Entries by Robert Siciliano

Dutch Hacker Extradited From Romania, Charged With Credit Card Fraud

A 21-year-old Dutch hacker known within the online hacking community as “Fortezza” was arrested in Romania in March, and extradited to the United States in June. U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan, who chairs the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee on Cybercrime and Intellectual Property Enforcement, said, “This defendant has wrought havoc on victims and financial institutions…

June Was National Internet Safety Month

The Internet is an indispensable tool that citizens, corporations and governments all over the world have come to rely on. There are tremendous benefits to the World Wide Web including: having the information highway at your fingertips, being able to find and purchase products and services from anywhere, working from home, connecting with distant friends…

Watch for New Attacks Aimed at Mobile Devices

A mobile device is an indispensible extension of your life, containing some of your most private conversations and confidential information. It’s your phone book, email, photo album, social life, and even your wallet, all rolled into one device. Chances are if you own a smartphone or tablet, it is connected to your money or financial…

On July 9th Millions May Lose Access To Internet

As reported in March, the FBI has uncovered a network of rogue DNS servers and has taken steps to disable them. DNS (Domain Name System) is an Internet service that converts user-friendly domain names into the numerical Internet protocol (IP) addresses that computers use to talk to each other. When you enter a domain name, such as www.fbi.gov,…

Mobile Payment Update: Who Will Take the Lead This Summer?

As summer heats up, so does mobile payment  – a hot topic between major credit card companies, mobile carriers, and mobile manufacturers. First, to give you some perspective, let’s cool down and cite some statistics from November of last year, when “Cyber Monday” was the most successful ever; and mobile purchases skyrocketed on Black Friday.…

Using Tech Support to Set Up Your New Devices

There are some things in life that require a “professional” to get the job done properly. You wouldn’t let your cousin Larry who’s a landscaper reset a broken bone in your hand right? You can certainly go to a hardware store and buy all the wood to build a deck, but just because you know…

How Does Jailbreaking Or Rooting Affect My Mobile Device Security?

You may have heard the term jailbreaking or rooting in regards to your mobile phone, but what is this and what does it really mean for you? Jailbreaking is the process of removing the limitations imposed by Apple and associated carriers on devices running the iOS operating system. To “jailbreak” means to allow the phone’s owner…

“BYOD”? Mobile Security Tips for Small Businesses

Many employees have come to expect that they should be able to use personal smartphones and other mobile devices at the office. This creates problems for IT managers. A company’s IT staff may have a solid grasp on company-issued laptops, desktops, and even mobile phones, but it is almost impossible to control the results when…

Is There A Risk With Using My Personal Device For Work?

The day after you get your shiny new mobile or tablet, chances are you’ll take it right to work and request the IT department to set it up with your work email and allow access to the company network. “Bring your own device” (BYOD) has become widely adopted to refer to workers bringing their personal…