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Identity Theft Articles
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- Ransomware as a Service: A new threat to businesses everywhere - by Submitted on Mar 13, 2016 from Robert SicilianoCyber criminals have been attempting to extort money from individuals and companies for many years, and the latest attempt to take advantage of others is by using Ransomware as a Service, or RaaS. A ransomware virus infects a computer when a user clicks a link and unknowingly download a ...
Views: 768 - Ransomware Attacks Show that Healthcare Must Take Cybersecurity Seriously - by Submitted on Apr 10, 2017 from Michael PetersWhile healthcare providers and healthcare industry vendors cannot afford to ignore HIPAA compliance, a new threat emerged in 2016 and has only gotten bigger in the past year: ransomware attacks on hospitals and healthcare providers that are not seeking to breach patient information but instead ...
Views: 854 - Ransomware Hackers provide Customer Service Dept. to Victims - by Submitted on May 28, 2016 from Robert SicilianoYes, believe it or not, ransomware has become such a booming business for thieves, that these cyber thugs even provide bona fide customer service departments to guide their victims! When ransomware infects your computer, it holds your files hostage; you can’t access them—until you ...
Views: 677 - Ransomware Scammers get the Big Bucks - by Submitted on Sep 14, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIt sounds almost like science fiction, even in this cyber age: A thief hacks into your computer and encrypts your files, meaning, scrambles the information so you can’t make sense of any of it. He demands you pay him a big fat payment to “unlock” the encryption or to give you ...
Views: 940 - RapidSSL Wildcard: A Secure Solution for Unlimited Sub-Domains - by Submitted on Apr 11, 2012 from Kent RobertsThe RapidSSL Wildcard Certificate is a 128/256-bit SSL Certificate. RapidSSL.com owns the root to issue its RapidSSL Certificate, making it a stable SSL offering. RapidSSL is already present in the IE 5.01+, Netscape 4.7+ and Monzila1+ browsers, along with many other Windows and Mac ...
Views: 1765 - Rapist runs off when Victim bites Him in Neck - by Submitted on Oct 13, 2016 from Robert SicilianoWhoever said that fighting back at a rapist will probably create more problems for the victim might want to rethink this idea. How disabling can a bite to the rapist’s neck be when the biter is a human? I mean, we’re not talking about a dog biting the man. When it comes to biting, ...
Views: 764 - Reinforce Your Door with the Door Devil - by Submitted on Jul 16, 2019 from Robert SicilianoUnfortunately, there is no such thing as a totally burglar-proof home, but there is also no burglar who can get into any home. By taking a few steps and using some specific security measures, you can make your home ALMOST burglar-proof. When most homeowners consider security, they usually ...
Views: 703 - Remember This: Hackers Like Strong Passwords, Too - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2017 from Robert SicilianoIn late 2016, a huge data breach occurred. More than 412 million accounts were affected when hackers got into FriendFinder Networks. According to sources, approximately a million of those accounts had the password ‘123456,’ and approximately 100,000 has the password that was ...
Views: 714 - Remove your Home from Google maps - by Submitted on May 19, 2016 from Robert SicilianoIf it unsettles you to see your home displayed on Google Maps, there’s something you can do about this. Why might this be a concern? Information is “intelligence”. Information to some is power. The logistics of your home may empower certain people, like burglars. Example; if ...
Views: 764 - Researcher says HTTPS can track You - by Submitted on Jan 27, 2015 from Robert SicilianoPerhaps you’ve read that “HTTPS” at the start of a website address means that the site is secure, encrypted. However, a feature of the HTTPS can track you, says an article at theregister.co.uk. HTTP is not secure. Carnegie Mellon University in a Register article states ...
Views: 562 - Researchers Say Office of Personnel Management Hack Leads to Ransomware - by Submitted on Mar 27, 2017 from Robert SicilianoIn June, 2015, it was revealed by an anonymous source that the Office of Personnel Management was hacked. This office, which administers civil service, is believed to have been the target of the Chinese government. This is one of the largest hacks in history involving a federal ...
Views: 685 - Retirees Prime Targets for Identity Theft - by Submitted on Oct 11, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIs it easier for crooks to prey on senior citizens, or is it that most targets are the seniors? Well, one thing’s for sure: A disproportionate percentage of identity theft complaints come from people 50-plus (though I’m sure some readers would hardly consider 50-somethings to be ...
Views: 887 - 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: 1060 - Robert Siciliano on FOX Nation - by Submitted on Jun 05, 2019 from Robert SicilianoI recently had the opportunity to join a panel discussion on FOX Nation. We talked about the grid, and how cyber threats could be the next medium for global warfare. I was able to share opinions with fellow experts on privacy, information security and cybersecurity. Please watch and learn why it ...
Views: 593 - Rumors of Password Death Are Greatly Exaggerated - by Submitted on Sep 13, 2011 from Dovell BonnettMcAfee recently revealed that 72 different organizations around the world have been victims of cyber-spying. With attacks likely to increase, it is important to note that strengthening your access controls ensures that you have a higher level of security for all those who are attempting to ...
