WNYT.com reports “the Social Security Administration in New York City says that 15,000 Social Security numbers were stolen by a subcontractor who was working in Office of Temporary Disability Assistance making computer infrastructure upgrades.” In this case the culprit is a subcontractor and succeeded either because he had the contractor’s credentials/passwords and/or the files containing…
Out with the old and in with the new. In my household, closets, cabinets, and drawers are purged and reorganized during the last two weeks of December. Anything that hasn’t been used in the past year, is tossed, donated, or recycled. I rarely put anything into storage, since that generally means I’ll never use it…
Years ago, I appeared on the Maury Povich show to discuss weaponry. The producers called me to discuss a show they had in mind where the shows subjects were those facing jail time or in jail because they killed their attackers. In each case, it was their word against a dead mans. Some of the…
For Christmas, one of my neighbors got a 60 inch LCD screen TV. I saw the same TV at Costco for $2000.00. Another neighbor got a Mac Book Pro. I saw this online for $2000.00. Another neighbor got a Nikon Digital SLR camera, and I saw this at Amazon for almost $900.00. These are neighbors…
1. Do some research. What is the installer’s reputation and history? How large is the company? How many current customers? Is it local or nationwide? Is their primary business security? 2. How “new” is the home security product? Today’s home security systems are far more superior than those available in past years. 3. Does the…
Maybe it’s the economy or maybe people are just getting nuttier, but my news alerts have been pouring in describing horrific home-invasions with many resulting in growing levels of violence. In some places, there is a correlation between home invasions and organized crime, drugs, prostitution and gambling. In Calgary, our neighbor to the north, the…
1. During the holidays, criminals engage in “black-hat SEO,” wherein they create fake websites and then use the same techniques as legitimate online businesses regarding search engine optimization, marketing, and online advertising via Google AdWords. They use keywords to boost rankings on Internet searches, causing their spoofed websites to appear alongside legitimate websites. These same…
Each holiday season, the TSA prepares its workforce of 50,000 transportation security officers to provide a smooth experience for holiday travelers. Since this is the busiest travel time of the year, the TSA is reminding passengers of the security procedures in place, so you know what to expect before leaving home. Children: The TSA has…
Ever apply for insurance of any kind? There is always a litany of paperwork and the process is always frustrating and somewhat demeaning. Insurer’s applications feel invasive and ask questions that require information that you may not even tell your mom. What’s worse is they have to be given to another person who you often…
The Nigerian 419 Scam is a form of advance-fee fraud, a confidence trick in which the target is persuaded to advance sums of money in the hope of realizing a significantly larger gain. “419″ refers to the article of the Nigerian Criminal Code that deals with fraud. Almost everyone has been targeted by this type of…
