Two men, impersonating San Jose police officers, waltzed through the unlocked door of a woman’s home and told her they were there to check on her welfare. This happened in the early evening, and the men were described as being Hispanic and 5-7 and 155 pounds. They presented the woman with identification but she smelled…
As a security and safety expert, I often lecture about all the facets of a kidnapping. There are three basic stages or phases of the kidnapping experience. The Lure Kidnappers premeditate and precalculate every move. Months of planning could go into an abduction that takes only seconds. The circumstances have to be perfect, like a…
H.B. 224, a newly introduced data breach notification bill for New Mexico, would mandate that organizations notify breached individuals within 10 days of breach discovery (unencrypted credit card data); and within 10 business days notifying the state attorney general if more than 50 NM residents are affected. The bill allows for a shorter notification deadline…
Your employee’s online life could open your business to some serious dangers. Many small businesses recognize the benefits of having a social media presence for customer service and long-term marketing purposes. However, many are slow to recognize social media’s security issues and how employees’ own social presence can add to the company’s security issues. Some…
Schlage is all about safety and security. But you need not be in the profession of security analyst to be vigilant about your home and family’s security. And when it comes to security, this doesn’t just mean protection from home invasions and burglaries, but anything and everything, such as online security and guarding against viruses,…
There are 10 distinct meanings of privacy. Protecting Reputation You’ve heard of money management, right? Well, there’s also reputation management. There’s a difference between having facts about a person and then making judgments based on those facts. Often, judgments are skewered, and the result is a soured reputation. Showing Respect We must respect one’s desire…
“Ransomware” is what holds data hostage by invading one’s computer when the user clicks on a malicious link in an e-mail or downloads an infected attachment. Visiting a fraudulent web site can also trigger an attack. Ransomware then goes to work at putting your files on lockdown so you can’t access them—but the hacker sure…
Mobile phones are a world away in terms of capabilities to what they were 10 years ago. Research from Doilette has found that 72% of people in the UK now own a smartphone device. Considering all the personal information evidently available on your phone, it’s probably about time that you properly protected it. Read more HERE
2013 was the year of 740 million records involving data breaches. And that number may be erring quite on the conservative side, according to the Online Trust Alliance. The records come from a list on the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse Chronology Data Base. The list is that of publically disclosed breaches, including the alleged 110 million that…
My job as a security analyst is to educate people on the prevalence of ID theft, and this especially includes those over 45, and I also must point out that scams involving Medicare are on the rise. According to Reuters, Identity theft led the list of top consumer complaints once again in 2013, with U.S.…