Views: 1303 - 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: 976 - Sad Scary State of Bank Security - by Submitted on Mar 04, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWho needs guns, threatening notes to rob a bank when you can do it with just your fingertips inside your home? A hacking ring in the eastern portion of Europe may be the most successful team of bank robbers to date, having purportedly robbed $1 billion from multiple banks. This can only be ...
Views: 931 - Safeguard Business Data - Value Advantage of Integrating Logical Access on an Employee ID Badge - by Submitted on Jun 02, 2011 from Dovell BonnettMany large corporations and government agencies have found the cost savings, security and employee convenience very compelling to integrate logical access into the employee badge. However, the two biggest barriers in getting small to medium size businesses, clinics and agencies to follow suit ...
Views: 1158 - Safety Tips for Lone Female Road Travelers - by Submitted on Oct 25, 2016 from Robert SicilianoRule #1 for women traveling alone: Do not look or act like prey, as this will grab the attention of any predator nearby. Looking like non-prey may be difficult for some women, but one way is to dress in black. Black is the color of authority (e.g., judges, nuns, priests, referees, police ...
Views: 756 - 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: 836 - Scam Alert-Con Artists Tried To Take My Money - by Submitted on Aug 08, 2011 from DeAnna TroupeBefore I start my cautionary article, let me say how much I love the selfgrowth.com community. This is a wonderful place for people that want to improve their lives. Okay with that being said, this is the Internet. Dishonest people are everywhere and they use the good will that is generated on ...
Views: 2247 - Scareware Scam almost snags Victim - by Submitted on Feb 25, 2016 from Robert SicilianoCybercriminals know that the best way to get their claws on the next victim is to appeal to their emotions, not logic. There’s lots of scary things in life, and one is learning that your computer has been infected with a virus. If this happens, you’re now vulnerable to spending ...
Views: 746 - Second Hand and Discarded Devices Lead to Identity Theft - by Submitted on May 10, 2017 from Robert SicilianoA new study was just released by the National Association for Information Destruction. What did it find? Astonishingly, about 40% of all digital devices that are found on the second-hand market had personal information left on them. These include tablets, mobile phones, and hard drives. The ...
Views: 759 - Second Hand USB's Could Have Personal Info Still Inside - by Submitted on Apr 26, 2019 from Robert SicilianoAn unsurprising study was recently released that found even when a portable USB drive is erased, not all of the documents and images are always removed. That, of course, is frightening. Here’s how the research was done: Researchers went online to sites like eBay, to second-hand shops, ...
Views: 545 - Secret Self-Defense Weapons You Might Not Know About - by Submitted on May 02, 2018 from Robert SicilianoDo you have a secret self-defense weapon on hand that you don’t even know about? Here’s a few: Canes. Might seem obvious…but… Your first instinct would probably be to swing the cane like a baseball bat. However, this isn’t the best way. An attacker can easily ...
Views: 780 - Secure Information Against Identity Theft By Installing Mailbox Locks - by Submitted on Feb 11, 2012 from sflock andsafeWhen it comes to identity theft, not all thieves are ditching their tried and true methods of obtaining information in favor of the digital age. While some thieves may find it easier to steal information via the Internet, many are quite content to use the same methods that they have used for ...
Views: 1474 - Secure your home for the holidays - by Submitted on Dec 14, 2015 from Robert SicilianoThe holiday season is ramping up. And so are burglars. Even if you don’t get very festive, burglars may still target your home. Your dark, unlit home among all the dazzling festive homes will stick out like a sore thumb. Whether you have 10,000 decorative lights on or none, here’s ...
Views: 861 - Securing Your Home's Door: Secrets Your Locksmith Won't Tell You - by Submitted on Sep 18, 2017 from Robert SicilianoAre you making a big home security mistake? If you are leaving your doors unlocked, or if you are using low quality lock systems, you are putting yourself…and your home…at risk. However, just because your door is locked, it doesn’t mean that a burglar can’t kick the ...
Views: 780 - Security Appreciation lacking - by Submitted on Apr 19, 2016 from Robert SicilianoWhat’s it gonna take for companies to crack down on their cybersecurity? What’s holding them back? Why do we keep hearing about one company data breach after another? Well, there’s just not enough IT talent going around. The irony is that most company higher-ups admit that ...
Views: 709 - Security is Layered – There is NO Home Security Magic Bullet - by Submitted on Nov 15, 2017 from Robert SicilianoIs your home secure? You might believe it is, but if you aren’t using layered security, it’s probably not as secure as you think. What’s layered security? It means that you aren’t putting all of your eggs in one security basket. Instead, you are using multiple methods to ensure that you are as ...
Views: 693 - Security training: the Human Being is impossible to fix - by Submitted on Dec 08, 2016 from Robert SicilianoAs long as humans sit at computer screens, there will always be infected computers. There’s just no end to people being duped into clicking links that download viruses. A report at theregister.co.uk explains how subjects, unaware they were guinea pigs, fell for a phishing ...
