Entries by Robert Siciliano

Watch Out for Tax Scams!

Spring is here (at least in some parts of the world in the northern hemisphere)! The bees are buzzing, the flowers are blooming, and the accountants are working late because for those in the U.S., it’s tax season! Scammers love tax season—there is a lot of money moving around as people pay taxes and receive…

What is a Potentially Unwanted Program (PUP)?

Whether you’re an animal person or not, you have to admit that puppies are pretty darn cute. So cute that there are YouTube Channels, Facebook accounts, and Buzzfeed newsletters devoted to the subject. Unfortunately, there’s a not so cute PUP out in the world, and it wants access to your device. What I’m talking about…

Don’t be scammed into paying Back Taxes

It’s easy to scam someone who did something wrong by telling them they need to fix their mistake. This is why thousands of people get scammed into paying back taxes to the IRS—the IRS has nothing to do with these scams, of course, but the predators prey on peoples’ fear of Uncle Sam. It all…

Frequently Asked Questions About Identity Theft

I remember my teachers always telling me there are no stupid questions. When it comes to identity theft, this is especially true. The more you know about identity theft, the better prepared you will be to prevent it from happening to you. Here are some commonly asked questions about identity theft.

Hackers for Hire both Good and Bad

Ever see those public bulletin boards with all the business cards on them? Don’t be surprised if you spot one that says “Hacker•for•Hire.” These are hackers who will, for a nice juicy fee, hack into your wife’s Facebook account to see if she’s cheating on you. However, there’s at least one hackmaking site that matches…

Password Security vulnerable to Trickery

There’s only one entrance to the house: a steel door two feet thick. If someone from the outside touched the door—even with a battering ram—they’ll get an electric shock. No bad guys could get through, right? Well, suppose the bad guy tricks the homeowner into opening the door…and once open, the bad guy strangles the…