Self Improvement Site
On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
Identity Theft Articles
We are currently looking for an Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to "Identity Theft". If you have expertise in Identity Theft and your own website and/or product for this topic, please review this form for complete details. The Official Guide Position is part of our Premium Placement Package
- 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 - 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: 851 - 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: 775 - Smart Card Alliance Weakly Defends The Industry - by Submitted on Jan 30, 2012 from Dovell BonnettThe Smart Card Alliance offers platitudes but don’t identify the culprits! The Smart Card Alliance released their weak response to the recent Sykipot Tojan attack which hijacked the Department of Defense authentication smartcards. Unlike hypothetical attacks on smartcards (the Chinese ...
Views: 1788 - Smart Toys Put Children and Parents at Risk of Data Breaches - by Submitted on Apr 06, 2017 from Michael PetersInternet-connected smart toys, a popular holiday gift item, have vulnerabilities that put both children and parents at risk of data breaches and identity theft. Smart toys, which connect to the internet and offer children a personalized, interactive play experience, were a very popular gift ...
Views: 993 - Smartphones for Kids aren't such a good Idea - by Submitted on May 29, 2015 from Robert SicilianoMaybe you believe that kids should not have smartphones because the devices can tell a pedophile where a child is located. But there’s other reasons that perhaps you haven’t thought of: cyberbullying, violent porn, online drug purchases, you name it. Smartphones give kids ongoing ...
Views: 909 - 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 - Social Media Use And 5 Concerns It Raises - by Submitted on May 25, 2013 from TJ PhilpottSocial media use continues to grow in popularity with no slowdown apparent at least for the near future! Social media today is as much a part of everyday life as is trips to the store, driving a car or simply paying bills! This popularity can be attributed to how easy, convenient and seemingly ...
Views: 1171 - Some Terrible Truths About Identity Theft - by Submitted on Apr 18, 2012 from Daryl CampbellFour years ago the card processor Heartland Payment experienced a database break in which subjected over financial risk. Just last year Sony Playstation Network was breached. One hundred million consumers had their card info exposed. This time internet thieves have gone back to one of the many ...
Views: 1695 - 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: 772 - Spear Phishing: Don’t Take the Bait! - by Submitted on Apr 06, 2017 from Michael PetersDon’t let your business get caught on a spear phisher’s hook. Like regular phishing, spear phishing involves sending legitimate-looking but fraudulent emails asking users to provide sensitive information and/or initiate wire transfers. However, while regular phishing emails are sent out en ...
Views: 858 - Spy on your Kids yes or no - by Submitted on Jan 29, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIt’s one thing to bust into your kid’s diary and read it, but if your kids want the privilege of engaging in the cyber world, they need to understand that parents are justified in “spying” on them. Or are they? Depends on whom you ask and how far they go at “spying” on their kids. Frankly ...
Views: 901 - SSN and Its Afterlife - by Submitted on Jan 15, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWhat’s one billion? That’s about the number of possible permutations of the Social Security number. Which begs the question: What happens to an SSN when someone kicks the bucket? Currently, SSN’s are never repeated when they’re issued by the Social Security ...
Views: 992 - State sponsored Attacks big Problem - by Submitted on Sep 30, 2015 from Robert SicilianoThe U.S. Office of Personnel Management, an identity database, was attacked by hackers rather recently, and they hit the jackpot: More than 21 million federal workers are at risk of identity theft for perhaps the rest of their lives, reports an article on forbes.com. The hackers from overseas ...
Views: 863 - 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 - Step by step how to reinforce Door Locks - by Submitted on Oct 01, 2016 from Robert SicilianoDon’t let the idea of reinforcing your house’s doors intimidate you. Here is step by step instruction on installing new stronger locks. Your House’s Door Parts Inventory Any door without a deadbolt gets a deadbolt, which should be a grade 1 or 2. Are the screws of any ...
Views: 809 - Stolen Social Security number? Don’t Worry! - by Submitted on Mar 17, 2015 from Robert SicilianoJust when you think it was safe to believe your Social Security number can’t get stolen…news breaks of the Anthem data breach. Over 80,000,000 patient records were compromised, including SSNs and home addresses. Like a meteor striking the earth, a disastrous ripple effect is ...
