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Articles from Robert Siciliano | Selfgrowth.com
- 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: 749 - 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: 747 - 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: 746 - 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: 745 - 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: 744 - 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: 743 - 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: 742 - 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: 741 - 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: 740 - 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: 740 - 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: 738 - 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: 736 - Don't Overlook Basement Security - by Submitted on Mar 29, 2018 from Robert SicilianoIf you are like most of us, you probably don’t think much about the security of your basement. However, you might want to start doing that. Why? Because burglars love to get into homes by crawling into the basement. They know that most people don’t put a lot of security there, so it ...
Views: 732 - 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 ...
Views: 732 - 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: 731 - 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: 730 - How to Monitor a Cell Phone - by Submitted on Feb 15, 2019 from Robert SicilianoDo you fancy yourself a spy and wondering how you can monitor someone else’s cell phone? You won’t get that information here, but there is some good info on cell phone monitoring if you keep reading: The Legalities of Tracking Cell Phones Generally, it is not legal to monitor a ...
Views: 727 - Don't pick up that USB Drive! - by Submitted on May 20, 2016 from Robert SicilianoWhat a very interesting experiment: Researches randomly deposited 297 USB drives (aka USB stick, flash drive, thumb drive) around the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. They wanted to see just how many, and how soon after dropping them off, they’d be collected by ...
Views: 725 - Jihadis using easy to get Privacy Software - by Submitted on Nov 10, 2016 from Robert SicilianoOver the past two years, the media has tended to sensationalize jihadists’ rapid adoption and strategic use of social media. Despite perpetual news coverage on the issue, the public, by and large, continues to be relatively in the dark about the intricate ways in which many jihadists ...
Views: 725 - 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: 723 - 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: 722 - Beware of Rogue Cell Phone Charging Stations - by Submitted on Dec 06, 2018 from Robert SicilianoHumans have evolved a new body part: the cell phone. One day it will be part of anatomical illustrations of the body in health and medical books probably an appendage on your head. I’m not a Dr. so don’t quote me. For now, we have to figure out a way to keep this appendage juiced ...
Views: 721 - 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: 721 - Viruses as Cyberweapons for sale - by Submitted on Jul 12, 2016 from Robert SicilianoIt’s all about code—the building blocks of the Internet. Software code is full of unintentional defects. Governments are paying heavy prices to skilled hackers who can unearth these vulnerabilities, says an article at nytimes.com. In fact, the FBI director, James B. Comey, ...
Views: 721 - Top 10 Tips for Securing Your Mobile Devices and Sensitive Client Data - by Submitted on Jan 11, 2018 from Robert SicilianoDo you have employees who bring mobile phones to work and use those devices on the corporate network? Do they store company data on these “Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD)”?? Does your company have a policy in place for this? First, the moment a person brings in their personal phone ...
Views: 719 - Mobile Phone Numbers Are as Sensitive as Your Social Security Number - by Submitted on Apr 19, 2018 from Robert SicilianoAll of us have cell phones these days, and if you are like the vast majority of the population, you access everything from social media to banking information right from your mobile phone. However, if you do this, which everyone does, you are putting yourself in the position to get hacked. With ...
Views: 718(1 vote) - 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: 718 - 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: 713 - 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: 713 - Youth Suicide on the Rise…is Social Media to Blame? - by Submitted on May 10, 2019 from Robert SicilianoA startling new study shows that youth suicide is on the rise, and it has risen in dramatic fashion. Data from the National Poison Data System shows that there were more than 1.6 million cases of kids from 10 to 24-years old attempting suicide by poison during the time between 2000 and 2018. ...
Views: 713 - Protect Your Company with This Social Media Security Advice - by Submitted on May 02, 2018 from Robert SicilianoSocial media is an excellent tool for small businesses, yet, the use of social media by small business staff can definitely put the company in danger. Many small business owners and managers don’t realize this. Recently, I was talking to employees of a credit union about what to do in a ...
Views: 712 - 10 Tips to Not Ending Up A Dead Real Estate Agent - by Submitted on Mar 06, 2019 from Robert SicilianoYes that title is awful and yes you should be offended. Real estate agents often find themselves in dangerous situations. And for 20 years, I’ve been screaming this, doing something about it, and it keeps happening. And the real estate agents and industries response? Thots and prayers. ...
Views: 711 - 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: 710 - Your Real Estate Agent May Have a Gun - by Submitted on Jan 15, 2019 from Robert SicilianoIf you are thinking of buying a house, and you start going to open houses, you might be surprised to learn an interesting fact: the real estate agent might be carrying a gun. Some of you reading this might have jumped to this article looking for a fight, because in M’erka guns are a ...
