Archive for the 'Identity theft prevention' Category

 Copy Machines Can Store Your Private Info

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert
Today, copy machines, fax machines and many printers are just like computers; they’re smart and they have hard drives or flash drives and can store data that can be extracted. Peripherals in the olden days, just like when dot-com was a significant part of a person’s stock portfolio, were dumb.
Because [...]



 Is a Protection Dog Right for You?

As mentioned in a previous post I’m a big believer in furry beasts as a layer of protection. My 60lb German shepherd last fall is now a 75lb GSD due to a lazy winter and a busy Daddy who hasn’t taken her out enough.
“Lola” the furriest of all beasts is all bark, love and [...]



 She Said WHAT? On Facebook?

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert
I don’t know about you, but high school was a nightmare for me. I spent a lot of my time in the assistant principal’s office for fighting. My taste for GQ style clothing along with slicked back greasy hair made me a target. My forked tongue didn’t help me any either. [...]



 Bridal Scam Shows How Vulnerable We Are

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert
There are few more nuttier earthlings than the Bridezillas. Lovely women who go bonkers within 365 days of a wedding date. I blame the whole thing on Walt Disney. The groom to-be generally wants it over as soon as possible more so because he can’t believe how much it costs. [...]



 Social Media Sticky Situations

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert
Maybe you’re a Mom or a Dad, a Student or a Grad. No matter what you are, you have a reputation to protect. How we are viewed in society matters to most people. Being viewed as someone who is respectable, responsible, someone who has integrity and is generally a decent person [...]



 Social Media Security in a Corporate Setting

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert
The load isn’t getting any lighter for the IT manager. While corporations are still trying to figure out the long term marketing benefits of social media, the security issues faced are a right now a problem.
Many companies restrict internal access. Others prevent employees from discussing or mentioning the [...]



 Biggest Botnet Goes Bust

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert
News of the Spain based Mariposa botnet reveals close to 13 million Zombie PCs in more than 190 countries affected. Further investigation determined half of the Fortune 1000 companies had PCs on the Bot. Three men have been arrested and a 4th is sought. The sole purpose of the Bot [...]



 America’s Most Wanted Teen

Colton Harris Moore stole a bicycle at the age of 8 and never looked back. Now 6 ft. 5 in. and 18 years old, Harris Moore is suspected in over 100 burglaries in the Pacific Northwest. Recently he has been credited with stealing cars, speedboats and now airplanes (at least 3). He is known as [...]



 Pay-at-the-Pump Skimming Using Bluetooth

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert

Skimming data off of debit and credit cards has been happening at ATMs, gas pumps and electronic funds transfer point of sale terminals for quite some time.
When criminals plant skimming devices, they have to physically attach a skimming device that fits over the face of the ATM’s card slot. Then [...]



 Hacking Humans Naiveté

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert
Naiveté: A lack of sophistication or worldliness. That sums up a lot of people I know. “There’s a sucker born every minute” is a phrase often credited to P.T. Barnum (1810 – 1891), an American showman. It is generally taken to mean that there are (and always will be) a lot [...]