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Identity Theft Articles
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- 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: 764 - Consumers Have Given Up on Security - by Submitted on Jan 30, 2017 from Robert SicilianoAccording to a recent study, online security for most people is too bothersome. The US National Institute of Standards and Technology published the study, which shows that most people who use the internet have just given up and don’t follow the advice given to them about online ...
Views: 760 - Man Breaks into Home, hides under Bed for Days - by Submitted on Sep 08, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWow, it’s true: The monster under the bed really does exist! Recently in New Jersey a man broke into a home and hid under a bed in a spare room for possibly five days before being arrested. Margaret Adamcewicz reportedly stated that the man, Jason Hubbard, had dated her daughter five ...
Views: 760 - Protect Yourself from Phishing - by Submitted on Mar 22, 2016 from Robert SicilianoEveryone has received very obvious “phishing” e-mails: Messages in your in-box that have outrageous subject lines like “Your Account Will Be Suspended,” or, “You Won!” While some phishing attacks are obvious, others look harmless, such as those in a ...
Views: 760 - Location Apps make it easy for Thieves - by Submitted on Mar 05, 2016 from Robert SicilianoIf you’re using the app Strava for example, your bike could get stolen, says a report on the manchestereveningnews site. Strava, like many other location apps, isn’t the badguy here. Bicyclists in Greater Manchester are being warned that Strava’s tracking could lead thieves ...
Views: 759 - 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: 759 - Yes, Macs Can get Malware - by Submitted on Apr 27, 2016 from Robert SicilianoSo Macs can be infected with malware. Who would have ever thought? The malware at issue here is the dreaded ransomware. Ransomware scrambles up your files, and the hacker at the helm says he’ll give you the cyber “key” in exchange for a handsome payment. Ransomware ...
Views: 759 - Mortgage Scams plague Homeowners and Agents - by Submitted on Jun 22, 2016 from Robert SicilianoThere are things you should know before you purchase your next house—even if you foresee that being years away. Take note of what’s in this article—and keep the notes where you’ll never forget where they are. A hacker could fool you into thinking he’s your agent ...
Views: 758 - Beware of Conference Invitation Scams - by Submitted on May 30, 2019 from Robert SicilianoConference invitation scams are those that involve a scammer sending invitations out to events with the intention of scamming the invitees. These might be real events or fake events, and the scammers target people including business professionals, lecturers, CEOs, researchers, philanthropists, ...
Views: 757 - Finding out which Employees keep clicking on Phishing E-mails - by Submitted on Sep 26, 2015 from Robert SicilianoYou have the best IT security, but dang it…the bad guys keep getting in. This means someone inside your house keeps opening the back door and letting the thieves slip inside. You have to find out who this enabler in your company is, and it may be more than one. They don’t know ...
Views: 757 - Home Security Cameras 101: Filming - by Submitted on Jun 09, 2016 from Robert SicilianoBefore buying a security camera, ask yourself: Where do you want to place it? How well-hidden can it be or does it need to be? Are you familiar with laws pertaining to filming people with or without their knowledge? Where is setting up the camera illegal? Bathrooms, locker rooms, ...
Views: 757 - 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: 757 - Are You Safe From Cyber Threats? - by Submitted on Feb 13, 2020 from eWomenNetwork MarketingOur world has dramatically changed and we rely on technology for everything we do. According to recent studies, there is a new victim of identity theft every two seconds. Identity theft and cybercrime could happen to anyone. In this video, Sandra Estok shares her first-hand story of identity ...
Views: 756 - Desperate Teens Turning to Prostitution and Drug Dealing to Survive - by Submitted on Jan 20, 2017 from Robert SicilianoTeenagers across the country are falling into drug dealing, theft, and prostitution in order to eat. This, according to a recent study, which found that poverty has been increasing throughout the U.S. Researchers at the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C. have taken a close look at the ...
Views: 756 - Parents Beware of Finstagram - by Submitted on Apr 25, 2017 from Robert SicilianoYou have surely heard of Instagram, the photo sharing social network, but what about “Finstagram?” If you are like most parents, you have rules about the social media practices of your kids. However, once you learn about Finstagram, those might all go out the window. When you ...
Views: 752 - 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: 752 - Small Business a favorite Attack Vector - by Submitted on Dec 29, 2016 from Robert SicilianoSmall businesses are hardly immune to attacks by hackers. The illusion of low attack risks comes from the publicity that only huge corporations get when they are breached, like Target, Sony and Anthem. These are giants, so of course it makes headline news. But when a “ma and pa” ...
Views: 752 - 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: 750 - It Should Be Illegal for Teen Girls to Give Rides to Strangers - by Submitted on Nov 01, 2018 from Robert SicilianoIf only. But that’ll never be. Brandi Hicks, 17, and her high school friend, Liz Reiser, exited a video store at 9:30 pm, where they were approached by Matthew Vaca, a creepy acting stranger. He asked them for a ride to his house. At first they refused, but then he offered $20 for gas. ...
