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Articles from Robert Siciliano | Selfgrowth.com
- Opportunities in Government for Skilled Security Personnel - by Submitted on Sep 15, 2015 from Robert SicilianoAs recent data breaches have shown, cyber attacks are particularly threatening to government entities handling sensitive data like Social Security numbers. Unfortunately, state agencies struggle to hire cybersecurity professionals. The cause of this staffing shortage? There simply ...
Views: 832 - The Password Reset Isn't How to Remember a Password - by Submitted on Oct 17, 2015 from Robert SicilianoConsider a keychain for a moment. For most of us, a keychain holds all of our necessities such as home keys, car keys, work keys and even forgotten keys, that we aren’t quite sure what to do with. Now, think about this. What if your keychain had keys that look identical, but each key only ...
Views: 832 - How the FBI hacks You - by Submitted on Jun 10, 2016 from Robert SicilianoIn a recent Wired.com expose’, they expose how the FBI has been secretly hacking civilian computers for about 20 years, but thanks to Rule 41, their ability to hack has been expanded. Nevertheless, effective record keeping for these hacking incidents doesn’t exist. For instance, ...
Views: 830 - Must-have Apps for Safe Long Distance Driving - by Submitted on Oct 27, 2016 from Robert SicilianoWhether you’re driving long distance to make a career move, visit family/friends, or just sightsee multiple states, you may be wondering what kind of helpful applications for your phone are out there. There’s just tons, and many fall under the category of convenience, such as apps ...
Views: 830 - Products to keep Kids safe online - by Submitted on Mar 16, 2016 from Robert SicilianoSome people believe that monitoring your kids’ online activities crosses the line of privacy or trust. But monitoring and controlling online activities is, essentially, no different than controlling access to the cookie jar or TV or even locking a liquor cabinet. Which brings me to a ...
Views: 830 - Your Stolen Data around the World in 2 Weeks - by Submitted on Jun 19, 2015 from Robert SicilianoEver wonder just what happens to the data in a data breach incident? Does it go into some kind of wormhole in cyberspace, out through the other end? Well, the answer is pretty much so, when you consider that hacked data makes its rounds on a global scale, taking only 14 days to land in 22 ...
Views: 830 - Creating an Effective Business Continuity Plan - by Submitted on Jan 04, 2020 from Robert SicilianoMost of us have no idea when a disaster is about to strike, and even if we do have a little warning, it’s very possible that things can go very wrong. This is where you can put a business continuity plan to good use. What does this do? It gives your business the best odds of success ...
Views: 829 - Government risks Consumers' Identities - by Submitted on Jun 14, 2016 from Robert SicilianoGuess who may be compromising the security of your Social Security Number. The Social Security Administration! Yep, that’s right. Did you know that 66 percent of the mail the SSA sends out contains someone’s Social Security number? This is what the inspector general of the SSA, ...
Views: 829 - Beware of the Jury Duty Scam - by Submitted on May 12, 2016 from Robert SicilianoImagine getting a call from someone identifying themselves as a federal court official or U.S. Marshal, informing you that your arrest is imminent unless you pay a cost—all because you failed to respond to a jury summons (which you don’t remember getting). I’d like to think ...
Views: 828 - Pokemon Go a Network Malware Nightmare - by Submitted on Nov 22, 2016 from Robert SicilianoPokémon Go has taken the world by storm, even though it is nothing more than a silly little game that people play on their mobile device. And it is not just child’s play, either. Plenty of adults are hooked on Pokémon Go—including college degreed professionals who ...
Views: 828 - Your Uber Driver May be a Criminal - by Submitted on Jan 16, 2020 from Robert SicilianoDo you Uber? If you do, you probably feel pretty safe getting into the car of a stranger. However, you might not be as safe as you think. Most people take for granted that Uber does background checks on its drivers, but there are actually a number of shady drivers who have recently been ...
Views: 828 - 9-Year-Old Kidnap Victim convinces Abductor to Release Her - by Submitted on Oct 06, 2016 from Robert SicilianoJeannette Tamayo was nine when she was abducted in June 2003, and exhibited a presence of mind that few adults would have in a similar circumstance. Home from school, Jeannette entered her house, unaware that a man had been following her; he entered too, and that’s when the nightmare ...
