Most of you know how important it is to have security software on your computers to stay protected from viruses, malware, spam and other Internet threats. Unfortunately, cybercriminals also know that it is critical to have security software, and they are using this knowledge to trick us into downloading fake antivirus software that is designed to…
The routine was well-grounded: Helen Van Orden, 79, worked as a housekeeper from 8 a.m. till noon Monday through Friday at Emeritus at College Park in Manatee. Then she’d go straight home and walk her dog. One day, she was waiting for her son, Charles Van Orden, 61, to call at 9 pm as he…
Is it coincidence that Beth Jacob CIO resigned from her job as chief information officer of Target Corporation? Or could this possibly be connected to the data breach that slammed Target in December of 2013, affecting as many as 70 million customers? Being a CIO is no easy task, especially when you have thousands of…
The biggest sporting event of the year just kicked off. If you’re not a football fan (that’s soccer for us Yanks), this is the ultimate goal and it’s just getting started. Many fans will head to Brazil to watch these games and their favorite players, but many more fans will flock online to find out information about…
Zero. The number of people who have ever read word for word—and understood—a website’s privacy policy. Well, maybe not zero, but the actual number is pretty close to it. And this excludes the lawyers who compose these thick walls of tiny text that are filled with legalese. How many people even open the link to…
PIN may sometimes stand for pilfered identification number if a hacker gets yours. And it’s easier than ever for thieves to get your PIN from an ATM, coming up with clever ways to beat security technology. The “primitive” way to get your card number is to manually place a phony card reader over an ATM…
Last year there were hundreds of cyber fraud incidents that struck banks and put consumers’ personal data at risk, even though the one involving Target stole the scenes. These crimes included payment card skimming, denial-of-service and web app tampering. As we’ve discussed, security is a top concern for banks at the board level. It’s not…
Never mind the government nosing in on your business; there’s a much bigger snooper out there that’s mining to your personal data: thousands of companies whose names you may not even know. These “data brokers” aren’t “bad”, although a few are irresponsible. They collect and analyze your very personal information, then package it up and…
Do you really know what your kids are doing all the time? Probably not, unless you’re a stalker (just kidding). But really, there has to be some element of trust and you can’t physically be everywhere your kids are. And that also applies to the online world. As parents, we need to be aware of…
Protecting your Gmail account means you must activate some tools that Google offers, and you must increase your scam savvy intelligence in order to spot phishing scams. If you do both, you can have a very well-protected Gmail account. #1. Google 2 Step Verification. This is the Holy Grail of account security. Not really, but…
