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Identity Theft Articles
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- 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: 802 - Home Security begins at the Entrance - by Submitted on Dec 01, 2016 from Robert SicilianoIf you were to design the ultimate security system for a house, what would you focus on? These days, many people would immediately think in terms of the most technologically advanced alarm system—one that’s voice activated, detects motion anywhere, can be remotely controlled and ...
Views: 800 - Prevent Child Identity Theft - by Submitted on Mar 17, 2016 from Robert SicilianoHere’s one for the know-it-alls: Kids are 35 percent more likely to become victims of identity theft than are adults. Betcha didn’t know that! This startling news comes from a 2015 Javelin Strategy & Release study. Needless to say, the bulk of parents aren’t on top ...
Views: 800 - 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: 799 - My EMV for a Week Challenge is DONE! - by Submitted on Feb 20, 2016 from Robert SicilianoThis week I worked with Gemalto, as part of Gemalto’s #ChipAwayAtFraud campaign. I was tasked with using my “chip” card when making a bunch of every day purchases like getting coffee and shopping. Gemalto, one of the world’s leaders in digital security, wanted a ...
Views: 799 - 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: 798 - Question: Should You worry about Kids on Social Media? - by Submitted on Jun 12, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWith all the increased news coverage of kids running off with adults they met online, and kids dying by suicide supposedly due to online bullying, many parents are wondering if their worries about their kids being online are justified. We hardly hear about how social media has benefited kids. ...
Views: 797 - 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: 796 - Humans are Natural Predators - by Submitted on Feb 28, 2017 from Robert SicilianoAccording to a new study, genetics and evolution have made an impact on the murderous behavior of the human species. However, becoming civilized has tamed some of these instincts. Scientists have looked at the homicide rate of more than 1,000 species that kill their own, and noticed that ...
Views: 796 - 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: 796 - How to Make $5 Million a Day in Cybercrime - by Submitted on Feb 08, 2017 from Robert SicilianoThis post isn’t exactly a “how to” but if your current employment isn’t bringing in the bacon, I’m sure your criminal mind can figure it out. In the biggest digital advertising fraud in the history of the U.S., it was recently found that a group of hackers is ...
Views: 795 - 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: 795(1 vote) - Your ransomware profile: passwords, profiles and protection - by Submitted on Aug 08, 2016 from Robert SicilianoIf your computer password contains the name of your dog, your favorite vacation spot, and an easy-to-remember numerical sequence, then you are breaking some basic rules of password safety. Even though “BusterBermuda789” might seem impenetrable to you, this is a password security ...
Views: 794 - 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: 793 - Protect from Personal Loan Scam - by Submitted on Feb 03, 2016 from Robert SicilianoAre you thinking of getting a personal loan? Hopefully you have a high credit score, as this will give you a better chance of getting the loan through a legitimate company. But even if your credit is excellent, you need to be aware of the personal loan scams out there. Not Respecting Your ...
Views: 792 - Protect your Home when Traveling - by Submitted on Feb 11, 2016 from Robert SicilianoWhen you go traveling, I’m sure you make a point to protect the various things you bring with you—including your laptop, children, even spouse. But what about something you left behind? Your home? Is that being protected too? Before Leaving Don’t wait till the ...
Views: 792 - Bitcoin Scams Up the Ying Yang - by Submitted on Oct 03, 2018 from Robert SicilianoIf you are thinking of jumping onto the Bitcoin bandwagon, or any type of cryptocurrency, you have to make sure that you are watching out for scams. There are a ton of them out there, including the following: Fake Bitcoin Exchanges You have to use a Bitcoin exchange if you want to buy or ...
Views: 791 - How to Digitally Secure The Remote Teleworker - by Submitted on Mar 23, 2017 from Robert SicilianoIf you employ remote workers, your IT staff has a unique challenge keeping your organization safe. Fortunately, using a combination of best practices for cybersecurity, user awareness campaigns, and a strong policy will help to keep data safe. New advances in mobile technology and networking ...
Views: 791 - Home Security Cameras 101: the Audio Element - by Submitted on Jun 15, 2016 from Robert SicilianoBefore buying a security camera, ask yourself: Where do you intend on placing it? How well-hidden can/will the unit be? Are you familiar with laws pertaining to surveillance of people without them knowing about it and the associated audio recordings? Laws vary from state to state ...