Views: 749 - Beautiful Buxom Brunette Lures Boxer to His Death - by Submitted on Nov 09, 2018 from Robert SicilianoEddie Leal, 23, was an up-and-coming professional boxer who gave free boxing lessons in his garage to down-and-out neighborhood teens. He was a good guy. And like most young men, was looking for a girlfriend. One day he saw that a young woman, Rebecca Santhiago, was asking for a friend ...
Views: 747 - IRS Identity Theft Prevention Tool hacked - by Submitted on Apr 11, 2016 from Robert SicilianoThe Identity Protection PIN tool on the IRS.gov site has been temporarily suspended—because it was recently hacked into. The tool provides retrieval of forgotten or lost IP PINs to users who want an extra layer of protection against identity theft. But some users who received the IP ...
Views: 747 - Posting Kids' Photos online is illegal? - by Submitted on Apr 22, 2016 from Robert SicilianoIn France, anything is possible. Like getting tossed in jail for posting your children’s photos on Facebook. Yes indeed, it’s true. People in France might be put behind bars for putting their kids’ pictures on Facebook. Or, they may face heavy fines. This is because the ...
Views: 747 - 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: 747 - 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: 747 - Creating a “Plan B” for Survival - by Submitted on May 09, 2018 from Robert SicilianoWhat do you do if you have a “Plan A” for survival, but you realize that it’s a bad plan. Do you have a “Plan B?” Forget about doing things like running to the grocery store right before the snow storm of the century hits. Everyone else in your town or city will ...
Views: 743 - Social Engineering: How to steal Brand New iPhones from Apple - by Submitted on Jul 26, 2016 from Robert SicilianoLooks like there’s some worms in Apple. Not too long ago, dozens and dozens of iPhones were stolen from two Apple stores. How could this happen, what with Apple’s security? Simple: The thieves wore clothes similar to Apple store employees and obviously knew the innards of the ...
Views: 743 - Ransomware a $2.5 Million Service - by Submitted on Nov 16, 2016 from Robert SicilianoOne bitcoin = $590. If you’re sucked into a ransomware scam, you’ll likely be charged at least one bitcoin for the cyber key to unlock your computer’s files—that are being held hostage by hackers. A report from Check Point Software Technologies and IntSights has ...
Views: 742 - Catfished Teen Murders Her Best Friend - by Submitted on Jul 09, 2019 from Robert SicilianoA teenager in Alaska, Denali Brehmer, killed her best friend after a man she met on the internet offered her $9 million to commit the murder. Brehmer, who is 18-years old, killed her 19-year old friend, Cynthia Hoffman, by shooting her in the back of the head at the urging of Darin Schilmiller, ...
Views: 741 - Half of American Adults on FBIs Biometric Database - by Submitted on Jun 21, 2017 from Robert SicilianoHere’s a bit of a shock for you: about half of all adult Americans have a photograph stored in the FBI facial recognition database. What’s even more shocking, it is that these photos are being stored without the consent of the individuals. Approximately 80 percent of the photos the ...
Views: 741 - Predators hunting Kids on Gaming Sites - by Submitted on Jun 27, 2016 from Robert SicilianoAs a parent, you may not be crazy about your child spending a lot of time “gaming.” Chances are good that your feelings are fueled by the fact that kids should play outside, be more social, and are getting addicted to tech or maybe the correlation between childhood obesity and excess ...
Views: 739 - Your Social Security Card Gets Stolen: Now What? - by Submitted on Jan 04, 2018 from Robert SicilianoYou might be shocked to know that when Social Security numbers were first given in the 1930s, the intention was never to use them as a form of identification. However, most of us use our Social Security numbers all of the time, from doing transactions at the bank to visiting our doctor’s ...
Views: 739 - 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: 737 - These Real-Life Stories Will Show You the Importance of Door Security - by Submitted on Apr 03, 2017 from Robert SicilianoIf you are like most people, when you think of burglars, you think that it “won’t happen to me.” But, it very well could happen to you, because it happens each and every day across the country. I have taken some time to gather some recent real-life stories that will not only ...
Views: 737 - Protecting Yourself from a Data Breach requires Two Step Authentication - by Submitted on Mar 08, 2018 from Robert SicilianoHave you ever thought about how a data breach could affect you personally? What about your business? Either way, it can be devastating. Fortunately, there are ways that you can protect your personal or business data, and it’s easier than you think. Don’t assume that protecting ...
Views: 736 - What age is it OK to leave Kids home alone? - by Submitted on Nov 03, 2016 from Robert SicilianoSooner or later, you’ll need to leave your child home—unsupervised, alone—for an extended period. And even though you may have smart devices to keep a constant check on your child, this doesn’t mean you can instantly teleport home in the event your smart security system ...
Views: 734 - How To Protect Yourself Against Internet Phishing - by Submitted on Jul 16, 2020 from Misty JhonesWhen have you checked your email, how often have you received an alarming message from your bank or other company saying that your account is in danger of being closed? E-mails, text messages and payment requests, they may just contain bad links. These messages often seem reliable, but are ...
