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On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
Articles from Robert Siciliano | Selfgrowth.com
- What is the Cloud? - by Submitted on Jun 03, 2015 from Robert SicilianoYou’ve probably heard of people storing information in “the cloud,” but what does that really mean, and is it safe to put your data there? The cloud is best described as a network of servers offering different functions. Some servers allow you to store and access data, while others provide an ...
Views: 989 - Dude hacked Lottery Computers - by Submitted on Jun 02, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWho needs psychics to reveal future lottery numbers when you can hack into the state lottery association and tamper with it? That apparently was the reasoning of Eddie Raymond Tipton, 51. Prosecutors believe Tipton inserted a thumb drive into a computer—the one that spits out random ...
Views: 908 - How to Burglar Proof your Doors - by Submitted on Jun 01, 2015 from Robert SicilianoBurglars love doors; they frequently gain entry by kicking them down and even using less aggression to get into a house—and that includes simply opening the door because it’s not locked. Don’t believe that if a burglar wants to rob you badly enough, he’ll figure out a ...
Views: 935 - Tips to destroy and shred - by Submitted on May 30, 2015 from Robert SicilianoYou can’t be too neurotic about shredding sensitive documents to smithereens. For example, some people make a career out of “dumpster diving,” digging through trash in search of bank account information, credit card preapprovals, medical bills, mortgage statements, etc., and ...
Views: 955 - Smartphones for Kids aren't such a good Idea - by Submitted on May 29, 2015 from Robert SicilianoMaybe you believe that kids should not have smartphones because the devices can tell a pedophile where a child is located. But there’s other reasons that perhaps you haven’t thought of: cyberbullying, violent porn, online drug purchases, you name it. Smartphones give kids ongoing ...
Views: 913 - Is your Website and Data secure? - by Submitted on May 28, 2015 from Robert SicilianoImagine a lifeguard at the beach sitting on his perch. His job is to patrol and monitor for signs of trouble. He sees a surfer being attacked by a shark. Wow, a lot of good it does that he’s in a completely helpless position; by the time he scrambles off his perch and runs towards the ...
Views: 931 - The High Performance Router for a Many-Device Home - by Submitted on May 27, 2015 from Robert SicilianoYou will love the Tri-Band WiFi technology; it can connect all of your devices at the same time. The only router capable of this is the Netgear Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band Wi-Fi Router (a.k.a. Netgear R8000). This router provides three connections and has six wing-like antennas. Another ...
Views: 928 - Trusting too much brings Trouble - by Submitted on May 26, 2015 from Robert SicilianoThere will always be the person who lives on the Equator to whom you can sell an electric heater. As they say, there is a sucker born every minute. This is why cyber criminals will always have a field day, like the crook who posed as a tax man who got an elderly couple to send $100,000 to an ...
Views: 848 - Risks of Public WiFi - by Submitted on May 25, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWired internet or wireless WiFi, the warnings are out there: Don’t visit any websites that you have important accounts with when using a public computer (hotel, airport, café, etc.). Visiting even a more trivial account, such as an online community for cheese lovers, could sink ...
Views: 1054 - 3 More Ways Criminals use influence to steal - by Submitted on May 23, 2015 from Robert SicilianoCriminals use six basic principles to influence and steal. In the first post we discussed: Reciprocation: Do something nice for a person and they will feel obligated to return the favor. Social Proof: This is the “It’s okay if everyone else does it” approach. Commitment ...
Views: 926 - The most horrible Craigslist Killing ever - by Submitted on May 21, 2015 from Robert SicilianoBeware. This is tough to read. An expectant woman had spotted an ad on Craigslist asking for baby clothes, so she contacted the ad placer—a woman—then went to her Longmont, Colorado house alone. The woman stabbed the would-be seller and removed the seven-month-old fetus. The baby ...
Views: 867 - Things You should and shouldn't do on Public Wi-Fi - by Submitted on May 20, 2015 from Robert SicilianoPublic Wi-Fi is the location where you can get online: airport, airplane, coffee house, hotel, motel and more. Many people don’t give this a second thought, unaware of how risky this really is. Public Wi-Fi is very non-secure, a goldmine for hackers who want to steal your identity and ...
Views: 1035 - How to hide your Cash at Home - by Submitted on May 19, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIt’s good to have a stash of cash for emergencies. If the grid goes down and the power goes out, an ATM or bank does you no good. But there are security issues too. Where do you put it? A safe is certainly a smart idea. You can get creative too. What burglar would not think to look ...
Views: 929 - Cyberbullying: Its Uniqueness & Prevention - by Submitted on May 18, 2015 from Robert SicilianoUnfortunately, cyberbullying is prevalent, and a growing threat in today’s always-connected world. Cyberbullying refers to bullying done via computers, or similar technologies, such as cell phones. This kind of bullying usually includes mean or threatening comments, or public posts through ...
