Entries by Robert Siciliano

Man Arrested For Stealing 15,000 Social Security Numbers

Now more than ever, criminal hackers are hacking into databases that contain Social Security numbers and using the numbers to open new financial accounts. Criminals use stolen Social Security numbers to obtain mobile phones, credit cards, and even bank loans. Some victims whose Social Security numbers fell into the hands of identity thieves have even…

Home Invaders Face The Death Penalty

There is no shortage of news reports clear across the country on home invasions. States like New Hampshire are responding by including home invasion as a qualifier for the death penalty. Couple pistol-whipped during Tulsa home invasion Oklahoma: “A husband and wife were pistol-whipped early Saturday during a home invasion robbery. Three males in their…

Skype App Adds Video Calling

When traveling for business, I often use Skype to video chat with my family at home. This is a comforting way to connect while sitting in a hotel. I’ll even leave the call on for hours at a time, just to watch what they do and hear the homestead background noise, which often includes the…

Putting An End to Data Breaches As We Know Them

The AP reports “WikiLeaks’ release of secret government communications should serve as a warning to the nation’s biggest companies: You’re next.” According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse’s Chronology of Data Breaches, more than 500 million sensitive records have been breached in the past five years. The Chronology of Data breaches lists specific examples of incidents in…

Military Members Face Identity Theft Threat

Service men and women face an elevated level of identity theft due to the ubiquitous use of the Social Security number (SSN) both here and abroad. Military personnel use their SSNs for a variety of reasons every day from everything including on various forms, IDs, access to facilities, and in Iraq they have it painted…

New Consumer Electronics Security Lacking

Early adopters of new technology often discover bugs, quirks, imperfections, and security issues before a product is widely adopted. That’s why I usually wait six to eight months for companies to fix their flaws. Researchers discovered they could hack into Internet-ready HDTV’s. One of the top five best-selling TVs left its security process vulnerable to…

Top Targets for Emerging Threats in 2011

This McAfee Labs list comprises 2010’s most buzzed about platforms and services, all of which are expected to be major targets for cybercriminals in the coming year. Exploiting Social Media: URL-shortening services With more than 3,000 shortened URLs being generated per minute, McAfee Labs expects to see a growing number used for spam, scamming, and…