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Identity Theft Articles
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- 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: 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: 835 - Opportunities in Government for Skilled Security Personnel - by Submitted on Sep 15, 2015 from Robert SicilianoAs recent data breaches have shown, cyber attacks are particularly threatening to government entities handling sensitive data like Social Security numbers. Unfortunately, state agencies struggle to hire cybersecurity professionals. The cause of this staffing shortage? There simply ...
Views: 825 - Work at Home Environment is a safe, secure Solution - by Submitted on Sep 15, 2015 from Robert SicilianoThere was a time when online dating was a novelty, perceived as unsafe. Today, 59 percent of people agree that online dating is a good way to meet others (Pew Research, 2015). In fact, it’s the preferred method of matchmaking. A different online environment with similar views from the ...
Views: 1101 - Human error is inevitable: Ways to protect your business - by Submitted on Sep 14, 2015 from Robert SicilianoNational Preparedness Month is happening right now. It’s the perfect time to take action for you and your community. It’s all about making plans to remain safe, and when disasters do strike, to keep communications going. September 30th is the culmination of NPM, with the National ...
Views: 881 - 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: 933 - Big Bad Hackers taken down - by Submitted on Sep 11, 2015 from Robert SicilianoDarkode anyone? Not anymore. This underground bad hackers’ forum was recently demolished by the FBI, says a report on www.justice.gov. The dozen hackers associated with Darkode are facing criminal charges. Though there are about 800 of such forums, Darkode was among the worst (or shall ...
Views: 944 - 5 Auto Repair Scams - by Submitted on Sep 10, 2015 from Robert SicilianoYou take your car to the mechanic; it’s been making a funny grinding noise when you press on the gas pedal. The mechanic tells you what’s wrong and what needs to be fixed, then socks you with the estimate. How can you tell he’s not embellishing a lot of the ...
Views: 1074 - Protect your small business against viruses with these tips - by Submitted on Sep 09, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIt is September and it’s National Preparedness Month—a great time to get involved in the safety of your community. Make plans to stay safe, and this includes maintaining ongoing communications. National Preparedness Month culminates September 30th with National PrepareAthon! ...
Views: 866 - Back to school Tech Security for College Students - by Submitted on Sep 09, 2015 from Robert SicilianoSome of us remember college dorm days, when students were envied if they had their own typewriter. These days, college students must have a personal laptop computer, and a smartphone, and their lives revolve around these connected devices. Such dependency should be proactively protected ...
Views: 957 - 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 - These are the Bigtime Hackers - by Submitted on Sep 07, 2015 from Robert SicilianoHackers with big skills and a big ego will be drawn to Facebook and Twitter as their targets. But they’ll also target dozens of other companies, reports an article on arstechnica.com. One group in particular stands out as the attackers, using zero-day exploits. They are known as Wild ...
Views: 952 - Privacy Alert: Is Your Computer, Cell Phone and Email Safe? Find Out Now! - by Submitted on Sep 06, 2015 from Wendy Montes de ocaWork computer. Home computer. Email. Mobile phone. These are just a few potential avenues that can be a security threat. Digital privacy invasion is a real threat. One that you are at risk for every day, and may not even know it. 'Big brother'...the powers that be in Washington along ...
Views: 1019 - Idiot Burglar takes Selfie - by Submitted on Sep 06, 2015 from Robert SicilianoAbout 7 a.m. on a Saturday a burglar entered a home through an unlocked side door (how anyone can sleep overnight while a door stays unlocked is a whole new article). The dumb criminal saw an iPhone and unknowingly triggered a video selfie—showing him standing in the living room during ...
Views: 933 - Phishing Scams: Don't Click that Link! - by Submitted on Sep 05, 2015 from Robert SicilianoYou’re sitting on your front porch. You see a stranger walking towards your property. You have no idea whom he is. But he’s nicely dressed. He asks to come inside your house and look through your bank account records, view your checkbook routing number and account number, and jot ...
Views: 909 - Getting attacked by a Police Dog - by Submitted on Sep 04, 2015 from Robert SicilianoHave you ever seen men getting “attacked” by a police or military dog as part of the dog’s training? The men (I’ve never seen a woman, but I’d like to think there are some strong, feisty women who suit up for this role) wear either just a big padded thing on one of ...
Views: 857 - The Impact of Ransomware on Small Businesses - by Submitted on Sep 01, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWhat’s going on this September? National Preparedness Month. This will be the time to increase your awareness of the safety of your business, family, pets and community. During disasters, communication is key. National Preparedness Month concludes on September 30 with the National ...
Views: 920 - Don't's and Do's when using Public Wi-Fi - by Submitted on Aug 31, 2015 from Robert SicilianoCurl up in a chair at your favorite coffee house, the aroma of premium coffee filling the air, take a few sips of your 700 calorie latte, and then enter cyberspace. Little do you know that you could have a stalker. Or two. Or 3,000. Because public Wi-Fi is there for the picking for hackers. ...
