Entries by Robert Siciliano

It’s Even Easier Now For Regular Folks To Conduct Cybercrime

Here’s a late night infomercial for you: How’s that burger flipping going? That cubicle working out? Anyway, I’m sure your boss is such a nice guy. Guess what! If you’re interested in a career in criminal hacking, you don’t even need a computer! This (scary) special, one-time offer comes to you right now from the…

Danger: Wireless Toilets Next on Hackers’ List

Just about anything wireless is hackable today. Everything—from PCs to mobiles to tablets to home automation devices to pacemakers to insulin dispensers and even cars—are hackable. And now “smart” toilets. CNET reports, “[Smart] toilets can be controlled using an Android app, but the Bluetooth PIN is hard-coded to ‘0000.’ Just knowing that code number means the awesome…

Workplace Violence Red Flags, Prediction and Prevention

Every school shooting, workplace shooting and even the Navy Yard shooting could have been prevented if we crowdsourced our security. The fact is that when someone’s about to “go postal,” that person tells the world in many obvious ways. Organizations that do nothing and say it can’t happen to them are next in line when…

Cybercriminals Camping Out on Hotel WiFi Using Evil Twins

When traveling on business or for pleasure, seeking out a reliable WiFi connection is usually a priority for most travelers. While mobile 3G/4G connections satisfy some, the speed of WiFi for laptops or uploading/downloading larger files doesn’t compare. NBC news reports, “More and more hotels are stepping up and offering guests free WiFi, but security…

5 Home Security Tactics of the Uber Rich

The uber rich have many reasons to invest in uber security. I met a woman who won a $300 million lottery, and she had some unfortunate stories about how low people go to get at and to moneyed individuals. So to protect life and limb, the uber class invest in: Safe rooms: These include not…

House Keys for the Kids…When Your Children are Ready

Education.com reports that according to the U.S. census, one third of all school-age children in the United States are, for some part of the week, latchkey kids—that is, they go home to an empty house or apartment. The total number may be between five and seven million children between five and 13 years old. (I…

Most Burglarized Cities in the U.S

Surprisingly, burglaries happen more often during the day. Burglars wait for the home owners to leave for work, usually attempting to break in between the hours of 10 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon. The FBI has stated that burglaries were the reason for a loss of $4.8 billion in 2011, meaning that…

Top 5 Home Security System Scams

When a home security salesman comes a-knockin’, beware, pay attention and know what you are getting into. He might not be who he says he is, or he might have tactics under his belt that will cost you big time. WZZM reports, “For a couple of years now, the Federal Trade Commission has been warning…

Security System Control Panels & Apps

An electronic home security system can provide peace of mind when it comes to protecting your home and your loved ones. The nerve center of any home security system is the control panel. It handles all the functions of the system; monitoring the sensors placed on the doors and windows of your home and communicating…