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Articles from Robert Siciliano | Selfgrowth.com
- 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: 1063 - Investigators Using Social Media to Find Missing Children - by Submitted on Apr 24, 2017 from Robert SicilianoGone are the days when social media is only used to share what you had for dinner or announcing to the world that you are headed to the gym. But social media has become a platform for any and everyone to say what’s on their mind, and sometimes that’s great, but all too often it ...
Views: 1062 - 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: 1062 - Think Your Door can't get Kicked in, Think Again - by Submitted on Nov 02, 2015 from Robert SicilianoPart of my role as security guy is to keep tabs on the crime climate around the globe. Recently I kept seeing article after article about burglaries with one common theme: “door kicked in”. Don’t believe me? See below. But before you do, probably all of these could have been ...
Views: 1062 - How the Internet of Things is further killing Privacy - by Submitted on Mar 07, 2015 from Robert SicilianoPrivacy used to mean changing clothes behind a partition. Nowadays, say “privacy” and people are likely to think in terms of cyberspace. Stay connected, and you risk losing your privacy. Even if you’re not connected, don’t even own a computer or smartphone, information ...
Views: 1061 - Woman Drives her Sleeping Assailant to Police Station - by Submitted on May 14, 2016 from Robert SicilianoYou don’t always have to outmuscle a assailant to beat him at his game. This is what a New Zealand woman learned after Vipul Romik Sharma abducted her. At first, things seemed fine; she exited a bar in Otahuhu with the 22-year-old and another man. Then they kidnapped and raped ...
Views: 1061 - Myths Facts and Burglary Prevention - by Submitted on May 08, 2015 from Robert SicilianoMyth: Most burglaries occur at night when nobody can see the intruder. Fact: Most burglaries occur during the day because criminals know that’s the most likely time that people are away at work. Myth: Most burglaries are random and spontaneous. Fact: Most burglaries occur after the ...
Views: 1060 - 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: 1060 - This is what Spy Software looks like - by Submitted on Mar 11, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIf you’ve ever watched virtually any spy flick or James Bond movie you’re familiar with “bugs” – those little dime-sized metallic things that the bad guys would secretly stick under someone’s desk to record any conversation in the room—picked up by a ...
Views: 1060 - How to store Water for Survival - by Submitted on Nov 24, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWhat do you really know about water storage? Below you’ll find information that you probably never even thought of before, or information that contradicts what you’ve always believed to be correct. Storage barrels. These can remain on cellar or basement cement that’s not ...
Views: 1059 - Tips to being anonymous Online - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2015 from Robert SicilianoOne of mankind’s greatest inventions (besides the wheel) is the Internet. Unfortunately, with this marvelous invention comes the drawback of privacy—or shall we say, lack of. The Internet is a wonderful tool, but users must fight to remain as anonymous as possible, because ...
Views: 1059 - 2016 Information Security Predictions - by Submitted on Feb 02, 2016 from Robert SicilianoNo bones about it, 2016 is sure to see some spectacular, news-chomping data breaches, predicts many in infosec. If you thought 2015 was interesting, get your seatbelt and helmet on and prepare for lift off… Wearable Devices Cyber crooks don’t care what kind of data is in that ...
Views: 1058 - Basics on How to prepare for a Disaster - by Submitted on Dec 17, 2015 from Robert SicilianoSituations that could put your routine or an entire city on hold include: Tornado Hurricane Flood Blizzard Power outage Contagious illness Your house should already be equipped with supplies for staying inside the house for at least a week, but ideally for two weeks. Keep a newer ...
Views: 1058 - Fake Realtor scams Children and their Parents - by Submitted on Aug 30, 2016 from Robert SicilianoEver peruse Craigslist for a new home? Nothing against Craigslist for doing that, but that’s where Coty Houston and David Yost happened to find a very alluring four-bed home for sale; looked perfect for their five young kids. Then they all got squashed by a bomb: The man who sold it to ...
Views: 1058 - How prepared are You for your Long Distance Road Trip? - by Submitted on Nov 01, 2016 from Robert SicilianoIf you’re planning a lengthy road trip, there are many things you’d never think to bring with you that could get you out of a crisis situation. You need way more than just that blanket in the trunk, car jack and spare tire, umbrella, rainproof poncho, utility tool and fire ...
Views: 1057 - Consumers sacrificing Privacy for Convenience - by Submitted on May 06, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIt’s hard to believe that, according to a recent poll from the Pew Research Center, most Americans aren’t too upset that the government can track their e-mails and phone calls. There’s too much of a blasé attitude, it seems, with people thinking, “I don’t ...
