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Articles from Robert Siciliano | Selfgrowth.com
- Winter Vacation Home Security - by Submitted on Jan 17, 2015 from Robert SicilianoPlanning a trip? Thinking of having your snail mail and newspaper delivery placed on a vacation hold so that thieves casing your neighborhood won’t see a pile-up of these items? Well, there’s a better option, because what if…just what if…a crook works for the post ...
Views: 1114 - 5 Home Security Myths - by Submitted on Jan 16, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIf you’ve decided to avoid getting a home security system, I’m banking that the reason is at least one of the myths described below. Check them out: “I have nothing valuable inside.” First of all, unless a burglar has X-ray vision, he’s going to have to break in ...
Views: 1102 - SSN and Its Afterlife - by Submitted on Jan 15, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWhat’s one billion? That’s about the number of possible permutations of the Social Security number. Which begs the question: What happens to an SSN when someone kicks the bucket? Currently, SSN’s are never repeated when they’re issued by the Social Security ...
Views: 997 - Beware of scary WiFi Virus - by Submitted on Jan 14, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIt’s called Chameleon—a computer virus—but maybe it should be called FrankenVirus. You wouldn’t believe what it can do: literally move through the air, as in airborne—like a biological pathogen. And like some Franken-creation, it came from a laboratory, ...
Views: 1002 - 5 Ways to prevent Airline WiFi from Hackers - by Submitted on Jan 13, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWhen getting on a flight many business professionals connect online. It’s common these days to see a number of people on an airplane busy at their laptops—business-looking people dressed in suits, eyes pasted to spreadsheets, charts, graphs and other grinding tasks. How many know ...
Views: 1177 - Post Holiday Online Shopping Security - by Submitted on Jan 13, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWhen it comes to online security, don’t let your guard down just because the holiday shopping frenzy has passed. In fact, this may be the very time to put your guard up even higher. Though it’s smart to have your radar on for the scammers during the holidays, the scammers ...
Views: 914 - 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: 899 - Protect your Packages from Theft - by Submitted on Jan 08, 2015 from Robert SicilianoYes, many thieves don’t have anything better to do than to follow delivery trucks around town to see what kind of bountiful packages they’ll be leaving at the doorsteps of homes. This means even more crooks simply drive around residential areas looking for boxes sitting outside of ...
Views: 951 - Goodguy Hacker Selling Bad Guy hacks - by Submitted on Jan 07, 2015 from Robert SicilianoMakes you wonder what these guys would have accomplished had they been born during the Renaissance…case in point: Kevin Mitnick, whose genius was so impressive as a cyber criminal (he hacked into IBM, Motorola, Sun Microsystems and other big-name outfits), that after serving prison time, ...
Views: 1095 - Credit Card Fraud isn’t the same as Identity Theft - by Submitted on Jan 06, 2015 from Robert SicilianoJust as important as taking down the decorations, throwing out all the debris from opened gifts and getting the house back in order after the holiday activities, is that of scrutinizing your credit card statements. Why? To make sure that all the purchases on there were made by you and only ...
Views: 953 - The Guide to Securing Your New Tech Toys - by Submitted on Jan 02, 2015 from Robert SicilianoHo ho ho! It seems that this year, Santa’s sleigh was filled with technology—laptops, smartphones, gaming consoles, etc. Playing with and learning about your new tech toy is fun, but remember to secure your device. It would be a total bummer if your new toy was suddenly compromised ...
Views: 1154 - 13 Cheap Simple and Smart ways to secure your Home - by Submitted on Jan 01, 2015 from Robert SicilianoYou don’t have to be wealthy to have a superbly protected home. You just need to have some common sense. Keep your doors locked overnight! Smoke blows through my ears and nostrils every time I read about someone “entering through an unlocked door” in the middle of the ...
Views: 1108 - Fear of Fraud trumps Terrorism - by Submitted on Dec 31, 2014 from Robert SicilianoOkay, what’s more likely? Getting bombed … or some punk racking up charges on your credit card? The yearly Crime Poll says that two-thirds of the respondents were edgy about data breaches involving their credit cards, as well as their computer and smartphones getting ...
Views: 971 - 10 most prolific Serial Burglars...ever - by Submitted on Dec 30, 2014 from Robert SicilianoJack “Superthief” MacLean MacLean stole in excess of $133 million in jewels, having robbed thousands of homes. By the time police nabbed him he was the owner of a helicopter and multi-million dollar mansion. His genius IQ failed to avoid his capture, but nevertheless, he was smart ...
