Entries by Robert Siciliano

The Growing Demand for Cybersecurity Professionals

Cybersecurity professionals are always in demand[i]. Threats to intellectual property and sensitive data constantly evolve with technology, which means a security professional’s job is never done. There’s always another security problem to solve. Consider the recent proliferation of cyber attacks: it’s become easier and easier for a small group of people to compromise vast networks…

How to stop Browser Tracking

Maybe you don’t mind the ads for that bicycle rack following you around in cyberspace after you visited a site for all things bike, but browser trackers (“cookies”) also create a profile of you that gets sold to other advertisers and third parties. Are you doomed to be stalked forever by bike ads? This is…

Street Fights can result in Death

People who don’t believe they have been brainwashed by the film industry, which repeatedly shows men in a brawl who are still standing after each have received a dozen punches to the head and face. Sometimes it takes five full minutes to just daze a man, after he’s been hit in the face over and…

Self-Defense and Sexual Assault Prevention

If you reach your hand to a strange dog loose on the street to pet it on top of the head, and it mauls your hand, whose fault is this? One camp would put most of the blame on the dog owner. But most people would blame the victim. But everyone with half an ounce…

When a Company Gets Sold, So Does Your Data

When you subscribe to an online service, be careful of how much information you give out about yourself. Most businesses in their terms and conditions, say they “respect your privacy.” But what if these companies go under or are sold? An article from the online New York Times explores this concept. Today’s market-data-hungry-businesses can gather…

Even Hackers get hacked

Burglars get burgled, muggers get mugged, and hackers get hacked. This includes a sophisticated ring of hackers: Hacking Team, hailing from Italy, specializing in selling hacking software to major governments. An article on wired.com describes how a “400 gigabyte trove” went online by anonymous hackers who gutted the Hacking Team, including source code. Even their…

Beware of these 10 Nasty Scams

Let’s look at the top 10 scams (random order). Charity A fraudster claims to represent a charitable organization. Such scams can operate ring-style, such as one out in Colorado some years ago in which women wearing crisp white dresses that resembled the dresses nurses used to wear, and also wearing white caps (like a nurse),…

Hacker isn’t a bad Word

Did you know that the original meaning of hacker, as far as computers, was that of a person who built codes into computers? In fact, the bad guy was called a “cracker.” Somehow, “cracker” didn’t catch on. But the mainstream folk out there hears “hacker,” and right away, they think of a digital thief, often…

How to deal with difficult people

It’s been said that nobody can make you feel bad about yourself without your permission. Well bah! Some people don’t wait for your permission to denigrate you. They are toxic. Lifehacker.com offers some ways to deal with such people. Love Yourself If someone’s words have made you feel bad about yourself, then spend some time…

Passwords in Real Life: Don’t be Lazy

It’s tough being responsible sometimes. And managing responsibilities for what is precious in your life usually takes a little extra thought.  Let’s say you’ve just welcomed a beautiful set of triplets into the world.  Lucky you . . . and lots to managed! But, you wouldn’t give all these babies the same name simply to…