Views: 790 - Woman slams Staple Gun into Intruder's Head - by Submitted on Oct 11, 2016 from Robert SicilianoIf you’re ever confronted by an assailant in your garage, you may have any number of highly effective weapons within your reach. A woman in Indianapolis identified as Carol found that out soon enough when she arrived home in February of 2016. A man was waiting in her garage. The ...
Views: 790 - Be aware of all these Confidence Crimes - by Submitted on Aug 09, 2016 from Robert SicilianoCriminals often rely on tricking their victims to gain access to their passwords and other account information. This act of tricking is called social engineering, also known as a confidence crime, and it comes in many forms. A type of phishing e-mail where the criminal targets someone ...
Views: 788 - Never put these Docs in your Wallet - by Submitted on May 17, 2016 from Robert SicilianoYes, believe it or not, you CAN get by in life with a wallet that just has a little cash, a store card or two, one to two credit cards and your ID. Unless you absolutely need your insurance card or Social Security card, leave those items at home. For years now, wallets have been on the market ...
Views: 786 - The Best Gmail Phishing Scam Ever! - by Submitted on May 24, 2017 from Robert SicilianoIf you use Gmail, pay attention! Security experts have announced that there is a very effective phishing scam out there, and you are a target. This scam, which has only been growing over the past couple of months, is also hitting other email providers, too. However, it’s quite difficult to ...
Views: 786 - Don't mess with this Pint Sized Woman - by Submitted on Jun 29, 2016 from Robert SicilianoApril Marchessault got attacked just after midnight inside her bathroom. At 5-1, she wasn’t intimidated by the 5-7, 200 pound man. Edgardo Montes, 47, got his clock thoroughly cleaned. He was charged with breaking and entering and intent to rape, plus other charges. It all began when ...
Views: 785 - How to Use your Mobile as a Child Locator - by Submitted on Aug 11, 2016 from Robert SicilianoHow many times have you read, or at least caught a headline, of the latest high profile missing child case? How many stories have we heard about the kid who got lost on a hike? His body was found several miles from where he’d been last seen, concluding a several-day search. What if he ...
Views: 785 - It's Time for You to Use a Password Manager - by Submitted on Oct 19, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIf you are like me, you have several online accounts, each with a user name and password. Though it is tempting to use one password for every account, this can be troublesome as it is a huge security risk. So, what is your only option? To use a password manager. According to a recently ...
Views: 785 - 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: 785(1 vote) - Carders cashing out on Magstrip Cards - by Submitted on Jun 30, 2016 from Robert SicilianoTwo thousand credit card payment terminals stand to become infected with malware called Trinity point of sales. Ten million credit cards were stolen by hackers, called Fin6, who may end up scoring $400 million. The cards were stolen from retail and hospitality businesses. If each card sells ...
Views: 784 - Look out for Shipping E-mail Phishing Scams - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2016 from Robert SicilianoStop clicking on e-mails about your package delivery! Scam, scam, scam! Look, it’s simple: Scammers are also pretending to be from the DHL and FedEx shipping companies, not just UPS. Crooks know that at any given time, thousands and thousands of U.S. people are waiting for a package ...
Views: 784 - Smart and Easy Ways to Protect Your Digital Life - by Submitted on Jun 06, 2017 from Robert SicilianoEven if you don’t realize it, your identity is all over the internet. Whether you posted to an internet forum in 1996 or you ever had a MySpace page, this information is still out there, and you have to protect it. Here are some simple and easy ways that you can protect your digital ...
Views: 783 - Sorry, stop posing Kids' Photos online - by Submitted on Feb 04, 2016 from Robert SicilianoFrankly, naked babies shouldn’t be a big deal. If you don’t have naked baby pictures of your kids in the kitchen sink then you aren’t human. BUT….the world has changed. If you compare posting your children’s photos online with whipping out a wallet photo of your ...
Views: 783 - Protect your Privacy on your iPhone - by Submitted on Aug 19, 2016 from Robert SicilianoIf you have an iOS device, you may be leaking personal information about yourself—without even knowing it—because you’re not familiar with the privacy settings. Apps have “permissions,” meaning, they can access private information such as your social calendar ...
