Entries by Robert Siciliano

Energy Saving Tips for Small Business

Going “Green” isn’t a fad, it’s necessary to save the planet. If you have watched any of the documentaries on the Discovery Channel about how the polar icecaps are melting then you might have the same sick feeling in the pit of your stomach like I do.  Conservatively, sea levels will rise around 2 feet…

50 Million Fake Facebook Accounts

Just about anyone can set up a fake account on just about any website. Facebook and other social media sites are popular targets due to the amount of traffic they get and the variety of scams that can be perpetrated against legitimate users. Facebook estimates that as of December 31, 2011, false or duplicate accounts…

Free Mobile Apps = Drained Battery

Go through your smartphone right now. Look at each app and seriously consider whether you need it. If not, delete it. Then, determine which of the free apps are worth upgrading to the paid versions, since free apps that contain advertising that puts an additional drain on your battery. Using a special energy-profiling tool, researchers from Microsoft…

Fire Safety Rules for your Business

A week doesn’t go by where we see news reports of a single house fire, small or large multi family building go up in flames. Dozens of people are displaced and often, someone dies. But when you think about it, fires in businesses seem to be less common. This is probably due in part to…

Identity Theft Still On the Rise

For the 12th year in a row, identity theft complaints top the list of consumer complaints [PDF] received by the Federal Trade Commission. 15% of more than 1.8 million total complaints filed in 2011 involved identity theft. Javelin Strategy & Research estimates that nearly 12 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2011—a 13%…

IT Security: Preventing Insider Threat

A “Logic Bomb” isn’t really logical, it’s a virus, designed to take down your corporate network and disable existing systems that may monitor data, protect it, back it up or access it. A logic bomb is designed to multiply like any virus and spread throughout a network multiplying its effects. In a Wall Street Journal story an…

Spring Cleaning Your PC

If your PC is bogged down with useless software and your desktop is jammed with icons and documents, then your PC is next to useless as a productivity tool. Even scarier is the increased likelihood that if you have lost track of your files, you could easily have sensitive personal information exposed without your knowledge.…

What Is Business or Corporate Identity Theft?

Business or corporate identity theft occurs when a thief uses an existing business’ name to obtain credit, or bills a business’s legitimate clients for products and services. Often, but not always, a Social Security Number of a company officer is required to commit business identity theft. Other identifiers, such as Federal IDs or Employer’s Identification…

Your New Best Friend May Not Protect You

Your mobile phone may arguably be your new best friend. There are few people, places, or things in our lives today that get as many hours of attention as your mobile phone or is with you as often (and for some of us, that means 24/7). Four out of seven people on the planet have…

Consumer Banking Security Products & Services

Today’s banks aren’t your “Dads’” bank. Having been around for hundreds of years, banks are a significant part of our everyday lives. Traditionally, banks haven’t been known for their “thought leadership” in technology, but today’s banks have to be cutting edge to compete, and stay secure. All the conveniences of digital banking have its set…