Views: 775 - 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: 842 - Self-Defense Options You Might Not Know About - by Submitted on Apr 10, 2018 from Robert SicilianoIf you are like most people, you probably haven’t done a lot of thinking about what you would do in a situation involving physical assault. Why would you? I mean, it’s unpleasant and scary. Further, depending on your physical makeup, you may think you’d probably lose anyway. ...
Views: 776 - Self-Monitored Security System Market heating up - by Submitted on Oct 09, 2015 from Robert SicilianoThe Angee home security system is the only one with a video camera that rotates 360 degrees as it detects motion. And this high definition camera has smart zones; you can set up specific zones for monitoring. But Angee is more than just a video surveillance setup. It’s a self-monitored ...
Views: 866 - Seniors big Target for Romance Scams - by Submitted on Sep 25, 2015 from Robert SicilianoJanet N. Cook, 76, was duped by a dashing younger man. A report at nytimes.com explains that in July 2011 she connected with Kelvin Wells via a dating site. Next thing, this seemingly-together man was in trouble and needed lots of money. Cook got burned; she sent the crook nearly $300,000 ...
Views: 861 - Serial Killer Claims 90 Lives - by Submitted on Jan 11, 2019 from Robert SicilianoThis story is entirely messed up. A man was recently convicted of three murders in California, and he is suspected of being involved in several more. He claims that he has been involved in killing 90 people across the county over almost 40 years. This man, Samuel Little, is now 78-years old, ...
Views: 1540 - 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 - Set up Family's Controls on Home Computers - by Submitted on Mar 19, 2016 from Robert SicilianoThe computers in your household should have controls on them for security—even if you don’t have children living with you. Chrome OS On the Chrome browser in the upper right are three horizontal lines; click this symbol. Click “Add supervised user.” Enter the name ...
Views: 775 - Shady RAT World Wide Hacking - by Submitted on Aug 29, 2011 from Dovell BonnettRecently McAffe published a worldwide hacking report about what they are calling Shady RAT. The United Nations, Olympic committees, governments, U.S. real estate company, a major media organization based in New York, a satellite communications company and other companies around the world, ...
Views: 1624 - Should Life Insurance Policies Be Banned? - by Submitted on Aug 06, 2019 from Robert SicilianoIt’s fair to wonder how many people would still be alive today if there were never any such thing as a life insurance policy. Personally I can’t imagine NOT having a life insurance policy if you have children 17 and under. But the below info might ring true for some of you. An ...
Views: 779 - 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 - Should You Fight or Take a Flight When Being Attacked? - by Submitted on Mar 06, 2018 from Robert SicilianoI am a big believer that people should run away from an attacker. If a bad guy gets into your home and he often wants to cause you pain, RUN as quickly as you can to the nearest door. If you are in a corner or you have to protect a loved one, you might have to fight him. Most of us are taught ...
Views: 663 - Should You make the Investment in Alarm Monitoring? - by Submitted on Feb 26, 2016 from Robert SicilianoImagine the effectiveness of the following sign at your front door when a would-be intruder reads it: WARNING: This house is protected by a remote monitoring service; if you break in while the homeowner is away, he’ll be instantly alerted and the police will be automatically ...
Views: 694 - Should you take active Shooter Training? - by Submitted on May 24, 2016 from Robert SicilianoGunman Storms Building, Shot Dead by Receptionist Wouldn’t it be great to see a headline like this for once? More than ever, employees are being trained to react tactically should a gunman go on a rampage. There has to be a better way, for instance, to protect children in a classroom ...
Views: 675 - Should You Use Facebook to Login to Websites? - by Submitted on Oct 23, 2018 from Robert SicilianoHave you ever used Facebook to sign onto another site? Many of us do this pretty blindly simply because it is very convenient. But, this convenience could come at a cost. You know the drill. You go to a website and it says “Log In With Facebook.” or Google. Usually, it just takes ...
Views: 618 - 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: 634 - Should You Worry About Contactless Credit Card NFC Skimming - by Submitted on Jan 09, 2019 from Robert SicilianoIf you have a contactless card, you might have worries about skimming. A contactless card or “frictionless” or “tap and go” is a card that has technology in it that allows payment over secure wireless like Apple Pay, Android Pay etc. Basically, this is where a criminal ...
Views: 572 - Shred your Boarding Pass - by Submitted on Apr 12, 2016 from Robert SicilianoApparently there are people who take pictures of their airplane boarding pass…and post it online. I’m dead serious. I’ve heard of toddlers getting excited over scraps of paper, but full-grown adults posting images of their boarding pass online? Don’t get me ...
Views: 757 - Simple steps to protect identity against theft. - by Submitted on Oct 25, 2012 from Steve BollerAlmost every week you can read a story about someone learning about the debt he never used or authorities busting gangs of identity thieves who spent hundred or thousands and sometimes millions of dollars stolen from unaware citizens. Naturally you can follow tabloid media desire, get ...
Views: 1104 - Six Cyber Security Best Practices for People and Businesses - by Submitted on Sep 20, 2017 from Michael PetersHacks do not happen in a vacuum; if one computer on a network is compromised, all machines on that network are at risk. For this reason, both enterprises and individuals have a responsibility to implement cyber security best practices – and this does not mean installing anti-virus software and a ...
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