Views: 1056 - Having the Privacy Talk with your Kids - by Submitted on Feb 05, 2015 from Robert SicilianoYears ago, having “the talk” with your kids meant telling them where babies come from. Nowadays, “the talk” has a whole new meaning. Your kids may be able to explain in detail how a baby is created, but may be clueless (because so many adults are) about something called ...
Views: 1056 - Karate Woman breaks Assailant's Nose - by Submitted on Oct 18, 2016 from Robert Siciliano“I had my earphones in and didn’t know he was there until he threw me to the ground,” says Taela Davis, 25, of Australia in a heraldsun.com article. Big Mistake: Wearing earbuds while walking about in public. Even if you’re a big bruiser MMA fighter, you should not ...
Views: 1056 - How a Wi-Fi Hacker Snoops on Your Laptop and Mobile - by Submitted on Jan 30, 2020 from Robert SicilianoYou have likely heard of the dangers of using unsecure public Wi-Fi, so you know that hackers are out there snooping. It is pretty easy to hack into a laptop or mobile device that is on a public Wi-Fi connection with no protection. Hackers can read your emails, steal passwords, and even hijack ...
Views: 1055 - Do It yourself home security getting easier - by Submitted on Oct 23, 2015 from Robert SicilianoHow would you like a home security system that’s also your personal assistant? Angee Inc., a new company out of San Francisco, knows you’d like one. Features of the Angee Device Smartphone controlled Has a Full HD camera with night vision. Learns habits of and senses presence ...
Views: 1054(1 vote) - Don't Be Lazy With Your Passwords - by Submitted on Oct 27, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIt can be tough being a responsible adult sometimes, and managing these responsibilities isn’t always a chore that I want to deal with. Can you relate? Managing life takes focus and effort, and managing your online life is no different. Most of us are lazy with our online accounts, ...
Views: 1054(1 vote) - 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: 1054 - What are Bug Bounties? - by Submitted on Nov 20, 2015 from Robert SicilianoA bug bounty refers to the reward a bad-guy hacker gets upon discovering a vulnerability, weakness or flaw in a company’s system. This is akin to giving a reward to a burglar for pointing out weaknesses in your home’s security. But whom better to ask than a burglar, right? Same ...
Views: 1054 - ATM Skimming rising, again - by Submitted on Jul 08, 2015 from Robert SicilianoDo you know what ATM stands for? For crooks, it stands for A Thief’s Moneymaker. A new report from FICO says that “skimming” crimes have made their biggest spike in the past 20 years. This includes ATMs on bank premises, but of course, public ATM kiosks have seen the biggest ...
Views: 1053 - Don't be scammed into paying Back Taxes - by Submitted on Mar 31, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIt’s easy to scam someone who did something wrong by telling them they need to fix their mistake. This is why thousands of people get scammed into paying back taxes to the IRS—the IRS has nothing to do with these scams, of course, but the predators prey on peoples’ fear of ...
Views: 1052 - Best practices for BYOD data storage - by Submitted on Nov 16, 2015 from Robert SicilianoThe Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) movement has in some ways saved companies money, but in other ways put customer data at risk. Employees are onsite, telecommuting or traveling on business. This means their devices, and company data could be anywhere at any given moment. A company manager or ...
Views: 1051 - Data security policies need teeth to be effective - by Submitted on Feb 09, 2016 from Robert SicilianoBottom line: If you have a data security policy in place, you need to make sure that it’s up to date and contains all of the necessary elements to make it effective. Here are 10 essential items that should be incorporated into all security policies: 1. Manage employee email Many data ...
Views: 1051 - Sad Scary State of Bank Security - by Submitted on Mar 04, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWho needs guns, threatening notes to rob a bank when you can do it with just your fingertips inside your home? A hacking ring in the eastern portion of Europe may be the most successful team of bank robbers to date, having purportedly robbed $1 billion from multiple banks. This can only be ...
Views: 1050 - Home Security App/Camera witnesses two Burglars - by Submitted on Oct 17, 2015 from Robert SicilianoDanny Wheeler was alerted by his smartphone that had a home security app and a do it yourself camera/home security system that his home was being robbed. He was at work and could do nothing but send the real time video to New York City police, reports a story on abcnews.go.com. The burglars got ...
Views: 1049 - How to prevent your Pics from being lifted: Part 1 of 2 - by Submitted on Oct 13, 2015 from Robert SicilianoYou need not be a celebrity or some big wig to suffer the devastating fallout of your online images (and videos) being stolen or used without your permission. So how does someone steal your image or use it without your permission? Hacking Hacking is one way, especially if passwords are ...