Views: 1197 - Background Checks aren't as easy as you'd think - by Submitted on Dec 29, 2014 from Robert SicilianoWith seemingly more and more people being harassed, stalked and getting their identities stolen, the rate of background check requests (e.g., a small business owner hiring a private investigator) has increased quite a bit. The background check is no longer some snoopy kind of thing for ...
Views: 992 - 11 of the Biggest Home Security Mistakes - by Submitted on Dec 28, 2014 from Robert SicilianoOne type of mistake that you should never have to learn from involves home security. Don’t wait till something bad happens to you to learn a lesson. Here are the top mistakes that people make; learn about them here rather than from personal experience: Leaving doors unlocked. Yes, ...
Views: 1185 - 7 Careful Commerce tips when Shopping this Holiday Season - by Submitted on Dec 27, 2014 from Robert SicilianoFrosty the Hackman is teaming up this season with the Grinch to scam people out of their money. Shopping online is a godsend, but it brings with it a pristine opportunity to be ripped off. Avoid Phishing Scams. Never click on links inside e-mails even if they’re (allegedly!) from ...
Views: 988 - Should You Use Near-Field Communications? - by Submitted on Dec 26, 2014 from Robert SicilianoHave you ever wondered what kind of superpower you’d have? I’ve always wanted to send messages and ideas with my mind to others. My dream can sort of come true with near-field communications (NFC). You’ve might not have heard of NFC, but if you have a smartphone, ...
Views: 629 - Protect your Data during Holiday Travel - by Submitted on Dec 26, 2014 from Robert SicilianoYou’re dreaming of a white Christmas, and hackers are dreaming of a green Christmas: your cash in their pockets. And hackers are everywhere, and are a particular threat to travelers. Prior to leaving for your holiday vacation, have an IT specialist install a disk encryption on your ...
Views: 1041 - Mobile Carriers spying on Users - by Submitted on Dec 22, 2014 from Robert SicilianoHow does my mobile phone know I like tools, electronic gadgets and tarantulas? It keeps showing me ads for these products! Christmas is coming and my kids like bugs, big bugs. How does it know? It’s called “supercookies”. And they aren’t yummy. If Verizon is ...
Views: 1180 - Tips to Home Security Lighting - by Submitted on Dec 21, 2014 from Robert Siciliano“Don’t be afraid of the dark” is a reassurance that burglars never need; they need to hear, “Be afraid of the lights.” A house that’s often dark sends a flare to burglars that nobody’s home, or, at least, that nobody will see the burglar doing what he ...
Views: 983 - Card Company's boosting Payment Security with Mobile - by Submitted on Dec 18, 2014 from Robert SicilianoWhoever thought that one day, paying with green paper would be viewed as primitive as a horse and buggy? We seem to be getting closer to that time, especially since the security of making payments via smartphone is always being improved. One way is with fingerprint scanning. Some smartphones ...
Views: 973 - Chip and PIN, will It save Us? - by Submitted on Dec 17, 2014 from Robert SicilianoMany Americans, says a recent survey by Gallup, worry about a data breach connected to the use of their credit cards. Interestingly, many people use a credit card for everything under the sun: even just a soda and bag of chips from the convenience mart. The more you use a credit card, the more ...
Views: 1030 - What is Pharming? - by Submitted on Dec 15, 2014 from Robert SicilianoI was surfing on YouTube the other day and found this hilarious video mash-up of Taylor Swift’s song “Shake It Off” and an 80s aerobics video. For a lot of kids today, mash-ups are all the rage—whether it’s combining two videos, two songs, or two ...
Views: 1403 - Tips to prepare for Power Outage - by Submitted on Dec 14, 2014 from Robert SicilianoDon’t wait to be in the dark to find out you’re in the dark. Are you equipped for a power outage? A power outage can even occur in perfect weather, thanks to a construction team “hitting a wire.” Batteries. Don’t have these scattered haphazardly in some drawer. ...
Views: 1026 - 21 Tips for Holiday Home Security - by Submitted on Dec 13, 2014 from Robert SicilianoPeople complain about all the stress that comes with the holiday season: the in-laws, the expense of buying gifts, figuring out what to buy, travel, reunions with people they don’t like… But trust me on this: You’ll take you’re ever-criticizing in-laws and bratty ...