Views: 782 - Use a Password Manager Or You WILL Get Hacked - by Submitted on Mar 19, 2018 from Robert SicilianoDo you ever use the same password over and over again for different accounts? If so, you are not alone. However, this is quite dangerous. It’s best to use a different, unique password for each account, and to make it easier, you should use a password manager. According to surveys, ...
Views: 782 - Facebook Wants my Social Security Number! - by Submitted on Jun 06, 2019 from Robert SicilianoWTH Facebook? Generally, I don’t have a problem giving out my SSN. That might seem contrary to the advice I give, but frankly, our SSNs are everywhere and if my insurance company needs it, I’ll generally just question them on it, maybe resist a bit, and if they insist, and I need ...
Views: 781 - Protect Yourself from Online Dating Scams - by Submitted on Mar 18, 2016 from Robert Siciliano$200 million: The amount people were ripped off by online dating scams in a year. DUI: dating while under the influence…of the quest for love…is costly to countless people. A nytimes.com article notes that this quest impairs judgment, making it easy for con artists to bilk ...
Views: 781 - Parents legally can spy on their Kids - by Submitted on May 27, 2016 from Robert SicilianoJust because something is legal, does that mean you should do it? In the case of spying on your kids’ phone activities, some say yes. Though the very same mode of operation is illegal in most states when the eavesdropper is your boss or anyone else and you’re the ...
Views: 780 - 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 - 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 - You need Two-Factor Verification for your Amazon Account - by Submitted on Sep 06, 2016 from Robert SicilianoIf you have a strong password for your Amazon account, you may still want to consider beefing up the security with two-factor verification (or authentication), which will prevent a thief from accessing your account (which is possible if he gets ahold of your password and username ...
Views: 780 - 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 - Hacking Cars Getting Easier and More Dangerous - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2016 from Robert SicilianoIf your car is in any way connected to the Internet, it can get hacked into. You know it’s only a matter of time before hackers begin infiltrating motor vehicles in droves, being that vehicles are plagued with hundreds to thousands of security vulnerabilities. This hack is more serious ...
Views: 778 - Popular Passwords make it easy to hack You - by Submitted on Mar 02, 2016 from Robert SicilianoYour account passwords should be as unique as your fingerprint—to make them less hackable by crooks using password-guessing software that can run through millions of possible combinations in just minutes. And if you have an easy password, there may be a hit within 10 seconds. Think ...
Views: 777 - 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 - Identity Theft on the rise affecting over 13 Million - by Submitted on Mar 14, 2016 from Robert Siciliano13.1 million people were stricken by identity theft last year in America, reports a study by Javelin Strategy & Research which reveals: Many people who don’t trust their banks are unwittingly doing things that make crime easier for crooks. This includes not using the bank’s ...
Views: 775 - 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 - 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 - Your Ransomware Response: Prepare for the Worst - by Submitted on Jul 22, 2016 from Robert SicilianoA ransomware attack is when your computer gets locked down or your files become inaccessible, and you are informed that in order to regain use of your computer or to receive a cyber key to unlock your files, you must pay a ransom. Typically, cybercriminals request you pay them in ...
Views: 774 - 32 Million Twitter Pass for sale Add two-factor NOW - by Submitted on Jul 21, 2016 from Robert SicilianoThe Dark Web, according to LeakedSource, got ahold of 33 million Twitter account details and put them up for sale. Twitter thus locked the accounts for millions of users. Twitter, however, doesn’t believe its servers were directly attacked. So what happened? The bad guys may have ...
Views: 773 - Before you die, do This - by Submitted on May 06, 2016 from Robert Siciliano“Nobody likes to do it, but it has to be done.” You’ve heard that before. This time, it applies to 26 documents that you should have all bundled up in a folder that trusted family members have access to (someplace where fire and water won’t damage them). But first ...
Views: 773(1 vote) - How to Rock the Room as a Professional Speaker - by Submitted on Jan 19, 2016 from Robert SicilianoFor those of you who want to knock your presentations out of the park and be the speaker everyone raves about, Victoria LaBalme is leading an unbelievably unique workshop titled Rock the Room LIVE. If you create and deliver keynotes, trainings, breakouts, podcasts, videos, webinars or ...
Views: 773