Entries by Robert Siciliano

“Operation High Roller” Makes Banks Cringe

According to a McAfee and Guardian Analytics report dubbed “operation High Roller,” an international ring of cybercriminals has been attacking banks around the world. They have been siphoning roughly $78 million from bank accounts in Columbia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the U.S. In the report, McAfee Director of Advanced Research and Threat Intelligence…

Protect Your Facebook Photos

Imagine you have a baby and want to share your newborn’s photos with your Facebook friends and family all across the country. You snap the pictures and post and receive lots of fun and exciting feedback. Then a week later you are scanning Craigslist to buy some second hand baby stuff like strollers and maybe…

What is Contactless Technology?

“Contactless” refers to technology embedded in a personal device — typically a mobile phone, key fob, credit card, or access card — that transmits your data to another device from a distance of a few inches in order to complete a transaction. Transactions involving data transfer have traditionally involved plastic cards with a magnetic stripe…

How the Rich and Famous Prevent Identity Theft

Despite what you may assume, most celebrities and other extremely wealthy individuals do not relish living in a fish bowl, with every move scrutinized. While some certainly do flaunt their wealth, the vast majority do not want you dropping by their home or following them into the bathroom. The average people who post their whereabouts…

Mobile Security: Tips for Using Personal Devices at Work

Businesses in all forms operate under numerous business regulations. Small businesses such as finance healthcare, or one where a fine might be imposed if a data breach occurred need to recognize mobile security as a fundamental layer of yours or your company’s information security process. Mobiles are smartphones and used for ecommerce for consumers and…

Technology Fuels Cyberbullying and Cheating in Teens

McAfee’s study “The Digital Divide: How the Online Behavior of Teens is Getting Past Parents” shows an alarming 70% of teens have hidden their online behavior from their parents, up from 45% in 2010. And yet half of parents live under the assumption that their teen tells them everything he/she does online. The school year is now upon us.…

No Surprise—Ransomware On the Rise

McAfee’s latest Threats Report shows a 1.5 million increase in malware since last quarter. 2012 is in fact, far and away the busiest year ever for malware with an estimated total of 100 million malware samples worldwide by Q3 2012. With the malware growth rate up nearly 100,000 per day, McAfee has identified these key…

Malicious Websites – The Web is a Dangerous Place

McAfee’s latest Threats Report shows a growth in malicious websites replacing botnets as the primary infection mechanism. This means that by just simply visiting a website you could be exposed to malicious things that can do harm to your computer, mobile device, finances or identity. Websites with bad reputations are influenced by the hosting of malicious software (malware),…

New Mobile Security App for Android Smartphones

Consumers with smartphones understand they are carrying around the functions of a computer, but most users are unaware that smartphones are susceptible to the same security threats that plague laptops and desktops. As more online retailers introduce mobile e-commerce applications, criminal hackers are taking notice. Existing mobile operating systems are under attack and, like standard…