Views: 1186 - 7 Things You Can Do To Protect Your Identity - by Submitted on Dec 12, 2014 from Robert SicilianoOne of my favorite commercials is a guy working out with his personal trainer. The trainer asks him if he’s been eating his vegetables every day. When he replies, “When I can,” the trainer bops him on the head. He could have had a V8! Just like the man thought that eating ...
Views: 1142 - Beware of Home Security Scams - by Submitted on Dec 11, 2014 from Robert SicilianoWill the home security scams ever stop? The latest scam has fraudsters going door to door, posing as sales reps for “Trio Alarm.” They first make sure that the houses they visit already have a security system (e.g., security decals on windows), then tell the occupant that the company ...
Views: 1056 - Russian Hackers getting rich from your Identity - by Submitted on Dec 10, 2014 from Robert SicilianoWhere’s the $$$ at? Selling credit card data. Have you heard of the Russian hacking ring that raked in two and a half billion dollars? Check it out: Phishing attacks are lucrative for these cybercriminals. ATM hacks continue to increase, in part due to targeted attacks and new ...
Views: 969 - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like the Holiday Shopping Season - by Submitted on Dec 07, 2014 from Robert SicilianoThe holiday season is in full force. Not only is it time to bring out the tinsel while jamming out to holiday music, it’s also time to buckle down on your holiday shopping. Have you made your holiday shopping list yet? Luckily, in the U.S., the biggest shopping days of the year are coming ...
Views: 1247 - 11 ways to Let Santa in and keep Bad Guys out - by Submitted on Dec 05, 2014 from Robert SicilianoYou’ve heard of “dumb criminals,” right? Well…unfortunately, there’s at least as many dimwitted homeowners as there are criminals. Be a smart homeowner and use smart technology along with smart security tips and smarten up! The holiday season has arrived. Are ...
Views: 1129 - How to win the War on Phishing - by Submitted on Dec 04, 2014 from Robert SicilianoA phishing attack is a trick e-mail sent randomly to perhaps a million recipients, and the thief counts on the numbers game aspect: Out of any given huge number of people, a significant percentage will fall for the trick. The trick is that the e-mail contains certain information or is worded ...
Views: 1039 - Mobile Employees Are a Security Risk - by Submitted on Nov 30, 2014 from Robert SicilianoNot too long ago, the office computer filled an entire room. Now, it fills the palms of one-third of employees—those workers who use only the mobile device for their jobs. Security, however, lags behind in keeping up with this growing trend. This is the BYOD generation: bring your own ...
Views: 1019 - The Futuristic secure and Smart automated Home is here - by Submitted on Nov 29, 2014 from Robert SicilianoA burglary occurs every 15 seconds. The chance of your home being broken into is higher than you’d think. The good news is that today’s alarm systems are “not your father’s alarm.” Twenty years ago, a contractor had to spend a week tearing up your walls ceilings, ...
Views: 987 - Visual Hacking is High Tech Shoulder Surfing - by Submitted on Nov 26, 2014 from Robert SicilianoA visual hacker can infiltrate you—from the outside in. Quite literally, a person (ranging from a snoop to a cyber criminal) can peer over your shoulder while you’re using your computer or mobile (“shoulder surfing” or “visual hacking”), and collect your ...
Views: 1166 - 10 Get Smart Home Security Tips - by Submitted on Nov 25, 2014 from Robert SicilianoThe season to give is also the season to steal. Burglars are always looking for great deals—you know—the house that looks like nobody’s ever home; the house that has lots of shrubbery crowding out the doors and windows so that nobody can see the prowler spending 20 minutes ...
Views: 1284 - 15 tips to Securing your Home for the Holidays - by Submitted on Nov 24, 2014 from Robert SicilianoYou know who really loves that ever-so-annoying “fall back” time change November 1? Burglars. Because it gives them an earlier start on their criminal activities because they love to work in the dark. And burglars get busier as daylight becomes shorter and the holiday season ...
Views: 1238 - ‘Tis the Season for the 12 Scams of the Holidays - by Submitted on Nov 22, 2014 from Robert SicilianoFa la la la la, la la la la. Yes that’s me singing, but thank goodness you can’t really hear me (I save that for the shower). If you can believe it, it’s that time of the year again (even though it seems like we just finished Halloween). Time for holiday parties, family ...
