Latest opinions that Robert Siciliano has shared on Finextra

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Robert Siciliano

Security Analyst

Safr.me

Member since

04 Feb 2009

Location

Boston

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Robert's opinions

Should You Use Near-Field Communications?

Have you ever wondered what kind of superpower you’d have? I’ve always wanted to send messages and ideas with my mind to others. My dream can sort of come true with near-field communications (NFC). You’ve might not have heard of NFC, but if you have a smartphone, there’s a good chance you’ve used it. If you have ever used Apple Pay or bumped your...

26 December 2014 /security

Synthetic Identity Theft hard to detect

A criminal can do a lot with “only” your Social Security number, says a report from darkreading.com. Okay, so he doesn’t have the name that goes with the number. Big deal—he’ll just make one up to go with it! This is called synthetic identity theft. And this crime has proven worthwhile for the crooks. Nowadays, there’s an increased risk for this ...

23 December 2014 /security

Social Media Identity Theft leads to Arrest

Are you one who believes you’re too smart, too savvy, to get your identity stolen in the social media world? Nobody thinks this will happen to them, and Stephanie Francis, 24, was no exception to that way of thinking. A report from firstcoastnews.com that the Jacksonville, Florida woman claims her identity was stolen—on social media of all places...

19 December 2014 /security

Card Company's boosting Payment Security with Mobile

Whoever thought that one day, paying with green paper would be viewed as primitive as a horse and buggy? We seem to be getting closer to that time, especially since the security of making payments via smartphone is always being improved. One way is with fingerprint scanning. Some smartphones already have this biometric feature. But what about cre...

18 December 2014 /security

Chip and PIN, will It save Us?

Many Americans, says a recent survey by Gallup, worry about a data breach connected to the use of their credit cards. Interestingly, many people use a credit card for everything under the sun: even just a soda and bag of chips from the convenience mart. The more you use a credit card, the more likely it will be compromised by cyber thieves. The ...

17 December 2014 /security

Russian Hackers getting rich from your Identity

Where’s the $$$ at? Selling credit card data. Have you heard of the Russian hacking ring that raked in two and a half billion dollars? Check it out: Phishing attacks are lucrative for these cybercriminals. ATM hacks continue to increase, in part due to targeted attacks and new software. Smartphone attacks are on the upswing. There are three way...

10 December 2014 /security

Chip and PIN vs. Chip and Signature Cards

The planet’s most powerful nation is sure backwards when it comes to the payment card industry: Why has America been using 1970s technology as of the posting date of this article? That magnetic strip on credit and debit cards has GOT to go already! And thank goodness, the transition to chip technology is more imminent than ever. For those of you...

08 December 2014 /security

Identity Theft of the Dead affects the Living

You don’t have to be living to have your identity stolen. Every year in America there’s 2.5 million cases of ID theft involving the deceased. And while your first reaction might be “So what, I’ll be dead and I won’t care”, you need to keep in mind that identity theft of the dead often significantly affects the living. How can this be prevented or ...

06 December 2014 /security

How to win the War on Phishing

A phishing attack is a trick e-mail sent randomly to perhaps a million recipients, and the thief counts on the numbers game aspect: Out of any given huge number of people, a significant percentage will fall for the trick. The trick is that the e-mail contains certain information or is worded in such a way as to get the recipient to click on the l...

04 December 2014 /security

10 Tips to avoid Scams when traveling

Vacationers and tourists provide a vast feeding ground for all sorts of crooks: from the simple pick-pocketing specialist to the hotel room burglar to the e-thief: credit card skimming and computer crimes. You can even have your identity stolen while sunning on that white beach. Avoid Traveling Scams with These Tips Don’t post your vacation or ...

27 November 2014 /security

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