Self Improvement Site
On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
Articles from Robert Siciliano | Selfgrowth.com
- Summer of Home Invasions - by Submitted on Sep 17, 2015 from Robert SicilianoEven three men in a house aren’t immune to a home invasion, as was the case in Bedford, Massachusetts recently, says a report at boston.cbslocal.com. Three men broke into the apartment’s second floor at 2 a.m. and attacked the three male occupants. Three men, especially when one ...
Views: 863 - What are Consumer Reports? - by Submitted on Oct 13, 2015 from Robert SicilianoYou’ve heard the term “consumer report.” Many times, I’m sure. But do you really know what one is? If you’re nodding your head, would you be able to explain it to a Martian? If not, then you probably do not have a solid understanding of what one is. But lenders, ...
Views: 863 - Beware of these 4 Scams - by Submitted on Aug 25, 2016 from Robert SicilianoIRS The e-mail (or phone call) says you owe money; if you don’t pay it immediately, you’ll be put in jail or fined.The scammer may know the last four digits of the victim’s Social Security number. Caller ID will be spoofed to look like the call is from the IRS. The ...
Views: 862 - Case allows Employees to run amok on Social Media - by Submitted on Nov 24, 2016 from Robert SicilianoLesson learned: If you run a fast-food restaurant or any company for that matter, you’d better treat your employees right. After all, they have a legal right to tweet all they want about you. A Chipotle Mexican Grill in Havertown, PA, had a ban in place: Employees are prohibited from ...
Views: 862 - Child Identity theft is becoming Solvable - by Submitted on Oct 20, 2015 from Robert SicilianoYou’ve seen TV commercials and print ads about identity theft, and the “victim” is always an adult. That’s not realistic. The actor-portrayal should be that of a child. Yes, a kid. Children are 51 times more likely than adults to have their identity stolen, says ...
Views: 862 - DoorDash Admits 4.9 Million Affected by Data Breach - by Submitted on Nov 07, 2019 from Robert SicilianoDoorDash has admitted that it has been the victim of a data breach, which has affected about 4.9 million merchants and people. In a recent blog post, DoorDash announced that it noticed some odd activity early in September from a third-party service. After looking into it, the company found ...
Views: 862 - Small Town investigates String of Burglaries - by Submitted on Feb 18, 2015 from Robert SicilianoHome burglaries don’t just happen in the big cities that everyone’s heard of. They can also occur in small towns—simply because the burglar lives in them or in neighboring areas. Such is the case with Kirksville, Missouri. A recent report from heartlandconnection.com tells of ...
Views: 862 - Street Fights can result in Death - by Submitted on Aug 17, 2015 from Robert SicilianoPeople who don’t believe they have been brainwashed by the film industry, which repeatedly shows men in a brawl who are still standing after each have received a dozen punches to the head and face. Sometimes it takes five full minutes to just daze a man, after he’s been hit in the ...
Views: 862 - Another Successful Ransomware Attack - by Submitted on Sep 08, 2016 from Robert SicilianoRansomware thieves sure know how to pick their victims—institutions that store loads of highly critical data that they need on a daily basis, that without—even just 24 hours without—can have crippling effects. This form of cybercrime is growing by leaps and bounds. Recently ...
Views: 861 - Blackhat Hackers Love Office Printers - by Submitted on Jul 28, 2017 from Robert SicilianoThe term, or in this case the word “blackhat” in tech generally refers to a criminal hacker. The opposite of black is white and a “whitehat” is a security professional. These terms originate from the “spaghetti western” movies when the bad guy cowboy wore a ...
Views: 860 - ISPs invading Subscriber's Privacy - by Submitted on Jul 26, 2017 from Robert SicilianoIt’s hard to keep track of the news of politics these days, and even if you can, how do you know it’s even real? The political landscape has greatly changed since January, and there have been a lot of laws passed that will affect us all, including the repeal of a law that protected ...
