Robert Siciliano Security Analyst at Safr.me
Lately, it seems that barely a day goes by when we don’t learn about a major Internet presence taking steps to further erode users’ privacy. The companies with access to our data are tracking us in ways that make Big Brother look like a sweet little baby sister. Typically when we hear an outcry about privacy violations, these perceived violations ...
03 February 2012 /security /regulation
No more jimmying doors with a Slim Jim, bricks through windows, extracting lock cylinders with a dent puller, or hot-wiring ignitions. Automobiles today are being built to include wireless capabilities that allow for remote unlock, remote start, and of course, there’s global positioning systems (GPS) and services like OnStar and ATX, which offer “...
31 January 2012 /security /regulation
It’s that time of year, for holiday cheer, to give of ourselves and ring in the New Year. But while you celebrate, please keep in mind, criminals and hackers are not far behind. Mobile malware is here; it’s increased since last year. Be sure to install mobile malware protection, so that you don’t receive an unwelcome infection. QR codes are bar...
08 January 2012 /security /regulation
Laptops, desktops, Macs, mobiles, and tablets are on many people’s wish lists this holiday season. Once these shiny new devices are connected to the Internet, they will be under siege by malware created by criminals in order to steal identities. According to a recent McAfee survey, 60% of consumers now own at least three digital devices, and 25% ow...
21 December 2011 /security /regulation
On our way home from a recent family vacation, my two year old grew understandably anxious and uncooperative while waiting for a flight in an airport terminal. So I handed over my iPhone, hoping to distract her. Within seconds, she had launched the photo application and begun scrolling through the videos of our trip. She’d watch a video, giggle a ...
16 December 2011 /security /regulation
Information technologies have evolved to a level at which the developers, programmers, and security specialists all know what they’re doing, and are able to produce products and services that work and are reasonably secure. Of course, there’s always room for improvement. Despite the amount of criminal hacking that goes on, users who effectively im...
14 November 2011 /security /regulation
Five or ten years ago, it was relatively easy for scammers to trick people into opening email attachments that would launch malicious programs on victims’ PCs. Nowadays, most email providers won’t permit .exe attachments, so viruses may be saved as compressed files, or hidden behind links that appear to lead to PDFs or word documents. Scammers hav...
04 November 2011 /security /regulation
Digital assets include: entertainment files (e.g. music downloads), personal memories (e.g. photographs), personal communications (e.g. emails), personal records (e.g. health, financial, insurance), and career information (e.g. resumes, portfolios, cover letters, contacts), as well as any creative projects or hobbies involving digital files. If yo...
13 October 2011 /security /regulation
In 1990, when only the government and a number of universities were using the Internet, there were 357 unique pieces of malware. The need for security began with desktop computing when the only means of compromising data was by inserting a contaminated floppy disk into a PC or opening an infected email attachment. That was the anti-virus era. The ...
02 October 2011 /security /regulation
Big companies and big government get big press when their data is breached. And when a big company is hit, those whose accounts have been compromised are often notified. With smaller businesses, however, victims are often left in the dark, regardless of the various state laws requiring notification. One reason for this is that smaller businesses t...
19 September 2011 /security /regulation
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.