In Hurricane Season Get the Facts

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Hurricane Irene killed over 40 people, did millions to billions of dollars in damage and left millions without power for over a week.

I live on the east coast, right on the coast, and battened down in anticipation of getting whacked. Well that day never came because the storm missed us.

The local and national news channels continued to spout out information that devastation was on the way even though NOAA kept telling me the storm was downgraded to a tropical storm. I’ve had 75 mile an hour winds here and that’s not devastation. But it definitely means you need to remove anything from your porches and yard that can be flung through a glass window.

Anyway, in the days after the event many people locally complained to me that the media exaggerates things and in the future they will not pay any attention to the boy who cried wolf.

I repeat: Hurricane Irene killed over 40 people, did millions to billions in damage and left millions without power for over a week. While the media definitely sensationalizes things it is better to be over prepared than underprepared. Further it is even better to get the FACTs from NOAA and get a local perspective with a grain of salt when watching what’s going on in the news.

The Red Cross along with NOAA have great tips on how to prepare.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing home security and identity theft on TBS Movie and a Makeover. Disclosures.

Psychic and Fortune Tellers Are Scammers

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A quick break here from security and security solutions to include you in on a little secret.

People all over the world, in addition to people I know and love spend money (sometimes mine) on “readings” thinking they are getting inside information on something such as an unforeseen life event or drummed up answers to questions about the past.

Mostly, the motivations behind a “normal” person going to a fortune teller or psychic are purely for fun. I have been to a few in the past, often pulled in while walking a boardwalk at a touristy event or when someone brings a psychic to a party to bring the party up a notch.

Generally the psychic provides a degree of information that when told, gets the listeners attention because the “inside info” couldn’t possibly be known otherwise.

But that inside information is often generic, or standard. Meaning chances are “there is a family member you are having a very difficult time with” and “you love them and have tried to patch things up but can’t” and “they just don’t understand you”

WHO ISN’T IN THAT SITUATION???!!!

One psychic told me she saw “red blood” in my future “from a type of accident”. I was wearing a leather vest with a long leave shirt that said “Harley Davidson” and carrying a helmet. She was insightful.

So when people get sucked into this they will often get rolled into spending more money to get more information so the fortune teller can solve all their problems.

Recent news of an educational foundation of sorts offered up a million dollar challenge to anyone who could prove they are a psychic. Nobody has taken the bait. Know why? Because anyone who takes the challenge would be discredited on a national stage.

Just this week in Florida a family of multi million dollar fortune tellers were arrested for using magic tricks claiming they were talking to the dead, and curing disease. Victims were giving up luxury cars, cash and gold coins to have the scammers fix all their problems.

There is a scam for everyone. Everyone is a mark, it’s just a matter of finding that persons scam spot.

PS, there is no such thing as UFO’s or ghosts either. Since billions of people now carry smartphones that record pictures and videos we have yet to see a ghost or UFO on camera.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing scammers and thieves on The Big Idea with Donnie Deutsch. Disclosures.

FBI launches FBI Child ID App

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The last thing anyone ever wants to think about is your child getting taken away from you by a stranger or even someone you know. And while the statistics aren’t nearly are bad as one would think, parents think about child abduction all the time.

Regardless of statistical probabilities, there is a chance your child can go missing. In response the FBI has created the FBI Child ID application.

Straight from iTunes:

“The free FBI Child ID app provides a convenient place to electronically store photos and vital information about your child so that it’s literally right at hand if your child goes missing. You can show the pictures and provide physical identifiers such as height and weight to security or police officers on the spot. Using a special tab on the app, you can also quickly and easily e-mail the information to authorities with a few clicks. The app also includes tips on keeping children safe as well as specific guidance on what to do in those first few crucial hours after a child goes missing.”

Information stored on the application is local, meaning the FBI isn’t tapping into your phone or seeing your kid’s information. The app isn’t password protected, which it should be. But as long as your phone is password protected then you should be all set.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist toHome Security Source discussing Child Abductions on MSNBC. Disclosures

 

 

Burglary from another Perspective

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I don’t see any signage saying “Home Security System”, and your front door is mostly glass and you sometimes leave the doors unlocked for bike rides.

I see you go to bed around 10 to 10:30. Most of your lights are off by nine. You rarely pull the shades down. You often leave a light on downstairs either in the front hall or over the kitchen stove. But when you leave the house for a night out all your lights are on until late night.

You have a newspaper delivered a 6:30 am and you’ve probably never met your paperboy because he only leaves you an envelope and picks it up without you two ever coming in contact.

You have that little dog and let it out around 7:30 am. Sometimes your kids walk the dog at 8 and I’m pretty sure you leave the door open for them when they come back.

During the day you have cleaners come at least once a month, It’s usually the last Monday of the month, they have their own key.