Views: 1266 - 10 tips to Secure Passwords - by Submitted on Nov 20, 2014 from Robert SicilianoEver wonder just how hackers bust into systems and cause destruction? One reason is because people are still using weak passwords. While your pet’s name and wedding anniversary dates are easy to remember and sentimental to use, this approach makes a hacker’s job all too easy. Here ...
Views: 1153 - Study Shows 67% of Employees Expose Sensitive Data Outside the Workplace - by Submitted on Nov 19, 2014 from Robert SicilianoIDC, an IT analyst firm, estimates that the mobile worker population could reach 1.3 billion by 2015, meaning, they access workplace data outside the workplace. This is risky because it exposes data to hackers. In fact, the safety of what’s displayed on the computer screen in public is ...
Views: 1131 - 20, Yes 20 Home Safety Security Tips - by Submitted on Nov 16, 2014 from Robert SicilianoThere are really so very many ways to protect and make your home safe as well as secure—ways you’d never even think of, so here they are, as well as the classic ways that many people still neglect to implement. Big numbers. Make sure your house’s address numbers are very ...
Views: 2207 - 10 ways to protect your Devices and Data - by Submitted on Nov 15, 2014 from Robert SicilianoGee, it used to be just your desk computer that needed protection from cyber thugs. Now, your connected thermostat, egg tray monitor, teen’s smartphone, garage door opener, even baby monitor, are all game for cyber creeps. Can’t be said enough: Install antivirus software. This ...
Views: 1406 - College bound kids: protect your identity - by Submitted on Nov 14, 2014 from Robert SicilianoThe good old days were when today’s college kids’ parents lugged their typewriters into their dorm room, and they communicated to people via the phone on their room’s wall. Their biggest worry was someone stealing their popcorn maker. Nowadays, college kids need to beware of ...
Views: 1256 - Top 10 Preventative Security Measures for your Home - by Submitted on Nov 13, 2014 from Robert SicilianoHow safe do you really think your home is? Lock the doors. This no-brainer doesn’t just mean when you’re gone all evening. It means during the daytime when you’re home. There’s no reason for doors to be unlocked when you’re inside the house. Does your lock ...
Views: 999 - Use an ePrivacy Filter to prevent Visual Hacking - by Submitted on Nov 12, 2014 from Robert SicilianoIn an average year I’ll tally 75,000 airline miles. In an average week while waiting for the plane to board or while in flight I’ll see multiple laptop screens flipped open with an over the shoulder view of emails being sent and received, PowerPoint presentations being tweaked, ...
Views: 982 - How your Webcam may be spying on You - by Submitted on Nov 11, 2014 from Robert SicilianoRemember that song from 1984, “Somebody’s watching me?” It was a great foreshadowing of things to come: These days, people really CAN watch you while you go about your business at home…through your computer. So if someone confides in you that “they’re spying ...
Views: 1054 - 10 ways to Secure your Home for Guests and Parties - by Submitted on Nov 11, 2014 from Robert SicilianoThe holiday season means an upsurge in home-based parties, and some parties can seem extremely innocent, like a Christmas tree decorating party. These events can get out of hand, even if you know all your guests. But sometimes your guests bring guests that are shady. It’s awful to even ...
Views: 1163 - Security is Everyone’s responsibility - by Submitted on Nov 08, 2014 from Robert SicilianoIn the movies, the good guys always get the bad guys. In cyber reality, no such thing exists. A survey of 5,000 IT security professionals turns up the following: 63% doubt they can stop data breaches. 69% think threats slip through the cracks of their security systems. 57% believe their ...
Views: 1522 - Finally: a Proactive Layer for your Home Security System - by Submitted on Nov 06, 2014 from Robert SicilianoAny complete security system requires proactive and reactive components. Until now, no one had ever focused on the proactive side. BeON has arrived to update this product category, and they have done it in a simple and elegant way that gives you security without the stress while ...
Views: 1459 - 14 home security tips before you pack up for the Holidays - by Submitted on Nov 06, 2014 from Robert SicilianoThe holidays are just about here, and so is your not-so-friendly neighborhood burglar. Burglars know that during the holidays, there are just more goodies to steal, and not only that, but there’s a lot of traveling away from home. During this time of year, homeowners need to be extra ...
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