Views: 879 - Stop being a blabber on Social Media - by Submitted on Dec 24, 2015 from Robert SicilianoAre you a cyber-blabber? Even a post about your daily afternoon foray to the sub sandwich shop could get you in trouble: A burglar reading this knows when to rob your house. But it doesn’t end there. STOP THE MADNESS! The Giants: Facebook and Twitter Be careful what you post on ...
Views: 851 - Stop being a Social Media Idiot - by Submitted on Dec 27, 2016 from Robert SicilianoLeave personal details off your Facebook page. Does the whole world—or even your private circle, many of whom you haven’t seen in person for years, or even at all—have to know you’re laid up from hernia surgery (i.e., vulnerable, defenseless)? Try this experiment for ...
Views: 805 - Storing Water for Survival - by Submitted on Feb 13, 2018 from Robert SicilianoDo you think you know all there is to know about water storage? Most people think they have a good grasp on it, but they are in for a bit surprise. Below, there is a lot of information about storing water that might contradict what you think you know: Storing Barrels – You can keep ...
Views: 712 - 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 - 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 - Study Shows 67% of Employees Expose Sensitive Data Outside the Workplace - by Submitted on Nov 19, 2014 from Robert SicilianoIDC, an IT analyst firm, estimates that the mobile worker population could reach 1.3 billion by 2015, meaning, they access workplace data outside the workplace. This is risky because it exposes data to hackers. In fact, the safety of what’s displayed on the computer screen in public is ...
Views: 1128 - 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 - Stupid Things You do Online to Compromise Your Identity - by Submitted on Feb 01, 2012 from Dovell BonnettLifehacker recently posted a great article called The Stupid Things You Do Online (and How to Fix Them). Here are some of additional comments that may also be helpful. Stupid Thing #1: You Undervalue Your Personal Data Did you know that when a company goes through valuation by a venture ...
Views: 2537 - 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 - Surveillance Video captures Home Invasion - by Submitted on Oct 31, 2015 from Robert SicilianoA man was assaulted by three or four men when he arrived home, through his garage door at 5:40 a.m. It’s very apparent that the attackers knew he’d be arriving home at around this time and decided to wait for him, says a report at ksla.com. This recent home invasion occurred in ...
Views: 799 - Survival is about being Persistent - by Submitted on Jan 28, 2015 from Robert Siciliano“Survivor.” What comes to mind when you see or hear this word? A victim of a disease or of a perverted crime? A TV show? We’re all survivors in that every day, we do something to stay alive—life-saving things we don’t even think about as life-saving, such as eating ...
Views: 935 - Survive Falling Through Ice - by Submitted on Feb 02, 2017 from Robert SicilianoIt can be truly terrifying to fall through ice on a frozen lake, but if you remain calm, it can save your life. Most people don’t realize that you have more time than you think, according to experts. This is due to the concept of thermoregulation and how your body deals with the shocking ...
Views: 852 - Take a Women's Self-Defense Course - by Submitted on Feb 20, 2015 from Robert SicilianoCrimes against women are often “crimes of opportunity”. The predator doesn’t care if the opportunity presents itself in a major bustling city or in a tiny town with a population of only 400. If he sees prey and nobody else is around, he’ll strike—big town, medium town or small ...
Views: 888 - Take the Extra Step: 12 Ways to Protect Your Home from Burglars - by Submitted on Jan 16, 2018 from Robert SicilianoThough you cannot totally protect your home from getting burgled, you would probably be surprised to know that there are no burglars that are as sophisticated as someone like Ethan Hunt from the Mission Impossible movies. However, when you have the right plan in place, you can almost make your ...
Views: 800 - Tapping Into the Lost Art of Privacy in the Noisy 21st Century - by Submitted on Apr 16, 2018 from Jessica McMohenHow many internet-connected devices do you have in your home? Do some of them have cameras? How many different computers, phones, and smart devices can track your location? Which social media websites have recorded your personal information? How many of your followers know where you ...
Views: 1142 - Tax Identity Theft jumps on Payroll Scams - by Submitted on Jun 25, 2016 from Robert SicilianoDo you work for a corporation, especially in the U.S.? You may be at risk for tax return fraud. ADP is a payroll provider. Hackers were able to acquire tax information of employees of U.S. Bank from ADP. Now, this doesn’t mean that ADP was directly hacked into. Instead, what happened, ...
