Robert Siciliano Security Analyst at Safr.me
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
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
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
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
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
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
There once was a guy named Albert Gonzalez who dressed like a woman—but not because he got off on this, but because he wanted to conceal his actual appearance while he used a ream of phony cards to steal money from an ATM in 2003. A cop noticed the activity and didn’t quite buy the disguise. The police officer nabbed the thin, disheveled Gonzale...
26 November 2014 /security
The Internet—one of history’s greatest inventions—is also one of history’s greatest platforms for crime. Here are ways things can go very wrong with the Internet of Things. Med-hacking. Researchers have hacked many medical devices. Though it apparently hasn’t happened in the real world, yet, but it looks like it’s only a matter of time before med...
25 November 2014 /security
Ever wonder just how hackers bust into systems and cause destruction? One reason is because people are still using weak passwords. While your pet’s name and wedding anniversary dates are easy to remember and sentimental to use, this approach makes a hacker’s job all too easy. Here are 10 things you should know about passwords. Never use the sam...
20 November 2014 /security
Don’t blame the hackers; don’t blame the bank; apparently it’s the victim’s fault that a Missouri escrow firm was robbed of $440,000 in a cybercrime, says a report on computerworld.com. The attack occurred in 2010, but the appeals court’s March 2013 ruling declared that the firm, Choice Escrow and Title LLC, can’t hold its bank accountable. The ...
12 November 2014 /security
Welcome to Finextra. We use cookies to help us to deliver our services. You may change your preferences at our Cookie Centre.
Please read our Privacy Policy.