Views: 995 - Tax Return Basics: What You must know! - by Submitted on May 16, 2015 from Robert SicilianoTax ID Theft Three things in life are guaranteed: death, taxes and tax-related identity theft. Michael Kasper would agree. Someone registered Kasper’s IRS.gov account, requested the document for his 2013 tax return, then filed a 2014 tax return. The crook used a middleman—an ...
Views: 864 - What is Shoulder Surfing? - by Submitted on May 15, 2015 from Robert SicilianoThe next time you’re in a public place and glued to your smartphone or tablet — whether it’s at the gym, a coffee house, the airport, or just a park bench— know that someone might be peering over your shoulder to see what you’re doing. The snooper could just be ...
Views: 984 - Time to check your Facebook Privacy settings - by Submitted on May 14, 2015 from Robert SicilianoDid you know that, once again, Facebook has changed its privacy policies? At the top of the FB page is a lock icon. Click it for more privacy settings. What do visitors see? To view how visitors see your Facebook page, go to “Timeline and Tagging,” then hit “Review what ...
Views: 859 - How Hackers use LinkedIn to Scam - by Submitted on May 13, 2015 from Robert SicilianoHackers love LinkedIn because it links them in—straight through the portal of the targeted company. Geez, how much easier could this be, what with all the publically-exposed e-mail addresses of key players (and also worker bees) in big companies that someone wants to hack. An article on ...
Views: 1062 - 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: 907 - 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: 901 - Myths Facts and Burglary Prevention - by Submitted on May 08, 2015 from Robert SicilianoMyth: Most burglaries occur at night when nobody can see the intruder. Fact: Most burglaries occur during the day because criminals know that’s the most likely time that people are away at work. Myth: Most burglaries are random and spontaneous. Fact: Most burglaries occur after the ...
Views: 932 - 25 Home Security Tips - by Submitted on May 07, 2015 from Robert SicilianoYes, 25 tips, because that’s how we roll. No home security tip is too trite. They are all important, especially when used all at once, all the time. Keep shrubs and trees manicured so that burglars can’t hide near them. Do a door and lock inventory to make sure they all ...
Views: 992 - Consumers sacrificing Privacy for Convenience - by Submitted on May 06, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIt’s hard to believe that, according to a recent poll from the Pew Research Center, most Americans aren’t too upset that the government can track their e-mails and phone calls. There’s too much of a blasé attitude, it seems, with people thinking, “I don’t ...
Views: 927 - 3 Ways We are Tricked into Cyber Attacks - by Submitted on May 04, 2015 from Robert SicilianoSo just how are hackers able to penetrate all these huge businesses? Look no further than employee behavior—not an inside job, but innocent employees being tricked by the hacker. A recent survey commissioned by Intel Security reveals that five of the top seven reasons that a ...
Views: 1031 - 6 Tips for Protecting Your Social Media Accounts - by Submitted on May 02, 2015 from Robert Siciliano10 years ago, many of us were hearing about social media for the first time. Now, social media plays a giant role in our lives, allowing us to share pictures, connect with family and friends, and get updated news. Through social media, we can express ourselves to our inner circle and the ...
Views: 1129 - 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: 896 - What kind of Home Security System is right for Me - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2015 from Robert SicilianoBurglars don’t usually depend upon the light of the moon to break into homes; they depend on the daylight—because that’s when they know most homes are empty! The kids are in school, the adults are at jobs or shopping…duhhh, even a halfwit burglar knows this is an ...
Views: 880 - Protect Yourself from Online Fraud - by Submitted on Apr 29, 2015 from Robert SicilianoYes, it’s possible: preventing fraudsters from getting you via online trickery and other stealthy actions. Yes, it’s possible to be thinking one step ahead of cyber criminals. Let’s begin with e-mails—the conduit through which so many cyber crimes like ID theft ...
Views: 914 - 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: 902 - 5 Online Security Tips You need to know - by Submitted on Apr 26, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIt’s up to the potential victim—the user—YOU—to make your computer or smartphone very difficult for Joe Hackster to infiltrate. Passwords Being that cyber crime has been a fixture of modern living for over a decade, you’d think that everyone and his brother ...
Views: 979 - 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: 903 - 6 Ways to halt Online Tracking - by Submitted on Apr 22, 2015 from Robert Siciliano“On the Internet, you can be ANYBODY!” Not quite. Remaining anonymous in cyber space isn’t as easy as it used to be. Your browsing habits can be tracked, leading to your true identity. But there are things you can do to remain as anonymous as possible. Don’t feel ...
Views: 1583 - Lost your Master Password, do This - by Submitted on Apr 21, 2015 from Robert SicilianoYou have a master password, from your password manager, for 28 accounts. Life has been so easy since! But then you lose this master password. First off, you can’t fix this like you would if you forgot your password for PayPal or your credit card’s site. Plus, each password manager ...