Views: 1049 - 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: 1047 - Eight security tips for travelers with laptop - by Submitted on Nov 12, 2015 from Robert SicilianoThese days, who doesn’t travel with their laptop? But commonality doesn’t make it inherently safe for your sensitive information that’s stored in the device. In fact, traveling with your laptop is inherently unsecure. Whether you’re traveling for business or to visit ...
Views: 1047 - Latest Russian Cyber Attack on White House a Boon for CISA - by Submitted on Apr 10, 2015 from Robert SicilianoThe Russians have come…again—in the form of hackers. Not long ago Russian cyber criminals busted into the U.S.’s State Department system and mangled it for months. This time, they got into a computer system at the White House. Luckily, this system did not hold any ...
Views: 1047 - 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: 1046 - 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: 1046 - Dust off your digital devices inside and out - by Submitted on Oct 05, 2015 from Robert SicilianoHackers know small companies are more vulnerable to data breaches due to limited resources. Cybersecurity should always be a high priority. But when a company’s IT staff consists of maybe 1-2 people who are provided limited budgets and are constantly solving other tech problems, the focus ...
Views: 1045 - Why install a Home Security System? - by Submitted on Mar 10, 2015 from Robert SicilianoQuestion: No. 1 reason people get a home security system? Answer: Recently burglarized; The majority of the people I hear from who want to install a home security system were recently burglarized. It often takes adversity or even tragedy for us to wake up to the realities of a harsh ...
Views: 1045 - 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: 1044 - Protect your Identity when saying "I Do" - by Submitted on Oct 18, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWho has time to think about identity protection when planning a wedding? And why, for that matter? Well, there’s good reason: Marriage begets a change in identities. The months preceding the big day should be when the couple starts taking action to avoid identity theft. If ...
Views: 1043 - Beware of those hackable Holiday Gifts - by Submitted on Jan 12, 2016 from Robert SicilianoIf you’re going to drone on and on about how you got hacked by a cyber thief, maybe it’s because you played with your new drone—you know, those rad little flying devices that hover via remote control over your street? Yes, they are hackable. If you don’t have a drone, ...
Views: 1042 - Can an App really act as a Bodyguard? - by Submitted on Mar 27, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIn the event of an attack, new smartphone applications can be used to send an alarm to a pre-chosen person. And the potential victims location can then be tracked. But is this faster and more secure than a woman whipping out pepper spray and blasting a drunken buffoon who has her cornered in ...
Views: 1042 - Do you know what your Kids are doing online? - by Submitted on Nov 13, 2015 from Robert SicilianoYour child is active online. Did it ever occur to you that he or she uses a fake name so that they can’t be identified by you? Chances are, you, the parent, also uses a pseudonym. It’s very common. Cyberspace is full of obvious pseudonyms, but a phony name can also be a regular ...
Views: 1042 - 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: 1042 - How to Prevent your Devices From Spying on You - by Submitted on Feb 27, 2020 from Robert SicilianoYou might not realize it, but your electronic devices may be tracking you. They know what you are doing, what you are reading, and the things you like to do. In almost every case, you give these devices permission to collect this info when you start using them. Here are some tips to help you ...
Views: 1041 - Lost your Master Password, do This - by Submitted on Apr 21, 2015 from Robert SicilianoYou have a master password, from your password manager, for 28 accounts. Life has been so easy since! But then you lose this master password. First off, you can’t fix this like you would if you forgot your password for PayPal or your credit card’s site. Plus, each password manager ...
Views: 1040 - 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: 1040 - Feds warn of more Online Predators - by Submitted on Jan 21, 2015 from Robert SicilianoWhat goes on in the home life of a 14-year-old girl such that she feels there’s nothing better to do than send nude photos of herself to a man whom she’s been corresponding with online? Though this goes well-beyond the parents not bothering to find out what their kids do online, ...
Views: 1039 - How Employers or Parents Spy - by Submitted on May 12, 2015 from Robert SicilianoDisgruntled employees act out in lots of ways. A guy I knew who hated his boss “played” on his work computer all day. The computer was strictly for constructing company graphics. But he installed all kinds of games and wasted lots of time. His boss never knew he blew off half the ...
Views: 1039 - 11 Ways to Mitigate Insider Security Threats - by Submitted on Feb 02, 2016 from Robert SicilianoCompanies are constantly attacked by hackers, but what if those attacks come from the inside? More companies than ever before are dealing with insider security threats.Here are 11 steps that all organizations should take to mitigate these threats and protect important company data: Always ...
Views: 1038 - How to plan for Digital Disasters - by Submitted on Jun 16, 2015 from Robert SicilianoIn this day and age, we should never hear someone proclaim, “Oh my God, my computer crashed! I lost everything!” You can’t lose something that’s been properly backed up. So many people, including ones with businesses that rely upon cyber communication, continue to ...
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