Entries by Robert Siciliano

Expanding Internet Capabilities Makes U.S. IT More Vulnerable

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert The FBI considers the cyber threat against our nation to be one of the greatest concerns of the 21st century. Steven R. Chabinsky is deputy assistant director of the cyber division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This article is sourced from GovInfoSecurity.com and was adapted from written testimony he…

U.S. Cyber Challenge to Defeat Criminal Identity Theft

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert President Obama has chimed in with a directive to review the nations cyber security as it relates to security and our critical infrastructures. CNN recently reported about the “U.S. Cyber Challenge” to find and develop 10,000 cybersecurity specialists to help the U.S. regain the lead in cyberspace. In its simplest…

Help Prevent Home Robberies

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert Robbery as defined in Wikipedia is the crime of seizing property through violence or intimidation. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear. Precise definitions of the offence may…

Russian Hackers Make Millions Breaching 7/11 and ATMs

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert It started simply by hacking 7-Elevens public website using a SQL injection.  SQL is abbreviation of Structured Query Language.  Pronounced  ”Ess Que El” or ”Sequel” depending on who you ask.  This led to 7 elevens main servers compromised which led to ATMs within 7-Eleven hacked. Wired reports ““The Russians, evidently using an SQL injection vulnerability, …

Beware Online Auction Fraud & Identity Theft

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert Scammers often set up pages on auction sites during the holiday season. Consumers should be aware of deals that are obviously too good to be true. Most too good to be true online deals bite unsophisticated shoppers or “newbies” to the online auction world. The victim either gets goods that are…

Burglars Prey On Churches

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert It doesn’t matter where, when or who, a burglar will go where there is easy access and easy money, or goods to be resold. The Miami Herald reports a burglar has holy targets for his unholy acts. Targeting synagogues, churches and a Jehovah’s Witnesses hall in Miami Beach, the man steals…

The Feast of the 7 Phishes

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert Being a “Siciliano” and having roots in Italy, namely Sicily, the little island at the bottom of the boot, we have a tradition where we celebrate “the vigil” (La Vigilia), with a Feast of the Seven Fishes (festa dei sette pesci). It’s a day of cooking, eating and enjoying your favorite…

Craigslist ATM I bought Causes Industry Stir

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert Apparently I raised a hackle or two. Seems my little stunt got the attention of industry insiders, and not all of them believe that I bought a used ATM on Craigslist, which turned out to contain thousands of credit card numbers. Well, it did actually happen, and despite what many say,…

Lack of Laptop Security Leads to Identity Theft

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert In 2003, an estimated 1.5 million laptops were stolen worldwide. Today, that number has climbed to 2.6 million. That’s a 70% increase in just a few years. That’s one stolen laptop every 12 seconds. Laptop computers have been the source of some of the biggest data breaches of all time.…

Identity Theft 2010 Top 10 Predictions

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert I’ve joined forces with the Identity Theft Resource Center to expand the pool of knowledge about identity theft issues. As nationally recognized experts in this crime, we have come up with ten predictions for what the nation can expect in the area of identity theft in 2010 and beyond. 1.…