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Identity Theft Articles
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- 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: 940 - 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: 939 - 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: 939 - Getting Owned or Pwned SUCKS! - by Submitted on Jun 13, 2017 from Robert SicilianoA well done New York Times article recently re-introduced this topic to the masses. Being “owned” isn’t new, but the term is not becoming part of popular culture. If you use the internet or are often on social media, odds are good that you have been OWNED. Whether you are ...
Views: 939 - 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: 939 - 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: 939 - Victim overcomes Identity Theft with Art - by Submitted on Mar 12, 2015 from Robert SicilianoDoes your wallet contain enough information about you for someone to steal your identity and commit crimes under your name? That’s what happened to Jessamyn Lovell when Erin Hart stole her wallet in 2011. Hart shoplifted, checked into hotels and rented cars in Lovell’s name. Of all the ...
Views: 939 - 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: 939 - 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: 939 - 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: 938 - 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: 938 - 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: 938 - Mass Shootings: Driven by Evil or a Desire for Celebrity Status? - by Submitted on Aug 22, 2019 from Robert SicilianoIf all a gunman, who opened fire and randomly killed nine people, wanted was 15 minutes of fame, he could have achieved this running naked into the field at a major league baseball game. At least one criminologist believes that the driving force behind mass shootings is a desire for celebrity ...
Views: 938 - Hacking Humans is Painfully Easy - by Submitted on Jun 28, 2016 from Robert SicilianoHackers can take over someone’s life in a matter of hours. Just ask Patsy Walsh. Though she is not a tech savvy person, the grandmother of six did have a Facebook account, and that was all the hackers needed to take over her life. By using methods such as click baiting, the act of ...
Views: 937 - 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: 937 - 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: 937 - 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: 937 - Businesses Need Commercial Security Systems - by Submitted on May 02, 2020 from Nauman NaseerThere is one thing that all business owners must have, and it is a security system. Theft and damage to property is a problem for companies. No business owner wants their property or money to be stolen, or worse, their clients or employees to be harmed by a crime. How do you protect your ...
Views: 936 - 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: 936 - 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: 935 - Three ways to beef up security when backing up to the cloud - by Submitted on Mar 21, 2016 from Robert SicilianoDisasters happen every day. Crashing hard drives, failing storage devices and even burglaries could have a significant negative impact on your business, especially if that data is lost forever. You can avoid these problems by backing up your data. Backing up means keeping copies of your ...
Views: 935 - 40 Practical Tips to Keep You Home Safe and Secure - by Submitted on Jan 24, 2018 from Robert SicilianoYou have undoubtedly seen tips for protecting your home, but you might not have seen them all. In no particular order, here are 40 tips that you can use today to keep professional burglars from targeting your home and keep safe from hazards: Install a peephole. Keep your doors locked ...
Views: 933 - FINRA: Cyber Security Still a Major Threat to Broker-Dealers - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2018 from Michael PetersLatest FINRA Examination Findings Reveal That Firms Have Made Progress with Cyber Security, but Problems Remain Cyber security remains “one of the principal operational risks facing broker-dealers,” according to FINRA’s 2017 Examination Findings Report, and while progress has been made, many ...
Views: 933 - 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: 933 - 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: 933(1 vote) - 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: 933 - 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: 932 - YouTube's Spoon Feeding Pedophiles Kids Home Videos - by Submitted on Nov 07, 2019 from Robert SicilianoYouTube uses a recommendation algorithm to help people view things they’d like to see. Recently, the algorithm seemingly encouraged pedophiles (YouTube would have no way of knowing this) to watch videos of children playing at home, videos that the family members uploaded. A report from ...
Views: 931 - 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 ...
Views: 930 - 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: 929 - How Motion Detectors Work - by Submitted on Feb 15, 2016 from Robert SicilianoEver wonder how a motion detector works? How can some inanimate object “know” you’re creeping nearby, even if you’re as quiet as a mouse? This amazing technology can be broken down into several types. Active Ultrasonic When an object moves, it can bounce back ...
Views: 928 - Are you Scam Aware or a Sitting Duck? - by Submitted on Jul 05, 2017 from Robert SicilianoYou might have heard about all of the scams out there, and think that you are pretty scam savvy. But, the truth is, most of us aren’t, and even a simple phone call could get you caught up in a big scam. One such scam occurs when criminals call random phone numbers and ask questions, ...
Views: 927 - First American Financial Exposes 885 Million Mortgage Documents - by Submitted on Aug 30, 2019 from Robert SicilianoApproximately 885 million digital documents have been exposed from mortgage deals that date back to 2003. First American Financial Corp is a provider of title insurance, as well as other services for the mortgage and real estate industries, and it allowed millions of records to be exposed ...
Views: 927 - 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: 927 - Quick and Dirty Disaster Prep Guide - by Submitted on Jan 10, 2020 from Robert SicilianoHow prepared are you for a disaster? Most of us are not prepared, at all, yet two-thirds of us live in an area where we are at a moderate to very high risk of experiencing a natural disaster. Here are a few things you should do, today, to start preparing for a “just in case” ...
Views: 926(1 vote) - 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: 926 - 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: 926 - Faulty Tire Repair could break your Neck - by Submitted on Oct 04, 2016 from Robert SicilianoRoy Chattelle was on a road trip in 2008 and suffered what seemed like a minor tire leak. So he got the tire repaired. Many people think nothing of pulling into the nearest tire shop and getting that little puncture or tear repaired or “plugged.” A few months after this routine ...
Views: 924 - 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: 924 - How to safely travel in a Car - by Submitted on Apr 18, 2016 from Robert SicilianoBefore embarking on a road trip with a car full of kids, make sure everything about the vehicle is in top working condition, including the windshield wipers, A/C, heat, fluid levels, seatbelts and lights (exterior and interior). Hopefully you’ll have a GPS; make sure that works, too; ...
Views: 924 - How to Set Up a Password Manager - by Submitted on Oct 24, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIf you have made the decision to use a password manager for your personal cybersecurity, which I highly recommend, you will quickly find that you online world is safer, easier and more secure than ever before. According to a recently concluded survey conducted by uSamp and sponsored by Siber ...
Views: 924 - 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: 924 - 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: 924 - 7 Ways to Prevent Getting Locked Out of Your Home - by Submitted on Jul 12, 2017 from Robert SicilianoBe honest. Do you have a key to your house under your doormat or a flowerpot? If you do, you might as well put a sign out that says “Come rob me.” This isn’t to say you shouldn’t have a key somewhere, though. After all, you might need it one of these days. However, there ...
Views: 923 - 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: 923 - 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: 923 - How to protect your network from malicious insiders - by Submitted on Mar 07, 2016 from Robert SicilianoYou may be putting your company at risk simply by hiring a new employee. Why? Because that person could have a hidden, malicious agenda. This is known as an inside threat, and it means that someone within your organization is planning or conducting activities meant to harm the company. There ...
Views: 922 - Identity Theft getting even worse - by Submitted on Jul 01, 2016 from Robert SicilianoIn 2015, depending on the kind and type of identity theft we are talking about, identity thieves impacted 1.5 million people or more, says the Javelin Strategy & Research report. That’s more than double than for 2014. The move from stripe cards to chip cards has motivated crooks to ...
Views: 922(1 vote) - Thieves steal 30 Cars using Software - by Submitted on Dec 13, 2016 from Robert SicilianoWho needs a hanger to steal a car when you can use a laptop? Despite today’s vehicles having far more sophisticated security protection, thieves can still break in—like the two crooks who stole at least 30 Dodge and Jeep vehicles…with just a laptop computer. In Houston, ...
Views: 922 - 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 ...
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