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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 Ultimate Guide to Passwords, Password Managers, Two Factor and Passkeys

In the age of digital interconnectedness, passwords have become the first line of defense against cyber threats. Unfortunately, many individuals still rely on weak, easily guessable passwords that leave their online accounts vulnerable to attacks. This article delves into the most commonly used and easily crackable passwords, and provides essentia...

19 November 2024

Your Social Security number IS in the Hands of Criminals

Over the years criminals occasionally contact me to tell me about their exploits and often ask how they can get into the “security awareness” business. Everyone wants to be a Frank Abagnale (Catch Me If You Can movie). These crimes are often sociopaths and incapable of functioning normally without eventually resorting to the easy money crimes. I’v...

21 August 2024 /identity

Most Security Awareness Training is Insufficient and Should Lead to Consequences

Maybe company executives who don’t engage in real world security awareness training should suffer the consequences for their insufficiency. An excellent Help Net Security article is titled “What CISOs need to keep CEOs (and themselves) out of jail” discusses many of the fundamentals of cyber security, what security leaders should be doing, but ar...

01 August 2024

AI Spoofed Sites Lead to $50 Million Investment Scams

A long-running and large-scale internet-based fraud scheme netted around $50 million from dozens of investors over an eight-year period. The perpetrators created 150 fake sites that targeted investors. These sites would tell the investors that they had multiple investment opportunities that they should take. According to the court documents, these...

28 June 2024

How and Why “Fun” AI Generated Spam On Social Media Will Manipulate the 2024 Election

The primary intention behind artificial intelligence (AI) generated spam on social media appears to be financial gain through deceptive means. Facebook algorithms are suggesting users to visit, view and like pages that are 100% artificially intelligent generated photos of people, places, and things that are simply not real. The content includes to...

31 May 2024 /ai Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence and Organized Crime Sitting In a Tree…

K.I.S.S.I.N.G. First came love, then came marriage, then came the baby in the baby carriage! Sucking his thumb, wetting his pants, doing the hula - hula dance! And the BABY is a Boy! The Yahoo Boys. The Yahoo Boys are a notorious group of cyber criminals operating out of West Africa, primarily Nigeria. While most scammers try to stay under the rada...

14 May 2024

Why EVERYONE is Resistant to Engaging in Security Practices and How to Fix It

It’s everyone. (It’s you too. Just read.) Security goes against our core beliefs. Security is not natural, it’s not normal, it means that we don’t trust others. However, we trust by default. Not trusting others is actually a learned behavior. Security means that you are aware that there are others out there that may choose you as their target. Tha...

03 May 2024

Be aware of Artificial Intelligence Voice Cloning

The proliferation of AI technologies like voice cloning and caller ID spoofing has opened up new avenues for fraudsters to exploit. By mimicking voices and masking their true caller identities, scammers can launch highly convincing social engineering attacks over the phone. This potent combination poses serious risks to individuals and organizatio...

26 April 2024

Surf Safely: Armoring Your Digital Life on Public Wi-Fi Waves

Protecting one’s data and devices on public Wi-Fi goes beyond protecting oneself on just the Wi-Fi aspect. Cyber security is holistic in its nature, meaning the devices hardware, software, and various forms of access control all need consideration. I hear all the time that criminal hackers are so “sophisticated”. I suppose they are, but what they r...

10 April 2024

12 of the Nastiest Tax Scams and How to Prevent Them

Lets agree on this: Most of what’s written below will NEVER happen to you. Why? Because you are a subscriber to this newsletter and your propensity to consume security related content keeps you current on fraud prevention tactics. So, this means you have a responsibility as a security conscious citizen to spread the prevention message below and mak...

05 April 2024

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