Protect Yourself from Tax Time Scams

Tax season is now upon us, and more than ever, we are opting for the convenience of filing taxes online (81% of us did in 2012). While filing online may be faster and more convenient, there is also some risk that you need to be aware of. During 2012, the IRS discovered $20 billion of fraudulent refunds, including those related to identity theft, compared with $14 billion in 2011.*

https://blogs.mcafee.com/consumer/tax-scams

Criminals Prefer Pheasting on Phish Over Spam

Most of us are aware of spam, and while we may think it’s just an annoyance, what’s really dangerous about it is the fact that most spam are phishing attempts.

https://blogs.mcafee.com/consumer/phishing

What You Should be Aware of When Using Your Android Device

As we all migrate towards using smartphones and tablets, we need to be aware of the risks associated with them.

https://blogs.mcafee.com/consumer/be-aware-android

Fake Friends Fool Facebook Users

The word friend is defined as “one who entertains for another such sentiments of esteem, respect and affection; an intimate associate.” But that definition seems to have gone out the window with the advent of social networks.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/03/28/fake-friends-fool-facebook-users/

10 Tips for a Safe and Secure Spring Break

Spring has arrived, and students are gearing up to head to warmer climes and tear it up on spring break. Coming from a dad who a) tore it up a bit at that age himself and b) lives and breathes safety/security, I have a few tips—from low tech to high tech– to keep teens and twentysomethings from getting into trouble, becoming victimsorhaving their identity stolen, which—believe-me—will put a real damper on a vacation.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/03/26/10-tips-for-a-safe-and-secure-spring-break/

What is a Botnet?

The word botnet or bot is short for robot network. A botnet is a group of Internet-connected personal computers that have been infected by a malicious applica­tion (malware) that allows a hacker to control the infected computers or mobile devices without the knowledge of the device owners.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/03/21/what-is-a-botnet/

10 Tips for a Safe and Secure Spring Break

Spring has arrived, and students are gearing up to head to warmer climes and tear it up on spring break. Coming from a dad who a) tore it up a bit at that age himself and b) lives and breathes safety/security, I have a few tips—from low tech to high tech– to keep teens and twentysomethings from getting into trouble, becoming victimsorhaving their identity stolen, which—believe-me—will put a real damper on a vacation.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/03/26/10-tips-for-a-safe-and-secure-spring-break/

What is a Botnet?

The word botnet or bot is short for robot network. A botnet is a group of Internet-connected personal computers that have been infected by a malicious applica­tion (malware) that allows a hacker to control the infected computers or mobile devices without the knowledge of the device owners.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/03/21/what-is-a-botnet/

Grey Charges Are Upsetting—and Legal

Disclosure notices on websites, advertisements and in the terms of an agreement when making a product purchase are often complicated and confusing. Companies know this and take advantage of consumers, figuring potential purchasers don’t have the time, inclination or knowledge of the legalese that goes along with the fine print.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/03/21/grey-charges-are-upsetting-and-legal/

Grey Charges Are Upsetting—and Legal

Disclosure notices on websites, advertisements and in the terms of an agreement when making a product purchase are often complicated and confusing.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/03/21/grey-charges-are-upsetting-and-legal/

Identity Theft on the Rise…Again

According to a report released by Javelin Strategy and Research and another by the FTC, the incidence of identity fraud increased in 2012 for the second consecutive year, affecting 5.26 percent of U.S. adults. This increase was driven by dramatic jumps in the two most severe fraud types, new account fraud (NAF) and account takeover fraud (ATF).

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/03/21/identity-theft-on-the-riseagain/

Grey Charges Are Upsetting — and Legal

Disclosure notices on websites, advertisements and in the terms of an agreement are often complicated and confusing. Companies understand this, and sometimes, they use this to take advantage of consumers. They figure that potential purchasers don’t have the time, inclination or knowledge of the legalese that goes along with the fine print. And, unfortunately for consumers, they’re correct.

https://www.billguard.com/blog/2013/03/grey-charges-are-upsetting-and-legal/

To Catch a Thief: Will Techie Upgrades Prevent ID Theft?