When your kids get home from school I sometimes see them flip up the mat at the front door if they forgot their key.

Every time you leave for work I see you are half way down the street before your garage door closes. I think it’s on a timer.

I looked up your family’s phone number in the directory, it’s listed. I’ve called a bunch of times from a payphone in front of the convenient store down the street and pretty much know when someone is home based on when they answer the phone.

It’s easy to follow you on Facebook, your names on the mailbox, all your kids and spouse is connected. I pretty much know who your extended family is and who your friends are and a bit about your plans. You can’t stop posting your whereabouts.

I’m not telling you all this to creep you out, although I know it’s creepy. But I can’t help pointing these things out. It’s my nature, I’m observant and I’m a burglar.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing self defense and rape prevention on NBC Boston. Disclosures.

68 Year Old Grandmother Shoots Home Invaders

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In Nashville where smoked ribs, country music and 68 year old grandmothers sleep with shotguns, a take no prisoners Nana picked off two home invaders breaking in as she slept. She was quoted saying “Never in my whole life have I ever harmed anything or anybody, but I’ve never been put in that position.”

Well now she has and two men are full of lead as a result.

Her husband is wheelchair bound so when she heard them kicking the door she grabbed her gun. Apparently she has had a shotgun next to her bed her whole life and has had people laugh about it. Today nobody is laughing.

She also has a home security alarm system, which is definitely a layer of protection. I wonder if she had any signage outside alerting the home invaders. So as soon as the door came crashing in the alarm went off and so did the shotgun.

One guy was shot in the face, another in the chest and lost part of his finger.

She has no regrets she said. She did say she is glad she didn’t kill them as she would have felt bad about it forever.

I’m not saying you should or shouldn’t have a shotgun next to your bed. Either way as long as you survive you’ve done the right thing.

Additional measures of protection might be a big dog bowl outside, men’s army boots near the door, signage saying ADT Home Alarm, and in this case signage saying “Forget the Dog, Beware of Owner!”

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist toHome Security Source discussing Home Invasions on Maury Povich. Disclosures

Teens Trash Ex-Besties House When Away

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My assistant sends me this:

“Here’s a story that you can use for a Home Security blog if you want:

Jodie (my daughter) gets a phone call Friday night from her best friend Audrey about their old best friend Nancy. Nancy was Jodie and Audreys best friend up until 6-8 months ago when Nancy started hanging with “the wrong kids”.

Apparently this weekend Nancy decided it would be fun if her and her boyfriend and 2 other couples partied in Audrey’s house while Audrey and her family were away. It was easy for Nancy because she knew where the family hid the spare key.

So Nancy and her boyfriend and the 2 couples broke in to Audrey’s house, drank their booze, used their bedrooms and trashed the house.

Then the neighbors noticed something going on and knew the family wasn’t supposed to be there. Cops came, kids ran, they caught 2 who rolled on the 4 others. The police contacted Audrey’s parents who were asked by the police to press charges. Well Audrey’s parents didn’t press charges because they were friends with Nancy’s parents. Who have been oblivious to all of Nancy’s shenanigans as of lately.”

OMG! I’m not sure what amuses me the most about this story. On one hand we have the drama of “best friends”, on the other hand we have “teens gone wild” and on the other hand we have “Nancy’s shenanigans as of lately”!! Someone strap a video camera to that kid! MTV needs a new show!

Jodie’s best friend Audrey’s parents who are friends with Nancy’s parents could have avoided their home being used as an unauthorized teen social soiree if they:

Realized everyone including burglars, the mailman and especially Nancy knows where you hide the spare key.

Prohibited their child from socializing with anyone ever for any reason and kept her in the basement until she was 30.

Had a home security alarm system equipped with home security cameras to alert them to an unauthorized intrusion.

Just sayin’

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist toHome Security Source discussingADT Pulse on Fox News Live. Disclosures

Hackers Hacked Away in Las Vegas

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For the uninitiated, per Wikipedia “DEF CON” (also written as DEFCON or Defcon) is one of the world’s largest annual hacker conventions, held every year in Las Vegas, Nevada. The first DEF CON took place in June 1993.

Many of the attendees at DEFCON include computer security professionals, journalists, lawyers, federal government employees, crackers, cyber-criminals, security researchers, and hackers with a general interest in computer code, computer architecture, phone phreaking, hardware modification, and anything else that can be “hacked”.”

This year’s DEFCON expected 10,000 registrants. That’s a lot of hackers! One interesting tidbit about DEFCON is you can’t pre-register, as in give them your credit card ahead of time to book your spot because DEFCON only accepts cash! And for good reason!  What most people don’t realize is not all hackers are bad. Certainly “crackers and cyber criminals” are bad, but many hackers are full time security professionals and work around the clock to create the security software to protect us.

