Entries by Robert Siciliano

What to Do if Accosted on Street and Dragged by a Man

The video of Carlesha Freeland-Gaither, 22, being grabbed on a street corner and forced along a sidewalk to her assailant’s car gripped the nation, bringing more attention than ever to how easy it seems for an unarmed man to abduct a woman. There are things a woman can do to help prevent such a situation,…

What is Pharming?

I was surfing on YouTube the other day and found this hilarious video mash-up of Taylor Swift’s song “Shake It Off” and an 80s aerobics video. For a lot of kids today, mash-ups are all the rage—whether it’s combining two videos, two songs, or two words. Mash-ups have even caught on in the tech world. The word…

Tips to prepare for Power Outage

Don’t wait to be in the dark to find out you’re in the dark. Are you equipped for a power outage? A power outage can even occur in perfect weather, thanks to a construction team “hitting a wire.” Batteries. Don’t have these scattered haphazardly in some drawer. Battery holders are sold that you can hang…

21 Tips for Holiday Home Security

People complain about all the stress that comes with the holiday season: the in-laws, the expense of buying gifts, figuring out what to buy, travel, reunions with people they don’t like… But trust me on this: You’ll take you’re ever-criticizing in-laws and bratty nephew any day over a burglar who turns your holiday plans into…

7 Things You Can Do To Protect Your Identity

One of my favorite commercials is a guy working out with his personal trainer. The trainer asks him if he’s been eating his vegetables every day. When he replies, “When I can,” the trainer bops him on the head. He could have had a V8! Just like the man thought that eating his daily vegetables…

Beware of Home Security Scams

Will the home security scams ever stop? The latest scam has fraudsters going door to door, posing as sales reps for “Trio Alarm.” They first make sure that the houses they visit already have a security system (e.g., security decals on windows), then tell the occupant that the company for that security system has gone…

Russian Hackers getting rich from your Identity

Where’s the $$$ at? Selling credit card data. Have you heard of the Russian hacking ring that raked in two and a half billion dollars? Check it out: Phishing attacks are lucrative for these cybercriminals. ATM hacks continue to increase, in part due to targeted attacks and new software. Smartphone attacks are on the upswing.…

What we can learn from Celebrity Stalkers

Rihanna was basically discovered on YouTube. Had she stayed there, her psycho stalker would have never had any interest in her. People are just plain insane. But she’s famous, so Kevin McGlynn decided to send her threatening letters and lurk outside her home, says an article at reuters.com. He was committed to a mental facility.…

Chip and PIN vs. Chip and Signature Cards

The planet’s most powerful nation is sure backwards when it comes to the payment card industry: Why has America been using 1970s technology as of the posting date of this article? That magnetic strip on credit and debit cards has GOT to go already! And thank goodness, the transition to chip technology is more imminent…