Identity theft is all too common these days, but a shocking new report from the Federal Trade Commission highlights just how bad the situation’s become. Identity theft isn’t just the top complaint in America — which it’s been for the past 13 years — complaints “surged by 32%” in 2012, bringing the total estimated number of victims to 12.6 million.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/catch-thief-techie-upgrades-prevent-040103076.html

Consumer Lessons from the Celebrity Hacking Scandal

Last week, a dozen high profile celebrities, government officials and politicians were victims of hackers who posted sensitive financial information online. The victims included Jay Z, Beyonce, Paris Hilton, Ashton Kutcher, Mel Gibson and Michelle Obama.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/consumer-lessons-celebrity-hacking-scandal-043006051.html

Top 25 Safety Articles of the Week: March 22

And here’s another timely warning; Robert Siciliano of McAfee warns about tax-time scams. Think about it: millions of Americans filing taxes + private banking and financial data + a prevalence of online tax software/advice/filing = a dream cocktail for hackers and scammers.

http://safesoundfamily.com/blog/top-25-safety-articles-of-the-week-march-22/

Consumer Lessons from the Celebrity Hacking Scandal

Last week, a dozen high profile celebrities, government officials and politicians were victims of hackers who posted sensitive financial information online. The victims included Jay Z, Beyonce, Paris Hilton, Ashton Kutcher, Mel Gibson and Michelle Obama.

http://blog.credit.com/2013/03/what-consumers-can-learn-from-the-celebrity-hack/

6 travel scams to watch out for

There's more to travel than road trips and games, as travelers can be prime targets for scams. To make sure you keep every cent in your pocket, we've listed the most common scams to watch out for.

http://money.msn.com/personal-finance/6-travel-scams-to-watch-out-for

Fighting the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA)

All my life I’ve been hearing about Big Brother. For those unfamiliar with the term, coined by George Orwell in his 1949 masterpiece, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Big Brother is the embodiment of a society under complete surveillance by its government. But it’s not fiction; infact, our everyday activities are being monitored, today, right now, either by self-imposed technology or the ever-present Big Brother.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/03/19/fighting-the-cyber-intelligence-sharing-and-protection-act-cispa/

More Than 30% of People Don’t Password Protect Their Mobile Devices

Are you guilty as charged? Whenever I bring this up in a group setting, it astonishes me how many people raise their hands. I wonder if they realize that they are putting all the personal information contained on their mobile device at risk.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/03/18/more-than-30-of-people-dont-password-protect-their-mobile-devices/

Stop, Think And Connect On Public Wi-Fi

OnGuardOnline.gov is a partner in the Stop Think Connect campaign, led by the Department of Homeland Security, and part of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

http://anniejenningspr.com/jenningswire/specialty/technology/stop-think-and-connect-on-public-wi-fi/

What is a Botnet?

The word botnet or bot is short for robot network. A botnet is a group of Internet-connected personal computers that have been infected by a malicious applica­tion (malware) that allows a hacker to control the infected computers or mobile devices without the knowledge of the device owners.

http://mcaf.ee/m69i3

Just One of Many Internet Scams

A good friend of mine called me recently to ask what I knew about scams from online sales. He had placed an ad on CraigsList for something he was trying to sell and had asked for $150 for the item.

http://blogs.mcafee.com/consumer/just-one-of-many-internet-scams

Europol: Credit Card Fraud Spells Low Risk and High Profits

A report from Europol states that payment card fraud is a low-risk and highly profitable criminal activity that brings EU-based organized crime groups a yearly income of around 1.5 billion euros.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/03/17/europol-credit-card-fraud-spells-low-risk-and-high-profits/

5 Ways to Ensure Online Privacy for Kids

Congress and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have taken special steps to ensure that children under 13 years of age don’t share their personal information on the Internet without the express approval of their parents.

http://blogs.mcafee.com/consumer/5-ways-to-ensure-online-privacy-for-kids

Students Getting Cyberwise to Become Safe and Responsible Digital Citizens

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard unveils the new cyber education module, which was developed in partnership with McAfee and Life Education Australia. This module expands the Life Education Program that is for primary school children across Australia.

https://blogs.mcafee.com/consumer/students-getting-cyberwise-to-become-safe-and-responsible-digital-citizens

Risky Mobile Applications Plague Users

Once you own a smartphone or tablet, you are not likely to give it up. But it is essential that you can understand where the risks are and steer around them as you enjoy your mobile digital life.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/03/15/risky-mobile-applications-plague-users/