Views: 914 - What is a Virus? - by Submitted on Apr 20, 2015 from Robert SicilianoHave you ever had the chicken pox? This common childhood illness has another name—the varicella zoster virus. Like all viruses, varicella replicates itself, spreading though the body, and eventually appearing as itchy red blisters all over the body. But the virus doesn’t stop there; ...
Views: 1064 - Keyloggers log wirelessly - by Submitted on Apr 19, 2015 from Robert SicilianoGee, it sounds like something out of one of those 1970s TV shows about government spies, but it’s reality: Plug this little thing into a wall socket and it records the keystrokes of a person nearby typing into a Microsoft wireless keyboard. The little gadget sends the information back to ...
Views: 986 - 4 Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Digital Life - by Submitted on Apr 18, 2015 from Robert SicilianoSpring is in the air (if you’re in the northern hemisphere) and it’s traditionally a time to clean every nook and cranny and get rid of excess stuff in your house. But it’s also a good time to clean up your digital life. Just like your house, your digital life needs a good ...
Views: 1022 - 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: 902 - Identity Theft Protection 101 - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWhat’s it called if, for example, someone runs up your credit card line without your permission? Identity theft. ID theft isn’t necessarily someone going around impersonating you. But it is considered someone taking over your accounts. Account takeover is also someone hacking into ...
Views: 1102 - 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: 903 - Go Two-Factor or go Home - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2015 from Robert SicilianoLogins that require only a password are not secure. What if someone gets your password? They can log in, and the site won’t know it’s not you. Think nobody could guess your 15-character password of mumbo-jumbo? It’s still possible: A keylogger or visual hacker could obtain ...
Views: 913 - Bank Account depleted, Company sues - by Submitted on Apr 12, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIs it Bank of America’s fault that a hospital was hacked and lost over a million dollars? Chelan County Hospital No. 1 certainly thinks so, reports an article on krebsonsecurity.com. In 2013, the payroll accounts of the Washington hospital were broken into via cyberspace. Bank of ...
Views: 953 - Latest Russian Cyber Attack on White House a Boon for CISA - by Submitted on Apr 10, 2015 from Robert SicilianoThe Russians have come…again—in the form of hackers. Not long ago Russian cyber criminals busted into the U.S.’s State Department system and mangled it for months. This time, they got into a computer system at the White House. Luckily, this system did not hold any ...
Views: 922 - How Hackers are Hacking Smarthomes - by Submitted on Apr 09, 2015 from Robert Siciliano“My house was hacked!” Had you said this 25 years ago, people would have thought a burglar vandalized it with an axe. Say it today and nearly everybody will know what you mean: A thief or prankster “broke” in to your house via its connected-to-the-Internet gadgets. If ...
Views: 915 - Home Automation in your Security System - by Submitted on Apr 08, 2015 from Robert SicilianoHaving a house run like the Jetsons’ is becoming increasingly possible: It’s called home automation. If you’re not familiar with the futuristic cartoon family, the Jetsons, just about everything in their house was automated. Today, we can have the following: Sensors that ...
Views: 992 - How to recognize Online Risks - by Submitted on Apr 07, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWould you give up your bank account and credit card numbers to a stranger on the street after he approaches and asks for them? Of course not. But that’s essentially what people do when they’re tricked by online crooksters into revealing sensitive personal information, including their ...
Views: 933 - Company proves why you shouldn’t post Kids’ Pics online - by Submitted on Apr 06, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWhat if you knew there existed a possibility that some company, without your knowledge, grabbed a photo of your child and put it on their product and then put their product online for sale? Koppie Koppie sells coffee mugs with photos of kids on them—and YOUR child could be one. Though ...
Views: 1002 - 1 Billion Records hacked - by Submitted on Apr 05, 2015 from Robert SicilianoBillions and billions—it’s only a matter of time before this becomes the number of hacking incidents in a single year, because just in 2014, over one billion records were hacked out of 1,500 different hacking incidents, says a recent report. Some other findings from the ...
Views: 1145 - 5 Habits of Practically Unhackable People - by Submitted on Apr 03, 2015 from Robert SicilianoAt the start of the year, we all made our resolutions for 2015. Now it’s March—how are you doing on your resolutions? If you’ve already broken a few, no worries; New Year’s doesn’t have the monopoly on making goals to better yourself. This is especially true with ...
Views: 1104 - Watch Out for Tax Scams! - by Submitted on Apr 02, 2015 from Robert SicilianoSpring is here (at least in some parts of the world in the northern hemisphere)! The bees are buzzing, the flowers are blooming, and the accountants are working late because for those in the U.S., it’s tax season! Scammers love tax season—there is a lot of money moving around as ...
Views: 978 - What is a Potentially Unwanted Program (PUP)? - by Submitted on Apr 01, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWhether you’re an animal person or not, you have to admit that puppies are pretty darn cute. So cute that there are YouTube Channels, Facebook accounts, and Buzzfeed newsletters devoted to the subject. Unfortunately, there’s a not so cute PUP out in the world, and it wants access to ...
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