Views: 860 - Raising a Boy to Be a Man, not a Sex Predator - by Submitted on Jan 23, 2020 from Robert SicilianoIf you looked at a photo of a baby boy, could you ever predict that he would grow up to become a sexual predator? Probably not. However, a study shows that men who commit sexual crimes are more likely to have something called an “anxious attachment” to their mothers due to feeling ...
Views: 859 - What is Two-Factor Authentication and How Does it Work? - by Submitted on Nov 22, 2019 from Robert SicilianoThere are a number of ways that you can protect yourself online, and one of the things you can do is to start using two-factor authentication. You probably have seen two-factor authentication even if you aren’t sure what it is. For instance, if you do online banking, your bank might ...
Views: 859 - Oh No, iOS Hacked by NSO - by Submitted on Dec 22, 2016 from Robert SicilianoRecently, says a report at wired.com, it’s been unveiled that the obscure Israel-based NSO Group has been selling spyware delivered to smartphones through vulnerabilities in Apple’s iOS operating system. “Pegasus” spyware can put a surveillance out on nearly everything ...
Views: 857 - Top 3 Social Engineering Scams - by Submitted on Jan 12, 2017 from Robert SicilianoThink about hackers breaking into accounts. If you think they need top-notch computer skills, you would be wrong. These days, instead of requiring skills behind a keyboard, hackers generally rely on strategy…specifically a strategy called social engineering. This means that hackers ...
Views: 857 - 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: 857 - How to Choose a Home Security Safe - by Submitted on Oct 21, 2015 from Robert SicilianoHome safes aren’t just for expensive jewels and wads of $100 bills. They can be for anything you’d be crushed about if it were stolen, lost or burnt in a fire. This could be a birthday card that your child made for you when they were five, or a photo of you and your ...
Views: 856 - How to prevent IRS scams - by Submitted on Mar 09, 2016 from Robert SicilianoOnce a thief knows your Social Security number…you’re at very high risk for having your identity stolen. A report on bankrate.com says that the IRS is warning of a cyber attack on its electronic filing PIN application. Thieves infiltrated it with malware in an attempt to claim ...
Views: 856 - Keep Accountant happy and Thieves out - by Submitted on Dec 18, 2015 from Robert SicilianoAre you a shredder? I hope so. No identity thief on this planet is going to want to attempt to reconstruct cross-shredded documents. So what, then, should you make a habit of shredding? All financial documents and information, including financial information you’ve jotted on a ...
Views: 856 - Medical Identity Theft: 12 Million Patients Breached - by Submitted on Oct 17, 2019 from Robert SicilianoQuest Diagnostics is a US-based company that provides medical testing services, and announced that it used third-party billing collection companies that were hit by a severe data breach. In fact, about 11.9 million Quest customers were affected. The compromised information could include ...
Views: 855 - Beware of the CEO E-mail Scam - by Submitted on May 11, 2016 from Robert SicilianoBeware of the B.E.C. scam, says a report at fbi.gov. The hackers target businesses and are good at getting what they want. The hackers first learn the name of a company’s CEO or other key figure such as the company’s lawyer or a vendor. They then figure out a way to make an ...
Views: 854 - Everything You need to know about Door Security - by Submitted on Feb 01, 2016 from Robert Siciliano“I don’t need to lock my doors all the time; this neighborhood is very safe.” And I have some land in the Caribbean I’d like to sell you. Burglars know that every “safe neighborhood” has a certain percentage of fools who think they’re immune to ...
Views: 854 - Phishing is Getting Fishier - by Submitted on May 02, 2017 from Robert SicilianoIf you are like most of us, you have undoubtedly received an email that has asked you to click on a link. Did you click it? If you did, you are like 99% of internet users because clicking links in normal. But in some situations you may have found that the link took you to a new or maybe spoofed ...
Views: 854 - Louisiana Woman Tries to Buy a Million Dollar Home with False Document - by Submitted on Dec 12, 2019 from Robert SicilianoHave you ever seen a house and thought…I wish I could afford that? Some people actually try it, but let this story be a lesson learned: if you can’t afford the cost of a house, you probably shouldn’t try to buy it. Pamela Chandler was arrested and now faces forgery charges ...
