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Robert Siciliano

Security Analyst

Safr.me

Member since

04 Feb 2009

Location

Boston

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Robert's opinions

Having the Privacy Talk with your Kids

Years 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 “data permanence.” Don’t beat around the bush. Tell your kid outright, “If you...

05 February 2015 /security

Fixing a Credit Report after being hacked

First off, how NOT to fix a hacked credit report: signing on with a service that promises to correct the problem in a jiffy—a “sounds too good to be true” advertisement. A company that claims they will 100% fix your bad credit by removing negative information from your credit report is a bit scammy. In fact, whatever a credit repair company CAN le...

04 February 2015 /security

Data Breach Aftermath

Haste certainly doesn’t make waste if you’ve suffered from an entity getting hacked resulting in a data breach. Don’t waste a single minute delaying notifying affected accounts! In the case of a credit card company, they will investigate; you won’t have to pay the fraudulent charges. The breached card will be closed, and you’ll get a new one. And ...

03 February 2015 /security

Researcher says HTTPS can track You

Perhaps you’ve read that “HTTPS” at the start of a website address means that the site is secure, encrypted. However, a feature of the HTTPS can track you, says an article at theregister.co.uk. HTTP is not secure. Carnegie Mellon University in a Register article states “HSTS”, which is “Strict Transport Security” redirects users to HTTPS. The HSTS...

27 January 2015 /security

If You use these Passwords, You will get hacked

Have you heard of iDict? It’s a tool that hackers can use to get passwords via what’s called brute force attacks. It’s designed to crack into iCloud’s passwords, and supposedly it can circumvent Apple’s anti-brute force attack security. But iDict doesn’t have as big a bite as you might think. A long, strong password is no match for iDict. But if ...

22 January 2015 /security

Fingerprint hacked by a Photo

You can’t change your fingerprint like you can change your password. But why would you want to change your fingerprint? The thought might cross your mind if your fingerprint gets stolen. How the heck can this happen? Ask Starbug. He’s a hacker who demonstrated just how this could happen at an annual meeting of hackers called the Chaos Communicati...

20 January 2015 /security

In with the New, out with the Old

If you plan on getting a new smartphone, have you ever thought of what the next user of your old smartphone will find on it? This assumes you’ll be selling or donating it, of course. Are you SURE those risqué photos are totally gone, or that your diary entries have been wiped clean? Experiments have been conducted in which someone buys used smart...

19 January 2015 /security

Hacking 2015 and Beyond

2015 brings us no closer to putting the lid on hackers as any other year has. The crime of Criminal hacking will prove to be as big as ever in the new year. Here’s what we have to look forward too: Bank Card Breaches There will always be the bank card thieves, being that stealing data from magnetic stripe cards is relatively easy to pull off and...

18 January 2015 /security

Beware of scary WiFi Virus

It’s called Chameleon—a computer virus—but maybe it should be called FrankenVirus. You wouldn’t believe what it can do: literally move through the air, as in airborne—like a biological pathogen. And like some Franken-creation, it came from a laboratory, cultivated at the University of Liverpool’s School of Computer Science and Electrical Engineer...

14 January 2015 /security

Post Holiday Online Shopping Security

When it comes to online security, don’t let your guard down just because the holiday shopping frenzy has passed. In fact, this may be the very time to put your guard up even higher. Though it’s smart to have your radar on for the scammers during the holidays, the scammers don’t exactly go slithering back under their slimy rocks once the New Year ...

13 January 2015 /security

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