Is Your Identity Secure? @BNN Robert Siciliano for @HotspotShield

http://www.onlywire.com/r/120302324

The Devil is in the Details

In unwanted credit card charges, the details are the fine print—and the fine print often results in devilish “grey charges.”Grey charges are those credit card charges that appear on your statement from out of the blue, charging us small or large fees—or sometimes a single charge—monthly or annually.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/03/14/the-devil-is-in-the-details/

Phony Identities Result in $200 Million Fraud

Recently, the FBI arrested 13 people in four states. Their crime? Allegedly creating thousands of phony identities with which to steal at least $200 million in one of the largest credit card fraud schemes ever charged by the Department of Justice.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/03/14/phony-identities-result-in-200-million-fraud/

Mobile Security Myths

Mobile computing is the new frontier of personal technology. Whether you are on a phone or tablet, if you have a carrier connection, you are mobile.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/03/12/mobile-security-myths/

Stop, Think and Connect on Public Wi-Fi

OnGuardOnline.gov, co-managed by the Federal Trade Commission, is the federal government’s website to help you be safe, secure and responsible online.OnGuardOnline.gov is a partner in the Stop Think Connect campaign, led by the Department of Homeland Security, and part of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/03/12/stop-think-and-connect-on-public-wi-fi/

Likes Can Tell the Story of Your Life

Retraining consumers to think before they click on a Like button will not be easy at this point, said Robert Siciliano, CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, as most people are accustomed to doing it with little forethought.

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/77508.html#

McAfee survey highlights alarming mobile security procedures

IT security provider McAfee, in partnership with One Poll, has released a report detailing how one in three smartphone users don’t password protect their devices.

http://www.appstechnews.com/news/2013/mar/07/mcafee-survey-highlights-alarming-mobile-security-procedures/

Simplify and Secure Your Passwords

It seems that almost every site on the Web requires a password. At least twice a week, I get an email from someone who wants me to join yet another site, which requires yet another username and password.

http://blogs.mcafee.com/consumer/secure-your-passwords

Steamy Sexts Get Leaked 60% of the Time

McAfee released the study Love, Relationships, and Technology: When Private Data Gets Stuck in the Middle of a Breakup, which examines at the pitfalls of sharing personal data in relationships and discloses how breakups can lead to exposure of private data.

http://blogs.mcafee.com/consumer/steamy-sexts-get-leaked

Mobile security: A password isn't perfect, but it's a start

In addition to adding passwords, Robert Siciliano, an online security expert for McAfee, recommends other a few simple things users can do to keep the information on their devices safe, such as resisting the urge to click the “remember me” function on applications and websites and remembering to log out when leaving a site.

http://gcn.com/blogs/mobile/2013/03/mobile-security-password-a-start.aspx

Teaching General Safety Rules to Children

When teaching general safety rules, it’s important that you don’t use scare tactics, says Robert Siciliano, personal security expert at McAfee and author of “99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen.” Teach them to be in control of their lives early on, he says.

http://mom.me/parenting/education/6226-teaching-general-safety-rules-children/

BillGuard: Grey Charges Equal Legal Fraud

Grey charge: When you buy something with your credit card and you get charged for something you didn't want.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-siciliano/grey-charges_b_2789797.html

Security, Privacy, and the Internet

The internet evolves more and more each year, as do the dangers. And its important that the tools we use be consistent to the size and scope of those problems. Here is a great video, with commentary by Huffpost blogger Robert Siciliano, on how great Hotspot is for those of us who value the web

http://smedio.com/2013/03/04/security-privacy-and-the-internet/

Many smartphones not password-protected

"The unfortunate reality is that everyone loses things, and our devices can get stolen," Robert Siciliano, an identity-theft specialist at McAfee, wrote in blog post. "And when that happens to your smartphone or tablet, it can be devastating."

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2013/02/26/Many-smartphones-not-password-protected/UPI-72941361928868/

Risky Mobile Applications Plague Users

Once you own a smartphone or tablet, you are not likely to give it up. But it is essential that you can understand where the risks are and steer around them as you enjoy your mobile digital life.

http://blogs.mcafee.com/consumer/risky-mobile-apps

How Does My IP Address Affect Different Services?

You’ve probably heard the term IP address before but you likely aren’t fully aware of all the ways it is used. Or misused by various entities. Or how you can turn an IP address to your own advantage by taking control of who gets to use it.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/03/08/how-does-my-ip-address-affect-different-services/

Avoid Unwanted Credit Card Charges

I think it’s safe to say that all credit card charges are unwanted, but today I’m talking about so-called “grey charges”—those out-of-the-blue credit card charges that sneak up on us and require our time, attention, persistence and aggravation to get rid of.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/03/07/avoid-unwanted-credit-card-charges/

Many smartphones not password-protected

A third of smartphone owners don't use a password to protect personal information like emails, bank accounts and credit card information, a U.S. survey found.

