Entries by Robert Siciliano

5 Ways to Ensure Online Privacy for Kids

Congress and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have taken special steps to ensure that children under 13 years of age don’t share their personal information on the Internet without the express approval of their parents. Congress passed the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in 1998 and the FTC wrote a rule implementing the law. The FTC currently is…

Do You Really Pay Attention to Your Billing Statements?

Do you take a close look at all your bills and statements every month? Do you look at all the charges? Are you familiar with each charge—where, when and to whom? Do you recognize monthly recurring charges? Did you know that nine out of 10 people don’t check their bills, or merely skim them quickly…

Do You Share Passwords with Your Partner?

Do you? I do and I’ve been doing it since I said “I do.” And if you are married or at least in a committed lifelong relationship, knowing each other’s passwords is probably expected. Today, sharing passwords has become a sign of commitment, a signal of love and devotion, like a varsity sweater or friendship ring.…

13 Digital Security New Year’s Resolution Tips for 2013

The best thing about the “New Year” is committing to new or old resolutions and starting fresh. Whether you are an individual or a small business, the following applies: Delete. Go through your files, deleting and organizing as necessary. Clutter is confusing. Security and “confusing” don’t work well together. Delete! Back up your data. Back…

Get Smart─Lock Down Your Apps

Apps are what make smartphones smart. Without apps, smartphones would just be regular feature phones. Apps are what make our smartphones into our most personal computers. And like our computers, we need to protect our smartphones and apps. Some of the most commonly used apps on the Android platform such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Gmail…

Students Getting Cyberwise to Become Safe and Responsible Digital Citizens

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard unveils the new cyber education module, which was developed in partnership with McAfee and Life Education Australia. This module expands the Life Education Program that is for primary school children across Australia.                     A study called “The Secret Life of Teens 2012 report,” (conducted by TNS…

What Security Challenges to Focus on in the New Year

In 2012, security challenges we faced were often the ribbon cuttings and business plans that startup criminal organizations launched. In 2013, those criminal enterprise business plans will come together—and we need to be ready. Social media is high on criminal hackers radar. Criminals scan social media looking for people who they can scam. One such…