Views: 827 - Business Identity Theft: Beware of Identity Thieving Employees - by Submitted on Dec 31, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWow, a lawyer in Memphis got scammed by his secretary—she embezzled over $362,000 from him, says an article on wreg.com. Attorney Jerry Schatz hired Teresa Sumpter, 48, in July of 2013. Little did he know that his assistant would end up stealing checks from his trust account, forging ...
Views: 825 - Computers perfectly forge Handwriting - by Submitted on Nov 17, 2016 from Robert SicilianoHandwriting analysts really have their work cut out from them now, thanks to the development of new software that can forge—better than a human can—a person’s handwriting. So if you are worried about identity theft, add one more element to the kettle: a crook getting ahold of ...
Views: 825 - Sales Staff Targeted by Cyber Criminals - by Submitted on Oct 27, 2015 from Robert SicilianoCompanies that cut corners by giving cybersecurity training only to their technical staff and the “big wigs” are throwing out the welcome mat to hackers. Cyber criminals know that the ripe fruit to pick is a company’s sales staff. Often, the sales personnel are clueless about ...
Views: 825(1 vote) - "Choking Game" Killing Kids, and Authorities Have to Step Up - by Submitted on Jul 11, 2019 from Robert SicilianoIt only took a minute for 12-year old Erik Robinson to die while playing a macabre game called the “Choking Game.” His mother desperately tried to save her son when she found him with a Boy Scout rope around his neck, but it was too late. Erik was brain dead due to lack of oxygen, ...
Views: 824 - How long does Information stay on Credit Reports? - by Submitted on Mar 04, 2016 from Robert SicilianoIf you are concerned how long any negative information will remain on your credit report, it takes seven years from the Date of the Last Activity (DLA) before the item is deleted from your records (and seven to 10 years for bankruptcies). This is a very common question posed to credit ...
Views: 824 - How to Protect You Frequent Flier Miles NOW - by Submitted on Nov 29, 2018 from Robert SicilianoSocial Security numbers and credit card numbers are not the only types of data that hackers are after. Now, they are looking at frequent flyer accounts, and they are stealing reward miles, and then selling them online. How do Hackers Steal Frequent Flyer Miles? As with other types of ID ...
Views: 824 - Two Common Government Employee Impersonation Scams: What to Watch For - by Submitted on Aug 27, 2019 from Robert SicilianoOne of the biggest threats that taxpayers are facing these days is an aggressive scam where criminals call victims and pretend to be IRS agents. The goal? To steal money. All year but especially during tax filing season, the IRS will see a big surge in the number of scam calls, which tell ...
Views: 823 - How to deal with difficult people - by Submitted on Aug 08, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIt’s been said that nobody can make you feel bad about yourself without your permission. Well bah! Some people don’t wait for your permission to denigrate you. They are toxic. Lifehacker.com offers some ways to deal with such people. Love Yourself If someone’s words have ...
Views: 822 - How to protect against Tax Identity Theft - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2016 from Robert SicilianoWhat are you doing to prevent tax identity theft? Do you even know what steps to take? You’d better, because this crime has tripled since 2010, says the FTC. A report on foxbusiness.com describes tax identity theft as the act of stealing someone’s personal information, ...
Views: 822 - Pay attention to your IoT Device Security - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2016 from Robert SicilianoWow cool! A device that lets you know, via Internet, when your milk is beginning to sour! And a connected thermostat—turning the heat up remotely an hour before you get home to save money…and “smart” fitness monitors, baby monitors, watches… Slow down. ...
Views: 822 - Why Are Cyber Hucksters so successful? - by Submitted on Feb 18, 2016 from Robert SicilianoOften, hucksters prey on the consumer’s desperation, which is why it’s no surprise that the No. 1 rip-off (at least between 2011 and 2012)) was bogus products promising weight loss. VICE (vice.com) interviewed psychologist Maria Konnikova about how cyber cons are so ...
Views: 822 - The Switch to the Chip Card – One Year Later - by Submitted on Nov 02, 2016 from Robert SicilianoThe October anniversary of the liability shift has passed, and anniversaries are an excellent time to look back on progress…this is no exception. The U.S. EMV migration plan was set four years ago as a way to fight card fraud and to protect both consumers and merchants. Back in the ...
Views: 821 - Fake Emails are Becoming a Major Issue for Businesses - by Submitted on Dec 04, 2019 from Robert SicilianoYou might be surprised to know that more than 3.4 billion fake emails are sent around the globe each day. What does this mean? It means that almost every company out there is vulnerable to cybercrimes in the form of “spoofing” and “phishing.” On top of this, most ...