Views: 699 - Tax Phishing Scams Are Back: Here Are 3 to Watch Out For - by Submitted on Mar 07, 2018 from Michael PetersTax season is stressful enough without having to worry about becoming the victim of a cyber crime. Here are three different tax phishing scams targeting employers, individuals, and even tax preparers that are currently making the rounds. Employers: W-2 Phishing Emails The W-2 phishing ...
Views: 980 - Tax Return Basics: What You must know! - by Submitted on May 16, 2015 from Robert SicilianoTax ID Theft Three things in life are guaranteed: death, taxes and tax-related identity theft. Michael Kasper would agree. Someone registered Kasper’s IRS.gov account, requested the document for his 2013 tax return, then filed a 2014 tax return. The crook used a middleman—an ...
Views: 861 - TeamViewer Clients Victims of other Hack Attacks - by Submitted on Jul 08, 2016 from Robert SicilianoGet an account with TeamViewer, and you will have a software package that enables remote control, online meetings, desktop sharing and other functions between computers. But recently, customers of TeamViewer have reported remote takedowns of their computers that resulted in different forms of ...
Views: 707 - Technology and Home Security wed - by Submitted on Jun 23, 2016 from Robert SicilianoGone is the day when, while out on a romantic evening with your special someone, you suddenly realize you forgot to turn on your house alarm. You spend the rest of the long evening fretting about this. Nowadays, all you need do is whip out your smartphone and activate the alarm. You can even ...
Views: 807 - 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 - 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 - Ten Electronic Devices Security Tips When Traveling Abroad - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2012 from Dovell BonnettCyber Warefare – Safeguard Your Electronic Devices. When employees travel abroad here are ten electronic devices security tips I pulled from a recent New York Times article, “Traveling Light in a Time of Digital Thievery” by Nicole Perlroth. Nicole discusses electronic devices security ...
Views: 2941 - The "Mother of All Data Breaches?" It Could Be Here… - by Submitted on May 17, 2019 from Robert SicilianoYou have probably heard of one data breach after another these days, but this is one that you should really pay attention to: more than 772 million unique emails, along with more than 21 million unique passwords, have been exposed. Troy Hunt, who runs the website “Have I Been ...
Views: 555 - 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: 779 - The Futuristic secure and Smart automated Home is here - by Submitted on Nov 29, 2014 from Robert SicilianoA burglary occurs every 15 seconds. The chance of your home being broken into is higher than you’d think. The good news is that today’s alarm systems are “not your father’s alarm.” Twenty years ago, a contractor had to spend a week tearing up your walls ceilings, ...
Views: 984 - 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 - The Guide to Securing Your New Tech Toys - by Submitted on Jan 02, 2015 from Robert SicilianoHo ho ho! It seems that this year, Santa’s sleigh was filled with technology—laptops, smartphones, gaming consoles, etc. Playing with and learning about your new tech toy is fun, but remember to secure your device. It would be a total bummer if your new toy was suddenly compromised ...
Views: 1149 - The High Performance Router for a Many-Device Home - by Submitted on May 27, 2015 from Robert SicilianoYou will love the Tri-Band WiFi technology; it can connect all of your devices at the same time. The only router capable of this is the Netgear Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band Wi-Fi Router (a.k.a. Netgear R8000). This router provides three connections and has six wing-like antennas. Another ...
Views: 923 - 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 - The Mind of the Misunderstood Cybercriminal - by Submitted on Mar 17, 2017 from Robert SicilianoThere are a number of misconceptions about cybercrime and those who engage in it. To a cybercriminal, there is no target that is special unless they have a grudge or beef with a particular entity, and as a rule, they will often cast their net wide and then move to attack the easiest prey they ...
Views: 706 - The most horrible Craigslist Killing ever - by Submitted on May 21, 2015 from Robert SicilianoBeware. This is tough to read. An expectant woman had spotted an ad on Craigslist asking for baby clothes, so she contacted the ad placer—a woman—then went to her Longmont, Colorado house alone. The woman stabbed the would-be seller and removed the seven-month-old fetus. The baby ...
Views: 862 - The Natural Predatory Nature of Humans - by Submitted on Feb 06, 2018 from Robert SicilianoA study published in Nature shows us that both evolution and genetics have made a big impact on the behavior of humans…including in the case of murder. However, as we have become more civilized, these instincts have been muted. Scientists have looked at the rate of homicide in more ...
Views: 904