Views: 897 - Meet the FBI's most wanted Hackers - by Submitted on Aug 28, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWant to earn up to $4.2 million? Then find the hackers on the FBI’s most wanted list. Or at least give the FBI information leading to their arrest and/or conviction. These snakes have stolen hundreds of millions of dollars. Here is the list from the hackernews.com: Evgeniy Mikhailovich ...
Views: 906 - Want Mobile Privacy? Read - by Submitted on Aug 27, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIf you don’t want your smartphone to know more about you than you do, here are top choices, as detailed on gizmodo.com: BlackPhone 2 The Blackphone 2 will black out the federal government from spying on you. Has a five inch handset with full HD screen (with Gorilla Glass 3 that ...
Views: 860 - What's the difference between VPNs and Proxies and which is secure? - by Submitted on Aug 26, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIf you are overseas somewhere and want to access your Facebook page…don’t be surprised if you can’t do this. In fact, you won’t even be able to get onto the Facebook site (or YouTube, for that matter), depending on what country that you are visiting. This is because some ...
Views: 951 - Zeus Malware Gang take-down - by Submitted on Aug 25, 2015 from Robert SicilianoZeus is no longer a god of malware; he’s been taken down by law enforcement agencies spanning six European nations. Five people were recently arrested—believed to have infected tens of thousands of computers across the globe. There have been 60 total arrests pertaining to this ...
Views: 890 - Tell your Grams about these Scams - by Submitted on Aug 21, 2015 from Robert SicilianoDo we really get wiser with old age, or just more vulnerable to all the scammers out there? Here are the top scams directed towards senior citizens. IRS The phone rings; it’s from the IRS, claiming you owe money. Caller ID says IRS (spoof technology). Caller says if you don’t ...
Views: 882 - UL to launch Cybersecurity Cert - by Submitted on Aug 20, 2015 from Robert SicilianoUL in this case stands for Underwriters Laboratories. An article on darkreading.com notes that a UL official, Maarten Bron, says that they are taking part in the U.S. government’s plan to promote security certification standards. The U.S. government is interested in developing a UL-type ...
Views: 963 - Teen pleads to SWATTING - by Submitted on Aug 19, 2015 from Robert SicilianoJust what kind of punishment should a 17-year-old get for making fraudulent 911 calls (a crime known as swatting)? This happens more than you think. What’s outright astounding is how these teens could think they won’t be discovered. Have they been living in a cave all their lives, ...
Views: 939 - The Growing Demand for Cybersecurity Professionals - by Submitted on Aug 18, 2015 from Robert SicilianoCybersecurity professionals are always in demand[i]. Threats to intellectual property and sensitive data constantly evolve with technology, which means a security professional’s job is never done. There’s always another security problem to solve. Consider the recent proliferation ...
Views: 880 - How to stop Browser Tracking - by Submitted on Aug 18, 2015 from Robert SicilianoMaybe you don’t mind the ads for that bicycle rack following you around in cyberspace after you visited a site for all things bike, but browser trackers (“cookies”) also create a profile of you that gets sold to other advertisers and third parties. Are you doomed to be ...
Views: 1101 - 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: 850 - 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: 834 - Company for sale includes your Data - by Submitted on Aug 14, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWhen you subscribe to an online service, be careful of how much information you give out about yourself. Most businesses in their terms and conditions, say they “respect your privacy.” But what if these companies go under or are sold? An article from the online New York Times ...
Views: 921 - Even Hackers get hacked - by Submitted on Aug 13, 2015 from Robert SicilianoBurglars get burgled, muggers get mugged, and hackers get hacked. This includes a sophisticated ring of hackers: Hacking Team, hailing from Italy, specializing in selling hacking software to major governments. An article on wired.com describes how a “400 gigabyte trove” went ...
Views: 936 - Beware of these 10 Nasty Scams - by Submitted on Aug 12, 2015 from Robert SicilianoLet’s look at the top 10 scams (random order). Charity A fraudster claims to represent a charitable organization. Such scams can operate ring-style, such as one out in Colorado some years ago in which women wearing crisp white dresses that resembled the dresses nurses used to wear, ...
Views: 1118 - Hacker isn't a bad Word - by Submitted on Aug 11, 2015 from Robert SicilianoDid you know that the original meaning of hacker, as far as computers, was that of a person who built codes into computers? In fact, the bad guy was called a “cracker.” Somehow, “cracker” didn’t catch on. But the mainstream folk out there hears “hacker,” ...
Views: 932 - How to deal with difficult people - by Submitted on Aug 08, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIt’s been said that nobody can make you feel bad about yourself without your permission. Well bah! Some people don’t wait for your permission to denigrate you. They are toxic. Lifehacker.com offers some ways to deal with such people. Love Yourself If someone’s words have ...
Views: 815 - Passwords in Real Life: Don't be Lazy - by Submitted on Aug 07, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIt’s tough being responsible sometimes. And managing responsibilities for what is precious in your life usually takes a little extra thought. Let’s say you’ve just welcomed a beautiful set of triplets into the world. Lucky you . . . and lots to managed! But, you ...
