Robert Siciliano Security Analyst at Safr.me
Most of us would have no idea Egypt had pulled the plug on the Internet unless it was splashed all over the news. However one company called iovation knew right away. Basically “just like that” the up to 1000 fraud checks they receive every hour out of Egypt dropped to zero. At first glance one would think there was some type of meltdown or maybe E...
02 February 2011 /security /regulation
The Telegraph reports that UK National Identity Cards containing biometric details, including fingerprints, “were championed by the previous Labour government as a way of preventing terrorism and identity theft.” But the new administration immediately scrapped the initiative, introducing the Identity Documents Bill to Parliament in May, which pr...
29 January 2011 /security /regulation
Teachers in numerous Massachusetts cities and towns are not allowed to “friend’’ students on Facebook or other social networking sites, and a number of other school districts south of Boston are considering a similar ban. The Boston Globe reports that many communities are working on policies governing school staff’s use of Facebook, “inspired in p...
27 January 2011 /security /regulation
The AP reports “WikiLeaks’ release of secret government communications should serve as a warning to the nation’s biggest companies: You’re next.” According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse’s Chronology of Data Breaches, more than 500 million sensitive records have been breached in the past five years. The Chronology of Data breaches lists spec...
22 January 2011 /security /regulation
Ever apply for insurance of any kind? There is always a litany of paperwork and the process is always frustrating and somewhat demeaning. Insurer’s applications feel invasive and ask questions that require information that you may not even tell your mom. What’s worse is they have to be given to another person who you often do not know. What’s even ...
05 January 2011 /security /regulation
25 years ago I was in a situation where I needed some help. A man appeared out of nowhere and seemed to have sensed my desperation and offered assistance. I accepted. Up until that day “It was all about me”. When I asked why he stopped to offer assistance and go out of his way as he did, he simply said, “Sometimes people just need help” That simp...
31 December 2010 /security /regulation
The ability to connect wirelessly has a lot to do with the indispensability of the Internet in our daily lives. Wireless Internet is available in our homes, offices, cafes, restaurants, parks, hotels, airports, cars, and even airplanes. The mobility factor allows us to work anytime, anywhere, on numerous devices. “Being connected” is at an all-tim...
28 December 2010 /security /regulation
Shopping online is unquestionably more convenient and efficient than traditional commerce. But is it safer? We face risk everywhere we go. We risk car accidents on the way to the mall. Muggers and thieves present a risk. Heck, you risk catching a cold from a sniffling salesclerk! Similarly, shopping online creates another set of pitfalls, most of w...
13 December 2010 /security /regulation
Twitter is now beginning to see a substantial rise in active users. A recent report found that the percentage of Twitter users who have tweeted ten or more times, have more than ten followers, and follow more than ten people rose from 21% to 29% in the first half of 2010. Spammers, scammers, and thieves are paying attention. In the physical world,...
09 December 2010 /security /regulation
“Vishing” occurs when criminals call victims on the phone and attempt to lure them into divulging personal information that can be used to commit identity theft. The name comes from “voice,” and “phishing,” which is, of course, the use of spoofed emails designed to trick targets into clicking malicious links. Instead of email, vishing generally rel...
07 December 2010 /security /regulation
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