ARCHIVED BLOG POSTS
2012
Computers are like humans in that in some ways they can tell you when they are sick or they don’t feel good. But computers are also like pets who may not be able to speak, but if you are paying attention, they begin to behave in ways that alert you to problems. There are numerous built in warnin...
03/27/2012
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“Vishing” occurs when criminals cold-call victims and attempt to persuade them to divulge personal information over the phone. These scammers are generally after credit card numbers and personal identifying information, which can then be used to commit financial theft. Vishing can occur both on ...
03/27/2012
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides the following list of warning signs that your identity may have been stolen: Accounts you didn’t open and debts on your accounts that you can’t explain Fraudulent or inaccurate information on your credit reports, including accounts and personal informa...
03/27/2012
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Peer to peer file sharing is a great technology used to share data over peer networks. It’s also great software to get hacked. This is the same P2P software that allows users to download pirated music, movies and software. In my own P2P security research, I have uncovered tax returns, student loa...
03/25/2012
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A couple of weeks ago, the RSA Security conference took place in San Francisco, CA. The increasing sophistication of hackers and visibility of data breaches (including one on the conference’s namesake company last year) makes this an exciting time to be in the security business.. While this show...
03/25/2012
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You’ve seen barcodes all your life. So you know what they look like: rectangles “boxes” comprised of a series of vertical lines. When a cashier scans a barcode, you hear a familiar beep and you are charged for that item. A QR code looks different and offers more functionality. QR stands for “qui...
03/25/2012
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The Internal Revenue Service issued its annual “Dirty Dozen” ranking of tax scams, reminding taxpayers to use caution during tax season to protect themselves against a wide range of that aren’t necessarily always perpetrated by an outsider trying to scam the business or individual, but sometimes...
03/24/2012
USB flash drives are handy little devices that can cause big security headaches. Even with robust datasecurity policies USBdrives often fall thru the cracks (and out of pockets). These flash drives are often used by employees for both personal and business use which could potentially spread a vir...
03/24/2012
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Identity theft occurs when someone takes your personally identifiable information (PII), and misuses it, abuses it, and adapts it to his or her own life, often for financial gain. When an identity thief does this, your good name is soiled—the name you have worked so hard to keep in good standing...
03/24/2012
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At the McAfee FOCUS conference in October of last year, members from McAfee Labs™ spoke about malware and other threats that affect security. One of the most popular events was when they brought an iPad on stage and did a live hack. The researchers were able to remotely watch as a user accessed ...
03/22/2012
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Robert Siciliano
Realty Security and Identity Theft Expert Speaker