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2013/02/26/Many-smartphones-not-password-protected/UPI-72941361928868/

SD College Tests Fingerprint Purchasing Technology

Futurists have long proclaimed the coming of a cashless society, where dollar bills and plastic cards are replaced by fingerprint and retina scanners smart enough to distinguish a living, breathing account holder from an identity thief.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/sd-college-tests-fingerprint-purchasing-technology-18563717

Identity thieves use stolen info to buy Apple products

Carol Stuber was going through her mail and stumbled on a bill that made no sense - $3,300 for goods purchased from Apple using an instant-approved financing plan. "I said, 'What the heck is this?" she recalls.

http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/identity-thieves-use-stolen-info-buy-apple-products-1B7842149

SD college tests fingerprint purchasing technology

Futurists have long proclaimed the coming of a cashless society, where dollar bills and plastic cards are replaced by fingerprint and retina scanners smart enough to distinguish a living, breathing account holder from an identity thief.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20130222/us-living-fingerprint-experiment/?utm_hp_ref=arts&ir=arts

Maximizing the Use and Efficiency of Your Mobile Device

Time isn’t just money. Time is what you spend with your family, on a vacation or watching a kid’s dance recital. Time can be gained or lost based on how efficiently or inefficiently you use and implement mobile technology.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/03/05/maximizing-the-use-and-efficiency-of-your-mobile-device/

Just One of Many Internet Scams

A good friend of mine called me recently to ask what I knew about scams from online sales. He had placed an ad on CraigsList for something he was trying to sell and had asked for $150 for the item. He had received a call from a woman and she offered to send him a check for the item.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/03/03/just-one-of-many-internet-scams/

How BYOD is Driving Innovation

One fourth of all global information workers use their own devices at home and at work for work purposes.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/03/02/how-byod-is-driving-innovation/

Smartphones 'a treasure trove for hackers,' BBB says

Smartphones may not be as safe as you think, but there are ways of protecting your personal information from being prey to hackers.

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=24164041&nid=1014

Rising Hack Attacks Prompt Concern

A string of hacking attacks at high-profile US companies has security experts and officials worried that the hackers are using information gained to plan even more sophisticated attacks.

http://gma.yahoo.com/rising-computer-hack-attacks-prompt-concern-201901739--abc-news-tech.html

Rising Computer Hack Attacks Prompt Concern

A string of hacking attacks at high-profile US companies has security experts and officials worried that the hackers are using information gained to plan even more sophisticated attacks.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2013/02/rising-computer-hack-attacks-prompts-concern/

Facebook Hacked

Facebook has revealed that it was "targeted in a sophisticated attack" by hackers last month -- this not long after Twitter and The New York Times reported that hackers got into their computers.

http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/25790-facebook-hacked.html

Mobile Security Myths

Mobile computing is the new frontier of personal technology. Whether you are on a phone or tablet, if you have a carrier connection, you are mobile.

http://blogs.mcafee.com/consumer/mobile-world-congress-2013

More Than 30% of People Don’t Password Protect Their Mobile Devices

Whenever I bring this up in a group setting, it astonishes me how many people raise their hands. I wonder if they realize that they are putting all the personal information contained on their mobile device at risk.

http://blogs.mcafee.com/consumer/unprotected-mobile-devices

BillGuard: Grey Charges Equal Legal Fraud

Grey charge: When you buy something with your credit card and you get charged for something you didn’t want. Often a merchant will tack on additional products and services to a legitimate purchase you make, and you “sorta” know about the charge…but not really.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/02/28/billguard-grey-charges-equal-legal-fraud/

What Kind of Wireless is Secure…and What Isn’t?

Wi-Fi was born to be convenient—but not secure. More than anything, though, it depends more on what kind of wireless we’re talking about.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/02/28/what-kind-of-wireless-is-secureand-what-isnt/

3 Wi-Fi Myths That Put Your Data at Risk

The holidays are over, the Consumer Electronics Show has passed, and now you have all these new shiny wireless gadgets you’re just itching to play with.

http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2013/02/27/3-wi-fi-myths-that-put-your-data-at-risk/