It’s as easy for hackers to phish out your personal data as it is to sit in a canoe on a still pond, cast the bait and wait for the fish to bite. So many people fail to learn about phishing scams, a favorite and extremely prevalent scam among cybercriminals. A type of phishing scam…
Kids can be so cruel—at least when they kick in the doors of homes and rob people. At least three thieves were arrested for suspected involvement in a series of Southeast Austin burglaries. One is 18-year-old Erik Rene Marciel. Another of the juveniles is linked to up to 11 burglaries. The third robber is 10…
A credit freeze locks down your credit report so lenders can’t see your scores, making your credit/SSN useless to them because they don’t know their risk level. If thieves get ahold of your ID, they can’t get credit in your name as long as your credit is frozen. Freezing your credit will seal your credit…
What is data synchronization? This technology synchronizes data between two or more computers and/or the cloud and automatically copies changes that are transacted between devices. File synchronization is used for home or small business backups when the user copies files to a flash drive or external hard drive. The synching prevents creating duplicate files. For…
A 93-year-old woman survived Hurricane Sandy, but not before her family went through hell wondering if she was alive, being that her landline was down and she had no cellphone. Lesson learned: Elderly people who live alone should have a cellphone. This technology is available; use it. Texting With today’s technology, it’s easier than ever…
If a stranger stopped you on the street and requested your e-mail address and birthdate, would you give it to that person? A rational person would never give up this information. This is the same guard you should have when giving out your personal information to set up an online account, setting up a social…
In Putnam County, Georgia, a crazed killer may be on the loose (if he’s not already in another state by now). He (and maybe he had an accomplice) beheaded Russell Dermond, 88. Nobody knows why. At the time his decapitated body was found, his wife, Shirley, 87, was missing. But two weeks later her body…
If you’ve ever seen a movie where the bad guys are using ongoing, invasive hacking to spy on their “enemy,” you have some familiarity with an advanced persistent threat (APT). This term usually refers to an attack carried out by a group that targets a specific entity using malware and other sophisticated techniques to exploit vulnerabilities…
Wireless networks have certainly brought a lot of convenience to our lives, allowing us to work and surf from almost anywhere—home, cafes, airports and hotels around the globe. But unfortunately, wireless connectivity has also brought convenience to hackers because it gives them the opportunity to capture all data we type into our connected computers and…
Worried about finding a job after you graduate from college? Worried about paying off your debts? It gets uglier: New college grads need to think about their identities being stolen. One-third of identity theft complaints come from young adults. A new college graduate will often have a clean credit history. If the new college graduate…