Views: 853 - Medical Identity Theft can be deadly - by Submitted on Nov 18, 2015 from Robert SicilianoEvery time you have a medical procedure done, including routine checkups and treatment for minor issues, paperwork is generated. You should have copies of every single paper. This is one line of defense against medical identity theft. Review your paperwork thoroughly for unauthorized or ...
Views: 853 - Eight ways to secure your employees' mobile devices - by Submitted on Feb 15, 2016 from Robert SicilianoBetween half and three quarters of all employees have downloaded personal apps to company tablets and phones, according to surveys. At the same time, people are increasingly using use personal phones for work purposes like email, document-sharing and the list goes on. What does it all ...
Views: 852 - Beware of ALL these Scams - by Submitted on Feb 17, 2016 from Robert SicilianoScams targeting older people are probably very under-reported, as seniors don’t want to appear senile. The most vulnerable group is educated men over 55, because, quite frankly, they think they know everything. Sweepstakes/Lottery This scam comes in many forms, but the common ...
Views: 851 - Woman Chained Like a Dog, Man Killed - by Submitted on Mar 07, 2017 from Robert SicilianoBack in August, 2016, Kala Brown and Charles Carver arrived to a 100-acre property in South Carolina for a cleaning job. Charles Carver never made it off the property, and Kala Brown spent more than two months in a metal shipping container, allegedly held captive by Todd Christopher ...
Views: 851 - Bank Tellers stealing Identities - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2016 from Robert SicilianoEver consider the possibility that a person gets a job as a bank teller…for the sole purpose of stealing a patron’s identity? Do you realize how easy this would be? No techy hacking skills required. No gun required. So we’ve all been instilled with fear of our bank ...
Views: 850 - Can the cloud be trusted? - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2016 from Robert SicilianoMost people have heard of storing information in “the cloud,” but do you know what this means, and if it is even safe? A cloud is basically a network of servers that offer different functions. Some of these servers allow you to store data while others provide various services. The ...
Views: 850 - How to recycle Old Devices - by Submitted on Jan 21, 2016 from Robert SicilianoWhen it comes to tossing into the rubbish your old computer device, out of sight means out of mind, right? Well yeah, maybe to the user. But let’s tack something onto that well-known mantra: Out of site, out of mind, into criminal’s hands. Your discarded smartphone, laptop or ...
Views: 850 - Work from Home isn't the Scam It used to be - by Submitted on Sep 16, 2015 from Robert SicilianoMany, including me, have reported for years about all the “work at home” scams. And frankly, there are still plenty out there, unless you know where to look. There has never been more opportunity to legitimately earn a living working at home, and NOT get scammed. Mothers with ...
Views: 850 - Businesses struggling to keep up with latest wave of malware attacks - by Submitted on Feb 29, 2016 from Robert SicilianoCompanies have been struggling for years to keep cyber-attacks at bay. Cyberthieves are working faster than ever before to send out their malicious attacks, and it’s become increasingly difficult for companies to keep up. CNN reports that almost one million malware strains are ...
Views: 849 - Mother Nature can ruin your business: Get ready for natural disasters now - by Submitted on Sep 28, 2015 from Robert SicilianoSeptember is almost over. This means National Preparedness Month is nearing its end. Nevertheless, you must be prepared all year long to stay safe. National Preparedness Month culminates September 30th with National PrepareAthon Day. In the boxing ring, if you focus on the knockout ...
Views: 849 - Gift Cards: The Newest Scam that You Should Be Aware of - by Submitted on Oct 27, 2019 from Robert SicilianoHackers are making a lot of money thanks to phishing attacks these days, and now they are also focusing on gift card scams. One of the most notorious scam groups, Scarlet Widow, which is out of Nigeria, has been boosting its efforts to scam people with gift cards since 2015. This group generally ...
