your Facebook page and put it on ...
Views: 890 - Coming up, Your Phone contains your Driver's License - by Submitted on Jun 26, 2015 from Robert SicilianoGone are the days of the fat wallet bursting at the seems, since smartphones can now contain most anything that a wallet does—except the driver‘s license. But don‘t write that possibility off just yet. Forbes.com reports on a story from the Des Moines Register that the Iowa ...
Views: 889 - How to stop Teenage Sexting - by Submitted on Dec 15, 2015 from Robert SicilianoSexting is the act of sending images of a sexual nature via cell phone, often naked pictures. Because texting technology is so readily available and easy to understand, parents should be quite leery of telling themselves, “Oh, MY kid would never do that!” Studies showy your kid ...
Views: 889 - Human error is inevitable: Ways to protect your business - by Submitted on Sep 14, 2015 from Robert SicilianoNational Preparedness Month is happening right now. It’s the perfect time to take action for you and your community. It’s all about making plans to remain safe, and when disasters do strike, to keep communications going. September 30th is the culmination of NPM, with the National ...
Views: 889 - Tell your Grams about these Scams - by Submitted on Aug 21, 2015 from Robert SicilianoDo we really get wiser with old age, or just more vulnerable to all the scammers out there? Here are the top scams directed towards senior citizens. IRS The phone rings; it’s from the IRS, claiming you owe money. Caller ID says IRS (spoof technology). Caller says if you don’t ...
Views: 889 - Top 12 Scams Happening NOW - by Submitted on Jun 17, 2015 from Robert SicilianoScamerama is here to stay! Scams are as old as time, and evolve as inventions and technology evolve. Top scams, according to a report on FraudAvengers.com, are as follows: Scammer “accidentally” overpays you for an item you sold online; you cash the crook’s phony check and ...
Views: 889 - 10 ways to beef up Digital Security - by Submitted on Dec 15, 2016 from Robert Siciliano#1. Keep everything up to date. You know those annoying popups telling you updates are available? Do you ever click out of them? Don’t. Always update at the time these appear. #2. Two-step verification. Two-step verification or authentication should be set up for all your accounts that ...
Views: 888 - Apple's bizarre Crashing Text and how to fix - by Submitted on Jul 06, 2015 from Robert SicilianoOf all the weird things that can happen to your iOS device, the latest is a relatively benign situation in which a string of text is sent to the phone…and it causes the phone to crash. The phone will reboot if the particular nonsensical text string is received while the phone is locked. Data ...
Views: 888 - Retirees Prime Targets for Identity Theft - by Submitted on Oct 11, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIs it easier for crooks to prey on senior citizens, or is it that most targets are the seniors? Well, one thing’s for sure: A disproportionate percentage of identity theft complaints come from people 50-plus (though I’m sure some readers would hardly consider 50-somethings to be ...
Views: 887 - Stolen Social Security number? Don’t Worry! - by Submitted on Mar 17, 2015 from Robert SicilianoJust when you think it was safe to believe your Social Security number can’t get stolen…news breaks of the Anthem data breach. Over 80,000,000 patient records were compromised, including SSNs and home addresses. Like a meteor striking the earth, a disastrous ripple effect is ...
Views: 887 - 14 Social Media Disasters Ready to Strike - by Submitted on Mar 02, 2018 from Robert SicilianoThere are many ways that you or a small business could get caught up in a social media disaster. Can you think of any off the top of your head? If you are like most of us, probably not. Here are 14 ways that you could be in danger: A Terrible Online Reputation – Do you keep a watchful ...
Views: 886 - How to avoid Online Fundraising Scams - by Submitted on Nov 10, 2015 from Robert SicilianoYou’ve probably heard of the gofundme.com site, where all sorts of stories are posted of people seeking donations. Some are tragic, others are trite. You may be touched by a particular story, perhaps one in which an entire family is killed in a house fire. You click the “Donate ...
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