If you have someone local that does computer security or as it’s known in the industry “penetration testing” they will lock down your network and protect you from the “crackers and cyber criminals”.

Meanwhile if you are a do it yourself-er:

Lock down your wireless internet with WPA security. Check your owner’s manual.

Install antivirus or update your virus definitions automatically

Install spyware removal or make sure your antivirus is a “Total Protection” product

Make sure your firewall is turned on

Set your PC to update your critical security patched for your operating system.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing home security and identity theft on TBS Movie and a Makeover. Disclosures.

 

Barefoot Bandit Gets a Movie Deal

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Colton Harris Moore was busted for committing over 100 burglaries in the Pacific Northwest. He stole cars, speedboats and airplanes (at least 3). He is known as the “Barefoot Burglar” because he kicked off his shoes running from the police through the woods.

He was a “door knob jiggler”. Most of the homes didn’t have home security systems installed.

You may recall the Barefoot Bandit was arrested in the Bahamas after a boat chase that came to a halt when cops shot out the boats motor. This 19 year old has never taken a flying lesson but stole a plane in Indiana and crashed it off Abaco Island and he was hunted ever since.

This young adult achieved celebrity like status with over 20,000 Facebook fans. However, Harris-Moore isn’t one to be celebrated. He stole as much from the average hard worker as he does from the dot-com rich. And he admits it:

“I did things that were not only a violation of law, but also of trust, I can’t undo what I did. I can only try to make things better.” This was via a written statement provided by his lawyers.

He just signed a movie deal to make $1.3 million with 20th Century Fox. However he won’t earn any money from this, as all the funds will go to restitution.

  1. Lock your doors and windows
  2. Install a monitored alarm system. Consider ADT Pulse.
  3. Give your home that lived in look
  4. Leave the TV on LOUD while you are gone
  5. Install timers on your lights both indoor and outdoor
  6. Close the shades to prevent peeping inside
  7. Use defensive signage

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston.

How Phishing is Like a Home Invasion

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Phishing of course is when you receive a fraud based email designed to trick you into clicking links and entering your personal information. In some cases when clicking those links you may download a virus. Their intention is to bypass your computers security.

Phishing is emerging as sophisticated due to ways in which the phish emails are disguised to look like legitimate communications often from other trusted employees on the inside or companies you may do business with.

The criminals behind these emails are doing their research on company websites finding key individuals to model and following up their research on Facebook and LinkedIn to make their phish emails more personal.

And while criminals are still targeting “whales” or CEOs of major corporations and their officers, they are using similar attacks on consumers, as well.

Home invaders are using similar tactics to stalk their prey. You receive a knock on the door, and the minute you open it, like clicking a link, you’re vulnerable. Their intention is to bypass your home security alarm by getting you to open the door.

Home invaders use some ruse like they are from the gas company or making a delivery or some may lie that their car broke down. All of these methods prey upon your trusting of another person or business that you may have a relationship with.

Home invaders do their research. They watch you on social media, they look up basic information and they often target the head of the household.

Protecting yourself from phishing or home invasions comes down to one fundamental principle: Don’t automatically trust or believe that whoever is contacting you in any form has good intentions. We trust by nature, and that’s great, but not allowing yourself to question others intentions set you up to fail.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist toHome Security Source discussingADT Pulse on Fox News Live. Disclosures

Snow Shovel Bandit Busted

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I know the last four letter word you want to hear is SNOW. But everyone needs to know the Snow Shovel Bandit has been sentenced to 6 years in prison!!

This guy generally broke into homes without home security alarms occupied by single women.

For a small time crook, this guy had a pretty solid and innovative business plan. The 51 year old basically undercut all the 9-12 year olds in the neighborhood that generally shovel snow for all the local single ladies.

He would approach the home owners and under charge them to shovel driveways and then ask for a few more bucks for spreading rocksalt. His scheme was to gain their trust while he was casing their homes.

So basically these women were paying this guy to shovel snow and case, and then burglarize their homes.

Sometimes moments after they left he’d kick in a door and rob the place, other times he’d do it at night when they were home!

Police checked with the local pawn shops for items that were stolen and were able to track him down.

This is a guy with a long criminal record with extensive burglary convictions. Obviously if he keeps getting caught he’s not that good at it. But achieving “Snow Shovel Bandit” status is quite an accomplishment. Take THAT Billy The Kid!

So I guess Rule #1 is if the person knocking on your door to shovel your driveway was born before 1990, I’d be suspicious. Accuse me of profiling; I’m just making a point.

Further, don’t open the door to strangers! Especially 51 year olds with shovels!

Install a home security system and keep it armed around the clock.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist toHome Security Source discussingADT Pulse on Fox News. Disclosures