Views: 820 - Set Privacy on these Social Media Apps - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2016 from Robert SicilianoJust like older generations never thought that the dial phone in the kitchen could be dangerous (think phone scams), today’s kids don’t have a clue how hazardous smartphone apps can really be. They are a godsend to pedophiles, scammers and hackers. And let’s not forget other ...
Views: 820 - Should Stalking or Spying Apps be banned? - by Submitted on Dec 20, 2015 from Robert SicilianoThe words “spying” and “stalking” have negative connotations, but there’s a flipside to the coin: parents monitoring their kids’ online activities and physical locations. And how about middle-aged adults keeping track of the whereabouts of their aged parents ...
Views: 820 - Can Two-Factor Authentication actually fail? - by Submitted on Jul 06, 2016 from Robert SicilianoYou’ve probably read many times that two-factor authentication is a superb extra layer of protection against a thief hacking into your accounts, because gaining access requires entering a One Time Passcode (OTP)—sent via text or voice—into a login field. In other words, no ...
Views: 819 - Here's What Crazy Mass Shooters Look Like - by Submitted on Nov 29, 2018 from Robert SicilianoMass shootings. They happen so often these days, they are hardly making headlines, and when they do, they are soon pushed out of the news cycle thanks to what’s going on in the White House or in Russia. There are many red flags that show what crazy mass shooters look like. Look at ...
Views: 819 - I want a Cell Phone Jammer - by Submitted on Apr 14, 2016 from Robert SicilianoWell, we certainly can’t blame Dennis Nicholl for breaking the law. Frankly, had I been nearby him when he did it, I would have kept silent and let him continue breaking the law—unless, of course, I was engaged in some loud, planet-moving discussion with a world leader. Nicholl, ...
Views: 819 - How to figure out Crime Statistics in a Town - by Submitted on Feb 19, 2016 from Robert SicilianoIf you want to get an idea of how safe or crime-ridden a town may be, do some casual observing including at night: Are women walking or jogging alone at night? Are people hanging out in the evening having a good time? Are children mysteriously absent on a sunny weekend afternoon? Are ...
Views: 817 - How to Secure Your Home or Business On the Cheap - by Submitted on Feb 17, 2017 from Robert SicilianoIt doesn’t matter who you are or where you live, your home is at risk of being burglarized. According to numerous studies, in the US alone, a burglary occurs about once every 18 seconds, which equates to about 5,000 a day. Fortunately, you can secure your home or business against ...
Views: 817 - Step by step how to reinforce Door Locks - by Submitted on Oct 01, 2016 from Robert SicilianoDon’t let the idea of reinforcing your house’s doors intimidate you. Here is step by step instruction on installing new stronger locks. Your House’s Door Parts Inventory Any door without a deadbolt gets a deadbolt, which should be a grade 1 or 2. Are the screws of any ...
Views: 817 - The TSA confiscated 2,653 Guns in 2015 - by Submitted on May 26, 2016 from Robert SicilianoHow dumb can air travelers be, trying to get guns past the TSA? Duhh, don’t they know that the X-ray equipment or pat-downs will detect them? Just last year, over 2,600 guns were detected. More than 80 percent of these guns were loaded. Talk about the world’s dumbest criminals. It ...
Views: 817 - Do You Know How to Use a Knife for Survival? - by Submitted on Apr 04, 2018 from Robert SicilianoUsing a knife in a survival situation is a skill that can mean the difference between life and death. But, you have to know how to use the knife. Here is some information: Knife Safety: Carry a fixed-blade knife if you are going outdoors. It is less likely to get broken Always keep a ...
Views: 816 - Hacking the CEO with Social Media - by Submitted on Dec 06, 2016 from Robert SicilianoIf the super big wigs could get their social media accounts hacked, you can too. If you can believe it, the Twitter accounts of the following were recently hacked: Google CEO Sundar Pichai Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey Shouldn’t ...
Views: 815 - Stop being a Social Media Idiot - by Submitted on Dec 27, 2016 from Robert SicilianoLeave personal details off your Facebook page. Does the whole world—or even your private circle, many of whom you haven’t seen in person for years, or even at all—have to know you’re laid up from hernia surgery (i.e., vulnerable, defenseless)? Try this experiment for ...