Views: 848 - 12 Ways To Contain the hack stop the bleeding & eliminating the threat - by Submitted on Mar 07, 2020 from Robert SicilianoHey YOU, SMB, yeah I’m talking to you. There are a number of things that you can do to not only protect your personal information, but also the information you have in your business: Hire a professional – It is entirely possible the small business was hacked because they did not ...
Views: 847 - Business Credit Scores 101 - by Submitted on Jun 08, 2016 from Robert SicilianoAre you a small business? Do you know your business’s credit score? The range is zero to 100 for most credit reporting agencies, with at least 75 being desirable if you want to be approved for financing and trade credit (business loan or line of credit), says a report at nav.com and from ...
Views: 846 - Self-Defense and Sexual Assault Prevention - by Submitted on Aug 15, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIf you reach your hand to a strange dog loose on the street to pet it on top of the head, and it mauls your hand, whose fault is this? One camp would put most of the blame on the dog owner. But most people would blame the victim. But everyone with half an ounce of sense would agree on one ...
Views: 846 - How to use two-factor authentication for critical accounts - by Submitted on Oct 12, 2015 from Robert SicilianoHave a small business? Great. Have two-factor authentication for your accounts? If you’re not sure of the answer to that question, you could be in trouble. October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, the perfect time to learn more about cyber security. As a small business owner, ...
Views: 845 - Another Rideshare Rape is an Epidemic - by Submitted on Aug 16, 2019 from Robert SicilianoWomen should never take a ride from a stranger because it’s dangerous – unless she’s paying the driver??? Wrong, of course. Uber and Lyft drivers provide paid rides to strangers as requested via the Uber and Lyft apps. As of August 2018 WhosDrivingyou.org tallied the number ...
Views: 844 - Gemaltos' "EMV For a Week Challenge," starts now! - by Submitted on Feb 10, 2016 from Robert SicilianoAs part of Gemalto’s #ChipAwayAtFraud campaign, I’m being tasked with numerous tasks, some tacky, some essential to living. Gemalto, one of the world’s leaders in digital security, wants a real-world take on the EMV card experience. Which includes the security benefits EMV ...
Views: 844 - 45 Home Security Tips That Help to Keep Burglars Away - by Submitted on Mar 20, 2018 from Robert SicilianoIf you have a home, you should be worried about burglars. Here are 44 home security tips that you can use to keep the burglars away: Keep your doors locked all of the time. Use a deadbolt on every door. Don’t leave ladders outside. Teach young kids NOT to answer the door. Make ...
Views: 843(1 vote) - The Smart Parent Guide to Digital Literacy - by Submitted on Nov 27, 2019 from Robert SicilianoIf you are the parent of a child or teen who uses the internet, here are some stats you need to know: Stats About Teens and the Internet Teens think that the internet is mostly private They also think that they can make the best decisions for their life online They believe they are safe ...
Views: 843 - App Tells Who's Digging into Your Personal Data - by Submitted on Jul 31, 2015 from Robert SicilianoDid you know that sometimes, the apps you use for your smartphone have access to your personal information and are capable of sharing it? Are you aware that your privacy can be invaded across the network board? That includes Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google+ and more. And how ...
Views: 842 - 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: 841 - Save Money with the Nighthawk 2-in-1 cable modem-router - by Submitted on Dec 03, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIf you are like most people, there are several devices in your home that fight for WiFi connections at any given time. This slows your network, and gives you a shoddy experience. Instead, look into upgrading your system immediately and save some cash too. The Nighthawk is a 2-in-1 cable ...
Views: 840 - How Water Leak Sensors protect your Home - by Submitted on Feb 28, 2016 from Robert SicilianoEver wonder how a water leak sensor actually works? Water comes into contact with the sensor. The sensor makes and electrical contact and send a signal. The sensor transmits a signal to a central station of sorts (kind of like how if extreme heat or a needle comes in contact with your ...
Views: 839 - 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: 837 - 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: 837 - 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: 837