If your computer password contains the name of your dog, your favorite vacation spot, and an easy-to-remember numerical sequence, then you are breaking some basic rules of password safety. Even though “BusterBermuda789” might seem impenetrable to you, this is a password security experts say is vulnerable. Here are five things to know about passwords: A…
Just like older generations never thought that the dial phone in the kitchen could be dangerous (think phone scams), today’s kids don’t have a clue how hazardous smartphone apps can really be. They are a godsend to pedophiles, scammers and hackers. And let’s not forget other kids who just want to be cruel bullies. Parents…
Cane If you use a cane, take “cane-fu” classes if possible. Yes, it’s a thing. A sturdy cane with a strong handle works best. Do not assume you can fight with a cane just because you need one to walk. Avoid a cane with a hidden knife or sword unless you specifically train to fight…
Did you know that often, burglars gain entry by simply kicking open locked doors? You just would not believe how easy this is. This is why it’s crucial to beef up the strength of your house’s doors. And this can be done several ways. Deadbolt Strike Plate It’s ironic that this piece of hardware is…
Hackers bank heavily on tricking people into doing things that they shouldn’t: social engineering. A favorite social engineering ploy is the phishing e-mail. How a hacker circumvents two-factor authentication: First collects enough information on the victim to pull off the scam, such as obtaining information from their LinkedIn profile. Or sends a preliminary phishing e-mail…
Looks like there’s some worms in Apple. Not too long ago, dozens and dozens of iPhones were stolen from two Apple stores. How could this happen, what with Apple’s security? Simple: The thieves wore clothes similar to Apple store employees and obviously knew the innards of the stores. They sauntered over to the drawers that…
A ransomware attack is when your computer gets locked down or your files become inaccessible, and you are informed that in order to regain use of your computer or to receive a cyber key to unlock your files, you must pay a ransom. Typically, cybercriminals request you pay them in bitcoins. The attack begins when you’re…
The Dark Web, according to LeakedSource, got ahold of 33 million Twitter account details and put them up for sale. Twitter thus locked the accounts for millions of users. Twitter, however, doesn’t believe its servers were directly attacked. So what happened? The bad guys may have created a composite of data from other breached sources.…
If you’ve heard this once, you need to hear it again—and again: Never use the same password and username for more than one account! If this got Mark Zuckerberg’s (Facebook’s chief executive). Twitter account hacked, it can get just about anybody hacked. A report at nytimes.com says that the OurMine hacking group takes credit for…
An impostor posed as Lorrie Cranor at a mobile phone store (in Ohio, nowhere near Cranor’s home) and obtained her number. She is the Federal Trade Commission’s chief technologist. Her impostor’s con netted two new iPhones (the priciest models—and the charges went to Cranor) with her number. In a blog post, Cranor writes: “My phones…
