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Robert Siciliano

Security Analyst

Safr.me

Member since

04 Feb 2009

Location

Boston

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Robert's opinions

The Role of Antivirus Software

The purpose of antivirus (AV) software is to detect, neutralize or eradicate malware (malicious software). AV software not only will identify and destroy the computer virus, but it’s also designed to fight off other kinds of threats such as phishing attacks, worms, Trojan horses, rootkits and more. How does AV software work? It will first scan (ei...

16 August 2014 /security

Burglar seen on Video hovering over Baby

What was going through the head of a burglar as he was hovering over a baby after breaking into a house? Did he momentarily pause to take a breather and find a sense of peace and calm at the sight of an innocent baby? Or…was he contemplating harming the toddler or kidnapping? One thing we know for sure: The 19-year-old actually hovered over the ...

30 July 2014 /security

Make Information Security a Priority

Just about everyone has private information that should be protected. Let’s begin with something you’ve surely heard of: antivirus protection. But this isn’t enough to guard your personal data. A free antivirus service may not even update automatically, and this is very important to keep up with rapidly evolving technology. Your protection is wor...

29 July 2014 /security

Medical Identity Theft Can be Deadly

If you feel like you are starting to get the flu, going to the doctor’s office can get you some medicine and get you on the road to recovery. But, there’s no pill or surgery that can protect you from medical identity theft—which can kill you. Literally. The thief who steals your identity doesn’t mean to kill you; he just wants to obtain free medic...

24 July 2014 /security

Beware of Flight MH17 Facebook Scams

How low can scammers go? The latest is phony Facebook profiles that use identities of deceased victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17—claiming their credit cards were stolen from the crash debris. “Death hunters,” says Ukrainian MP Anton Gerashchenko on his Facebook page, are collecting jewels, cash and credit cards off of the victims. His post...

23 July 2014 /security

How to Prevent Summertime Scams

Summertime is here…and that means sunshine and vacations. Most people love summertime, including scammers! Hackers can use this time to take advantage while we are planning vacations or on vacation or just enjoying fun in the sun. Here are some key scams to watch out for this summer: Family or Friend Requests Money You receive an email from a f...

19 July 2014 /security

Phishing Alert: 8 Tips to protect yourself from Attacks

It’s as easy for hackers to phish out your personal data as it is to sit in a canoe on a still pond, cast the bait and wait for the fish to bite. So many people fail to learn about phishing scams, a favorite and extremely prevalent scam among cybercriminals. A type of phishing scam is to lure the user onto a malicious website. ZeuS (Zbot) is such...

17 July 2014 /security

Everything you need to know about a Credit Freeze

A credit freeze locks down your credit report so lenders can’t see your scores, making your credit/SSN useless to them because they don't know their risk level. If thieves get ahold of your ID, they can’t get credit in your name as long as your credit is frozen. Freezing your credit will seal your credit reports. You’ll need a PIN to access your...

15 July 2014 /security

How to Prepare a Storage Device for Resale

If you want to sell a storage device, first back everything up on it with a flash drive, external drive or automated backup service. For Android or iOS, activate the Google Auto Backup service or Apple’s iCloud. Next, wipe the device. No, not with a rag, but wipe out the data, completely. Reformatting the hard drive can still leave data. Hitting ...

02 July 2014 /security

Convict heads back to Jail for Burglary

Criminals do what they do because that’s their nature. Once bad, there’s hardly a chance they can be good. Jeffrey L. Patton, 43, said, “I’ve been scared to death of this day right here,” in reference to being put on trial for two unrelated crimes. So Patton pleaded guilty to the two crimes he was charged with and got four years in prison. The tw...

26 June 2014 /security

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