Views: 815 - Technology and Home Security wed - by Submitted on Jun 23, 2016 from Robert SicilianoGone is the day when, while out on a romantic evening with your special someone, you suddenly realize you forgot to turn on your house alarm. You spend the rest of the long evening fretting about this. Nowadays, all you need do is whip out your smartphone and activate the alarm. You can even ...
Views: 815 - The Top 7 Things You Need in Your Survival Kit - by Submitted on Jan 09, 2018 from Robert SicilianoImagine that you are in the middle of nowhere for a few days, or that you are stuck in your home after a disaster, like a hurricane. What do you need to survive? Here are several things that you should have available. Remember, this is only a basic list; things that you might pack in a “go ...
Views: 815 - Weak Passwords Mean Data Breaches - by Submitted on Oct 15, 2015 from Robert SicilianoStudies across the board indicate that weak usernames and passwords are one of the top causes of data breaches, and I find that information to be unfortunate, because it is preventable. According to a recently concluded survey conducted by uSamp and sponsored by Siber Systems, creators of ...
Views: 815 - Getting Rid of an Electronic Device? Do This First… - by Submitted on May 06, 2017 from Robert SicilianoA shocking study by the National Associated for Information Destruction has revealed some terrifying information: 40% of electronic devices found on the second-hand market contains personal information. This information includes usernames and passwords, personal information, credit card numbers, ...
Views: 814 - GPS Locator for a Person or Vehicle - by Submitted on Apr 29, 2016 from Robert SicilianoWe live in a time where you can track a car, a driver and even speed by using GPS tracking. This is a technology that is in huge demand, and it is not just because of higher rates of theft; but also due to technological advances and frankly, people “just want to know”. FBI reports ...
Views: 814 - Tips for backing up and protecting your data while traveling - by Submitted on Dec 21, 2015 from Robert SicilianoThe season of giving is now upon us — but don’t forget, it’s also the season of stealing — and no, I don’t mean your wallet or the gift package at your doorstep, but your Social Security number, credit card information, medical records and any other highly ...
Views: 814 - Facebook CEO Password dadada hacked - by Submitted on Jul 19, 2016 from Robert SicilianoIf you’ve heard this once, you need to hear it again—and again: Never use the same password and username for more than one account! If this got Mark Zuckerberg’s (Facebook’s chief executive). Twitter account hacked, it can get just about anybody hacked. A report at ...
Views: 813 - How to erase Yourself from your Job - by Submitted on Dec 20, 2016 from Robert SicilianoYou shouldn’t leave any digital trace of yourself after you leave a job. Hopefully, you’ll be leaving voluntarily and thus have the time to first make backups before you delete anything. This may seem easy, but you need to take inventory to make sure you get EVERYTHING. Note: make ...
Views: 812 - Preplan for a Safe Vacation - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2016 from Robert SicilianoTraveling is fun, exciting, tiring and depending on your destination, generally safe. But bad things can happen. The best thing you can do before you go, is prepare. Safety Tips Blend in on your vacation. Before you leave for your trip, plan out your arrival. Dress like the locals. ...
Views: 812 - Hire an Ethical Hacker NOW! - by Submitted on May 30, 2017 from Robert SicilianoYou might think it’s crazy to actually hire a hacker, but if you don’t have an ethical hacker on your security team, you could be playing a dangerous game. Ethical hackers are called “white hat hackers” and are legal hackers, that help businesses find security problems ...
Views: 811 - Inside the Business E-mail Compromise Scam - by Submitted on Dec 01, 2016 from Robert SicilianoTrick e-mail = fraudulent wire transfer = hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars stolen. That’s what’s happening with business executives in select industries (e.g., chemical operations, manufacturing), says a report at threatpost.com, citing a finding from Dell ...
Views: 811 - Mobile SIMs Hacks Cause Concern - by Submitted on Sep 20, 2016 from Robert SicilianoA crook can steal your identity by taking control of your wireless phone account—by pretending to be you in person at the mobile store. The villain can then buy pricey mobiles and sell them—and guess who gets the bill but not the profit. Symptoms of Hijacked Account Suddenly ...
Views: 811 - What is the Signaling System No. 7 Network? - by Submitted on Sep 22, 2016 from Robert SicilianoThe iPhone has a vulnerability called the Signaling System 7 (SS7) that allows crooks to hack into the device. This was demonstrated on a recent “60 Minutes” episode in which a U.S. congressman (with his permission) had his iPhone hacked by German cybersecurity experts. The ...
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