Views: 709 - Background Checks Don't Tell the Whole Story - by Submitted on Sep 14, 2018 from Robert SicilianoWhen it comes to background checks, the National Crime Information Center is the gold standard. It is only available to law enforcement agencies and is the most accurate and complete database tracking convictions and arrests in the US. That sounds pretty great, right? Unfortunately, it’s ...
Views: 708 - 10 Tips on Discussing a Screwed Up World with Kids - by Submitted on Aug 22, 2018 from Robert SicilianoDo you have children? How do you talk to them when something like a mass shooting happens? What about a robbery in your neighborhood? Do you talk about nuclear weapons? If you are like most parents, you don’t know where to start. Here’s 10 tips that you can use to talk to your kids ...
Views: 707 - World's dumbest Rapist: Tells Victim to call Boyfriend - by Submitted on Sep 27, 2016 from Robert SicilianoWhat’s sicker than raping a woman? Ordering her to phone her boyfriend so he could listen to the rape. But that was a good thing for a woman who was kidnapped last year. Her abductor drove her to the parking lot of an adult entertainment store in Georgia with the intent of raping her, ...
Views: 707 - Apps for Stalkers Disguised as Parental Control Tools - by Submitted on Aug 01, 2019 from Robert SicilianoSell something called “SuperParent” or even the actual FlexiSpy — and all is swell. Frankly, I’m not opposed to monitoring a child’s phone, kids shouldn’t have phones anyways. But sell something called “iStalk” or “StalkU,” well ...
Views: 706 - Are Your Employees Putting Your Company at Risk? Here’s How to Find Out! - by Submitted on May 18, 2018 from Robert SicilianoEven if you have the best security on your computer network, you might have noticed that you still seem to get hacked…or worse. Ask Equifax. Why is this happening? It’s probably because a member of your staff has made it easy for cyber criminals to get inside. It’s really ...
Views: 705 - Is Your Bugout Bag Ready to Go? - by Submitted on Mar 14, 2018 from Robert SicilianoIt seems like there have been a number of natural disasters hitting the US over the past couple of years…hurricanes, wild fires, floods…the list goes on. If you are caught in the face of a survival emergency, do you have supplies? Consider a bugout bag. These are sacks that you can ...
Views: 703 - Protecting Your Parents from Identity Theft - by Submitted on Jan 25, 2018 from Robert SicilianoAccording to statistics, those who are 50-years old and older, like 65-85, are often targets of identity thieves. The bad guys have no issue taking advantage of your parents. They violate their trust, and understand that they are often naïve about the internet and scammy phone callls. Cyber ...
Views: 703 - Beware of the Social Security Administration Employee Scam - by Submitted on Sep 27, 2018 from Robert SicilianoThere is a new Social Security scam in the news, and you should definitely know about it. The Acting Inspector General of Social Security, released a statement that warns people of this new scheme. Basically, scammers are impersonating Social Security Administration employees. The scam ...
Views: 699 - 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: 698 - A "Credit Profile Number" is a fake SSN, and it Works - by Submitted on Sep 12, 2018 from Robert SicilianoCyber criminals are constantly trying to stay one step ahead of the good guys, and there is now another scam out there that you should know about: synthetic identity theft. Basically, the criminals take information from someone, and then make up the rest. They also often use fake Social Security ...
Views: 696 - 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: 696 - Man raises a Family on Dead Man’s Stolen Identity - by Submitted on Nov 08, 2016 from Robert SicilianoImagine you learn your husband (or wife) of 25 years is really a different person. That’s what happened to Mary Hickman—25 years after she married a man who had identified himself all those years back as Terry Jude Symansky. The Florida couple had a son and lead an uneventful life, ...
Views: 695 - Does Your Mobile Have Spyware on It? - by Submitted on Oct 19, 2018 from Robert SicilianoYou have a mobile phone, you might think it’s pretty safe, but what you might not realize is that these devices can have spyware on them. Keep in mind, many of the “signs” listed below are everyday normal phone behaviors. But combined, might mean spyware. Here are some of the ...
Views: 693 - Florida City Pays Hackers $600,000 after Scam - by Submitted on Jul 25, 2019 from Robert SicilianoRiviera Beach, a city in Florida, has agreed to pay a $600,000 ransom to hackers who attacked its network. This week, the City Council voted to pay the demands after coming up with no other option to meet the demands of the hackers. It seems that the hackers got access to the system when a ...
Views: 692 - 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: 690 - You Know Tom Might Kill You So Why Do You Stay with Tom? - by Submitted on Jul 31, 2019 from Robert Siciliano“Tom” can also be “Alicia.” Nevertheless, it happens often enough to come up every so often in a crime documentary aired on the Investigation Discovery channel. The premise is as follows: A person is SO convinced that their spouse or soon-to-be ex-spouse is going ...
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