Views: 872 - Stay Safe While Traveling this Summer - by Submitted on Aug 06, 2015 from Robert SicilianoSo, when you think about summer travel safety, what comes to mind? Which beach you’ll be lounging on? Sunburns? Shark attacks? While sunburns and vacation plans are rational concerns most have when traveling during the summer, shark attacks are a new one. With all of the news of recent ...
Views: 1000 - Private Investigator faces Jail for Hacking - by Submitted on Aug 05, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWhat a disgrace: A private investigator, Eric Saldarriaga, 41, got nailed for hacking into peoples’ e-mails. He may get six months in the can. Is six months reasonable for this, though? A recent online New York Times article quotes a prosecutor who points out that hackers could be ...
Views: 896 - A look into Cyber Weapons of the Future - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2015 from Robert SicilianoRemember the good ‘ol days when you thought of a finger pushing a button that launched a Russian missile that then sped at seven miles per second towards the U.S. to blow it up? Little did we know back then what would one day be a way for the Superpowers to war on each other: cyber ...
Views: 978 - 44 Tips to protecting your home from danger - by Submitted on Aug 01, 2015 from Robert SicilianoThere are enough tips on how to protect your home to make a professional burglar dizzy. In no particular order, check them out: Get a peephole. If you don’t have a large dog, make it look like you do, but don’t be obvious. A worn, large leash draped over an outdoor chair would ...
Views: 995 - 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: 831 - Things to tell your Kids about Privacy Online - by Submitted on Jul 30, 2015 from Robert SicilianoThose were the days when all parents had to worry about was the creepy guy lurking near the playground. Now parents have to worry about creeps all over the world reaching their kids via computer. And there’s more to worry about. Here’s what to teach your kids: Screen names ...
Views: 909 - Why Hacking is a National Emergency - by Submitted on Jul 29, 2015 from Robert SicilianoForeign hackers, look out: Uncle Sam is out to get you. President Obama has issued an order that allows the State Department and Treasury Departments to immobilize the financial assets of anyone out-of country suspected of committing or otherwise being involved in cyber crimes against the ...
Views: 856 - How to sign out of all Google Accounts - by Submitted on Jul 28, 2015 from Robert SicilianoLet’s cut to the chase (never mind how you misplaced your phone): There are several ways to sign out of your Google accounts remotely. It takes three steps, and you’ll need the desktop version of Google. On a mobile use a browser opposed to the Gmail/Google app and sign in at ...
Views: 1136 - Police offer 18 Burglary Prevention Tips - by Submitted on Jul 27, 2015 from Robert SicilianoTo help keep your home and property safe from crime, the New Castle County Police Department provides the following guidelines: Sounds like a no-brainer, but so many people do otherwise: Keep your doors locked at all times. People will actually go to sleep with the front door ...
Views: 886 - Don't Rely on the Password Reset - by Submitted on Jul 25, 2015 from Robert SicilianoThink about your keychain. It probably holds the necessities: car keys, home keys, work keys, miscellaneous keychains you bought on your previous vacations. Now, imagine you have a keychain full of these keys that all look the same, but each only opens a specific door. Sounds kind of like ...
Views: 932 - Managing Your Online Reputation - by Submitted on Jul 24, 2015 from Robert SicilianoYou’ve been “Googled.” No matter how small a speck you think you are in this universe, you have without a doubt created an online footprint that is attached to your name. Chances are high that someone out there has followed this footprint of yours via a Google ...
Views: 928 - How to Recognize a Phishing Scam - by Submitted on Jul 16, 2015 from Robert SicilianoSo someone comes up to you in a restaurant—a complete stranger—and asks to look at your driver’s license. What do you do? Show it to that person? You’d have to be one loony tune to do that. However, this same blindness to security occurs all the time when a person is ...
Views: 993 - Don't Name Your Dog After Your Password - by Submitted on Jul 15, 2015 from Robert SicilianoRecently I got a puppy for my child. We decided to name the puppy 4wgu23x5#9. My wife,8yysH3m, thought we should name the dog 0x2%#b5. But I’m sure she’ll get over it. Meanwhile, I’m helping my older child with setting up a few social media accounts, and I suggested the two ...
Views: 1024 - Craigslist encounter ends very badly - by Submitted on Jul 14, 2015 from Robert SicilianoAt least one woman is happy that her driver drove like a drunk. That’s because his erratic driving caught the attention of troopers who pulled him over. They then heard a woman calling for help—from the backseat. She was bound and gagged with a bag over her head. The 41-year-old ...
Views: 886 - Catphishing is a Heartless Scam - by Submitted on Jul 11, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWhen someone online presents as a different person than their true self, this is called catphishing, and it occurs on online dating sites. Google the name of the object of your interest. Obviously, “Kelly Smith” and “John Miller” won’t get you far, but ...
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