Views: 733 - 2017 Was the Worst year for Data Breaches EVER! - by Submitted on Sep 07, 2018 from Robert SicilianoIt seems like 2017 broke records for all the wrong reasons…one of them being the worst year for data breaches in history. According to reports, hacking was the most common way to collect this data, but almost 70% of exposures occurred due to accidental leaks or human error. This came ...
Views: 732 - New Phone Scam Scares with Social Security Sham - by Submitted on May 01, 2019 from Robert SicilianoWe all get scam phone calls, but the newest one is meant to scare. When you pick up the phone, you get a message that your Social Security number is suspended due to suspicious activity, and then prompts the victim to speak with an agent to get help. The FTC makes something very clear: your ...
Views: 732 - What your Locksmith might not tell You - by Submitted on May 02, 2016 from Robert SicilianoIf your deadbolt has begun to malfunction, and you haven’t been using it because you fear the key will get jammed in it—perhaps it’s time to call a locksmith and have him fix it. Well, not so fast. This is not the way to go if you want to upgrade your door’s ...
Views: 732 - Why go with a Wireless Security System? - by Submitted on Nov 29, 2016 from Robert SicilianoOne reason to go wireless is obvious: Who wants all sorts of wires built under their house, which requires more than just the abilities of a recreational DIY enthusiast, like the old fashioned home security systems required? Not only is this a hairy, time consuming installation project, but a ...
Views: 732 - Phishing attacks Two-Factor Authentication - by Submitted on Jul 28, 2016 from Robert SicilianoHackers bank heavily on tricking people into doing things that they shouldn’t: social engineering. A favorite social engineering ploy is the phishing e-mail. How a hacker circumvents two-factor authentication: First collects enough information on the victim to pull off the scam, such ...
Views: 731 - How to Access that Old Email Account - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2019 from Robert SicilianoHave you ever wondered if you could access your old email accounts? You might want to look for some old files, or maybe need information about an old contact. Whatever the reason, there is good and bad news when it comes to accessing old email accounts. The best thing that you can do is to ...
Views: 728 - Study Shows Millennials Choose Convenience Over Security - by Submitted on Apr 18, 2017 from Robert SicilianoTo those of us consider Tom Cruise the movie star of our day or even Grunge as the music we grew up with, looking at millennials, and the way they view life, is fascinating. These “kids” or young adults, many are brilliant. They really do define “disruption”. However, ...
Views: 728 - Three Quarters of a Billion Records breached - by Submitted on Apr 20, 2016 from Robert SicilianoLast year, says the security firm Gemalto, over 700 million records were breached. Or, to put it another way, this translates to two million stolen or lost records every day. 2015 Breach Level Report 1,673 hacking incidents 398 were triggered from the inside of the attacked company: ...
Views: 727 - Strengthen your Entry way Security - by Submitted on Aug 01, 2016 from Robert SicilianoDid you know that often, burglars gain entry by simply kicking open locked doors? You just would not believe how easy this is. This is why it’s crucial to beef up the strength of your house’s doors. And this can be done several ways. Deadbolt Strike Plate It’s ironic that ...
Views: 726 - Top 10 Signs of a Malware Infection on Your Computer - by Submitted on Feb 08, 2018 from Robert SicilianoNot all viruses that find their way onto your computer dramatically crash your machine. Instead, there are viruses that can run in the background without you even realizing it. As they creep around, they make messes, steal, and much worse. Malware today spies on your every move. It sees the ...
Views: 725 - The Term "Identity Theft Protection" is Often a Lie - by Submitted on Apr 05, 2018 from Robert SicilianoIf you are working for an IT security company, I have a message for you: the term “identity theft protection” is way overused and even abused as a marketing term. We know that this term is used to sell services and products, but does it really protect a user from being the victim of ...
Views: 722 - Woman Murdered after Man Tricks Her with Lost Puppy Ruse - by Submitted on Aug 20, 2019 from Robert SicilianoThis entire post is brutal and for some, hard to read. But if there is a woman or girl in your life might benefit from being freaked out, read it and forward and share it. We’ve all heard about the man approaching a child, showing her a picture of his “lost” puppy, asking ...
Views: 721 - Will Biometrics replace Passwords? - by Submitted on Aug 23, 2016 from Robert SicilianoThe days of using a computer to access your bank account, using a password, may be coming to an end, to be replaced entirely (as some experts believe) with a fingerprint or face scan using a smartphone. The smartphone employment of such biometrics will drastically reduce hacking incidents, ...
Views: 719 - How Your Username Can Be used to Track You - by Submitted on Nov 21, 2018 from Robert SicilianoYou probably have a few usernames, or you might have just one that you use for every site. Either way, your user names can be used not just to identify you online, but it can also be used to track you and find out information about you. How do people track you based on your user name? They do ...
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